This is the first PC I ever built entirely from scratch. The other computers I've built had something to start on. The hardware specs are as follows:
* Athlon 64 x2 5400+ Black Edition (2.8GHz dual core, unlocked multiplier)
* ASUS M3N78-EM Motherboard
* 8GB DDR2-800 RAM
* XFX GeForce 9800GT, single slot form factor
* Hitachi DeskStar 500GB SATA
* Via Envy24HT-S audio
* Antec 650W power supply
* SilverStone SG03 small form factor casing
I'm generally happy with this build. It's a bit noisy since I opted to install two 120mm fans on the front of the unit, but all is fine since my top design priorities are safety, stability, size, power consumption and temperature levels. Computing performance only really comes second.
I've installed 8GB of RAM since memory is so cheap these days that it's a sin not to maximize the motherboard's memory capacity. Only drawback is that I'd really have to use a 64-bit operating system now.
I chose the Athlon 64 X2 5400+ for a number of reasons. I do know that Phenoms are already within the reach of ordinary humans, but the Athlon was half the price and had a significantly higher single core clock than most Phenoms. It also consumes less power - a modest 65 Watts. I still tend to favor single core performance over number of cores, though it's more of a personal preference rather than one based on technical facts. The choice of AMD is also a personal preference.
The graphics card is quite standard; I opted for one that had no overclocks as another step towards ensuring more stability. It may be true that manufacturers would test their factory overclocked cards before shipping them, but the fact still remains that the chips are being driven at speeds that are above the chipmakers' specifications. I chose the XFX since it had a single slot form factor and no large fans that resemble alien technology. It also has a simple yet compelling visual design, notably the black metal rail that spans the top of the GPU with the XFX logo. I really don't know what it's for. It may be for cooling, but if ever it was purely aesthetics I would not have any problems with it either.
The sound card is generic Via Envy24HT-S. This belongs to the same family of chips used in high end cards like the Onkyo Wavio SE200-PCI and the Audiotrak Prodigy. I never saw the need nor justification to step up to these higher end cards yet, though. I basically like the Via Envy since its driver package is a nice and tight piece of software, with just a mixer control with a modern yet minimal design that works, and nothing of those fancy control panels that (again) resemble alien technology.
The power supply is rated at 650 Watts, which might seem preposterous since I'm using a CPU and a non-SLI'ed GPU rated at 65 amd 105 Watts respectively, but this again is something done mainly for safety. There wasn't a significant price difference anyway.
I opted for a 500GB drive just because it had the largest Byte-Per-Yen ratio when I went shopping for parts. Drive space is the least of my concerns since I have more than a Terabyte of storage already in my room, across different storage devices. The brand had to be Hitachi, though. It's the same brand of discs found in Thinkpads and has been my personal preference ever since my Western Digital backup drive failed in a spectacular manner a few years ago. The Hitachi Drive Fitness Test that you can download from the maker website is also a really good bonus that you get for buying this brand.
The case is amazing. It's a SilverStone Sugo SG03 tower type small form factor case. I originally intended to buy a Shuttle but was disappointed by the high price you have to pay for a case with many compromises and a low rated power supply. The SilverStone case may be a bit larger than Shuttles, but in return you get full compatibility with standard form factor components, like MicroATX boards, 10-inch graphics cards, and ATX power supplies. The case has nice ventilation, with its side grill and back perforations, not to mention the fact that two 120mm fans can be attached at the front. I did have to pay a bit of the premium, to the tune of around 15,000 Yen, but it was a sound purchase considering my original design goals and priorities.
All in all, It was a nice project. The money I spent on this PC is of course a lot less than a similarly priced HP or Dell, and that is considering that I paid a high premium for a high end case.
I'm currently running the usual memory and drive tests, so the PC would probably be ready for general use in around a week.
Now I can finally dispose of the giant frankenstein PC I've been using for the past year.
