Building a computer

[Geo-TH,In]

Building a computer is all greek to me. My oldest granddaughter is going to be a sophomore at Purdue this year and my son thinks he needs to build her a computer for her birthday

I bought the video card for the computer. My son is going to teach my granddaughter how to build it.

The video card is a
ASUS Dual AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT Standard Edition 12GB GDDR6 Gaming Graphics Card (AMD RDNA 2, PCIe 4.0, 12GB GDDR6 Memory, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a, Axial-tech Fan Design, 0dB Technology)

My boy was building computers, using parts off the internet, back when he was in High School. He will be 43 soon.

I'm lucky to use a computer, not build one.

Some say the younger generation doesn't know anything.

Can you build a computer and make it work?? Not me..

Hard to believe my two oldest granddaughters will be Boilermakers this year..

My oldest granddaughter wants to get a technology degree in software development and digital art, game design.

 

[old]

I spent a good number of years repairing computers but that was what I was train to do in the Navy

 

[Geo-TH,In]

And how many years ago was that??

 

[GreenEnvy]

I cant even fathom building my own computer. But then again I can overhaul an engine.

 

[old]

Last time I did an repair work for pay on computers was back in the early 90s. I learned to hate working on electronics

 

[Bob Harvey]

Building a computer should be 'duck soup' . When do you get to use the skilsaw and level ? ;^)

 

[Ohio88]

Worked on computers starting in 1963 in the Air Force. Retired from working full time 2006 and quit doing computers about 2017. Switched from Windows to Unix like and Apple. Now only use Apple. A friend ask me to look at his computer a few months ago. I was like a fish out of water, eventually cleaned it of ransomware and got it going and clean. Built a few pcs for clients, family and friend. It was usually cheaper to buy.I cant even buy wholesale anymore.

 

[Crazy Horse]

George .... you mentioned the video card: ASUS Dual AMD Radeon RX 6700 XT Standard Edition 12GB GDDR6 Gaming Graphics Card (AMD RDNA 2, PCIe 4.0, 12GB GDDR6 Memory, HDMI 2.1, DisplayPort 1.4a, Axial-tech Fan Design, 0dB Technology).

I would seriously recommend going to the newer edition which is now on the market, much the same but it has the Radial-tech Fan Design (instead of the Axial tech Fan design. Those Axial tech Fans blew way too much hot air.

 

[paul]

I dabbled with building stuff, but was more at home helping friends and relatives buy what they needed. Seemed to be my nitche. I understand the lingo enough to know the good from the bad setups, and knew my friends enough to know this one needs cheapest working, that one needs best graphics, over there needs sturdy, etc.

Was far too easy to online order from Dell or the like and get what you wanted. If you ordered from the business line was typically a better components and less garbage on the machine.

Everyone seemed happy.

Paul

 

[jimg.allentown]

I have been building my own computers since about 1990 or so. That includes the one I am using to post this messge. I can also overhaul an engine or an automatic transmission.

In general, building a computer involves obtaiing the components, mounting them in a suitable case and installing an operating system. These days, components are expensive and hard to get - at least to get what you want.

 

[Goose]

The best computer I ever had was one I built myself out of spare parts, a blank hard drive, and a Windows 7 Pro disk.

The ONLY programs it had on it were ones I wanted. I'm now on a computer with Windows 11 and probably 90% of the stuff that's on it is garbage I'll never use. The frustrating part is, there is no way to uninstall it like you could with Windows 7.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

So we are in the same boat? We can repair tractors but can't build modern computers and download the programs.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

CH

This is the second graphic computer he has built.

Do you seriously think I'm going to tell my boy he doesn't know what he's doing? NOT

I can repair tractors, I know very little about computers..

 

[Crazy Horse]

George ..... I was spoofing you about the replacement computer part .... obviously my joke fell flat on it's face.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I'm still using a computer my boy made for me 25 years ago.

It's not connected to the internet. Just used for business records.

He built it with a flash drive or thumb drive (not sure what it's called). The drive is used to backup my records, which I records going back 25 years..

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Hard to tell what you are doing sometimes..

 

[old]

I could still do some of that if I took my time to study up on modern computers. They do still use the 1010110100101 system and years ago I also wrote programs. But I also use to fix TV's when I was in my early teens and did so a number of years after I got out of the Navy. Still have my soldering iron from when in the Navy and I was micro mini qualified back then to solder circuit boards

 

[300jk]

George I certainly cant build a computer. I have a smart phone, I like it but I dont even use it to its potential ! Granddaughters being boilermakers ? Good for them ! I know a few in my local area. They are union and actually are paid very well. Im a Union operator, and the boilermakers make more. Probably one if not the highest paid union jobs in our area ! Are they welders ? Great job ! Good for them !

 

[steve_in_mo]

I used to build computers using parts off the internet.
Now most computers have most of the functionality on one board.
Your grand-daughter's computer should be a great piece of work.

 

[J. Schwiebert]

Send me an e-mail (after Wednesday) Thanks J.

 

[rustred]

that is why i farm with my old tractors! so no one can turn them off on me for not making a payment. no cab, no p.s. , just dust sweat and beers. and i can fix them when too! dont need no dam computer to follow me around and tell me what to do. my crop dont look much different than the neighbors here with their millions of dollars in equipment. the young are in a totally different world. i wont be screwed either when they bring in that fertilizer reduction. the future plan of the world order.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

Granddaughters being boilermakers ? NO

Both Granddaughters are going to Purdue in Lafayette, In.

Mascots - Purdue Boilermakers.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I stopped rebuilding my car and truck engines when they went to front wheel drive and computerized.

I have rebuilt barns and houses until I got too old to swing a hammer..

Computers are Greek to me..

I did buy the video card for the graphic computer my boy built for his son and now his oldest daughter..

 

[wingnuttx]

Yeah George when you said both granddaughters were going to be boilermakers I first envisioned them wearing bib overalls working at a industrial plant down deep in a hot humid room full of huge valves and steam leaking from numerous 3 inch pipes. Yeah. You got me good. Wingnut

 

[calf]

PcPartPicker is an interactive website will allow you to pick and choose parts and make sure they will fit together. Click on the "PC Builder" option to get started.

https://pcpartpicker.com/

 

[Sprint 6]

My FIL likes to spec his own computers, then install all the software himself. He then spends hours on support lines getting frustrated with the operator. It's hilarious, really. I pick them up ready to go from Best Buy. My wife and MIL went to pick up one we had ordered, my MIL couldn't believe you could buy a computer ready to go, no fussing with it or support line people.

 

[MarkB_MI]

The first PC I built was an IBM AT clone back in the mid-eighties. I've built and rebuilt several since then; it's not that difficult as everything is plug and play. It helps if you actually understand the technology, but someone who knows nothing about computers can do it, too.

 

[Fred Werring]

Last one I built was maybe 12 years ago.
Still worked for spreadsheets, word processing and the like but didn't like a lot of todays graphics.

Thinking of building another, then found the Dell refurbs linked below.
Heck of a deal for what you get. Supposedly not automatic Windows 11 upgradeable, but have read it can be done manually.
Weak point is the power supply, something like 300 watts. But with the mini tower case, they say a standard power supply will fit with the right Dell cable adapter.
Not much room inside for extra hard drives, so some sticky back velcro and a couple external drives and a powered hub.
My kids call it (for you Trekkies) my Borg computer (Image below)

Dell Optiplex 9020 Mini Tower Desktop PC

 

[Geo-TH,In]

One time I had plugged in a new power supply.
Does that count?

I asked my boy why he builds computers instead of buying them.
He said he can fix what he builds and Quality.

Sounds like some here that keep old tractors they can fix.

I was the same, until I went off the reservation and bought a new Kubota in 2019.

 

[sotxbill]

At one time it was cheaper to build a computer. Now you can get a package much cheaper than building one. Now the high end video cards cost so much that folks are buying a high end package, removing the video card, and then resale the computer with warranty and all, minus the video card. Now since I run many ham radios on wspr tied to individual computers, and need a fairly good and fast proccessor to handle all the audio processing and internet functions, I have found that your best picking up the 2 year to 3 year less turn-ins. You get what was state of the art computers minus the hard drives for around 80 to 100 bucks. Drop in a ssd drive for 30 bucks and install win10 and life is very good. For video processing use an intel optane drive for even blazingly fast results with a super video card. However you can spend $400 to $2000 just on a fair to good video card for high end video processing or mostly use for bit mining by those guys. They have suck up all the high end video cards and drove the prices up. In our area, the good will store has a computer store and they get all the lease turn ins and resale them for pennys. SO, if your need a $2500 computer, and dont mind it being a couple of years old and have a hundred bucks to spare, you in business. ymmv.

 

[1948CaseVAI]

I am glad you are proud but that is not a skill that is rare today. High school kids have been building and customizing (and maybe more important optimizing for gaming) computers for over a decade at least.

 

[sms]

Can I build a computer? That is what the C stands for in my ECE degree. I used to be able to. You have to know your binary to work in assembly language

 

[Bill(Wis)]

You rascal!

 

[504]

I don't know if you can build a laptop, but I know it is hard to take a desktop into a classroom.

 

[Dave F. 54]

Ah, The old vacuum tube days. I worked a little over 40 years In television repair & broadcast equipment. Things got so specialized that you could only trouble shoot to a certain circuit board and pay for board exchange. Toward the end of my career I got into some satellite up linking Which I really enjoyed. I dapped in some computer stuff which I have mostly forgotten. Yes now days I don't like electronics either. there's stuff out there I don't have a clue about. At least with old tractor's & old stuff I can keep it going. Dave F.