This time I decided to build my Linux desktop PC myself

Date: 2011-02-21 | Tags: hardware, linux, ubuntu | 10 Comments

Three years ago, I decided to buy a Dell Ubuntu desktop PC instead of building it myself. This time around, I went the other way. My main reasons were: better parts and easier upgrades. We'll see what I decide in 2014.

Motherboard	ASUS AM3 AMD 880G HDMI and USB 3.0 Micro ATX Motherboard M4A88T-M/USB3 newegg	Amazon	$99.99
CPU	AMD Athlon II X3 445 Rana 3.1GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Desktop Processor ADX445WFGMBOX	Newegg	$77.00
Power supply	OCZ Technology StealthXStream 2 500-Watt Power Supply	Amazon	$59.99
Case	Cooler Master Elite 360 RC-360-KKN1-GP ATX Mid Tower/Desktop Case (Black)	Amazon	$39.99
Hard drive	Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive	Newegg	$39.99
RAM	~~Already own 3GB DDR2~~ Crucial 4GB 240-PIN Dimm DDR3 - 1333 PC3-10600	Amazon	$46.99
Optical Drive	Asus DVD RW	Fry's Electronics	~$25.00
Shipping	Free shipping on all items		$0.00
Total			$388.95

I used this guide: Build a Linux Media Center PC August 6, 2010

Setting up the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon (2nd gen) fingerprint reader in Ubuntu 14.04 — posted 2014-12-20
Ordered a Lenovo X1 Carbon for 40% off — posted 2014-11-30
Setting up a Linux DVR w/ MythTV, Ubuntu 12.04, and a Hauppauge WinTV-HVR 1250 TV tuner card — posted 2012-07-29
Got my Leopold Tenkeyless from Elite Keyboards — posted 2011-04-16
Dell 530N Ubuntu vs. build it yourself — posted 2008-02-01

Comments

#1 Andrew commented on 2011-02-28:

how's it working out? any comments about, or critique of, the guide you used?

#2 xgbi commented on 2011-03-20:

Well, I'd have chosen a ~$100 SSD if you already have a spare hard drive, even if only to put your operating system on it. You can get pretty good SSDs for this price and storage aroung 64GB.

Since your PC is not quite an high end machine, you would profit greatly of this. The perf boost is well worth the investment, and in 3 years it will still beat the s--t out of mechanical HDDs.

#3 Anthony commented on 2011-03-28:

If you only buy a new machine every 2-3 years, I would open up the purse strings a little more. You can get an X6 with a SSD and 16GB of RAM for less than $1k.

#4 Eliot commented on 2011-03-28:

Andrew: So far, I'm happy with all the parts. I've had no major problems with assembly or Linux (Ubuntu 10.10) incompatibilities. I haven't tried using HDMI with my TV yet though.

xgbi, Anthony: I've heard good things about SSDs. I'll have to consider swapping one in as an upgrade in the future.

#5 Juanjo commented on 2011-04-11:

I stopped building my own PCs for just one reason: noise.

How noisy is your setup?

#6 Eliot commented on 2011-04-12:

Juanjo: It is not loud-- quieter than my old Dell. If you're concerned about noise, I'd think building it yourself would be a good option because you can optimize for low noise. I think there are forums dedicated to building silent PCs.

#7 Tech Helper commented on 2011-05-23:

Looks like you sourced the components well there (some good prices), I agree with the above poster, I would look into a few hardware forums to optimise for low noise http://www.techhelpcentre.com/forumdisplay.php?f=1 is a good place to start.

#8 Ryan commented on 2011-09-01:

SSD is more than worth the investment, if for anything, for a system drive.

#9 Eliot commented on 2011-09-01:

Ryan, I still haven't got one. But if I get a SSD at home, then I'll really miss it at work.

#10 ubuntuer commented on 2013-07-30:

i used one of these cases . [it is now trash] had problem with it getting hot from power pack .it needs one with dual fans one in front the other in back .then you need to open the pack and turn the fans around to send air flow the right way for this type case .GET A BIGGER CASE. try xixode.com Modtek L33T Case Series - X917 Case - Free Shipping!

got one it is a good one .. 250mm fan on side .