Build a better PC part 2

Posted at: Wednesday 31st August 2005 by Gareth Ogden

Not knowing which components to use in your PC is often a recipe for disaster, so let Master Chef
Gareth Ogden give you a lesson in how to cook up a really tasty PC

You've probably heard of the phrase 'you are what you eat', either because of
the TV programme or because your mum used to shout it at you every time
you scoffed another bar of Dairy Milk. But, in addition to being annoying, the
phrase does have a genuine message, which is that the human body can
only derive nutrients and energy from whatever you stuff into your gob and,
strangely enough, a similar thing is true of PCs. After all, a PC is basically
only as good as the components that you use to build it.

So, in the same way that cramming your gut full of junk food will result in a
sluggish and generally unhealthy human being, filling a PC with substandard
components will result in a sluggish and generally unhealthy PC.

However, it's also true that you don't need to blow a fortune at Michelin-starred restaurants in order to eat well;
with good-quality ingredients and a decent recipe book, you can easily rustle up something tasty yourself, and
building a PC is basically the same. The only difference is that the ingredients are PC components, instead of
carrots, and the recipe book is actually the two 'Build a Better PC' features in this issue.

However, to make sure you know your onions with regard to which components to buy, we've compiled a
shortlist of our favourite bits of kit, sorted by price, so that every budget is covered.

CPU

Whether it's for intensive video editing or intensive gaming, a fast CPU is essential, and there have been plenty
of new developments this year. AMD bolstered its Athlon 64 range and introduced the dual-core Athlon 64 X2
family, while Intel has killed off Socket 478 in favour of LGA775, and introduced the dual-core Pentium Extreme
Edition and Pentium D families. Intel also improved the Pentium 4 family by introducing the 6 series, which
includes 64-bit support, hardware virus protection and SpeedStep.

The benefit to the budding punter is the huge number of available options, but which CPU to choose still isn't a
straightforward matter.

The most important decision you need to make is whether to buy a dual- or single-core CPU. In the long term,
dual-core chips make more sense, as software development (including games) will become increasingly
multithreaded. So, even though dual-core CPUs command a hefty premium, they're a better long-term
investment.

However, it's also true that today's applications and games won't see a huge benefit from dual-core chips, as
most software, except for video encoding and workstation applications, isn't multithreaded. Also, as dual-core
chips run hotter than single-core chips, they're restricted to lower clock speeds, although this is a problem that
affects Intel much more than AMD. The Pentium Extreme Edition 840, for example, has a clock speed of just
3.2GHz per core. All of this means that gamers will get more value for money by buying the fastest single-core
processor they can afford.

The other major factor to consider is 64-bit support. Athlon 64 chips, the 6-series Pentium 4 family and dual-
core Intel chips support Microsoft Windows XP x64 Edition. However, as with dual-core CPUs, the benefits of
64-bit technology aren't compelling at the moment, although 64-bit support is still definitely worth having for the
future.

Depending on your needs, it's also worth considering the Pentium M, which is gaining more support from
motherboard manufacturers. Current Pentium M CPUs are single-core and 32-bit only, but they produce little
heat, making them ideal for media PCs. They're also great gaming chips, especially at 2GHz or above.
Unfortunately, they're also just as expensive as some of the top-end Pentiums.

Both Intel and AMD's current CPU line-ups are good, and have strengths and weaknesses. Athlon 64s have the
edge for gaming, while Intel chips are better in multithreaded environments. However, the Venice-core Athlon
64 is our top pick, as it runs cooler and is great value.
Intel

I want a CPU that computes plenty of Gflops: Pentium Extreme Edition 840, £734.32,
www.overclockers.co.uk

I want a CPU that computes hundreds of Mflops: Pentium D 830, £246.69, www.overclockers.co.uk

I want a CPU that isn't a total flop: Pentium 4 530J, £114.33 , www.scan.co.uk

AMD

I want a CPU that computes plenty of Gflops: Athlon 64 X2 4800+, £758.06, www.overclock.co.uk

I want a CPU that computes hundreds of Mflops: Socket 939 Athlon 64 3500+, £196.67,
www.overclock.co.uk

I want a CPU that isn't a total flop: Socket 939 Athlon 64 3000+, £114.47, www.overclock.co.uk

CPU cooling

A good CPU cooler is essential, not only to keep your PC stable but also to increase the headroom for
overclocking.

The three commercially available methods of cooling a CPU are HSFs (heatsink and fan), water cooling and
phase-change cooling.

Of the three, phase-change cooling is the most extreme, as this cools your CPU to sub-zero temperatures,
allowing for serious overclocking. However, phase-change coolers are expensive, bulky and difficult to fit.

Water cooling is more accessible, and there are several easy-to-fit water-cooling kits available, including pre-
filled and assembled kits. Water cooling your CPU provides some headroom for overclocking, and it can also
make your PC quieter, if you use 120mm-fan radiators. See our full round-up of water-cooling kits for more
detail.

The easiest and most common method, though, is HSF cooling, and many of the latest HSFs are capable of
producing an impressive level of cooling. However, you may have to suffer higher noise levels as a result,
unless you want to give overclocking a miss completely.

Cooler than a polar bear's dangly bits: Asetek VapoChill LS, £531.10, www.chillblast.com

Cooler than a December morning in Yorkshire: LGA775: Asetek WaterChill 03-L-5012, £149.88,
www.scan.co.uk

Socket 939: Swiftech H2O-120-FK, £163.33, www.chillblast.com

Cooler than Vanilla Ice singing 'Ice, Ice, Baby': LGA775: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7, £19.99,
www.gladiatorcomputers.co.uk; Socket 939: Akasa AK913, £21.14, www.scan.co.uk

Motherboard

It's also essential to buy a good motherboard, as every other component in your PC plugs into it in one way or
another. It also pays to buy a board made by a reputable manufacturer, which ensures that you get high-quality
features, rock-solid performance and regular BIOS updates.

Which motherboard you choose obviously depends on which CPU you have, but it also depends on the
features you need. For example, if you aren't interested in SLI or Crossfire dual-graphics configurations then
don't spend extra cash on a board that supports them.

On the AMD front, the obvious choice is nForce4, in Ultra or SLI mode; both versions support Socket 939
Athlon 64 CPUs (including FX and X2 chips), S-ATA II RAID and PCI-E.
Choosing a motherboard for Intel CPUs, however, is less straightforward. Nvidia's nForce4 SLI Intel Edition
chipset is potentially a great choice, as it offers many of the same features as its Athlon 64 brother. However,
we've only tested a couple of boards so far, and we'd hesitate to recommend any without further testing.

Intel chipsets are in slightly better supply though. These include the top-end 955X chipset, which supports
LGA775 chips, including dual-core CPUs, and is packed full of great features, including S-ATA II, PCI-E, DDR2,
and HD Audio. However, 955X motherboards are very expensive.

Lower down the food chain is the 945P, which supports Pentium D CPUs and lower, but not the dual-core
Extreme Edition CPUs, and it also lacks the 955X chipset's optimised memory controller.

However, if your budget doesn't stretch to a board using the new chipsets, and you're not buying a dual-core
CPU either, then the venerable 915P chipset is still a good choice for the cash-strapped PC builder.

In terms of performance, there isn't really any difference between boards that use the same chipset. However, if
you specifically want a board that overclocks extremely well then there are some 'enthusiast' products that fit
the bill, such as DFI's Lanparty boards, which also usually include a great bundle of extras.

AMD

Treading the boards on Broadway: MSI K8N Diamond, £129.19, www.savastore.com

Treading the boards in Leicester Square: Asus A8N-SLI Deluxe, £99.23, www.microdirect.co.uk

Treading the boards in a school play: Foxconn Winfast NF4UK8AA, £89.95, www.gladiatorcomputers.com

Intel

Treading the boards on Broadway: Asus P5WD2 Premium, £147.40, www.microdirect.co.uk

Treading the boards in Leicester Square: ECS PF5 Extreme, £89.99, www.directfrom.com

Treading the boards in a school play: Asus P5GPL, £56.55, www.techfever.co.uk

Graphics card

Graphics cards are probably the most desirable of all PC components, and the latest models are usually at the
top of most enthusiasts' wish lists. However, with so many manufacturers competing for your attention, it can be
difficult to pick out the good cards from the duds (of which there are many still being sold).

In the same way that we advise buying a motherboard that supports PCI-E, you should also only consider PCI-
E graphics cards if you're building a PC now, as this will be the dominant format in the future.

The top of the pile is currently Nvidia's GeForce 7800 GTX, which weighs in at around £400. For this colossal
amount of cash, you get full Shader Model 3 (SM 3) support, 24 pixel pipelines, eight vertex shaders and
enough power to run the most demanding games, such as Far Cry in HDR. But, if for some reason one 7800
GTX isn't enough, you can also double them up in SLI mode.

Nvidia's 6-series cards aren't dead yet, though, as they also support SM 3 and are easily capable of playing
current games. However, next-generation games will be more demanding, so it's worth getting at least a
GeForce 6800 GT, which can always be paired with a second card in SLI for more power. That said, if you
simply can't afford a 6800 card, then a 6600 GT will run modern games and supports SLI, but don't be
surprised if newer games will only run smoothly at lower resolutions and detail settings.

ATi fanboys may be wondering why there's been no mention of the word 'Radeon' so far, and the reason for this
is simple. While there's no question that ATi's latest Radeons can handle today's games, they do have one
serious drawback - they don't support SM 3.

The reason that this is an issue is because SM 3 is required to run many of the advanced features in the latest
games. So, while a Radeon X850XT PE is quicker than a 6800 Ultra and an X800XL is a great, lower-cost
alternative to a 6800 GT, you're buying into dated technology.
ATi's next-generation R520 GPU is in the works, though, which will most likely support SM 3, so if you want an
ATi card in your PC then it's worth waiting to see how this stacks up against Nvidia's 6- and 7-series cards.

The Incredibles: Gigabyte GV-NX78X256V-B, £386.58, www.scan.co.uk

Toy Story: MSI NX6800GT-T2D256E, £245, www.savastore.com

Knightmare: Sapphire Radeon X800, £142.06, www.microdirect.co.uk

Memory

You can never have too much memory, so always buy as much as you can afford. Typically, 1GB is sufficient
for most applications and games, but some games, such as Battlefield 2 and several MMORPGs, already
prefer 2GB, and Windows XP x64 Edition will happily use more.

Which type of memory to use is a trickier question to answer, though, as it depends on whether or not you want
to overclock your PC, and by how much. If you don't want to overclock, then it's not worth splashing out on
expensive branded-DIMMs - the cheapest will do just as well.

However, if you do want to overclock then it pays to get good overclockers' memory. All Athlon 64
motherboards, and some Intel 915P-based motherboards, still use venerable DDR memory and most
overclockers' RAM is rated at PC4400 (550MHz), which allows for FSB speeds of up to 275MHz.

The other option for DDR-based PCs is low-latency PC3200 (400MHz) memory, such as Corsair's TwinX
CMX512-3200XL. This gives enhanced performance at non-overclocked settings due to reduced access
latency, but also allows for some mild overclocking - typically up to FSB speeds of about 220MHz.

The majority of LGA775 boards, however, now require DDR2 memory and most overclockers' DDR2 memory is
rated at PC2-5400 (667MHz), which allows for FSB speeds of up to 333MHz. However, many LGA775-based
boards also allow the RAM to run asynchronously to the FSB at a ratio of 5:4. For example, if you have a
Pentium 4 Extreme Edition CPU with an FSB of 266MHz (1,066MHz effective), then you can run the memory at
667MHz without overclocking.

DDR2 speeds don't stop at 667MHz, though, because you can also buy stupidly fast PC2-6400 modules.
These are clocked at 800MHz, which means you could potentially achieve a synchronous FSB of 400MHz
(1.6GHz effective) - good luck with that - or an asynchronous FSB of 320MHz (1.2GHz effective).

However, if you're not interested in overclocking to insanely high FSB speeds, then you can buy low-latency
PC2-4200 DIMMs, which also overclock if you need them to, or basic PC2-4200 if you're on a tight budget.

DDR

I'm a genius: 2 x 512MB A-Data Vitesta PC4800, £208.93, www.shop4memory.co.uk

I can do long division in my head: Corsair TwinX 1024-4400C25, £145, www.komplett.co.uk

I can't remember where my shoes are: Crucial CT2KIT6464Z40B, £74.01, www.crucial.com

DDR2

I'm a genius: 2 x 1GB Mushkin PC2-4200, £200.86, www.pc-memory-upgrade.co.uk

I can do long division in my head: 2 x 512MB GeIL PC2-5300, £137.49, www.pc-memory-upgrade.co.uk

I can't remember where my shoes are: Crucial CT6464AA53E, £84.58, www.crucial.com

Hard disk

Serial ATA has finally taken over from EIDE as the main storage interface, so you really should buy S-ATA
disks, providing your motherboard supports them. A few S-ATA II drives have started to appear too, and the
Samsung SpinPoint P120S, in particular, is worth a look.
Many of the latest S-ATA hard disk drives also support command queuing, which can increase performance in
some situations. If performance is high up on your list then a 7,200rpm or faster rotational speed is a must, and
more cache is generally better, although 8MB is a common amount. Drives with 100GB-per-platter or higher
data densities, such as the Seagate Barracuda 7200.8, can also offer better performance than drives with
80GB-per-platter densities, as the read/write heads don't need to travel as far to read the same amount of data.

Hard disk drive space is very cheap at the moment. For example, a 160GB Hitachi Deskstar 7K250 hard disk
drive with 8MB of cache costs only £50.47 from Savastore - that's just 31p per GB. However, the very high
capacity-drives, such as Hitachi's 400GB Deskstar 7K400, typically cost more per GB because they use more
platters than smaller disks.

The drive of your life: 74GB Western Digital Raptor WD740GD, £122.66 (£1.66 per GB), www.scan.co.uk

Driving around the Nürburgring: 250GB Samsung SpinPoint P120S, £86 (34p per GB), www.komplett.co.uk

Driving to Tesco: 160GB Hitachi Deskstar 7K250, £50.47 (31p per GB), www.savastore.com

Optical storage

Next to hard disk drives, optical drives are the most boring PC components you can buy, but they're still
essential, both for installing applications and backing up data. The DVD standards war is still in full flow, but it
doesn't matter anymore, because pretty much any DVD writer will support DVD+R and DVD-R, as well as the
dual-layer DVD+R9 standard.

For all practical purposes, it doesn't matter which format you use, unless you're heavily into DVD video
production, in which case, you don't need me to tell you which one to use. Basically, the DVD-R standard is
closer to the DVD-ROM standard, which theoretically means that -R discs work better in a higher number of
DVD players (PC and set-top). However, both standards have been around for so long that compatibility is
generally pretty good.

DVD+R9, meanwhile, provides roughly double the space of a standard DVD, which is great for large backups.
It's also great for high-quality DVD movie rips - but nobody does that, of course. The only other factor to
consider is speed, although this is fairly meaningless too, as actually getting hold of high-speed DVD media is
more difficult than calculating Pi to 50,000 decimal places in your head, while also doing a cryptic crossword.

Firing the Death Star's Superlaser: Plextor PX-716SA, £93.99, www.misco.co.uk

Owning sharks with frikkin laser beams on their heads: Asus DRW-1608P, £40.48, www.overclock.co.uk

Running around playing Laser Quest: NEC ND-3540, £32.55, www.overclock.co.uk

Audio

Audio hardware is often overlooked when building a PC, as most motherboards have perfectly adequate sound
chips built in. However, the features and sound quality of on-board audio chips can vary enormously, so it's
worth checking which kind you have.

At the bottom of the food chain is the AC97 audio standard, which was defined in 1997 by Intel and is still found
on most Athlon 64 boards, and pretty much any motherboard with an Intel 875P or older chipset. With AC97,
the CPU handles the audio processing and a separate chip (typically a Realtek chip) handles the analogue
output and provides some extra features, such as EAX, via software drivers.

HD Audio recently replaced the AC97 standard and added several new features, including support for stereo
DVD Audio and Dolby Digital DTS ES formats. Processing is still done by the CPU with this standard, so a
separate chip handles D/A conversion, and reverb and positional audio effects are supported via drivers, as
with AC97.

VIA also has an on-board chip called Envy 24, which is a cut-down version of the chip used on some music-
focused sound cards, such as Terratec's DMX 6fire 24/96, and has similar features to HD Audio.

Most add-in PCI sound cards are designed for music production, although Creative's Sound Blaster Audigy
cards are aimed at gamers too. Dedicated sound cards process effects in hardware, which means that they can
improve performance in games, compared with a software codec, which relies on the CPU for processing.
Creative's cards also exclusively support the most recent versions of EAX.

Jimi Hendrix live at Woodstock: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 4 Pro, £146.40, www.ebuyer.co.uk
Britney Spears live at Wembley: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 2 ZS, £45.99, www.lowestonweb.co.uk

The 'Crazy Frog' on a mobile phone: On-board audio, free

Case

The increasing power consumption and heat output of modern components means that it's more important than
ever to choose a case with good airflow. The case also determines how expandable your PC is, and what type
of water-cooling hardware you can install.

Cooling is the most important criteria to consider, so look for cases with 120mm fans, preferably both at the
front and rear, as these will provide greater airflow and be quieter than cases with 80mm fans. A case with
120mm fan mounts will also accept a 120mm-fan radiator if you plan to water cool your PC, although fitting a
large radiator may require you to modify the case. Cooler Master's Stacker will accept a double-fan radiator
without any modding.

The number of 5.25in and 3.5in drive bays varies from case to case, but even midi-tower chassis will generally
have more than you need. Quick-release drive rails, such as those found on the Cooler Master Centurion 530,
are also handy, as they make building and upgrading the PC so much easier. Look for cases with rubber
grommets on the drive bays too, as these dampen vibrations from the hard disk drives, which would otherwise
be transmitted into the case, causing an annoying rattling noise.

From a cooling point of view, it doesn't matter if you choose a steel or aluminium case - the only difference will
be the price, as aluminium costs more.

I'll have a case of Krug Clos du Mesnil, 1980: Cooler Master Stacker, £101.34, www.tekheads.co.uk

I'll have a case of Pierre Usseglio Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 1992: Antec P180, £93.94, www.casetech.co.uk

I'll have a case of Lambrini Bianco, 2005: Cooler Master Centurion 530, £46.51, www.vadim.co.uk

Power supply

Nobody gave a stuff about power supplies a few years ago, as it didn't really matter what you had, but now it's
essential to make sure that your PC has an appropriate PSU.

The latest CPUs and graphics cards are incredibly power-hungry, and high-end systems, with dual-core CPUs
and two graphics cards, can draw more power than two mid-range PCs put together.

The PSU is the component that has to supply this power, but simply choosing a PSU with a high wattage isn't
enough; stability is also crucial. A 500W PSU costing £20 simply won't be as good as a 500W PSU costing £80
- in fact, it won't even be as good as a decent-quality PSU with a lower power rating.

It's also important to get the correct type of PSU for your system. If your motherboard uses the PCI-E bus then
opt for a PSU that supports the ATX12V 2.0 standard. This will ensure that it has the correct power connectors,
and also that it has two separate 12V rails, which is considered beneficial for modern PCs with powerful CPUs
and 3D cards.

That said, many ATX12V 1.3 PSUs (designed for older AGP-based systems) also include the necessary PCI-E
power connectors and, providing their single 12V rails are meaty enough (around 30A or more should do it),
they'll cope just as well with a very high-end PC. Make sure you check this before you buy.

How much power you need is a more difficult question to answer, but it's possible to create a rough power
budget. For a PC with a mid-range CPU and graphics card, and a couple of hard disk drives, anything over
380W should suffice, although it's always worth buying a more powerful unit, as this will allow for future
upgrades.
It's also worth pointing out that powerful PSUs don't consume any more electricity unless the components force
them to, so if you upgrade from a 350W PSU to a 600W PSU without changing any other hardware, your
electricity bill will be the same. In fact, it may even be lower if your new PSU is more efficient.

Give me 'Real Ultimate Power': Antec TruePower 2.0, £105.64, www.overclock.co.uk

Give me 'The power of Grayskull': Tagan 2Force TG480-U22, £74.95, www.gladiatorcomputers.co.uk

Give me 'The Power Rangers': Tagan TG380-U01, £44.06, www.overclockers.co.uk

FINAL WORDS

Now that you know which components to buy and what to do with them, there's absolutely no excuse for not
building your own PC. However, be aware that once you've experienced the immense feeling of smug
satisfaction that comes from booting up your own custom-made machine, you'll never be able to stop. Before
you know it, you'll be a PC-building gourmet - a kind of geekier, less foul-mouthed version of Gordon Ramsay.

The only thing that stands in your way of becoming a true PC-building ninja-Jedi, is mastering the dark art of
overclocking, and we'll be covering this subject in detail in a future feature.