Cheap Computers and Parts

Notes we've taken concerning the Motherboard:

• Brand: AMD
• Interface (Socket): AM2
• Class (Series): Athlon 64 X2
• Bus Speed: 2000MHz (sometimes referred to as "1000MHz (2000 MT/s)" )

Step 1: Main Motherboard Specifications

Now that we found a processor we like, we have to find a compatible motherboard so we can use it. This can either be very easy or very frustrating depending on how picky you are. Here is where the notes we took on the processor come into play. We need to find a motherboard that supports these four main specs:

• Brand: AMD
• Interface (Socket): AM2
• Class (Series): Athlon 64 X2
• Bus Speed:2000MHz (sometimes referred to as "1000MHz (2000 MT/s)" )

Note: If you find a particular motherboard you like but are unsure of some specs, you can usually find specific motherboard instruction manuals on the manufactures web site.

Step 2: Finding a Compatible Motherboard

The first thing we should do is, like we did with the processor, go to a trusted online distributor and go to their motherboard page.

Computer Hardware List --> Motherboards

From here we can either select the Socket Type or the Brand of processor that's on our notes from the distributors list. It all depends on the distributor but the navigation will be similar. They may have you select the brand then socket, the socket then brand or just the socket type.

Motherboards --> AMD or Socket AM2 (you may notice AM2/AM2+ or AM2/AM3 or something similar, this just means those motherboards usually support those types of sockets as well. Be sure to read the motherboard specs to verify it supports your socket and processor.)

Once on the motherboard page, we should again order the list by "lowest price".

I immediately found a cheap motherboard for only $47.99 with a great rating. Lets click on the link and look at the specifications and verify all our main specs match up:

ASRock N68-S AM2+/AM2 Motherboard - $47.99:

• Has Great Reviews
• Supports AMD Athlon 64 X2 (Our Processors Brand and Class)
• Supports AM2 Socket (Our Processors Interface / Socket Type)
• Supports a 1000MHz (2000 MT/s) Bus Speed (Our Processors Bus Speed)

Great! They all matched up. In the next step, we will look at other motherboard options we should look for.

Step 3: Other Motherboard Options

It's easy to find a compatible motherboard but because of all the options motherboards have, it's sometimes difficult to find everything you want at an affordable price and often have to make a few sacrifices, such as not getting as many expansion ports as you wanted, if you want to save some money.

We already found a motherboard that meets our most important specs, the specs of the processor. Now we have to find one that meets a few other important specs.

Other Motherboard options to look for:

• At least 2 slots for RAM Memory
• At least 2GB MAX RAM supported
• Supports Dual Channel for RAM
• At least 2 PCI expansion slots
• At least 2 SATA connections (Serial ATA, type of connection for hard drives and CD/DVD drives)
• At least 1 IDE connection (also known as Ultra ATA or PATA) if you want to add an older hard drive or CD/DVD drive to your new system.
• OPTIONAL 1 Floppy (FDD - Floppy Disk Drive) Connection for a floppy drive if needed
• Onboard audio and video if you don't plan on doing much gaming
• OPTIONAL 1 PCI-E x1 Slot for future expansion
• 1 PCI-E x16 (PCI Express) slot (v2.0 if you want a gaming video card) to have multi-monitor capabilities.
• Onboard LAN Network
• Several Rear USB 2.0 ports
• OPTIONAL USB headers for USB ports on the front of the case.
• OPTIONAL At least 1 Firewire (1394) port for other external hardware such as a digital camcorder. If you find a motherboard that does not have a firewire port on it, you can always buy a Firewire PCI expansion card.

Note: Even if you are building a gaming PC and plan to add 1 or more video cards, it's a good idea to purchase a motherboard with integrated video. If for whatever reason your video card(s) stop working and you don't have a compatible cheap video card lying around, you can still use the computer via the onboard video until you can replace the bad card(s).

Let's look at the motherboard from above and look at it's Detailed Specs to see what other options it has available to us:

ASRock N68-S AM2+/AM2 Motherboard - $47.99:

• Has Great Reviews
• Has 2 RAM Slots
• Supports 8GB RAM
• Supports Dual Channel
• Has 2 PCI Slots
• Supports up to 4 SATA II (3.0Gb/s) Drives
• Has 1 (PATA) IDE Connection
• Has 1 FDD Connection
• Has Integrated Audio
• Has Integrated Video
• Has 1 PCI-E x16 Slot
• Has 1 PCI-E x1 Slot.
• Has 1 Integrated LAN port
• Has 4 Rear USB ports
• Has USB headers for front ports on case
• Does not have a 1394 (Firewire) port. This is ok, for less than $15 we can buy a PCI Firewire card if we absolutely need firewire.

The specs for this motherboard look good to me. You don't have to look at other motherboards when you find one you like but it's good practice to compare a few before you decide.

Notes to take before the next lesson:

In this lesson, we decided on the ASRock N68-S AM2+/AM2 Motherboard. We need to note the following to find compatible hardware:

• Type of RAM Supported: DDR2 533/667/800/1066
• Max RAM Supported: 8GB
• Max RAM Slots: 2
• Form Factor: MicroATX
• Drive Interface(s): SATA 3.0Gb/s, PATA
• # of SATA 3.0Gb/s Connections: 4
• # of PATA (IDE) Connections: 1
• # of Floppy Connections: 1
• # of PCI Slots: 2
• # of PCI-Express x1 Slots: 1
• # of PCI-Express x16 Slots: 1
• PCI-Express x16 Version: 1.0a (You only need this number if you plan on purchasing a video card. If the specs don't mention a version #, it's generally a 1.x version)
• SLI or Crossfire Support: none (only applicable if you have multiple PCI-E x16 slots)
• ATX Power Connectors: 1x 24-Pin Connector
• PC Power Connectors: 1x 12v 4-Pin Connector
• Onboard Video: Yes
• Video Port: Standard VGA (monitor connection)
• Onboard Audio: Yes
• Onboard LAN (Network): Yes
• PS/2 Ports: Yes (for keyboard and mouse)

Next Lesson:

It's time for the next lesson: Lesson 7: How to Find a Cheap Computer Case.