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The internal computer system will need to be able to handle any flight sim I would happen to get the urge to fly. Since all I have right now is a laptop, I'll be building the computer from the ground up.
-mobo.........: Soyo SY-K7V (Dragon Plus!) -cpu..........: AMD Athlon XP 1900+ -ram..........: 512MB, PC2100, 266 MHz DDR, CL2.0 -graphics.....: Geforce-3 ---------- *(actual card not yet chosen)* -audio........: integrated on mobo -hd...........: 40GB --------------- *(actual HD not yet chosen)* -monitor......: 19" ---------------- *(actual monitor not yet chosen)* -cdrom........: 52x or better ------ *(actual cdrom not yet chosen)* -nic..........: integrated on mobo -case.........: Antec SX635 -keyboard.....: one PS/2 -mouse........: used -floppy.......: ditto -coolant......: cpu, g-card -------- *(actual coolant options not yet chosen)* -misc.........: one adapter for o/sc keyboard, 15pin - USB adapter
-O/S..........: Windows -Flight Sim...: MSFS2 (primary), X-Plane?, Flight Gear -misc utility.: ram drive, key-mouse utility, current drivers
I'll have to put the pieces together, which shouldn't be too dificult. I've done work like that before, with my previous computer. This will most likely be one of the easiest parts of the construction, in all actuality. One thing to remember though, electrostatic shock kills!!! Not you, but the computer! Always ground yourself. This is the advice I've been given. Look it up, there's plenty of credible people saying the same thing. Concerning overclocking, I don't think I'll mess with that for this system. With a setup like this, I think the emphasis should be placed on stability before raw framerate. It should be able to plow through any number crunchings today's software can toss at it. As for tools, I shouldn't need much more than a couple good screwdrivers and a flashlight. Check out Tom's Hardware for computer hardware info, good site.
This will probably be a bit more tricky for me. Tweaking the O/S, working out compatability issues, etc. One major reason for that is because there's practically no way for me to find out what will conflict with something in the final product until i HAVE a final product. So, trail and error from that standpoint. I have, however, been perusing a couple newsgroups (comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.flight-sim and rec.aviation.simulators) for 'head's up's on compatability issues. I also would like to try out a ram drive utility (using the RAM as a hard drive, the reasoning being that RAM access time is quite a bit smaller than hd access time, making it useful to increase framerate), as well as a key-mouse utility that would translate a keystroke to a mouse input value, which would be nice to eliminate the need for a mouse in the sim. I'll be using both these utilities for the first time, though, so I'll be doing more research on them both. Another issue, brought up many times in the newsgroups, is driver currency. I don't mean special money for motorists either. The bits of software that tell the computer what to do with the various components. These are usually available from the websites of the various parts. So, there will probably be a lot of downloading going on once I confirm the specific parts to purchase. As it stands, however, they aren't yet set in stone.
Preliminary guesses are $1100-1300 for the hardware, $100 for the software.
$1100-1300: This is a VERY rough guestimate. First, the parts haven't been chosen specifically. Second, the costs will be going down over the next year (if trends continue, I hope I hope), so I could either be paying less or getting more by the time this plan is finalized. Third, some of the parts I hope to 'glean' from my parents' house. Over the years, my dad's 'collectiveness', if you will, has led to a rather extensive collection of... well, collections. Old computers at garage sales is the variety I'm looking particularly at here. $5 can get you a decent (if REALLY old) two button mouse (that I don't even plan on using, except for the initial setup), a PS/2 keyboard (with no extra features, but ditto on the not using much), a 3 1/4" floppy drive (old, but functional), AND some nifty LED's that might come in handy later on! Not to forget the old school keyboard (I don't even remember it's name :( ), which will be used [and disected] for the switches/buttons later on. Could even get a case and just buy a power source for it... but we'll see about that.
~$100: Another rough guestimate. Might find some games in the bargain bin down the road, might not. Ebay is an option... I'll review all these things in the future. As for the O/S, the reason I went with Windows was because I already have windows 98, I'm unfamiliar with Linux, and I worry about compatability issues. Weak at best, I know. I've already signed up for some classes they're offering at work that [I hope] are introductions to Linux and it's operations. Until then (projected class dates: January), Windows it is. As for the utilities/drivers, all freeware for me, unless something necessary comes along. I'll put in the names/web addresses of the utilities I plan to use when I get things a little more ironed out.
Collection=1yr (nly 1-2mnth), assembly=2days. I'll pick up the parts as they go on sale, and I'd like to get at least some of it while I'm here in Korea, I understand they have really good prices up in Seoul. As for the average user, however, might want to check out some internet sources (such as pricewatch.com) for lower prices. Local outlets (like Best Buy or Fry's Electronics) might have sales once in a while, too. One thing though, KNOW what you're paying for!!! I bought a case from an internet dealer a while back and it ended up bigger than what I thought it was going to be. Not bad, you say? Well, I was buying this model for it's compactness and screwless design, neither of which I got with the other one. I called and complained, but to no avail. I could've whined more, I suppose, but that's just not in my blood. The moral of the story, my friends, is before you click that button or sign that check, read EVERYthing. Make sure model numbers match what you intend to buy, make sure the pictures match those model numbers, make sure the specs advertised match the manufacturer's specs, etc. This is my suggestion, anyway. Feel free to take it with a grain of salt. Shoot, stop by and I'll cook up some of my celebrated sushi and tell you all about it. There's plenty of salt in soy sauce... Back to the projected time, however... It'll be 10months before I get back home to set stuff up, so that's how long I have to get the pieces. In any other situation, it shouldn't take much longer than a month or two to get all the parts and have them assembled. Allowing for 4-8 weeks for delivery, that is.
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