Poll: PCs easier to build today or in the past?

PCs are MUCH easier to build than they used to be...

Remember jumper settings? *shudder*

The only differences between now and 10 years ago are:

a) jumper settings (not a huge deal)

b) availability of parts (HUGE deal.... shopping online for parts is soo much better than running around shops with higher prices and limited inventory)

Remember jumper settings? *shudder*

D9-THC

i would say that it was easier these days because of the internet, it helps so much, a good 8 years ago (before the internet was in every single home) it was harder to find things out, but the actually building is farely the same.yoyo462001

The only differences between now and 10 years ago are:

a) jumper settings (not a huge deal)

b) availability of parts (HUGE deal.... shopping online for parts is soo much better than running around shops with higher prices and limited inventory)

Baselerd

Yes, as was the lack of availability of information for research and troubleshooting.

If you only need something basic, motherboards with integrated everything have made the job a lot easier, as then there is many less components that you have to buy now to have a functioning system. On the flip side, if you want to go full-on for a gamer system, I can almost argue that it'd be a bit more difficult... increased worry about thermals involving some high-end CPU's and SLi/XF'd video cards, finding a way to fit both a sound card and the PhysX PPU on the motherboard, deciding whether to get a separate dedicated NIC so you can then overclock further, how much RAM, storage space you want... it gets pretty involved.codezer0

It really depends on what you're putting the components into. Many newer cases are becoming nearly screwless, while other, more customized cases, will certainly take a lot more work.

I'd have to say that the act of just putting together the parts is more or less the same as its ever been.

10 years ago, it was easier to configure harder to build, about the only competition you had was AMD's recently released K6 processor (which sucked, but was really cheap) and Intel's Pentium line. Other than that, you had separate boards for everything; the NIC, Video, Sound, and not many choices that made a difference in the overall setup and everything was PCI and ISA, and there was only beige cases (cringe). The only thing that made a difference back then was the Processor.

Today it's harder to configure. Most things you absolutely need are integrated into the motherboard, and you also have many different features to choose from (RAID, SATA, eSATA, Video, chipset, etc.). The processor battle is still around with Intel and AMD, but now there's even bigger battles with Nvidi/ATI for video cards, RAM speeds, motherboard specs and reliability, PSU power and quality, even choice of OS is a major factor in the decision.

But, once you've done the necessary research to purchase your parts, it is MUCH easier to build nowadays.

Parts aside, there are FAR more resources to help you if you screw something up. There are so many hardware and enthusiast forums to bounce questions off of, it's damn near impossible to screw it up. Well, maybe not impossible...:P

On another note, as certain things get easier, other things get more delicate and more of a PITA to install like CPUs and heatsinks. With my first handbuilt rig, you pop open the arm, drop in the CPU, close the ARM, finagle the HSF and done. Now I have to drop in the proc (God forbid I bend one of the LLPGA contacts), turn the mobo around, bolt in the heatsink, and hope it works.

way easier.. Besides the fact that everything says where it as to go on the items.. You have internet and customer service to help, no jumper and internet shopping...

It's much easier now a days, it's basically plug in, check settings, install drivers...bam your done. However, with todays high powered parts, you need to be VERY careful. More precise then you used to have to be.

Back in the day you had to deal with jumper settings, IRQ settings, etc, etc...you needed to know way more.

way easier

my other computer I had to use a fricking screw driver to get the dam CPU heat sink on and now a days the powersupply is at the bottom so its much easier. seriously all I had to do for the fan this time around was place it in and turn a fricken knob.

Computers are becoming more easy to build all the time. Compared to 10 years ago it is ridiculously easy.

Like everyone here is saying, the hardware has become much easier to work with. But don't forget the software.Back in 1997, Windows 95 was still pretty new and didn't work worth a damn. A lot of people were still using DOS.

Easier - far easier. We've come a long way in terms of standardization and availibility of parts. The pencil-mod, flashing cards, jumper settings, soldering, retrofitted cooling, lack of parts... nah those days are past. Now we just have to wait for the revolution that occured in desktop PC building to move over to laptops.subrosian

Oh yeah. Companies have been listening to us when we asked for easier to put together parts.

Oh they are extremely easy to build these days than in the past. First off all you have this nice technology called plug and play....yes, it came around in the days of 95 and 98 but back then it was called plug and pray. (And was even more fun before then) Then you have to throw out all of the jumper settings (Except for IDE hard drives) out the door. Then you have the fact that any new builder can easily navigate through their BIOS and overclock their system without much effort.....now compare that to having to manually set jumpers, dip switches, IRQs, having a headache as a driver wasn't working, contiuous hardware issues as it ran in Real Mode instead of protected mode....and you have yourself thanking the gods for computers the way they are today.Cdscottie

LOL I starting building pcs since the 386 came out and let me tell you it was not pretty! You had to isolate the board MANUALLY before putting it in the case and if u plug the power switch wrong u will fry it. Windows 95 well = trouble early compatibility issues to inserted issues in the revisions - actually made it worse! -. Remember PII Socket 1 cpu, it used to give so much trouble - loosening and overheating - every single day ... SInce PIII it got easier by the generation update ........

[QUOTE="Cdscottie"]Oh they are extremely easy to build these days than in the past. First off all you have this nice technology called plug and play....yes, it came around in the days of 95 and 98 but back then it was called plug and pray. (And was even more fun before then) Then you have to throw out all of the jumper settings (Except for IDE hard drives) out the door. Then you have the fact that any new builder can easily navigate through their BIOS and overclock their system without much effort.....now compare that to having to manually set jumpers, dip switches, IRQs, having a headache as a driver wasn't working, contiuous hardware issues as it ran in Real Mode instead of protected mode....and you have yourself thanking the gods for computers the way they are today.Boulio

LOL I starting building pcs since the 386 came out and let me tell you it was not pretty! You had to isolate the board MANUALLY before putting it in the case and if u plug the power switch wrong u will fry it. Windows 95 well = trouble early compatibility issues to inserted issues in the revisions - actually made it worse! -. Remember PII Socket 1 cpu, it used to give so much trouble - loosening and overheating - every single day ... SInce PIII it got easier by the generation update ........

Nah! The P2s and P3s were the easiest CPUs to install ever! No need to worry about bent pins, and they smoothly clicked into their slots.If you actually used the right type of retention bracket for a SECC, SECC2, or SEPP cartridge, it would never get loose. Overheating? Even the tiny Intel stock cooler worked fine!

With "plug and play" the days of having to reserve the limited amount of IRQ addresses that previously had to be done with a computer are a thing of the past... and to overcome that limit, it seems we have since gone on to do "virtual" IRQ addressing, in a sense. Just take a look at the device manager in Windows and have it sort by "resources by type", then expand the list for "Interrupt Request (IRQ)". The spec for it initially was only from 0-7 (very early), and then was only later expanded from 0-15. Many of us may have many more IRQ's than that by now, or at least a higher number, because some of us have systems where we don't have components that initially were reserved for specific components. I'm willing to bet some money that nobody here uses anything requiring a serial port anymore, or has a motherboard that uses them on their newest computer systems. It may be time to rethink the limits of the IRQ address pool, or start re associating some of those that have been obsolesced for newer devices. What gets to be frustrating (IMO) though is that even with advances such as Plug 'n Play and jumperless configuration, there are still some that choose not to follow the strictest implementation of the spec for devices that really should. You never see this happen with "Mac compatible" peripherals like printers, scanners, etc. because Apple enforces that devices follow the strictest form of the PnP specification, and always have since it first adopted the spec. I can't be the only one that gets tired of these devices that claim they're "Plug and play" when they require this proprietary software installed to even be able to do anything with it. If they were mandated to follow the strictest version of the spec, most of the stuff would actually be "plug in and play", and not require some hatcheted up driver or a proprietary software interface to be able to access it.codezer0

At my work site, I require using serial ports to communicate with a device that converts CanBus data to RS-232 to be able to read. At home on the other hand, I have dedicated everything to my USB ports....which of course only uses one IRQ for all components....not even a keyboard or mouse with PS/2 ports in the house anymore....

Also, don't forget that most Cisco enterprise routers require configuration via a serial port. So serial isn't dead...just not very lively anymore.

[QUOTE="Boulio"]

[QUOTE="Cdscottie"]Oh they are extremely easy to build these days than in the past. First off all you have this nice technology called plug and play....yes, it came around in the days of 95 and 98 but back then it was called plug and pray. (And was even more fun before then) Then you have to throw out all of the jumper settings (Except for IDE hard drives) out the door. Then you have the fact that any new builder can easily navigate through their BIOS and overclock their system without much effort.....now compare that to having to manually set jumpers, dip switches, IRQs, having a headache as a driver wasn't working, contiuous hardware issues as it ran in Real Mode instead of protected mode....and you have yourself thanking the gods for computers the way they are today.My_name_a_Borat

LOL I starting building pcs since the 386 came out and let me tell you it was not pretty! You had to isolate the board MANUALLY before putting it in the case and if u plug the power switch wrong u will fry it. Windows 95 well = trouble early compatibility issues to inserted issues in the revisions - actually made it worse! -. Remember PII Socket 1 cpu, it used to give so much trouble - loosening and overheating - every single day ... SInce PIII it got easier by the generation update ........

Nah! The P2s and P3s were the easiest CPUs to install ever! No need to worry about bent pins, and they smoothly clicked into their slots.If you actually used the right type of retention bracket for a SECC, SECC2, or SEPP cartridge, it would never get loose. Overheating? Even the tiny Intel stock cooler worked fine!

Tryed that tiny cooler on PII 300 socket 1 with intel 740 AGP and almost fried it because the system kept crashing! When I changed the cooling everything went smooth... so yes it does get hot!

As for bent pins I used to work with a S****heat who just inserted by force a PI in a ZIF Socket7(ZIF= zero insertion force) :: he did not pull the lever up!

Way easier. Theres a lot more documentation available online, the parts themselves even better explain what they are for, and a lot of new cases are tool-less. Thats not even taking into account things like IRQ settings (which thankfully I never had to personally deal with).

Of course cooling is more of an issue now, but thats usually not a huge issue unless you are doing something really elaborate.

Nah! The P2s and P3s were the easiest CPUs to install ever! No need to worry about bent pins, and they smoothly clicked into their slots.My_name_a_Borat

Maybe so, but removing them was a PITA. :|

Easier said than done. First you have to come up with a way to make it so you can't remove the connector easily. With serial ports you have the screws on each side to keep it in place. USB it is almost impossible to find anything to keep it in the socket. This is a requirement as the units that we have serial on are continously suffering shock and vibration.

I do agree that USB is here and should replace the need for the older technologies but people need to get more creative so that we don't have to opt for the older technology.