Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
can have as much room as the towers, particularly the mini- and mid-tower models. In
fact, a tower case is sometimes considered a desktop case turned sideways, or vice versa.
Some cases are convertible—that is, they can be used in either a desktop or tower orient-
ation.
Whenitcomestothepowersupply,themostimportantconsiderationishowmanydevices
you plan to install in the system and how much power they require.
Chapter 18
,
“
Power
Supplies
,” describes the process for calculating the power your system hardware requires
and selecting an appropriate power supply for your needs.
See
“
Power-Use Calculations
,”
p.
889
(
Chapter 18
).
When you build your own system, you should always keep upgradeability and repairab-
ility in mind. A properly designed custom PC should last you far longer than an off-the-
shelf model because you can more easily add or replace components. When choosing a
case and power supply, leave yourself some room for expansion, on the assumption that
you will eventually want to install additional drives or other new devices that appear on
the market that you can't live without. To be specific, be sure you have at least a few
emptyinternaldrivebays,andchooseahigheroutputpowersupplythanyouinitiallyneed
for your current equipment, so it won't be overtaxed when additional components are ad-
ded later.
Processor
Both Intel and AMD sell processors through two primary channels or methods. They are
referred to as boxed (or retail) and OEM.
ThemostobviousdifferencebetweentheboxedandOEMprocessorsisthephysicalpack-
aging.Itcouldbearguedthatbothtechnically comeinboxes,buttheIntelorAMD
boxed
processors come individually packaged inacolorful shrink-wrapped boxthat includes the
processor, the heatsink and fan, installation instructions, a certificate of authenticity, war-
ranty paperwork, and so on. Of particular note is the cooling system, which is designed to
work under worst-case thermal environments and is a high-quality and heavy-duty unit.
On the other hand, OEM processors come in a much larger box with multiple trays con-
tainingupto10processorseach,orupto100total.Noheatsinks,fans,installationinstruc-
tions, warranties, or other paperwork are included. OEM dealers may provide a heatsink
andfanwithanOEMprocessor;however,theseareoftenofunevenqualityandoffersub-
par performance. Major system manufacturers purchase OEM processors in large quantit-
ies.
A boxed processor generally includes a 3-year warranty direct with the processor manu-
facturer. So, if the CPU fails within three years of purchase, the end user can contact Intel
