I have a PC that I use for compatibility testing and development work. It’s old, really old, slow P3 old, and it’s driving me insane. I have resisted this day, but can resist no more, I need to buy or build a new box.
Having looked at the prebuilt options, I have come to the conclusion that by the time you configure one to be anywhere near decent, you’re almost always looking at near Apple prices, or N.A.P.. For me, the idea of paying N.A.P. for the privilege of running windows is a bit much, so I decided to build my own.
Many people build their own. It’s not terribly difficult if you have a bit of technical know-how and some patience. That is, as long as your not too particular about the components, and just want to run windows.
For instance, deciding that you want a quiet PC will restrict your options. Want a small form factor case, different restrictions, and forget quiet. Want to buy SATA drives instead of IDE for future compatibility, ditto, and you might need a floppy drive. No really, to install the drivers. Want to dual boot Linux, prepare to research until your brain goes fuzzy.
Now I was aware of those issues, and many such potential conflicts before I started this project. Conversely, bizarre problems that were not expected include this gem: Brand-A memory not working with brand-B motherboard, despite the fact that brand-A memory specifications are exactly what brand-B motherboard requires. Of course that particular problem only manifests it’s self when using all four memory slots on the motherboard, but not when using just two. Oh joy, the fun begins.
Coming soon, Part 2 - The Case