Talk:How To Assemble A Desktop PC/Choosing the parts/Archive 1

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Contents 1 Wrong description of hyperthreading technology 2 Editing Problems 3 Need updates on Technology 4 What's considered primary, secondary, perephrial? 5 quiet operation

Wrong description of hyperthreading technology

The hyperthreading cpus are described as being multicore. This is not the case - see the wikipedia article on hyperthreading for example. Sorry, can't fix it right now. 134.214.103.196 18:49, 18 August 2005 (UTC)

Editing Problems

Sectional editing has remained unfixed for quite some time. The links for the editing does not direct to where it's supposed to, it jumps approximately two sections down from every edit link's original position.

The problem seems to be that the edit links in the Table of Contents point to the Choosing the Parts section, so everything is off by two. I'm not sure how to fix it though. 129.55.200.20 18:21, 10 August 2005 (UTC)

Need updates on Technology

Due to recent development in new technology... could someone please add details to the new

• PCI-Express 1x
• PCI-Express 16x
• Serial ATA
• 5.1, 6.1, 7.1 sound cards
• USB 2.0
• IEEE 1394 Firewire
• New Intel CPU Numbers for Core Duo and Core 2 Duo
• Graphics Cards

Thanks...

What's considered primary, secondary, perephrial?

I don't think a computer could quite work without a video card. So why is it secondary? I'd say it's more neccisary than RAM. (However, good luck finding an OS to fit on your CPU's cache.) Also, a computer can be run without a hard drive using a live CD like knoppix. However, try using it without a monitor. So how exactly where hardware component categorized into their categories? Reub2000 21:51, 12 Apr 2005 (UTC)

You need RAM. You certainly don't need a video card. Sometimes a low-quality BIOS will demand one. It is common to run servers without a video card. (real server operating systems like Linux and Solaris don't need a GUI) A good BIOS can even be configured over the serial port, network, or management connection. AlbertCahalan 05:09, 14 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Video card should be listed as primary - Our section on video cards mention On-board cards - remember that this is trying to aim at non-technical users - I can't see people who are new to Computer design wanting to make a server, they will want a game machine or similar. Primary parts should be everything that needs to be considered to make the computer work - You need a Graphics card in this case. --Noogz 04:35, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)

I think that is the wrong audience to aim for. Non-technical users should not be building computers. Most of them will know enough to avoid doing so. A few will press ahead and damage things. AlbertCahalan 04:48, 17 Apr 2005 (UTC)

You miss what I mean by Non-technical - I mean people who won't use it for Servers and the like - I mean it's aiming at people who want to try to make a computer, and aiming too high will mean that the book's target is missed. You are missing the point by aiming the bar way too high - don't assume that people who are not technically-minded will botch building a computer.--150.101.110.203 10:28, 19 Apr 2005 (UTC)

the previous poster hit it on the head, the difference between a primary device and secondary device is usually a matter of user need. The general readership of this article is a mixed audience, from the newb to the techie, so there will be different levels of needs.4.245.113.84 23:41, 3 June 2006 (UTC)

On the topic of our audience, don't you think someone that is planning on building a computer will likely already know what a keyboard, mouse, and monitor are? --Bpogi 00:59, 22 February 2007 (UTC)

quiet operation

Please stop deleting info about noise reduction. Noise reduction is one of the major reasons to build a PC. If one merely wants a fast computer, there are plenty of ready-made ones to choose from. The Newisys 4300 and Sun v40z are good examples. For a ready-made quiet computer... well you could get a Mac I guess, if you like MacOS or Debian. That's not really a PC though.

Continuous noise is proven to be harmful to both hearing and mental state. A quiet computer can run all night long on a stand beside the head of your bed. A noisy one must be turned off just so you can have a peaceful dinner in the next room.

I found the info about getting 7 volts from 12 and 5 to be interesting. (note that I didn't write it originally) Please put it back.

Future things to add:

• dryer exhaust tube over the exhaust fan
• remove, via hacksaw if necessary, the fan guards
• automotive sound insulation (sticky tar-like goo in a paper sandwich)
• concrete
• USB audio, removing a heat source from the case
• external FireWire hard disk, removing a heat source from the case
• chimney
• solid-state "disks" have no moving parts (usually flash-based)
• LCD displays are silent
• underclocking and CPU voltage reduction
• graphics card underclocking
• hard disk settings to reduce head motion noise

AlbertCahalan 05:45, 7 May 2005 (UTC)

What user base is this article aimed at? From the writing it appears to be aimed at a more basic user. One handy enough to install windows, but it unlikely that modders would be reading an article like this. PPGMD 14:27, 7 May 2005 (UTC)

I don't know what userbase, but the far less useful overclocking info is included. If the noise reduction info goes, then all mention of overclocking should go as well. AlbertCahalan 19:43, 7 May 2005 (UTC)

I actually agree. Other than basic overclocking that is semi safe OCing like the video card, OCing should not be mentioned. Now basic design for quiet cooling should also be mentioned but other attempts should not be mentioned as they should only be done with expert consultation to people new to cooling and computers. PPGMD 01:18, 8 May 2005 (UTC)

Well, whether or not these go depends on the userbase. Maybe both should stay. Maybe both should go. Maybe just OCing should go. Both are real reasons to build your own computer, with silent operation being the more important of the two. I would think that video card OCing is fairly unsafe; at least an Intel CPU comes with some overtemperature protection. AlbertCahalan 02:36, 8 May 2005 (UTC)

Actually they both come with Thermal protection. AMD added it in with the Athlon 64s because of the negative publicity that they got from the video on Tom's Hardware. I think that mentioning the basics of both is the best way to go, but getting too indepth with either (which the fan voltage is one example) can be dangerous based on the aimed userbase of this book. PPGMD 02:51, 8 May 2005 (UTC)

This article doesn't have an intended audience that I know of. If you think it is something that could harm components or the reader, please put a warning in all caps and bolded. But I don't see why you consider anything too advanced, should not be included for readers who are more advanced. Reub2000 18:48, 8 May 2005 (UTC)

Every book or article has an intended audience, unless it's simply a place for you to write how smart you are. Now one way we can segment it, is to create a section of advanced topics. The Overclocking and Optimization section would be a great place for it, since it says nothing about Optimization ATM. We then can change the part selection page with some basics, and tell them to reference that section. PPGMD 21:30, 8 May 2005 (UTC)

What I meant was this book is intended for anyone building a computer. I don't see why this book can't target a wide audiance. I think a simple notice saying that something advanced would do IMO. And the optimization section is in development untill more work is done on it. Reub2000 00:17, 9 May 2005 (UTC)

This is guide not a novel. You aren't supposed to read it cover to cover, you just read what concerns you. -CarbonUnit

I added a reference to "silencing" section of the "optimization" page, as PPGMD suggested. --DavidCary 16:32, 28 December 2005 (UTC)

The article currently says

Some components, like hard disk drives and CD drives, produce noise, especially the higher speed drives. ... Note: If you have any older hard drives, the slower the drive spins the noisier it becomes.

This is contradictory: faster drives are noisier, and also slower drives are noisier? Huh?