Parts for the Beast

I'm glad  to say that despite my worries the package from Amazon arrived today without any further drama.  All I'm waiting for now is the RAM.

So here's a picture  of the parts for The Beast.  The interesting thing is that although the on-line power calculator shows that I only need a PSU of 490W, a quick read of the box for the GPU says a minimum of 600W is needed!! not to mention all the other components

 .....The message here is beware of online information.

Package Delayed!

I ordered some of the parts for my computer through Amazon in the States on 10 June and they made good time to New Zealand arriving in the country on 16 June. I then got a phone call from DHL letting me know it had arrived but that they needed an import code number from me.

The guy I was speaking to at DHL was very friendly and helpful and even sent me the forms and contact number for customs.  

What I'm a little annoyed about is that I paid Amazon an Import Fee Deposit (they actually hold that whether you like it or not) and yet it looks as though DHL are trying to charge me extra to make the import complete......we'll wait and see.

Calculating Power Requirements for the Computer

Having ordered the main component for the computer through Amazon (USA) and also through PC Online (NZ) I've looked at a couple of websites to see what kind of power supply unit (PSU) I will need. I went to the Cool Master site (http://www.coolermaster.outervision.com/) and also Power Supply Calculator (http://powersupplycalculator.net/).  A search on Google reveals that there are also many others that you could choose from.  However, the information below show the results from the Power Supply Calculator site.  Interestingly and reassuringly, the results from both sites confirmed pretty much the same power needs.

Idle power: 94 W

Idle power is the power drawn by the system when booted to a desktop while the computer is doing nothing at the given moment. Please note that idle power may be lower when computer screen is turned off or system is in deep sleep. Also if you have disabled any power saving features of the system, the result may vary. Idle power does not include power losses from the PSU itself.

Load power: 390 W

Load power is the average power drawn by the system when running an intense 3D-game with all CPU-cores, drives and peripherals operating at maximum load. Load power is the maximum power the system may use in a typical real-world scenario. Please note that load power is not the absolute maximum power of the system. By running a synthetic benchmark, power consumption may increase even further. Load power does not include power losses from the PSU itself.

Distribution of power

SYSTEM

CPU

GPU

RAM

DRIVES

PERIPHERALS

COOLING

idle

load

Recommended power supply: 490 W

This is the minimum recommended PSU wattage for the selected components. Choosing a lower wattage PSU increases the risk of system to become unstable and noise from PSU to become annoying. Choosing a higher wattage PSU decreases efficiency at lighter loads, but leaves a margin for overclocking and future upgrades and also ensures the PSU stays cool and quiet.

Buying Computer Parts

The time has come!  I've started buying parts for the computer and it's been an interesting experience.  It goes without saying that I've scouted around for best prices and in the end I settled for buying from Amazon.  I looked at Amazon.com, .uk and .au.  Prices with conversion appeared to favour .com (America) and .au at the moment is really only kindles and online books - no computer parts.  So I placed my order with .com and went through the pages to process it.

First thing - Although I could order the processor, the graphics card and the RAM and have them shipped to New Zealand,  I wasn't permitted to order the motherboard - WHY?  I'm sure the answer is there somewhere on the internet but I'm not going to waste time looking for it.

Second thing - Prices look good on Amazon, but be aware that when you get to Check Out two things are added - the first is delivery costs which, yeah, one would expect, but the second is the "Import Fees Deposit".  This is quite significant as it adds another 15% to the overall cost - so beware!!

Third thing - just be aware that if you're buying through  the states, but paying with a different currency this will need to be converted - you can guarantee, I'm sure, that you may not get the best of rates.....just another way to make a bit of extra money - I might be a bit cynical here ;-)

So, this is what I've ordered so far from Amazon (don't forget to add the delivery and import fee):

Ordered through Amazon.com (USA)

Buying the motherboard through a New Zealand firm

The Motherboard  As I couldn't order the motherboard through Amazon, I've ordered that locally in New Zealand through PC Online.  The prices, once you add the GST/VAT/taxes to the Amazon prices actually do end up being pretty similar - so be aware when comparing prices.

A big choice that takes a bit of research if you're not totally familiar with  the terminology.

The Screen - It doesn't always go right!

My idea for the screen was to use 3mm MDF to create the 180 degree surround screen with 1 1/2 boards joined together lengthways, but sadly it didn't work the way I planned as with movement the joints between the boards showed quite badly.

So, I'm trying a different solution - wall paper.  My thinking here is that by putting wall paper over the cracks this should hide the cracks pretty effectively.

If this doesn't work my only other - and final solution will be to apply another layer of MDF over  the existing, but making sure the joints are staggered - in other words creating a laminate.