# Building a New PC **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 29, 2004, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141 "2004-12-29T20:07:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141/21 "2005-01-03T15:26:22Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > That case you listed (the PC-V1200), is a very bad-ass looking piece. Finally a case that’ll allow the pci cards to be upright, instead of upside down, by flipping the mainboard. Not that it matters, but I always thought the montior plugs and ethernet plugs looked funny upside down, since PCI came out. If ya’ll ever got into computers when ISA slots were the norm, you’ll know what I’m talking about. The case is a lot longer than I expected, but that just means I have room internally for my next project… Watercooling! ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141/22 "2005-01-03T15:27:21Z")
Yeah, I was just looking at more detailed pics at Newegg, that thing is insanely long! Still pretty interesting though! ---
**Author:** ![badmana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@badmana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badmana)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141/23 "2005-01-03T16:10:23Z")
That’s one bad ass system. I have the BFG 6800 GTOC (further overclocked to 400/1000). It’s a smoking card. You might want to consider it as it has a life time warrenty (pick one up now, then get another later). ---
**Author:** ![RandomLetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8edcca/32.png) [@RandomLetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandomLetters)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141/24 "2005-01-03T16:19:16Z")
> [@faldureon](#): > > So can we all agree that the Athlon 3500 is probably this seasons hottest chip? Why yes I also happen to have one, it’s been humming away happily for three days already 🙂 Actually, the Prescott core Pentium 4’s are the hottest chips around - those suckers draw 100+ watts of power under load, and the poor stock cooler Intel includes sometimes has trouble keeping them cool. 😃 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Cornelius\_Tuggerson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cornelius_Tuggerson)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141/25 "2005-01-03T17:49:25Z")
Well if we are gonna get technical about it then I am sure it is some early Athlon that’ll ultimately take the cake for “Hottest Chip Around”. Mine actually stays steady at about 62 C ---
**Author:** ![ParentalAdvisory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/53a042/32.png) [@ParentalAdvisory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParentalAdvisory)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141/26 "2005-01-03T18:21:20Z")
> [@RandomLetters](#): > > Actually, the Prescott core Pentium 4’s are the hottest chips around - those suckers draw 100+ watts of power under load, and the poor stock cooler Intel includes sometimes has trouble keeping them cool. 😃 😃 Well then, they can make do with this [bad boy](http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/thermalright_xp120_2.php). Top it off with a 120mm fan, and you’re set. Poor Intel. ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141/27 "2005-01-03T19:10:14Z")
> [@ParentalAdvisory](#): > > Well then, they can make do with this [bad boy](http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/thermalright_xp120_2.php). Top it off with a 120mm fan, and you’re set. Poor Intel. I looked at that monster. It overlaps almost the entire motherboard! Believe it or not though, I have one that’s even bigger - at least weight wise. The [Thermaltake Tower112](http://www.xoxide.com/tower112.html) - 3 lbs of copper that can warp a mobo or crack a CPU. I decided not to use it after weighing the price difference between the cool looking, but relatively cheap heatsink verses the $1000 motherboard/chip combo. It makes a spiffy bookend. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141/28 "2005-01-03T20:07:39Z")
> [@velveeta](#): > > I looked at that monster. It overlaps almost the entire motherboard! Believe it or not though, I have one that’s even bigger - at least weight wise. The [Thermaltake Tower112](http://www.xoxide.com/tower112.html) - 3 lbs of copper that can warp a mobo or crack a CPU. I decided not to use it after weighing the price difference between the cool looking, but relatively cheap heatsink verses the $1000 motherboard/chip combo. It makes a spiffy bookend. That’s “cool looking”? I guess beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. I prefer mine, the [Zalman CNPS7700](http://www.xoxide.com/zalman-7700-cu-cpu-cooler.html). Would look even better if my case was windowed (but then I’d need to sleeve my wires for neatness). ---
**Author:** ![velveeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/13edae/32.png) [@velveeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velveeta)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141/29 "2005-01-03T20:12:05Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > That’s “cool looking”? I guess beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder. It’s neater looking “in person”. Plus, it doubles as a weapon in a pinch. ---
**Author:** ![DougC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7feea3/32.png) [@DougC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DougC)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141/30 "2005-01-03T21:36:32Z")
- - - I’d suggest that you switch your system hard drive to a SATA WD Raptor. Many many people say running a 10K system drive makes a noticeable improvement in how fast their computer “feels” overall, no matter what else they’re running. - And with SATA system drives, it’s wise to install a floppy as well. You don’t _need_ to, but if problems strike, many people who didn’t wish they did. ~ ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141/31 "2005-01-03T22:10:07Z")
> [@DougC](#): > > - And with SATA system drives, it’s wise to install a floppy as well. You don’t _need_ to, but if problems strike, many people who didn’t wish they did. > ~ Do you mind expanding on this? I haven’t used SATA drives myself, but am thinking of putting in a SATA RAID into a friend’s system. Why would you need a floppy for a SATA drive? Can’t you simply boot from a CD? ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141/32 "2005-01-03T22:15:03Z")
You can boot to a CD with a SATA drive, the problem comes when you are trying to install Windows. Windows will not detect a SATA hard drive until you load the drivers for it. The problem is that Windows will only let you load the drivers from a floppy drive during the install program. Moral of story, you need a floppy drive to load Windows onto a SATA hard drive. You don’t need a floppy to load Windows onto an IDE drive when using a SATA as a second drive. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2005, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141/33 "2005-01-03T22:19:26Z")
I see. I’m installing Linux, so I’ll continue to omit the floppy drive. If I put a SATA into my home computer, I guess I’ll have to go buy a floppy. Thanks for the thorough reply! ---
**Author:** ![Brainiac4](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brainiac4/32/3534_2.png) [@Brainiac4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brainiac4)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2005, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141/34 "2005-01-05T03:52:15Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > **Brainiac4** , have you ordered your parts yet? How goes your build? And did you check out Legion of Superheroes #1 out last Wednesday? Ordering now, in another window. I got the case I wanted – Fong Kai FK-333. It’s a big steel beast. > **[Best PC Cases in 2021 - Silent PC Review](https://silentpcreview.com/best-pc-cases/)** > > Picking your case is one of the most exciting parts for PC builders; it’s the house for all your precious components, but more importantly, it’s the one thing everyone sees. It’s like the avatar of the hardware world; people look at it and go, oh... His name is Anghammarad. 🙂 And I haven’t checked out LSH #1 yet, although the comic store called and wants me to come in and pick up comics – I have rather a large stack waiting for me, I think. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/building-a-new-pc/282141.md?page=1)