It's been a while since I've built a complete computer from scratch, since my RedWire days during college. I wasn't what I'd call rusty but I've definitely been out of the industry for a while. I ended up
using an old ATX case I had laying around which worked perfectly but doesn't have much room for too many more devices. The process was a good refresher and reminded me why I left the business years ago.
I was in need of a new computer for some time, and I was trying to decide if I wanted another laptop or a desktop for my office. My only
computer, the trusty Dell E1405 Laptop has been going strong for nearly six years but was struggling with all of the programs I run at once these days. It's maxed out at 2GB of memory and that just wasn't enough when a quarter was bring used for the integrated graphics rendering which were mediocre at best.
I ended up ordering the following components from NewEgg.com. The goal was to build a machine that would last another 5 years and allow me to run any new application that hit the market within that time.
Motherboard: eVGA Intel P55 Core i5/i7 w/Gigabit NIC & SLI Support
CPU: Intel Core i5-750 2.66Ghz Quad-Core Processor
Memory: Geil 8GB DDR3-PC1066 Dual-Channel
Hard Drive: Western Digital 640GB SATA 3GB/s 7,200rpm 16MB Buffer
Video Card: MSI TwinFrozer 512MB GDDR3 PCI-E x16 SLI Video Card
Power Supply: OCZ 600 Watt SLI Slient Power Supply
CPU Cooling: Thermaltake Ti 1128 w/Copper Heatsink & Dual-Ball-Bearing Variable Fan
Optical Drive: Lite-On DVD+/-RW Burner w/Lightscribe
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit
The physical configuration went well, even when plugging in the case buttons to the motherboard (usually a pain in the butt). I was able to get everything powered up without too much trouble then started seeing a handful of random blue-screen errors at odd times. I troubleshooted every piece of the machine looking for physical electrical shorts, proper seating of components and updating to the latest Windows 7 drivers. After an exhausting two days of research and testing I ended up determining that I had two bad sticks of memory. To confirm the problem I ran a memory test from www.memtest86.com that told me there were some unidentified errors. It wasn't until I bought a two replacement sticks locally that I confirmed there was in fact an issue. After swapping out the memory sticks and reinstalling the Operating System (for a clean slate) everything has been running great for over a week!
It is really nice to have a new, up to date machine again.
From this process I am certain that leaving the computer service industry was the right move for me. My patience with myself, troubleshooting my own computer was so short I can't imagine what it would be for countless strangers. The good news is that I'm still able to fix any problem... even some of the toughest blue-screen issues that Microsoft likes to deliver when your memory is throwing hidden errors.
Yay to multi-tasking at the speed of life again!
- Mitch G