Computers you have built?

[Proximon]

I was just thinking over my CPU history. I can't recall the boards but I can recall the CPUs over the last 16-17 years that have gone into my homebuilt systems:

1995 Cyrix 80 MHz -My first system from scratch.
1997 AMD K5
2000 AMD K7 (slot A)
2003 AMD Barton 2600+ (Socket A)
2005 Upgrade to a 3200+
2007 AMD Venice (Socket 939)
2009 Intel E8400 (Socket 775)

If you get stuck on yours like I did a quick google will find all sorts of CPU histories.

What really surprised me here was the frequency of CPU changes. I'm due for an upgrade in just a few months it seems

 

[guanyu210379]

Personal usages :
PII 266MMX
PIII 800eb
P D805
AMD X2 5200+
C2D Q6600
AMD PII X4 955

Sold (I build rigs for my side income):
PII 266MMX
PIII 533, 800
During this era, AMD K5 and K6 were not very popular, where I live, hence almost no system of those kind.
P D805, 820
Celerons tons of them.
C2D E6600
C2D Q6600, Q8200
AMD X2 4400, 4800, 5200+
AMD PII X3 445,440
AMD PII X4 640, 965, 955, 945
AMD PII X6 1055T
i7 820,860, 920, 930
i5 750, 760
Yet still no ATOMS and no i3
Many more I can't even remember. Some based on my recommendations several just following orders.
Yup, the orders are increasing starting from AM2+ and LGA775 and newer.

 

[Onus]

Although I'd been doing RAM and other upgrades on PCs since 1984, I think the first machine I scratch-built was a 286 used as a Netware v2.0a server (later upgraded to v2.15); that was in '87.
I built a lot of 386 and 486 machines when I worked for a small consulting company. I think the first one I built for myself may have been a 386sx that I used to run custom apps that I was re-coding on my Compuware (?) 386/25.
I only ever built one Cyrix machine, whose mobo couldn't handle the higher current requirements of that chip and burned within a week or two. After the company I worked for had a Compaq production server down for three days waiting for parts and a competent technician to install them, we took server setup in-house, and I got to build a few more 486 Netware servers.
For some reason I gave up building my own for a while. I wasn't (yet) a gamer, and time and space constraints were part of it, but I wouldn't let that stop me today.
The next "modern" PC I built for myself was a S939 maybe six years ago. Eventually I gave that to a cousin and built a S775/e6750. After a year or so that one went to my father and I built my S775/Q9450 that I still have. I just sold my AM2+/720BE and built an i5/650 which has become my primary, although the Q9450 will likely be retired / parted out this Spring and I'll build either Sandy Bridge or Bulldozer for myself. I've been satisfying the itch to build PCs lately by doing so for family and friends, a few S775, but more recently mostly budget AM2+ or AM3 machines.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

I've been building my own going back to 1989 or so, with a 80386sx 16 MHz system.
in 1990, I built a 386-33
in 1992 I built a 486-33
1994 I built a 486-66. Which, when the Biostar Mobo blew, I replaced it with a 486-100 system
1996 I got a pentium-100
1997 I built a Cyrix 150
1999 I got a Pentium II 450
2001 I got a Pentium 4 1.33 GHz
2003 I got a the Sempron 3100+ right as it came out, socket 754
2005 I got a socket 939 Athlon 64 x2 4200+, in late december
2008 I got a Core2Duo e8400 which is my current system.

 

[Snipergod87]

I have only done 2 scratch PC builds.
First was a P4 540 in 2005
My second build was in 07 with an E6750 just after they were released I have rebuilt both several times, new motherboards, differnent cases, cleaning the cases.


Prebuilt systems I have all owned/ family owned, are
Pentium 2 @ 300
Pentium 3 @ 1000
Pentium 4 @ 1.6
Core 2 Duo E4xxx, E5xxx (cant remember the specific model), E7500

At work I have played with PC's (work in IT). I currently have 10 processors sitting ontop of my computer case.
Athlon 64 3000
Athlon 64 3200
Pentium Dual Core E2180
Core 2 Duo E6550
Pentium 4 640 (2 of them)
Pentium M 1.73Ghz
Pentium 4 3.6Ghz
Pentium 4 2.8Ghz (socket 478)
Celeron 2.4Ghz (socket 478)
AMD Neo
I dont have much that is older around.

My current systems:
PC E6750 @ 3.56
Laptop: P8700
Work Desktop: E7500

The "newest" processor I have played with is in a laptop i7 620m which is a work Laptop

 

[jsc]

From 1977, about 18 - 20 for me and friends, not counting give-away systems.

 

[Joe12o]

The only one i've used to build a system it the AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition, BUT i'm only 15 so yeah =)

 

[tecmo34]

2007 - Q6600 (LGA 775)
2009 - Core i7 920 (LGA 1366) e
2009 - Q9550 (LGA 775)
2009 - Athlon II X4 620 (AM3)
2010 - Athlon II X3 435 (AM3)

Can't really remember everything prior to 2007 as specific CPU's / Builds, except going back to the Commodore64, as a kid and a few Gateway / Dell Pentium I - III type systems along the way.

 

[Proximon]

I'm seeing a trend here of two to three years.... pretty surprising. It's not exactly a good sample of people from just this board, and maybe it makes a kind of sense.

We have first-timers here and then we have people that, let's face it, build because they can and it's fun.

 

[tecmo34]

Yeah... if this was a survey, it would not be an accurate one as we don't for the most part represent the "average users". Most of the posters (regulars... not necessarily the one and done's) are more "techie" and update their systems more often, as your described... they can and it's fun.

If I was able to do what people like guanyu210379 or shadow703793 do and build on the side at a greater frequency, I would have a much higher build / CPU count. It would be something I would love to do on the side more ofter but just haven't found the "market" or "marketed" myself either. I've just done builds for close friends or family for the most part.

 

[Onus]

I agree with Tecmo; I'd build more too if I had the opportunities, but I also know that my time can be limited, and I don't want to do it as a business. Hopefully I'll continue to get to do a few from time to time for friends, and keep at least one of my systems "fresh" with timely upgrades.

 

[ScrewySqrl]

My personal builds run every 2-3 years to keep up with the latest tech. I build one for my parents about every 5 years.

the previous gen computer is either a handme-down to my sister or turned int a linux box

 

[spentshells]

to many to count many days at the bench starting in 2002

 

[Twoboxer]

Four years ago I bought my last PC, a Dell XPS 710 H2C that's scheduled for demise (a) next failure or (b) 2Q11. That ended over 25 years of PC purchases begining with the TRS80. And maybe 10 years more of "game console" computers before that.

Since then I've built 8 rigs, all Intel; C2Ds & Qs, i5, i7. Two of the three "standard" PCs are in "HTPC" cases (though they aren't HTPCs), another is a tiny i5/ITX/SSD my wife uses, one is used solely as a security DVR, and 3 more were for family. I'd only build them for free lol. (The best build was with two of my grandsons, aged 9 and 8 at the time )

Started with EVGA mobos. When they failed I switched to Asus. When I got tired of Asus' web site at the time I switched to Gigabyte and have not found a reason to switch again.

 

[prgmhorse]

Haven't really built too many modern systems, but my Pentium III machine has been rebuilt about 6 times.. starting with a 400Mhz chip and a voodoo1 and ending up with a 1400 Mhz Tualatin O/ced to a little over 1500Mhz and some random pci video card a friend gave me , and about 3 different motherboards