Building my first desktop computer, part 2: First build in an In Win 904PLUS

Find Part 1 of the series here.

Now that I had chosen the parts, it was time to put it together. One thing about ordering parts from different sources is that they rarely arrive at the same time, and so there is an excruciating wait while your hopes are up. They all came in eventually, so it worked out in the end.

I was quite surprised with the size of case's carton. It was much bigger than the actual case, probably because of the generous protection for the tempered glass inside. The salesman even commented on its size, despite the case only being a mid-tower!

Opening that box, I found the case inside a cloth bag; nice! I will definitely be keeping that. After removing both side panels, I proceeded to install the power supply:

Building my first desktop computer, Part 1: Choosing the parts

So my current computer, a Dell Studio XPS 8100, is starting to show its age. Apart from not natively supporting USB 3.0, I am also getting random errors I cannot reliably reproduce. With eBay's 20% off sale on computer parts, I think I found the best time in the foreseeable future to upgrade, as well as learn how to build my own computer. As a highly proficient computer user, that learning experience was bound to arrive sooner or later.

The use case
This computer will be used for midrange computer gaming, so it will need to, at a minimum, be able to handle graphics for moderately demanding games, as well as those I may want to play in the future, including World of Warcraft, Fallout 4 and Borderlands 2. Otherwise, I may also need to burn the occasional Blu-Ray disc, watch the occasional Blu-Ray film and transcode the occasional video. Of course, a computer that meets these requirements will be more than enough for web browsing and emails.

My Computer and I: Spring Cleaning

I have bought a new(er) Dell Studio XPS 8100 and since retired my Dimension 8400. Despite a fresh system, sooner or later, problems will arise, often ones that are difficult to troubleshoot. That goes with any computer system, anyway.

I have no formal training in information technology, yet I try to troubleshoot computer problems myself. With that arises a somewhat crude scientific investigation, testing one component at a time until the problem disappears. So, what is the problem this time?

The problem:
Apparently randomly, the display's screen would go blank. Unlike last time, the problem would correct (temporarily) by pulling the plug and rebooting.

My Computer and I: Rat-a-tat-a-tat

My desktop is a 3-year-old Dell Dimension 8400. It was high-end at the time it was bought, but regardless is starting to show its age. I have upgraded some of its parts since then to keep playing World of Warcraft bearable, but of course it will need to be replaced eventually.

I have had my share of computer problems with my current computer (not suggesting that Dell is necessarily a poor computer assembler, mind you). Other than high school computing studies, I have had no formal training in maintaining a computer, so I usually need to end up experimenting when something goes wrong. Without further ado...

The Problem:
I had upgraded the video card (to an NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS). After its installation, the computer tower would emit a noticeable low-pitch rattling sound. It was easily recognised as percussion and distinct from beeps emitted from the system speaker.