Partly for the challenge, and partly because I can't find what I am looking for in an off-the-shelf computer, I am going to try to build my own computer.
I went to a Micro Center store in Denver, Colorado, and got very good advice, IMO. I appreciate the help I get in the stores, so I was buying what I needed based on items in the store plus the recommendations and information I was receiving. But somewhere a mistake was made, and I left the store with out a CPU, even though one was selected.
I want a finished product that has good to excellent speed and power, but not the bells and whistles. Rather like a mid-range Ford sedan, but with a Mustang engine!
Off the shelf products don't seem to have that combo, plus I'd like to choose the keyboard, mouse, and monitor. In addition, I don't need 1TB of storage in the computer, and I don't store my data on the boot drive, I prefer a 2nd data drive.
Parts already purchased are:
⁃ Widescreen 16:10 monitor
⁃ Intel solid state drive for the boot partition(s)
⁃ Western Digital Caviar Black drive for data
⁃ 8GB RAM
⁃ Z77 Pro4-M motherboard
⁃ Thermaltake TR2 500W power supply
I have a case to use, so do not need to purchase one.
This will not be my primary computer, it's for learning Win 7 and eventually Win 8. I'm not a gamer, movie maker, photo editor, etc. I don't watch movies or listen to music on the computer, my living room and theater system is for that. So I don't need a top of the line graphics card or high end sound card, for instance. I suspect the onboard graphics and sound of the Z77 will more than suffice.
For the eventual software install, I'll just select a range of software the average person will use, and some to simply play with. Office productivity, various utilities to play with and enhance the OS, etc. Mostly Open Source/freeware/shareware. The odds are excellent I will win a lottery before I install a game.
I just like using them, and setting them up so I enjoy using them. For instance, on my netbook with Win 7 Starter, I don't care for the Vista/Win7 Start Menu, so I've installed Classic Shell, which I like much better.
After looking at the CPU support list I knew I was in deep trouble picking the best (hopefully) CPU for what I need.
I'd like some help and advice choosing a supported CPU and cooling fan. Ask any questions you'd like, even if the question is "Are you stupid????" LOL
Also, feel free to offer any assembly procedure advice you feel is warranted.
I went to a Micro Center store in Denver, Colorado, and got very good advice, IMO. I appreciate the help I get in the stores, so I was buying what I needed based on items in the store plus the recommendations and information I was receiving. But somewhere a mistake was made, and I left the store with out a CPU, even though one was selected.
I want a finished product that has good to excellent speed and power, but not the bells and whistles. Rather like a mid-range Ford sedan, but with a Mustang engine!
Off the shelf products don't seem to have that combo, plus I'd like to choose the keyboard, mouse, and monitor. In addition, I don't need 1TB of storage in the computer, and I don't store my data on the boot drive, I prefer a 2nd data drive.
Parts already purchased are:
⁃ Widescreen 16:10 monitor
⁃ Intel solid state drive for the boot partition(s)
⁃ Western Digital Caviar Black drive for data
⁃ 8GB RAM
⁃ Z77 Pro4-M motherboard
⁃ Thermaltake TR2 500W power supply
I have a case to use, so do not need to purchase one.
This will not be my primary computer, it's for learning Win 7 and eventually Win 8. I'm not a gamer, movie maker, photo editor, etc. I don't watch movies or listen to music on the computer, my living room and theater system is for that. So I don't need a top of the line graphics card or high end sound card, for instance. I suspect the onboard graphics and sound of the Z77 will more than suffice.
For the eventual software install, I'll just select a range of software the average person will use, and some to simply play with. Office productivity, various utilities to play with and enhance the OS, etc. Mostly Open Source/freeware/shareware. The odds are excellent I will win a lottery before I install a game.
I just like using them, and setting them up so I enjoy using them. For instance, on my netbook with Win 7 Starter, I don't care for the Vista/Win7 Start Menu, so I've installed Classic Shell, which I like much better.
After looking at the CPU support list I knew I was in deep trouble picking the best (hopefully) CPU for what I need.
I'd like some help and advice choosing a supported CPU and cooling fan. Ask any questions you'd like, even if the question is "Are you stupid????" LOL
Also, feel free to offer any assembly procedure advice you feel is warranted.
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