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Building a Computer 101: The Supporting Cast

Posted by on March 12, 2008 3 comments

We have a computer! (in theory…sigh.) We can’t see what we are doing, we have no input, we have no Operating System (OS) and if we could get to a desktop and listen to something the sound would be “bleh”.

Cue the supporting cast. This rag tag band of misfits is employed to make your computing experience as resplendent as possible. We will be seeking out the services of a mouse, keyboard, sound card, monitor, 7.1 speakers and head phones.

Mouse:

This better be comfortable. You have a few key decisions to make when choosing a mouse-like input device: wireless vs. wired, trackball vs. laser vs. stationary track ball vs. other, number of buttons, on board memory storage, input type (PS/2 vs. USB), size and weight. To properly make the decision you should know what dominates your computer use. I will be using my mouse for graphics work and gaming. I will want something that is wired, because wireless gains me no advantage and batteries are bad for the environment.

My Selection: Logitech G9 Black 5 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser Gaming Mouse
Price: $75

  • Wired
  • Laser (My Razer trackball is annoying when it picks up dust and etc.)
  • High DPI, meaning high sensitivity
  • On-the-fly adjustable sensitivity
  • Various weights and other cool crap

Keyboard:

The keyboard is your second major input device. You will likely spend an insurmountable amount of time on this thing. Pick something with durability and comfort. (Or keep buying the same old crappy keyboard every time it breaks.) Once again there are a number of features to balance and choose from but the main choice is between wired or wireless. I will be going wired again because I don’t like batteries in something I use a lot.

My Selection: Logitech G11 Silver & Black USB Standard Gaming Keyboard
Price: $60

  • Wired
  • Light up keys at variable illuminations
  • Hot Keys
  • Programmable

Sound Card:

A good sound card is vital in having decent audio quality. On board audio, while sufficient for office type use, will seem lacking when you demand higher quality during gaming or video playback. The quality during manufacturing of the codec as well as the codec itself is extremely important in determining whether or not you rip your ears off. There are a decent number of options when it comes to sound cards. I prefer to take the easy route and go with the tried and tested. I will be picking up a soundblaster x-fi based card. However, if you want to shop around…make sure to look for high sample rates, well reviewed chipsets/codecs and that the card supports the output you want. (2.1, 4.1, 5.1, 7.1, etc.)

<note>My Selection comes with head phones. This is useful if you don’t want to annoy family members. My headset also has a mic, this would be useful for all you WoW types.</note>

My Selection: Creative 53SB000003000 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Elite Pro Sound Card and HS-900 Headphone Bundle
Price: $150

  • Uses the Soundblaster X-Fi chipset
  • Better ranges than the high end gaming card
  • Supports all of the fancy EAX and 3D sound options for gaming
  • Comes with well reviewed headset
  • Don’t have to buy a separate headset

Monitor:

Choose LCD (new hotness) or CRT (old heaviness). (There are other options like projectors and such.) Choose the size of the screen, while keeping in mind where you will be putting your rig. Make sure it has inputs that coexist with your video card. Look for contrast ratios, resolutions, brightness, refresh rates and power usage. I will be going with a 24″ LCD that can take input from the GeForce.

My Selection: Westinghouse L2410NM Black 24″ 8ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor 500 cd/m2 1000:1 Built in Speakers
Price: $410

  • Justin actually has this monitor and he likes it. (I found this monitor before asking what he had.)
  • 24″ and widescreen
  • 1920×1200 resolution (To gain full advantage from the vid card I would need a 30″ widescreen.)
  • Well priced for how well it is reviewed (which is high) and what you get (plenty of features).

Speakers:

A better person to talk to about audio would be John. He knows a heck of a lot more than I do. I will say that you want something with decent wattage per speaker, a good frequency range and a high signal to noise ratio. There is so much preference based decisions in this department. We have the capability to go 7.1, but do we have the space? Some of the 2.1 systems are better designed for use with a computer and have more wattage. (More wattage generally means more sound.) This one is really hard for me to decide on because I feel my current 5.1 from soundblaster is pretty crappy. (I’ve read that the fault could lie with my Audigy 2 card.) I also have a hard time setting up 5.1 because I won’t spend money on unsightly stands. So I’ve picked more of a placeholder set of speakers and hope to converse with more knowledgeable individuals to ascertain a better solution.

My Current Selection: Creative Inspire P7800 90 Watts 7.1 Speaker
Price: $80

  • I know they will work with the Soundcard
  • 7.1 audio for a cheap price
  • Only 90 watts 🙁
  • Where am I going to put all these speakers? I’ll need to build some kind of audio add on to my desk.

Headphones:

All that is true for speakers is the same for headphones. Look for wattage and frequency range. The quality of the components and the type of ear piece is important as well. If you want VOIP make sure to get a headset with a mic or you will be needing to purchase a separate mic. Remember that the human ear is only so capable and unless you are an extreme audiophile, any headset in the $40-$120 should do you just fine.

My Selection: Included with the Soundcard.
Price: See Soundcard.

That is it. Our computer is complete, the final tally from Newegg.com for all of the components is…

$3,716.86

 

 

That is before any shipping and mail in rebates, of which there were many. This is a top of the line brand new, completely functioning (some assembly required) computer with Grade “A” components. The only thing missing is another video card running in SLI which would add about $400 to the price and last you about 7 years. (We also need to go software shopping, next post! ^-^)

Ironically, only days after the first list there has already been announcements of a newer graphics card coming out in the GeForce line. This is why it pays to be informed and have a list. As parts get updated you can decide if they deserve to replace the incumbent part. If not then you can feel good knowing that the price on your current part will drop. When it eventually come time to buy this computer I feel that I will be spending about $3,000 all said and done.

I’d like to hear your thoughts or suggestions on the subject matter. If you have any questions about specific parts or where to get more information, I will do my best to be of service.

The Career Contender – What Do I Want To Do?

Posted by on February 6, 2008 1 comment

Welcome back to the shatteredcube presents “The Career Contender, a college graduate’s guide to their first job”. This is the second installment of our series and quite possibly the least important. You may be asking yourself “How can that be!”; rest assured that I will make it apparent soon enough.

If you haven’t read the first in the series, I recommend you do so because the personal inventory is a great tool.

Now onto the meat of this post. What do you want to do? I bet you have a general idea in your mind or at least a general idea of what you don’t want to do. If you are completely lost and have absolutely no formations in your mind, worry not.

It’s exercise time! Find another sheet of paper and that fancy pen of yours. Now write at the top of the page in nice clear letters: “I Don’t Like To:“. You can scribble some skull and cross bones, X’s, sad smiley’s (oxymoron) or whatever else you want to get the message across. You do not like doing these things. Now proceed to list all the activities you know you do not like doing and will not do for any amount of money. Draw upon past experiences, past jobs, schooling, household chores and any other source of dislike. Feel free to get wacky and seriously brainstorm. By eliminating what you don’t want to do you can better focus in on the things you like to do or at least don’t mind doing.

You should now have a broad (or maybe even focused) scope of what you want to do. This is where it becomes apparent that in choosing our first job it is not so much what we want to do, but rather what we don’t want to do.

Get an internship, go on a site visit or talk to someone in the industry.  It’s not necessary, but it can certainly be a big help in figuring out what you don’t like to do.  Think being an analyst is the bomb.com?  If you take time during your schooling to figure it out, then you won’t be caught off guard when it comes time to enter the real world.  Numbers may be the most thrilling part of life during your education, but real world analysis might not be exciting enough to get you out of bed!  The more you look and listen, the more you will know and knowing is half the battle!  (GI Joe said it best.)

I would venture to say that for most people your first job will not be your ultimate resting place.  This should give you some relief.  It means that this first position you are trying to get will be more of a vantage point as opposed to a ball and chain.  The position should serve to enlighten you further on your likes and dislikes.  From here you can continue on the promotional path, take a horizontal promotion, find a new line of work, go back to school, barely do enough work to maintain your job or quit, buy a surf board and move to California.  The choice is really up to you.  Don’t get stuck somewhere you aren’t happy.  You have one life to live.  With pensions being a thing of the past and employer loyalty being extremely low, you don’t owe the company anything.  If it’s not the right fit, it’s time to add more items to your list of things you don’t want to do and move on.  Keep narrowing down that list and eventually your true calling will reveal itself.

This ends our second entry into the “Career Contender” series.  You should now have two pieces of paper: the personal inventory and a list of things you don’t like to do.  Who you are as a person should now be revealing itself.  It will be important to understand the information that has built these two documents as we move into our third topic tomorrow.  Until then…

Happy Hunting!