Apprehensive First Time Builder seeks Advice

[apprentice25]

I know to many my questions will be elementary. I am in the process of building a computer for the first time and would appreciate all the help I can get.
I have decided on AM2
I do not play games, so I guess I don't need SLI.
Would it be better to go for dual core?
I read that different brands of memory require different voltages and timings. First, how do I determine the necessary voltage and timing, and how do I make the changes?
When I mount the fans, which way should the fans be blowing the air?
How much memory should I get? Can I just fill up two slots, and add more later?
I would also apprecite any advice that anyone would be kind enough to give.

Thanks in Advance

 

[Jinx13]

I know to many my questions will be elementary. I am in the process of building a computer for the first time and would appreciate all the help I can get.
I have decided on AM2
I do not play games, so I guess I don't need SLI.
Would it be better to go for dual core?
I read that different brands of memory require different voltages and timings. First, how do I determine the necessary voltage and timing, and how do I make the changes?
When I mount the fans, which way should the fans be blowing the air?
How much memory should I get? Can I just fill up two slots, and add more later?
I would also apprecite any advice that anyone would be kind enough to give.

Thanks in Advance

No, you dont need SLI, in fact you should be able to get by with a mobo with onboard video.
Dual core depends on what you are planning on doing. If it is going to be for web browsing and microsoft office stuff, you most likely don't need it. But at the same time it will last longer. Timings aren't mobo specific really, just lower means better performance. Just make sure you get DDR2 and you should be ok. 1 gig should do well enough for you.
Any fans you need should be already mounted in whatever case you get, but in the front and out the back.

Hope that helps

 

[1Tanker]

I know to many my questions will be elementary. I am in the process of building a computer for the first time and would appreciate all the help I can get.
I have decided on AM2
I do not play games, so I guess I don't need SLI.
Would it be better to go for dual core?
I read that different brands of memory require different voltages and timings. First, how do I determine the necessary voltage and timing, and how do I make the changes?
When I mount the fans, which way should the fans be blowing the air?
How much memory should I get? Can I just fill up two slots, and add more later?
I would also apprecite any advice that anyone would be kind enough to give.

Thanks in Advance

Yes, dual-core is the future, even if you don't game. If you have several apps open at once, or do media-encoding, photoshop type stuff, etc, then dual-core is better. For e-mail, and web...stick with single-core. Memory voltage and timings are adjusted in the system BIOS. If you have half-decent memory, just leave the settings on SPD, and the motherboard will auto-detect the appropriate settings for your memory. It should have the voltage and timings marked on the memory's heatspreader, and if it doesn't have a heatspreader, there should be a sticker on the RAM chips, with said info. For case fans, you want the front fans, and side fans blowing inwards. For the rear case fans, you want them blowing out.Try and predict, if you can, whether you will eventually want more RAM, and get it now if you can afford it. Generally, you're better off with 2 sticks vs. 4. 1GB should be sufficient, unless you do a lot of Photoshop work, or heavy encoding. Otherwise, you can probably get away with 2 x512MB of RAM. Keep in mind, that VISTA is due to come out sometime within the next year :roll: , and it has higher sytem requirements, thus 2GB of RAM might be worthwhile with VISTA.
GL

 

[INeedCache]

Not to be combative, but what did this have to do with hard disks?