Hi everybody,
I just wanted to say that this weekend I succeeded in putting together my
first computer. I'm very excited.
My Dell 166 Pentium power supply died. It seemed simpler to use what I
could from that computer and get a new case and motherboard. I learned a
lot- in particular about what not to do- the PCBUILD directions helped, but
I'm bad about only reading directions when I have problems... I learned how
important it is to buy a good case- I did not buy the one described in the
PCBUILD directions and it was hard to work with.  Anyway, next time I think
I'll go slower and do more research and ask more questions- I kind of went
off half cocked!
New:
Generic Mid tower case
Abit BX6 slot 1 motherboard : one AGP slot (2X or 4X or 1X ? who knows?), 5
pci slots, 2 isa (one pci and isa share a slot), room for four dimms (max
memory is 1 GB)
Celeron 400 processor  (put it on a card and slide it into the slot 1 socket)
Soundblaster 16 card
Viper V770 graphics accelerator

Old parts:
floppy and cd drives
hard drive
modem
keyboard, mouse
64 Megs SDRAM
software from defunct computer
monitor from defunct computer
generic network card (pci) (successfull networked and sharing an internet
connection with my other computer)

So far it's running ok. I'll have to see how it goes. Next time  I think it
will go easier and I'll know a bit more about what questions to ask about
the motherboard and processor as well as how to get a better case. If I
didn't have all the used parts I had I sure wouldn't have saved any money
putting it together, but the experience of putting it together and watching
it boot and all is worth more than money.

Also, I remember reading this somewhere, but can't find it- about magnetic
tip screwdrivers- are they ok to use? I remember that they don't have a
strong enough magnetic to bother anything, but want to ask again.

I could not have done this if not for this list and the encouragement of
people like Elizabeth Boston and the other men and women on the list who do
this all the time. Thanks. Can you telll how happy I am to have finally
built a computer?!

Warm Regards,

Mary

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