These are just a few notes that may help someone. I originally wrote them for a forum post somewhere, but I decided to put them up here too. Maybe one day I'll flesh this out a bit...
I have been building PCs for quite a few years for a living. (remember CP/M?) But this is only my opinion...
Mainboards
Most mainboard manufacturers make mainboards at varying price points and with various chipsets. For stability and compatibility, I recommend mainboards with:
- nVidia chipsets for AMD processors
- Intel chipset mainboards for use with Intel processors
Memory
I also note that memory is by far the most sensitive choice you can make when building a computer. For this reason alone, I recommend you buy your PCs already assembled in a well tested configuration. My shop is littered with incompatible memory modules...you can't even order the same memory parts from the same manufacturer and expect to get the same exact memory modules regardless of brand!
Furthermore, it is almost never safe to mix dissimilar memory parts in a PC. Don't do it! If you need to, replace all the memory when upgrading. I repeat: memory compatibility is THE key issue in stability of a computer.
Compatibility
I don't trust a new hardware configuration until
- after I've done a careful OS installation with the new configuration
and
- the machine has run without problems in the field for some weeks
Be VERY observant of ANY glitches during OS installations when working with a new hardware configuration...they more often than not indicate memory compatibility issues.
Parts That Fail Most Often
Moving parts are what fail most often, so buy good ones that will be less likely to fail. Fans, power supplies, hard drives and optical drives are the components most likely to fail.
Seagate is my favorite hard drive manufacturer. They offer 5-year warranties on most all drives. I avoid Maxtor and Western Digital...I have replaced LOTS of them! IBM, Fujitsu, Toshiba, etc. are OK.
In the end, a 5-year warranty makes me feel better.
Optical drives frequently fail. The cheap ones fail most often. As for brands, Sony and LG drives seem the most reliable (Sony drives are often OEM Lite-On, but not all Lite-On drives are on my 'buy' list.
Use good power supplies. I like In-Win chassis. They are well-made and seem to have durable power supplies.
Cooling
In a PC, heat kills. Choose a chassis that is well ventilated without driving you nuts with fan noise. Usually roomier is cooler, but there are many new compact designs with good cooling...
Add an extra (quiet) fan where appropriate. The cheap ones fail more often.
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