The "Joys" of a new computer.
 

So I got a new computer on Wednesday. Being the geek I am I decided I'd buy it in peices and put it together. I did finally get it running tonight at about 12 am. I simply couldn't get the thing to install the OS right. At first it was a bad cable then something in how I had the Hard Drives hooked up when I tried to install. Losing my XP disk didn't help either. After three days, or so. of fighting with it it now works. I spent about 1.5 hours installing drivers tonight and I have at least 1/2 an hour more drivers to install. Then there is the 5 to 6 hours installing all my old programs and games. Fun times for all.

Here is a basic rundown of what I've got:
P4 2.8 GHz
GeForce FX 5200
15" LCD monitor
SB Live Audio 9000
5.1 Surrond Sound Speakers
Wireless keynoard, mouse, and joystick
Logitec Webcam
DVD R/RW Writer
Video Capture Card (Forget which one)
120 GB Segate
60 GB Western Digtal

Now that its up and running the video looks amazing and the sound is mind blowing. After all the fustration This is well worth it in my opion. Not only do I get a great computer I also get the pride of having put it together myself. So anybody else have a computer they're proud of/ put together themselves. Or any strange problems encountered that might be fun to share.

Yes, but did you compile your operating system from source? Only then can you be a man.

I have enough trouble getting windows to install most of the time. My next project is to port Linux to my Xbox. I have a feeling thats going to be a chore. It's supposed to be easy but nothing ever works like it supposed to; at least not for me.

You're not alone on that one.

I might be getting a new computer, but its going to be one that costs about 500$, so nothing special. It'll still be better than my current one, but my Mom is buying it (and refraining from asking me about specs first) so it'll probably not be able to play many games. Of course, that's what I've got consoles for, so I just want Cable Internet. This dial-up is driving me crazy.

I thought we ALL bought parts and put the computer together by ourselves :P
anyway theres no better feeling than putting it up together yourself(Although you took Awfully long) and see it running smoothly good job.

the computer im using irhgt now has practically the same specs. And I always put the parts together myself, I just dont trust the company built ocmputer with all theyre uneeded software. I spent a whole summer saving up for it :D FINALLY !

Personally, I'd just as soon buy a pre-made computer and get a warrenty, as well as a load of free programs.

Gateway, while they may be a little pricey, has done quite well for me. Everything's well assembled, unused cables are nicely bundled up and out of the way, everything works. I've only ever had two problems with it: the SCSI adapter card failed and died (which they replaced for free) and the power-button got jammed (which was also fixed for free). Granted, if I ever buy something for the computer, I install it myself, but I'd rather go pre-assembled.

Thats actually how I started. When I was about 12 my dad really got into computers so I did as well. Of course neither if us could fix them so we took them to our resident computer guy. Then one day I needed and extra serial port and didn't want to bother with a long trip in the money so I opened up a computer and put it in my self. It took about a day to get the jumpers right because I didn't know a thing about the inside. That job taught be how to install PCI cards and the like. Then one day my dad got a new CD-Rom drive and that had to be installed which taught me a little more but nothing about masters and slaves. A few years later I set up a dual hard drive system which finished my schooling. Somehow after that I was able to name about everything on the Mobo and what it did; at least the stuff you had to plug into. Along the way I installed operating systems at least 30 different times; my dad had a lot of problems that required formating or he needed and update. I also read a guide to DOS as well. Looking back I still don't know how I learned it all; it's like one day I woke up knowing it. But yeah nothing like getting it to run by yourself. Which is what spurred my interest most. That feeling after the serial port card was so great I had to get more and not being able to take a comp class made me do it on my own. In fact after a while on my own a comp teacher told me I knew pretty much all she taught anyway.

Oops I think I started to ramble a bit.

I have an e-machine I bought at a garage sale for 250$, never regretted it!

? ? ?
 

you will when you want to upgrade it >_<

all the hardware on your comp sureley have a sticker labeled with
" Warranty void if removed " or they just simply cant be upgraded

Which is another reason I buy the parts and put them together. Everything is warrantied seperatly and I can get them fixed or replaced even if I upgrade.

Interesting thing happened today. My computer decided it was going to boot into windows run for 1 to 2 mins then shutoff and reboot. It did it for about 3 hour before I was quick enough to get to the system restore thing, it took 3 hours because after the third or fourth time I just walked away so I didn't end up hitting it.