All the other windows are simply to display the resources used, operating temps, etc.
The rig is an old 4th Gen Intel running on some old DDR3. Again, this is a build from 2013 but it easily handled the task and plenty more as I sat behind it for a bit doing random work for fun.
It really is simple, been building desktop tower based systems since I was 10. Figure out the processor, storage device, and video card you need to run (the parts that make the computer work for what you need it to do), and then you just have to match a motherboard to the processor socket, video card slot (PCIE gen), RAM type/speed/capacity, and storage drive interface (SATA, nvme, etc).
Top it off with a high efficiency power supply of enough watts (processor + GPU with overhead), heatsink for the CPU, and a case that can hold it all and provide enough airflow for cooling and you’re done. Everything only goes in 1 place, unless there’s multiple ports, then just opt for the lowest number first.
I’ve got a few 2010ish era AMD based systems, back before they had their multithreading (Ryzen) tech, so Intel from that time period is the way to go, same with Nvidia for the graphics (GTX series).
I could tell you that it really is simple to differentiate between bursitis, tendonitis and arthritis but then it would take me an hour of typing to explain how you would treat each of them. It all comes with the territory you are familiar.
Really just be cheaper/easier to gather the parts yourself and watch a video. Even one from 10-15 years ago will still apply.
The only differences are the architecture IE the chipset the motherboard uses (which determines the CPU and ram type).
Outside of that, power supplies are standardized, along with the use of SATA cables for connecting components such as drives, etc. You could even skip the use of SATA cables for drives because you can just use an NVME drive as many boards will have a dedicated m.2 slot for attaching said drive.
Motherboards all come with manuals to tell you what each port is, although just about all of them have an abbreviation on the board itself telling you if a port is for USB, header for a case fan, or CPU fan, etc.
I say it’s like Legos because you would really have to ignore the visuals in order to mess up.
Kind of like connecting the torch ON/OFF that you tapped your plasma cutter for, and randomly plugging it into the DIV input on your VIM. Nowhere in the instructions does it state to do that, but some people end up doing it.
I’ll add a few visuals here using some old pics of my own systems.
This is my current PC that’s already a good 3 years old.
I used arrows to point out some of the key things that are relevant to know, and that haven’t changed in a long time.
The yellow arrow points to the CPU slot.
The blue arrow to your RAM slots.
The red arrow to your PCI-E slots.
The green on the right is your main 24-pin for power, with the green on top being optional on some motherboards (and a requirement on others) for additional power.
And the purple, are m.2 slots hidden behind those removable heatsinks.
Now, I’m not going to remove the components for pictures but here’s my build from 2008 which you can see is damn near the same. I still own this system and it’s still fully functional.
I even made the necessary changes in the BIOS and cmd to run it off a solid state drive, something this PC was never made to do. Even then, they still used SATA ports for connecting components that are not connected via PCI-E just like modern computers.
The only difference is the architecture is a lot slower, and it’s lacking m.2.
I’m a sucker for an aesthetically pleasing, budget friendly case.
I miss the old Fractal Mini I used for my 6700K 1080TI SLI build. I should’ve kept the case.
The other two rigs were in other cases but they’re long gone. One lives in an Antec and the other in a Lian Li since I was tired of having them disassembled in boxes.
I was a glutton for the Antec 600, 900, and 1200 chassis, but now I love these NZXT’s. Great cable management, and I don’t know how or why the industry standardized the PSU above the mobo for so long…
