Should I build my own computer?

Your dad should have recycled all of those computer parts by making this.

(Yes, I want one.)

 

The thing you're most likely to mess up? Connecting the front panel jumpers. I've been doing it for years and I still have to take it slow. They're not keyed, and may not be colour-coded, and even if they are the colours may not correspond to the colour coding on the front panel jumpers on the motherboard. They're labeled though, so really you just have to figure out which direction they go. (Label out or in? Label out on the bottom row and out on the top, or in on the top? Or in on both rows? Gah!) Sometimes though you get a good case that has a single jumper block you just plug right on and you're good to go, but not always.

'Course, it may all be standard and I just never paid attention to which way it always goes. I'm weird like that sometimes.

I've been using AVG Free for quite a while now and I've had no problem with it. Works great, doesn't hog system resources like Norton or McAfee. Never killed anything that didn't deserve to die.

Whatcha lookin' for? What do you plan on doing most with it?

 

Well, something affordable, with at least 4GB of ram, a nice processor (for artwork and rendering 3D) but not so much gaming. A big screen too?

 

Big screen tends to put it out of the affordable bracket, as the bigger screen lappies tend to be geared towards gaming. You can probably get a decent 17" enterprise-class laptop for a reasonable price though, and maybe upgrade a component or two to meet your art/rendering specs, presuming you have that option in the brand you go for. What's your price range?

 

Reconnect with the earth. Go outdoors and kneel on the grass. Fold your body down until your forehead touches the earth, and your palms and forearms are on the ground. Breathe deeply and relax.

Wait that's not right...

Instead of that you should keep your computer plugged in but the power should be off. Use an anti-static wristband. I never did those, I just touched the unpainted parts of the shell that didn't have any components on it. Maybe I just got lucky?

 

probably up to around $600, i found a toshiba with 4GB Ram, 17.3 screen, AMD athlon II 64 bit for like $500?

 

A) Keep one hand on the case.
B) Buy a grounding wrist strap that connects to the case.
C) Don't work on carpet.

I generally use A), though I've never had a problem with static frying components. They're built pretty resilient to such things these days.

 

well ill have 2 or 3 computers on a network render. but idk, can you manually upgrade that stuff?

 

Not bad. The Athlon II is a bit weak. For artwork it's fine (RAM is your bottleneck there, so more is better), but for 3D rendering you're going to want to go with something a little beefier, preferably a quad. Stick with an AMD-based lappy, as they give the most bang for the buck, and they're a damn sight cheaper than Core i7 systems.

 

I wouldn't worry. I've never fried a thing with static in my life, and I do frequently work on carpet. If you're concerned, just tap the case before handling to discharge any static electricity. And don't shuffle your feet across the carpet or rub balloons on your head.

 

well can i upgrade the proccessor?

 

I just came here to say (although I'm sure it's been said) that you should always build your PC if you have the option. It's cheaper and will turn out better than a prebuilt because it's made specifically for you.

 

Depends on how much you want to spend. I have the Coolermaster HAF932, and it's got cooling out the wazoo: three low-noise/high CFM 240MM fans in the top (exhaust), side (intake) and front (intake), plus a 120MM in the rear (exhaust), and I added an 80mm in the bottom (intake). Plus, it's an awesome case; roomy, completely toolless, lots of ports, great cable management, water-cooling ready with top-fill section. But it is pricey. (I think I paid about $150 CAD last year.) But it's worth it, at least to me; tons of air flow keeps everything nice and chill.

However, anything by Thermaltake or Coolermaster will do nicely and be stylish at the same time, and they do have cheaper cases available with fewer bells and whistles. Just be mindful of how much room there is to work with inside; if you're going to get a full-length video card you're going to want to make sure it will fit and still have room for the +12v connectors and not block anything important. The Thermaltake Shark I had before this one had that problem; my nVidia card I had at the time was literally crammed in there.

 

Depends. Some OEMs (Dell, for example) let you pick a base model and then configure it to your liking. You can't do the upgrade yourself though, if that's what you're asking; most laptops only give you access panels for RAM and GPU, and sometimes network/3G.