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Components for Building Computers From Scratch/Questions
| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
| New PC parts comparison | 2/7/2012 | Bobbert |
| Q: I am a student, and I want to buy a new computer for work mainly and to play games with my friends. ... A: I'd pass on the second option; it has less memory and no disclosed graphics adapter (which likely ... | ||
| upgrading pc | 1/31/2012 | Bobbert |
| Q: i have a typical HP laptop from best buy, and since i am an engineering student, sometimes i do come ... A: Firstly, understand that the Core i5 in your system is itself a dual-core processor. That meets the ... | ||
| upgrading pc | 1/26/2012 | Bobbert |
| Q: i have a typical HP laptop from best buy, and since i am an engineering student, sometimes i do come ... A: As with most all laptops, there is no upgrade path for this system aside from adding RAM. This may ... | ||
| hardware Q? | 1/17/2012 | Karl Zick |
| Q: I was wondering if there is any uniquness in a computer hardware. What i mean is, is there any ... A: Just like there are no truly identical twins, there are no truly identical pieces of computer ... | ||
| CD-ROM Drive won't read blank CD's | 1/9/2012 | Bobbert |
| Q: I have a Dell desktop, about 10 years old, with the latest version of Windows XP and Windows Media ... A: I would need more information on Dell's end in order to tell you if I agree or not. Regarding the ... | ||
| CD-ROM Drive won't read blank CD's | 1/9/2012 | Keith Davis |
| Q: I have a Dell desktop, about 10 years old, with the latest version of Windows XP and Windows Media ... A: See if you can find out what the make and model of the CD drive is. If you boot into the BIOS (set ... | ||
| oc i5 sandy bridge | 1/2/2012 | Keith Davis |
| Q: How do i unlock the processor i5 lga1155 on asus p8z68-v motherboard? A: Do you mean overclock? I'm not sure that I understand "unlock"? I do not know a way to lock a ... | ||
| asus p8z68-v processor and memory | 1/2/2012 | Keith Davis |
| Q: do you know which processor will support the ddr3 2200 speeds? ANSWER: Basically any processor in ... A: This is what I found: "Due to CPU behavior, DDR3 2200/2000/1800 MHz memory module will run at DDR3 ... | ||
| asus p8z68-v processor and memory | 12/31/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: do you know which processor will support the ddr3 2200 speeds? A: Basically any processor in this family will do fine: "Intel® Socket 1155 for 2nd Generation Core™ ... | ||
| Monitor problem | 11/5/2011 | Bobbert |
| Q: my mother has a Dell monitor and a Dell computer tower. It runs Microsoft XP. For several months ... A: What screen saver settings are used? There is an option within XP to have the computer send a ... | ||
| Monitor going off | 11/5/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: my mother has a Dell monitor and a Dell computer tower. It runs Microsoft XP. For several months ... A: I believe you are right about it being a monitor problem. One sure way to find out is to borrow ... | ||
| tv tuner cards | 11/2/2011 | Karl Zick |
| Q: I have a new hp hpe8-1010 windows 7 desktop and would like to get a tv tuner card to put in it. I ... A: I have been using tuner cards for almost as long as I have my computer. Not only are they good for ... | ||
| Compatible DVD drives | 10/23/2011 | Karl Zick |
| Q: 0 GHz processor, 40 GB HDD, 256 MB RAM, and a CD-rom drive. I want to upgrade to a DVD-rom drive ... A: As old as your computer is, it will only support an IDE DVD burner. You should just be able to ... | ||
| i5 2500 vs i5 2500k | 9/21/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: Hey, I'm planning to build a new desktop but am unable to decide between i5 2500 and the i5 2500k ... A: Just a couple of things Hard drive- you did not mention the model number. For peak performance you ... | ||
| Universal Serial Bus 3.0 | 9/13/2011 | Bobbert |
| Q: I am wanting to upgrade my computer to use USB 3.0 Software. What hardware would be the best and ... A: I'm unsure what you mean by "USB 3 software" - USB 3 is an advancement of the USB standard, which is ... | ||
| hardware purchasing | 9/11/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: Do you know what the best most powerfull overall motherboard is and where to purchase it? thanks ... A: I don't know what exactly is the latest and greatest but it will probably be on this page: ... | ||
| p4 ps? | 9/11/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: Do you know if the underside of the circuit for the atx power suplly is suppose to be all fused ... A: Doesn't sound right to me. However, I'm not proficient in the actual components of the main ... | ||
| i5 2500 vs i5 2500k | 9/5/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: Hey, I'm planning to build a new desktop but am unable to decide between i5 2500 and the i5 2500k ... A: 1) It may surprise you but I would not overclock an intel processor. So if you are set on intel I ... | ||
| Components for custom PC | 8/20/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: i'm planning to build a custom pc for gaming (that can run the latest or perhaps for the next 5 ... A: Fans. Don't forget about fans. I always try to fill every slot in a configuration that is pulling ... | ||
| Laptop power cord | 8/19/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: I have a HP pavilion laptop.It worked fine till today. Today when i connected power cord to it . . . ... A: You could plug the laptop power supply into the wall and test the other end with a tester to see if ... | ||
| Motherboard replacement | 8/17/2011 | Bobbert |
| Q: My hp stock motherboard is going bad. Im looking at a new motherboard that fits my am3 type socket ... A: I would need to know more information about what's going on to give you proper advice. You mention ... | ||
| USB TV Tuner Card for Recording TV Channel Programs ? | 8/8/2011 | Bobbert |
| Q: Functionality --------------- Record our Favorite TV Channels Programs on our Digital Video Disk ... A: The encoding and burning process to a DVD-R/RW is an additional step, you will need further software ... | ||
| asus or intel board??? | 7/26/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: "Dear Sir, i have Core 2 duo 2.33 processor and two ddr2 rams. please advice me which board ... A: The boards are almost exact in specs so I would go with the ASUS just from a quality standpoint. I ... | ||
| How to update an older computer | 7/11/2011 | Bobbert |
| Q: I have an older Dell laptop. I think I got it in 2004 and that it's an Inspiron 1500. As far as I ... A: To use WiFi you'll need some sort of WiFi adapter - if your system lacks such an adapter you can ... | ||
| Failure to order a DVD reader on new computer | 6/29/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: Big mistake,took for granted a DVD reader was standard on a new Inspiron 620 Dell Minimonitor. It ... A: Not sure what you mean by "minimonitor"? What I'm seeing when I look up Dell Inspiron 620 is that it ... | ||
| Can I upgrade my laptop hard drive to a 1TB drive? | 4/25/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: I have a Compaq CQ56 112SA AMD V-140 3GB 320GB 15.6" Laptop. I need more drive space. I currently ... A: I'm not sure that you can go to 1TB but you could probably order this hard drive ... | ||
| windows 2k data recovery | 4/19/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: Do you know how to copy files from crashed windows 2000 pro to a working windows 2000 pro. It was ... A: According to what kind of hard drive it is you may have to set the jumper on the drive to the slave ... | ||
| recovering windows 2k pro data | 4/8/2011 | Karl Zick |
| Q: Do you know how to copy files from crashed windows 2000 pro to a working windows 2000 pro. It was ... A: If you are talking about your personal files on the old computer, you can buy an IDE-SATA to USB ... | ||
| windows 2k data recovery | 4/8/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: Do you know how to copy files from crashed windows 2000 pro to a working windows 2000 pro. It was ... A: Norton Ghost is the best but I believe it is expensive. Ever thought about putting the drive in the ... | ||
| Dell Inpiron 1515 Docking Station - Product Recommendation | 3/23/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: Keith, Hi. I'm in the market for a Docking Station. This will be used with a Dell Inspiron 1525 ... A: For some other computers I might have a different answer but since it is a Dell I would buy one of ... | ||
| laptop freeze | 3/19/2011 | Karl Zick |
| Q: i own a sony vaio laptop(win hp7, 4gb ram,500 gb hdd, 1 gb ati 5650 video card). its been about 6-7 ... A: Sony has a great customer support service. Have you contacted them?? Sounds like you may have a ... | ||
| how to sell used desktop pc? | 3/17/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: I want to sell my custom made PC. How do I word the advert? Spec is the following: Elite Group ... A: Sam, It really looks good the way you have it as far as listing the specs. You may want to have a ... | ||
| upgrading motherboard | 3/15/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: I want to purchase a new motherboard that is much faster like maybe a core 2 board, what I would ... A: Changing out a motherboard (unless you are just replacing it with the same brand) is a nightmare if ... | ||
| computer build | 3/5/2011 | Keith Davis |
| Q: i am attempting my first build with gaming in mind..... would these components all work together and ... A: It looks like everything is compatible. You are going to have a great machine. A couple of things ... | ||
| computer build | 3/5/2011 | Bobbert |
| Q: i am attempting my first build with gaming in mind..... would these components all work together and ... A: These components would be compatible, yes, however I would make a few changes to the system overall. ... | ||
| computer build | 3/5/2011 | Karl Zick |
| Q: i am interested in building my first computer from scratch with moderate gaming in mind. i was ... A: Took a close look at your list and, based on some recent bad experiences with ASUS, suggest you ... | ||
| Internet-only computer | 2/17/2011 | Bobbert |
| Q: I would like to build a computer for internet surfing only. I asked Yahoo answers for some ... A: Again, mostly anything you'll find to purchase will be suitable for the basic tasks you're ... | ||
| Modem problem | 2/13/2011 | Bobbert |
| Q: I recently wrote to you about alternatives to my dial-up internet asking if an "air card", among ... A: If you know what kind of device your Dell has, or if you can find the service tag on the system, you ... | ||
| Internet-only computer | 2/13/2011 | Bobbert |
| Q: I would like to build a computer for internet surfing only. I asked Yahoo answers for some ... A: More or less any modern system on the market will suit you, see what's on sale from Dell or HP at a ... | ||
| Webcam | 1/30/2011 | Bobbert |
| Q: I am looking for a webcam that I can mount somewhere in my living room and pan/tilt/Zoom. My ... A: I know Logitech used to make a webcam that roughly does what you've described, although I haven't ... | ||
Components for Building Computers From Scratch
Answers by Expert:
Keith Davis
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer most any question in this category for the home desktop builder and for most gaming PC builders. This includes what kind of case, cooling products, overclocking, all hardware, software, and safety issues. I can also advise on where the best sources for purchasing hardware are on the net.
Experience
100's of system builds from Win 2k through Win7 for customers as a self-employed PC technician with 100% customer satisfaction. Most experienced with XP and Vista.
Education/Credentials
4 classes short of my Networking degree.
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