Post by Boaster on May 22, 2011 6:39:22 GMT -6
What sorts of things do you look for in building a computer? Do you have any particular things you obsess over? Things you simply won't go without? And what about pet peeves? And why?
I have a few myself actually.
Motherboards
When I look for a motherboard on building a new computer, I look for a series of things.
- Does it have TWO PS2 ports?
- Does it have a PCIe X1 slot first?
- Does it have two PCIe X16 slots?
- Does it have at least one PCI slot?
So why do I want TWO PS2 ports?
Even though technology has advanced to the point where USB mice and keyboards are basically in the now, I still use PS2 peripherals.
Believe it or not, I use a bluetooth wireless mouse on my laptop, but I also use a bluetooth wireless mouse and keyboard on my dekstop computer AND PS2 wired keyboard and mouse. [This does take up a USB slot for the Bluetooth piece, and it does have an annoying blue flashing LED.]
And call it weird, but I rarely use the wireless keyboard, but I use the wireless mouse most often. The wireless keyboard is on a chair next to my bed and the wired keyboard is at my desk. Both the wireless mouse and the wired PS2 mouse are at my desk, but I only use the wired mouse when the battery of the wireless mouse is low or is charging.
PS2 ports allow me to use older keyboards or mice.
Sure, one could argue that I could just get an adapter to convert PS2 to USB. Why add one more nasty/flimsy thing to the mix?
So I look for PS2 ports. Two of them.
So why do I want a PCIe X1 first?
I like it.
Usually when the first PCIe slot is an X16, it's for the video card. Many video cards out there are double-wide. If you did two video cards, you'd lose two slots, one if which could be a PCIe X1 somewhere else, or maybe a PCI slot.
When you have a PCIe X1 slot to the left of your first PCIe X16 slot, you have the option of plugging in a PCIe X1 dedicated sound card, or even a TV Tuner if you wanted.
Some dedicated sound cards or TV tuners are PCI, but if you have the newer PCIe sound cards, or TV tuners, they're most likely to be PCIe X1.
I have seen a motherboard or two, mainly Intel CPU boards have TWO PCIe X1 slots to the Left of the first PCIe X16 slot. I'd like that even better actually.
But does this cost the PCIe X16 slot any speed with the PCIe X1 slot there, or two of them for that matter? I don't know actually.
I suppose another obsessive compulsive attribute is that I like to fill all my expansion slots and memory slots too (you have them, so use them!). IDK if this has something to do with having only one memory stick in one of my early family computers. MAY BE!
Why do I want two PCIe X16 slots?
Two video cards!
It's not that I'm looking to dump loads of money on two cards and CrossfireX them together. I do have two fanless cards I purchased months ago for this reason, but one of which my brother is using.
Another obsessive compulsive thing, I suppose, is that I like fanless cooling. Wow, do I have problems? heheheh
Two single-slot fanless cooled cards. Silent with a bit of muscle.
I don't even need that much graphics capability, but I would like video editing power without sacrificing other expansion slots.
I do audio editing, image editing, video editing and do some light gaming.
Why do I want at least one PCI slot?
I might need one! Heh, right? I might need one? Maybe there's a sound card out there I may get in the near or distant future that is only a PCI card?
And of course I would like all the other bells and whistles like USB 3.0, Sata 6 gb/s.
These are a few things I look for when I'm looking at or seeking to buy a motherboard.
One thing I look for when looking at or seeking to buy a computer case is: Full ATX, power supply on top, and HDD bays are parallel and not perpendicular to the case (I hate when they're perpendicular!). Harder to plug drives when they're perpendicular, with power supply and sata cables.
Share what you look for, if you'd like.
I have a few myself actually.
Motherboards
When I look for a motherboard on building a new computer, I look for a series of things.
- Does it have TWO PS2 ports?
- Does it have a PCIe X1 slot first?
- Does it have two PCIe X16 slots?
- Does it have at least one PCI slot?
So why do I want TWO PS2 ports?
Even though technology has advanced to the point where USB mice and keyboards are basically in the now, I still use PS2 peripherals.
Believe it or not, I use a bluetooth wireless mouse on my laptop, but I also use a bluetooth wireless mouse and keyboard on my dekstop computer AND PS2 wired keyboard and mouse. [This does take up a USB slot for the Bluetooth piece, and it does have an annoying blue flashing LED.]
And call it weird, but I rarely use the wireless keyboard, but I use the wireless mouse most often. The wireless keyboard is on a chair next to my bed and the wired keyboard is at my desk. Both the wireless mouse and the wired PS2 mouse are at my desk, but I only use the wired mouse when the battery of the wireless mouse is low or is charging.
PS2 ports allow me to use older keyboards or mice.
Sure, one could argue that I could just get an adapter to convert PS2 to USB. Why add one more nasty/flimsy thing to the mix?
So I look for PS2 ports. Two of them.
So why do I want a PCIe X1 first?
I like it.
Usually when the first PCIe slot is an X16, it's for the video card. Many video cards out there are double-wide. If you did two video cards, you'd lose two slots, one if which could be a PCIe X1 somewhere else, or maybe a PCI slot.
When you have a PCIe X1 slot to the left of your first PCIe X16 slot, you have the option of plugging in a PCIe X1 dedicated sound card, or even a TV Tuner if you wanted.
Some dedicated sound cards or TV tuners are PCI, but if you have the newer PCIe sound cards, or TV tuners, they're most likely to be PCIe X1.
I have seen a motherboard or two, mainly Intel CPU boards have TWO PCIe X1 slots to the Left of the first PCIe X16 slot. I'd like that even better actually.
But does this cost the PCIe X16 slot any speed with the PCIe X1 slot there, or two of them for that matter? I don't know actually.
I suppose another obsessive compulsive attribute is that I like to fill all my expansion slots and memory slots too (you have them, so use them!). IDK if this has something to do with having only one memory stick in one of my early family computers. MAY BE!
Why do I want two PCIe X16 slots?
Two video cards!
It's not that I'm looking to dump loads of money on two cards and CrossfireX them together. I do have two fanless cards I purchased months ago for this reason, but one of which my brother is using.
Another obsessive compulsive thing, I suppose, is that I like fanless cooling. Wow, do I have problems? heheheh
Two single-slot fanless cooled cards. Silent with a bit of muscle.
I don't even need that much graphics capability, but I would like video editing power without sacrificing other expansion slots.
I do audio editing, image editing, video editing and do some light gaming.
Why do I want at least one PCI slot?
I might need one! Heh, right? I might need one? Maybe there's a sound card out there I may get in the near or distant future that is only a PCI card?
And of course I would like all the other bells and whistles like USB 3.0, Sata 6 gb/s.
These are a few things I look for when I'm looking at or seeking to buy a motherboard.
One thing I look for when looking at or seeking to buy a computer case is: Full ATX, power supply on top, and HDD bays are parallel and not perpendicular to the case (I hate when they're perpendicular!). Harder to plug drives when they're perpendicular, with power supply and sata cables.
Share what you look for, if you'd like.
