Extreme Tech: Build the Ultimate Custom PC »
Authored by SpawnPoint on 2007-11-08 05:20:43
For anyone thinking about building a computer for the first time, this book is well worth the money. Even if you have built one built one before with some help, or are just looking to learn more about how to install upgrades, I definitely recommend picking this one up. If you're an experienced builder/modder then chances are this isn't the book for you, although it can still be a decent bit of reference material (and something you can loan to others looking to build their first rig).
To start, this book is very well laid out. It's laid out in four sections (three main sections and an Appendix) that take you step by step through the entire process, from selecting the components to the actual build and booting up/installing Windows. There are an abundance of pictures throughout the book that really help to make it easy to follow and apply to your own build. Where technical terms are necessary they are explained well in layman's terms without being dumbed down. Even the Appendix iswell thought out, with a list of great websites, a pre build checklist of things you want to have before you start, and definitions for a lot of common terms.
The first section takes you through selecting all your components. They explain things like the tools you'll need, chipset features and how to pick a motherboard that will be the basis of the type of system you are going to build and what kind of upgrades you will be able to do in the future, how to pick the right case for you and your components, and power supplies. They also explain the differences between the different connectors on the motherboard and what they mean when it comes to choosing your other components. Processors, RAM, hard drives, CD/DVD drives, and video cards are all covered in clear, easy to understand terms. For someone who has never built a system and is worried about making sure everything will work together this is a lifesaver. For someone who has done a few builds and is frequently asked about what upgrades will work in someone else's computer, this is a great reference because they explain everything in ways that are easy for anyone to understand.
The second section walks you through the actual build process. I was very happy to see that the entire first chapter of this section is dedicated to making sure you have everything you will need before you start, including driver CDs and manuals for individual components, on hand before you start putting everything together. I can tell you from experience what a pain it is to be in the middle of a build and suddenly realize you don't know where you put the reference diagram for the motherboard headers. Everything from motherboard standoffs to thermal grease to fans and drives is covered, with accompanying pictures to give you an idea of how it should all look. They even explain how to make sure the jumper settings on your drives are set correctly.
Finally, the third section walks you through your first boot up, installing Windows XP, and some final system checks to make sure everything is working the way it should be. The Windows installation walk though is something a lot of people will find especially helpful. Anyone who has never done a hard drive partition/Windows install will really appreciate the screen by screen explanation of what you will see and what it all means. Anyone who has gotten a panicked "whatthehelldoesthismean?!?!" call from a friend trying to figure it out on their own (::cough::HITMAN::cough::) will appreciate what a great piece of reference material it is.
When it's all said and done, this really is a book worth owning if you are planning to build a computer, want to know how to upgrade one you already have, or just want a reference book for when people turn to you with questions about how to build their own computer. There are a couple of things about it I thought were weak spots, but nothing drastic. First, while the book is full of helpful pictures most of them are black and white. It's not a problem, but there are some things that I thought would be easier to see if the images had been in color. Second, they really don't touch on the BIOS much at all. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. It's bad because a lot of people who just took the time to build their own computer are going to want to be able to go in and make all sorts of tweaks and adjustments to really get the most out of their new system. It's good because it is entirely too easy to make the wrong changes in the BIOS and really mess things up. If you do want to go in and tool around in the BIOS the motherboard manual is the place you should start anyway, since every manufacturer has their own way of laying out and labeling everything in the BIOS. Finally, they pretty much skipped over benchmark and burn in software. Burn in software is great because it makes it easy to be certain everything will work properly when the system is under a heavy load (think serious gaming session), and benchmarks are wonderful for bragging about the system you built yourself.
To start, this book is very well laid out. It's laid out in four sections (three main sections and an Appendix) that take you step by step through the entire process, from selecting the components to the actual build and booting up/installing Windows. There are an abundance of pictures throughout the book that really help to make it easy to follow and apply to your own build. Where technical terms are necessary they are explained well in layman's terms without being dumbed down. Even the Appendix iswell thought out, with a list of great websites, a pre build checklist of things you want to have before you start, and definitions for a lot of common terms.
The first section takes you through selecting all your components. They explain things like the tools you'll need, chipset features and how to pick a motherboard that will be the basis of the type of system you are going to build and what kind of upgrades you will be able to do in the future, how to pick the right case for you and your components, and power supplies. They also explain the differences between the different connectors on the motherboard and what they mean when it comes to choosing your other components. Processors, RAM, hard drives, CD/DVD drives, and video cards are all covered in clear, easy to understand terms. For someone who has never built a system and is worried about making sure everything will work together this is a lifesaver. For someone who has done a few builds and is frequently asked about what upgrades will work in someone else's computer, this is a great reference because they explain everything in ways that are easy for anyone to understand.
The second section walks you through the actual build process. I was very happy to see that the entire first chapter of this section is dedicated to making sure you have everything you will need before you start, including driver CDs and manuals for individual components, on hand before you start putting everything together. I can tell you from experience what a pain it is to be in the middle of a build and suddenly realize you don't know where you put the reference diagram for the motherboard headers. Everything from motherboard standoffs to thermal grease to fans and drives is covered, with accompanying pictures to give you an idea of how it should all look. They even explain how to make sure the jumper settings on your drives are set correctly.
Finally, the third section walks you through your first boot up, installing Windows XP, and some final system checks to make sure everything is working the way it should be. The Windows installation walk though is something a lot of people will find especially helpful. Anyone who has never done a hard drive partition/Windows install will really appreciate the screen by screen explanation of what you will see and what it all means. Anyone who has gotten a panicked "whatthehelldoesthismean?!?!" call from a friend trying to figure it out on their own (::cough::HITMAN::cough::) will appreciate what a great piece of reference material it is.
When it's all said and done, this really is a book worth owning if you are planning to build a computer, want to know how to upgrade one you already have, or just want a reference book for when people turn to you with questions about how to build their own computer. There are a couple of things about it I thought were weak spots, but nothing drastic. First, while the book is full of helpful pictures most of them are black and white. It's not a problem, but there are some things that I thought would be easier to see if the images had been in color. Second, they really don't touch on the BIOS much at all. This is both a good thing and a bad thing. It's bad because a lot of people who just took the time to build their own computer are going to want to be able to go in and make all sorts of tweaks and adjustments to really get the most out of their new system. It's good because it is entirely too easy to make the wrong changes in the BIOS and really mess things up. If you do want to go in and tool around in the BIOS the motherboard manual is the place you should start anyway, since every manufacturer has their own way of laying out and labeling everything in the BIOS. Finally, they pretty much skipped over benchmark and burn in software. Burn in software is great because it makes it easy to be certain everything will work properly when the system is under a heavy load (think serious gaming session), and benchmarks are wonderful for bragging about the system you built yourself.
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