Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 5-1.
Bill of materials for extreme system
Component
Product
Data drives
Seagate Barracuda XT ST32000641AS 2TB (four)
Optical drive
Sony Optiarc AD-7260S-0B DVD burner
Keyboard
Microsoft SideWinder X6 keyboard
Mouse
Microsoft SideWinder mouse
Speakers
Logitech Z-2300 200 W 2.1 Speaker System
Display
(See text)
Building the Extreme System
Figure 5-5 shows the major components of the extreme system. In the back-
ground, the Antec DF-85 case on the left is flanked by the Antec CP-850 power
supply, with the Microsoft SideWinder X6 keyboard atop it. At left center is
a stack of four Seagate Barracuda XT 2 TB hard drives, with the Crucial Bal-
listix 6 GB memory kit and the Crucial CT128M225 128 GB solid-state drive to
their right. At the center is the SYBA hard drive docking station, with the ASUS
EAH4350 Silent video adapter atop it. To the far right is the Microsoft Side-
Winder mouse. In the foreground, the Intel DX58SO motherboard in the center
is flanked on the left by the Intel Core i7-980X processor and on the right by
the massive Intel CPU cooler.
Sequencing the Build
Although by necessity we describe
building the system in a particular
order, you don't need to follow that
exact sequence when you build
your own system. Some steps—for
example, installing the processor
and memory before installing the
motherboard in the case—should be
taken in the sequence we describe,
because doing otherwise makes the
task more difficult or risks damag-
ing a component. Other steps, such
as installing the video adapter after
you install the motherboard in the
case, must be taken in the order we
describe, because completing one
step is a prerequisite for complet-
ing another. But the exact sequence
doesn't matter for most steps. As you
build your system, it will be obvious
when sequence matters.
Figure 5-5.
Extreme system components, awaiting construction
Before you start building the system, verify that all components are present
and accounted for. We always remind readers to do that, but for some reason
we often forget to do it ourselves. In fact, you may have noticed that we forgot
the optical drive in Figure 5-5. (We soon located it on the dining room table,
buried under a pile of detritus from a system build we'd just completed.)
