Since there is a few posts already of the HTPC builds, I’m going to do one of a new build for my fiance. She’s had my dv5 laptop for a while now and it’s not getting a BIOS corruption error (<- already done troubleshooting on it). Needless to say it will probably get sold, and she’ll need a new computer. Below is a list of components, I took advantage of some cyber monday deals.
No gaming, but she’s expressed an interest in it. I originally had an i7 processor. For the memory I’m filling all the slots (LOL), and with the cyber monday deal it was pretty cheap.
Thought about that, she wanted a desktop. The laptop she had was $800, I offered to lend her my $2,500 work laptop for the time being.
For the first time I’ll try and post pictures of the process. This will be about computer #5 that I’ve built, and about 84398242 that I’ve taken apart. If anyone has questions about doing a build lemme know. Parts should be here tomorrow.
We should make a computer thread and how to build one with detailed pictures, I can’t count how many computers I have fixed or repaired or taken apart…
Well after about 6 hours of unboxing, and putting everything together, the machine was up and running without a hitch. Here’s the pics start to finish on the build.
(Left to Right) CPU heatsink, Motherboard, RAM, i5 Processor
Wound up using a little bit more thermal paste to cover the entire chip. I had a tube of Zalman paste but I didn’t like the consistency of it. I spread the paste with my finger cause it’s easier, although it makes a goddamn mess
Video Card is in (ATI 4850) which was free BTW. Also you’ll see the eSATA, Blu-Ray drive SATA, and the front panel lights/USB/Audio/Switches plugged in towards the bottom.
Connections all made for power, the one for the hard drive made the cover barely fit on. Not the prettiest, but I really don’t care for zip tying things down.
wow, nice job…that CPU cooler looks awesome… That seems like a lot of thermal paste. Did any squeeze out when you put the heat sink on it? I usually don’t use that much, maybe I should be using more? hmmm
It probably is a little more than I normally would use. I tend to get enough to just get a thin coat on the top. I first used a Zalman paste, only because I couldn’t find my damn Arctic Silver paste…again. The Zalman paste was a bit dry, and wasn’t spreading nicely at all. I then moved to the paste (Cooler Master) that was included with the heatsink. None overflowed so it should be fine.
:tdown: to all that speed and not using an SSD drive for the OS.
And yeah, that’s a lot of money to drop on a desktop for someone who doesn’t do 3D work or gaming. “Future proof”? You could buy a new $300 computer now, in 2015 and in 2018 for what you dropped on this. I guarantee the equivalent of a $300 computer from 2018 will be light years ahead of this $1000 computer.
EDIT: And no boardjnky4, don’t use that much thermal paste. It should be a really fine skim coat for best performance. That mess he has is going to be full of air bubbles when the heat sink is cranked down on the cpu and the air has nowhere to escape because of all the ridges his finger painting created.
