mirdux

now lets get one thing strait to start out with, ill repect the first guide of how to build a computer, but at the same time will say it does not go into details that much.
 
EQUIPMENT
 
Through this i will specify the characteristics of
a-) a budget computer - common price -
b-) a midrange computer -common price
c-) a high end computer -common price-
 
so for example if im talking about cooling
 
a-) Stock Processor heatsink/fan, 2-3 case fans.- Processor heatsink/fan included w/ processor single 80mm(standard) fans usually run 3-7$ea. - 20$ max
b-) Aftermarket CPU/GPU cooling, 4+ fans- GPU cooling around 40, CPU 30-60 so 100$max
c-) Water-cooled component setup- 300$ for decent setup EXOS-2 or 3 system reccomended
 
so it is very structured in nature and houldnt be hard to understand. my prices may be off but al long as you know what kind of stuff is under which you should have a good idea of what to get.
 
Im mentioning theese in the order in which you sould get them.
 
CASE- basically the representation of the computer, its all a "you" thing mostly, some cases offer superior cooling possibilities, but some offer sleek styling etc. reminder- Plastic is inferior to metal as far as computer cases go in terms of durability and cooling, for more metal= more heat dissapation. HOWEVER if your one of those people who intends on running your rig at higher than normal temperatures, you ant a bit more plastic in it, metal dissapates better, but with higher temps will keep a warmer surface temperature than plastic. ATX is reccomended for space and compatibility.
 
a-) Standard budget case, usually mixed metal/plastic assembly, dominantly plastic. 25-40$
b-) steel/aluminum case, possible windows and integrated cooling/ I/O& USB on front panels- 45-90$
c-) Full tower case, aluminum, integrated cooling, fan control, I/O, USB- 100-200$
 
CPU- One of the most important components of your computer, for the midrange builder, the possibility of "overclocking" a CPU is always a possibility to squeeze some extra frequency out of your chip. Most processors have included with them a heatsink and fan. If your gonna go big, be ready for the more beastly models can run you into the 700's. More mhz= faster, 1000mhz= 1ghz. L1 & L2 cache is important, again more=better. Dual core models are better suited for desktop applications, like running many at once, but may not be prevalent in its price range to single core processors running higher freqencies. Please note the socket of your processor (939, 940 etc.)
 
a-) 1.5-2.2 ghz, 64+64 L1 cache, 512-1mb L2 cache, typically 2000mhz Hyper Transport- 100$ max.
b-)2.0ghz- 2.6ghz, Dual core possible, 128+128 L1, 1mb L2 cache 2ghz HT, 100-200$
c-)2.6ghz+, Dual core@ 2.6-8, 128+128L1, 2X1mb L2 cache 2ghz HT, 200$+
 
GPU (Video Card)- One of the more obsessed parts of a computer by those who play games, can get by VERY cheap on budget computers, but if your going high-end itll cost ya. more memory= better, more GPU& memory frequency= even better. GDDR3 is better than GDDR2, SLi and cossfire are systems that enable 2 video cards on 1 computer (see motherboard) -IF YOU WANT A MOTHERBOARD WITH INTEGRATED GRAPHICS PLEASE SKIP THIS!
 
(CPU FREQUENCY/MEM FREQUENCY/MEM AMOUNT/MEM TYPE)
 
a-)- (200-400mhz/300-600mhz/32-128mb/DDR)- 15-60$
b-)- (400-500mhz/600-1000mhz/128-256mb/gddr2,gddr3) 70-190$
c-)- X2(500-700mhz/1000-2000mhz/256-512mb/gddr3,gddr4)SLi/Cossfire enabled, some can be Dual core 200+$
 
RAM - Sometimes is overlooked, is basically part of the CPU process. PC**** the bigger the # the better, also see timings, the lower, the better so 2-8-8-7 is better than 3-9-7-11
 
a-)- 128-512mb of pc2700- 60-80$
b-)- 512-1gb pc 3200- 200$ max.
c-)- 1gb+ pc4000 or more- upwards of 300$ for good 2gb
 
Hard Drives- more rpm= faster recieving times, look for bigger buffer sizes also.
 
a-)- 40-100GB IDE drive 5400-7200 RPM- 100$ max
b-)- 100GB-300GB SATA(Serial ATA) drive- 7200 RPM typical- 100-200$
c-)- 500GB+ SATA/SATA2 RAID 250$ and up
 
Power Supply - More Amps on each voltage line is the most important, wattage is key also. more= better, you can never overpower a computer. Be sure that if your GPU requires a certain type of power supply, (usually SLI) its supported.
 
a-)- 150-300wt standard- 15-50$
b-)- 350-450wt standard/ maybe modular- 75-100$
c-)- 500+wt Modular- 110$+
 
 
Motherboard - IMPORTANT!!!!!- Look to see if your motherboard supports your GPU, CPU, Memory and hard drives!!!, also make sure it fits your case!! youll thank yourself for paying a bit more here, cheaper boards tend to give you alot more problems than you bargained for and may damage other things in the computer.
 
a-)- Standard 2 ram slots, pci, no SATA support, integrated graphics- 40-70$
b-)- AGP4x/8x or PCI express, 2-4 ram slots, SATA multi-channel sound- 70-130$
c-)- SLi, Crossfire enabled, PCI expressx16, 4 ram slots, SATA, 5.1 integrated audio- 200-300$
 
CD drives- Almost like case, its all user preference, havent been too many advancements here and theres really no ridiculously high-performance drives. i wont tier them a,b,and c ill just verbally depict them.
- Read-only devices are the way to go for a cheap drive.
- a good cd-r/w drive will run abou 60-80
- a drive capable of burning DVD's would be as high-end as i could imagine...
 
Cooling (look familiar?)- Well as we all know we gotta keep our baby cool, more heat literally can make the machine more unfriendly. The more insane your computer's performance is,the more you need to invest in cooling, simple as that. DO pay well for cooling if you intend to overclock. Look up a guide to thermal grease also, ive found that spreading it with playing cards woorks best but a guide will give you the finer details to the art. use caution with a water cooling system for it IS water, or some sort of liquid and your electronics will not not play nice if it ever leaves the tubing
 
a-) Stock Processor heatsink/fan, 2-3 case fans.- Processor heatsink/fan included w/ processor single 80mm(standard) fans usually run 3-7$ea. - 20$ max
b-) Aftermarket CPU/GPU cooling, 4+ fans- GPU cooling around 40, CPU 30-60 so 100$max
c-) Water-cooled component setup- 300$ for decent setup EXOS-2 or 3 system reccomended
 
 
after that your left with
 
OS--- ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL and let me emplasize ALLLLLLLLL opinions here... could go apple, linux, windows, where it stops nobody knows... its all preference. for there is no "high performance" OS, ill throw out an estimate of 100-150 for a solid OS.
 
 
From there, you may choose little addons, like PCI cards (sound, wireless, SATA), fan controllers, case lighting etc, which is WAY to much for me to describe to you.
 
Youll find that with all the manuals to your hardware, your instructions (if you bough from good companies) are very clear and you should basically be able to assemble it from there.
 
 
 
RAID- Basically multiple hard drives simulated into one big drive, possiblity of making drives faster.

now lets get one thing strait to start out with, ill repect the first guide of how to build a computer, but at the same time will say it does not go into details that much.
 
EQUIPMENT
 
Through this i will specify the characteristics of
a-) a budget computer - common price -
b-) a midrange computer -common price
c-) a high end computer -common price-
 
so for example if im talking about cooling
 
a-) Stock Processor heatsink/fan, 2-3 case fans.- Processor heatsink/fan included w/ processor single 80mm(standard) fans usually run 3-7$ea. - 20$ max
b-) Aftermarket CPU/GPU cooling, 4+ fans- GPU cooling around 40, CPU 30-60 so 100$max
c-) Water-cooled component setup- 300$ for decent setup EXOS-2 or 3 system reccomended
 
so it is very structured in nature and houldnt be hard to understand. my prices may be off but al long as you know what kind of stuff is under which you should have a good idea of what to get.
 
Im mentioning theese in the order in which you sould get them.
 
CASE- basically the representation of the computer, its all a "you" thing mostly, some cases offer superior cooling possibilities, but some offer sleek styling etc. reminder- Plastic is inferior to metal as far as computer cases go in terms of durability and cooling, for more metal= more heat dissapation. HOWEVER if your one of those people who intends on running your rig at higher than normal temperatures, you ant a bit more plastic in it, metal dissapates better, but with higher temps will keep a warmer surface temperature than plastic. ATX is reccomended for space and compatibility.
 
a-) Standard budget case, usually mixed metal/plastic assembly, dominantly plastic. 25-40$
b-) steel/aluminum case, possible windows and integrated cooling/ I/O& USB on front panels- 45-90$
c-) Full tower case, aluminum, integrated cooling, fan control, I/O, USB- 100-200$
 
CPU- One of the most important components of your computer, for the midrange builder, the possibility of "overclocking" a CPU is always a possibility to squeeze some extra frequency out of your chip. Most processors have included with them a heatsink and fan. If your gonna go big, be ready for the more beastly models can run you into the 700's. More mhz= faster, 1000mhz= 1ghz. L1 & L2 cache is important, again more=better. Dual core models are better suited for desktop applications, like running many at once, but may not be prevalent in its price range to single core processors running higher freqencies. Please note the socket of your processor (939, 940 etc.)
 
a-) 1.5-2.2 ghz, 64+64 L1 cache, 512-1mb L2 cache, typically 2000mhz Hyper Transport- 100$ max.
b-)2.0ghz- 2.6ghz, Dual core possible, 128+128 L1, 1mb L2 cache 2ghz HT, 100-200$
c-)2.6ghz+, Dual core@ 2.6-8, 128+128L1, 2X1mb L2 cache 2ghz HT, 200$+
 
GPU (Video Card)- One of the more obsessed parts of a computer by those who play games, can get by VERY cheap on budget computers, but if your going high-end itll cost ya. more memory= better, more GPU& memory frequency= even better. GDDR3 is better than GDDR2, SLi and cossfire are systems that enable 2 video cards on 1 computer (see motherboard) -IF YOU WANT A MOTHERBOARD WITH INTEGRATED GRAPHICS PLEASE SKIP THIS!
 
(CPU FREQUENCY/MEM FREQUENCY/MEM AMOUNT/MEM TYPE)
 
a-)- (200-400mhz/300-600mhz/32-128mb/DDR)- 15-60$
b-)- (400-500mhz/600-1000mhz/128-256mb/gddr2,gddr3) 70-190$
c-)- X2(500-700mhz/1000-2000mhz/256-512mb/gddr3,gddr4)SLi/Cossfire enabled, some can be Dual core 200+$
 
RAM - Sometimes is overlooked, is basically part of the CPU process. PC**** the bigger the # the better, also see timings, the lower, the better so 2-8-8-7 is better than 3-9-7-11
 
a-)- 128-512mb of pc2700- 60-80$
b-)- 512-1gb pc 3200- 200$ max.
c-)- 1gb+ pc4000 or more- upwards of 300$ for good 2gb
 
Hard Drives- more rpm= faster recieving times, look for bigger buffer sizes also.
 
a-)- 40-100GB IDE drive 5400-7200 RPM- 100$ max
b-)- 100GB-300GB SATA(Serial ATA) drive- 7200 RPM typical- 100-200$
c-)- 500GB+ SATA/SATA2 RAID 250$ and up
 
Power Supply - More Amps on each voltage line is the most important, wattage is key also. more= better, you can never overpower a computer. Be sure that if your GPU requires a certain type of power supply, (usually SLI) its supported.
 
a-)- 150-300wt standard- 15-50$
b-)- 350-450wt standard/ maybe modular- 75-100$
c-)- 500+wt Modular- 110$+
 
 
Motherboard - IMPORTANT!!!!!- Look to see if your motherboard supports your GPU, CPU, Memory and hard drives!!!, also make sure it fits your case!! youll thank yourself for paying a bit more here, cheaper boards tend to give you alot more problems than you bargained for and may damage other things in the computer.
 
a-)- Standard 2 ram slots, pci, no SATA support, integrated graphics- 40-70$
b-)- AGP4x/8x or PCI express, 2-4 ram slots, SATA multi-channel sound- 70-130$
c-)- SLi, Crossfire enabled, PCI expressx16, 4 ram slots, SATA, 5.1 integrated audio- 200-300$
 
CD drives- Almost like case, its all user preference, havent been too many advancements here and theres really no ridiculously high-performance drives. i wont tier them a,b,and c ill just verbally depict them.
- Read-only devices are the way to go for a cheap drive.
- a good cd-r/w drive will run abou 60-80
- a drive capable of burning DVD's would be as high-end as i could imagine...
 
Cooling (look familiar?)- Well as we all know we gotta keep our baby cool, more heat literally can make the machine more unfriendly. The more insane your computer's performance is,the more you need to invest in cooling, simple as that. DO pay well for cooling if you intend to overclock. Look up a guide to thermal grease also, ive found that spreading it with playing cards woorks best but a guide will give you the finer details to the art. use caution with a water cooling system for it IS water, or some sort of liquid and your electronics will not not play nice if it ever leaves the tubing
 
a-) Stock Processor heatsink/fan, 2-3 case fans.- Processor heatsink/fan included w/ processor single 80mm(standard) fans usually run 3-7$ea. - 20$ max
b-) Aftermarket CPU/GPU cooling, 4+ fans- GPU cooling around 40, CPU 30-60 so 100$max
c-) Water-cooled component setup- 300$ for decent setup EXOS-2 or 3 system reccomended
 
 
after that your left with
 
OS--- ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL and let me emplasize ALLLLLLLLL opinions here... could go apple, linux, windows, where it stops nobody knows... its all preference. for there is no "high performance" OS, ill throw out an estimate of 100-150 for a solid OS.
 
 
From there, you may choose little addons, like PCI cards (sound, wireless, SATA), fan controllers, case lighting etc, which is WAY to much for me to describe to you.
 
Youll find that with all the manuals to your hardware, your instructions (if you bough from good companies) are very clear and you should basically be able to assemble it from there.
 
 
 
RAID- Basically multiple hard drives simulated into one big drive, possiblity of making drives faster.

Anyone who runs a computer with many fans knows the frustrations of having your fans run full-bore when your simply checking your email; this all is because fans only connected to 4-pin connectors that arent connected to the motherboard will only run a single speed level.. making it noisy no matter what. Now theres 2 retail solutions to this, sound deadenting material, which is expensive and takes a good level of expertise to do correctly, or fan controllers, which for many fans can cost quite a bit, and due to the excess cables, will actually reduce air circulation in the case. Some fan controllers also can be complicated to use.
 
Now with the above mentioned, you KNOW ther has to be an easier way, right? Well there is. with a stop to radioshack and some 22g wire, and some electric know-how you can be the master of your fans. The pictures included are on a completed case, but will give you a good idea of how this is done.
 
REQUIRED MATERIALS

- wire strippers (scissors/pliers will work if you have steady hands)
- stereo wire (doesnt matter how thick/thin, for it doesnt get enough amperage to matter)
- switches (be creative, anything from a simple chrome switch to a red pilot's rocer switch will do)
- electric tape/ shrink wrap
- scissors,knife, or a drill with bit fitting your switch
 
 
 
Alright, so im assuming your aware this involves opening your case and messing with things, this is inviting for some but will draw some others away
 
/////----WARNING: IF YOUR NOT COMFORTABLE WITH WORKING WITH COMPUTER INTERNALS: PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS-----\\\\\
 
-Now first, make sure your computer is turned off, cable is OUT of power supply
 
-when the computer is off discharge any remaining electricity in it by switching the rocker switch on the back of the power supply to "off" or "O" , then pressing the power button on the case. The computer should try to turn on, then turn off fast, if it doesnt thats fine.
 
- recognize the fans you would like to be able to control , spot the red wires leading to them from the molex connectors they came with.
 
- with the red wires, you cut them anywhere between the connector and fan, then strip about 1/2-3/4 inch of the insulation off to reveal wire.
 
- now take your radio wire (should be 2 wires side/side) and strip both to 1/2-3/4 inch, with the two ends, one will go to one part of the red wire you stripped, and the other to the other stripped red wire.
 
- with the other end of the stereo wire, you will route it through any gap in the frame that goes to the front of the case.
 
- with the drill bit, scissors, or knife, put as many holes in the front of the case as you need that fit the switches your going to use.
 
-secure the switches in the holes and route the ends of the wires to the according terminals on the switch (not too hard theres 2 terminals, and 2 wire ends so its pretty straightforward.)

-close up the front cover
 
- go over all of your exposed wire with either electric tape or shrinkwrap, an exposed wire touching the metal on the case will create problems.
 
- close up your case
 
- switch your power supply on , put the cable back in, and press your power button.
 
- fool around with your switches for a while and make sure everything is doing its job. Most of the time, you can put your ear to the case and tell when one turns on/off; having a window in your case makes this a breeze for you can see your fans turning on/off.
 
-----TROUBLESHOOTING/FAQ---
 
- "my computer will not turn on"
-a exposed wire is touching metal on your case/ your comptuer does not have power (is not plugged in etc.)
 
- " does it matter how thick the wire is?"
-not at all
 
- " can i do more than one fan with one switch?"
-easily, just do the procedure for one fan, only with the 2 stereo ends, have 2 reds (one from each fan)
going to one stereo wire end.
 
- " how much quieter is this?"
- youd be surprised by how much noise is eliminated from shutting fans down, if you want to be blown away, put switches on all the case fans in your computer, then turn all of them off and see the difference (not recommended for extended periods)
 
- " can i do this to my CPU/Video Card fan?"
- ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! your CPU and GPU are dependant on those fas and keep it cool, no fans= burned up hardware.
 
Finished product! 3 switches monitoring 5 fans!
 

now lets get one thing strait to start out with, ill repect the first guide of how to build a computer, but at the same time will say it does not go into details that much.
 
EQUIPMENT
 
Through this i will specify the characteristics of
a-) a budget computer - common price -
b-) a midrange computer -common price
c-) a high end computer -common price-
 
so for example if im talking about cooling
 
a-) Stock Processor heatsink/fan, 2-3 case fans.- Processor heatsink/fan included w/ processor single 80mm(standard) fans usually run 3-7$ea. - 20$ max
b-) Aftermarket CPU/GPU cooling, 4+ fans- GPU cooling around 40, CPU 30-60 so 100$max
c-) Water-cooled component setup- 300$ for decent setup EXOS-2 or 3 system reccomended
 
so it is very structured in nature and houldnt be hard to understand. my prices may be off but al long as you know what kind of stuff is under which you should have a good idea of what to get.
 
Im mentioning theese in the order in which you sould get them.
 
CASE- basically the representation of the computer, its all a "you" thing mostly, some cases offer superior cooling possibilities, but some offer sleek styling etc. reminder- Plastic is inferior to metal as far as computer cases go in terms of durability and cooling, for more metal= more heat dissapation. HOWEVER if your one of those people who intends on running your rig at higher than normal temperatures, you ant a bit more plastic in it, metal dissapates better, but with higher temps will keep a warmer surface temperature than plastic. ATX is reccomended for space and compatibility.
 
a-) Standard budget case, usually mixed metal/plastic assembly, dominantly plastic. 25-40$
b-) steel/aluminum case, possible windows and integrated cooling/ I/O& USB on front panels- 45-90$
c-) Full tower case, aluminum, integrated cooling, fan control, I/O, USB- 100-200$
 
CPU- One of the most important components of your computer, for the midrange builder, the possibility of "overclocking" a CPU is always a possibility to squeeze some extra frequency out of your chip. Most processors have included with them a heatsink and fan. If your gonna go big, be ready for the more beastly models can run you into the 700's. More mhz= faster, 1000mhz= 1ghz. L1 & L2 cache is important, again more=better. Dual core models are better suited for desktop applications, like running many at once, but may not be prevalent in its price range to single core processors running higher freqencies. Please note the socket of your processor (939, 940 etc.)
 
a-) 1.5-2.2 ghz, 64+64 L1 cache, 512-1mb L2 cache, typically 2000mhz Hyper Transport- 100$ max.
b-)2.0ghz- 2.6ghz, Dual core possible, 128+128 L1, 1mb L2 cache 2ghz HT, 100-200$
c-)2.6ghz+, Dual core@ 2.6-8, 128+128L1, 2X1mb L2 cache 2ghz HT, 200$+
 
GPU (Video Card)- One of the more obsessed parts of a computer by those who play games, can get by VERY cheap on budget computers, but if your going high-end itll cost ya. more memory= better, more GPU& memory frequency= even better. GDDR3 is better than GDDR2, SLi and cossfire are systems that enable 2 video cards on 1 computer (see motherboard) -IF YOU WANT A MOTHERBOARD WITH INTEGRATED GRAPHICS PLEASE SKIP THIS!
 
(CPU FREQUENCY/MEM FREQUENCY/MEM AMOUNT/MEM TYPE)
 
a-)- (200-400mhz/300-600mhz/32-128mb/DDR)- 15-60$
b-)- (400-500mhz/600-1000mhz/128-256mb/gddr2,gddr3) 70-190$
c-)- X2(500-700mhz/1000-2000mhz/256-512mb/gddr3,gddr4)SLi/Cossfire enabled, some can be Dual core 200+$
 
RAM - Sometimes is overlooked, is basically part of the CPU process. PC**** the bigger the # the better, also see timings, the lower, the better so 2-8-8-7 is better than 3-9-7-11
 
a-)- 128-512mb of pc2700- 60-80$
b-)- 512-1gb pc 3200- 200$ max.
c-)- 1gb+ pc4000 or more- upwards of 300$ for good 2gb
 
Hard Drives- more rpm= faster recieving times, look for bigger buffer sizes also.
 
a-)- 40-100GB IDE drive 5400-7200 RPM- 100$ max
b-)- 100GB-300GB SATA(Serial ATA) drive- 7200 RPM typical- 100-200$
c-)- 500GB+ SATA/SATA2 RAID 250$ and up
 
Power Supply - More Amps on each voltage line is the most important, wattage is key also. more= better, you can never overpower a computer. Be sure that if your GPU requires a certain type of power supply, (usually SLI) its supported.
 
a-)- 150-300wt standard- 15-50$
b-)- 350-450wt standard/ maybe modular- 75-100$
c-)- 500+wt Modular- 110$+
 
 
Motherboard - IMPORTANT!!!!!- Look to see if your motherboard supports your GPU, CPU, Memory and hard drives!!!, also make sure it fits your case!! youll thank yourself for paying a bit more here, cheaper boards tend to give you alot more problems than you bargained for and may damage other things in the computer.
 
a-)- Standard 2 ram slots, pci, no SATA support, integrated graphics- 40-70$
b-)- AGP4x/8x or PCI express, 2-4 ram slots, SATA multi-channel sound- 70-130$
c-)- SLi, Crossfire enabled, PCI expressx16, 4 ram slots, SATA, 5.1 integrated audio- 200-300$
 
CD drives- Almost like case, its all user preference, havent been too many advancements here and theres really no ridiculously high-performance drives. i wont tier them a,b,and c ill just verbally depict them.
- Read-only devices are the way to go for a cheap drive.
- a good cd-r/w drive will run abou 60-80
- a drive capable of burning DVD's would be as high-end as i could imagine...
 
Cooling (look familiar?)- Well as we all know we gotta keep our baby cool, more heat literally can make the machine more unfriendly. The more insane your computer's performance is,the more you need to invest in cooling, simple as that. DO pay well for cooling if you intend to overclock. Look up a guide to thermal grease also, ive found that spreading it with playing cards woorks best but a guide will give you the finer details to the art. use caution with a water cooling system for it IS water, or some sort of liquid and your electronics will not not play nice if it ever leaves the tubing
 
a-) Stock Processor heatsink/fan, 2-3 case fans.- Processor heatsink/fan included w/ processor single 80mm(standard) fans usually run 3-7$ea. - 20$ max
b-) Aftermarket CPU/GPU cooling, 4+ fans- GPU cooling around 40, CPU 30-60 so 100$max
c-) Water-cooled component setup- 300$ for decent setup EXOS-2 or 3 system reccomended
 
 
after that your left with
 
OS--- ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL and let me emplasize ALLLLLLLLL opinions here... could go apple, linux, windows, where it stops nobody knows... its all preference. for there is no "high performance" OS, ill throw out an estimate of 100-150 for a solid OS.
 
 
From there, you may choose little addons, like PCI cards (sound, wireless, SATA), fan controllers, case lighting etc, which is WAY to much for me to describe to you.
 
Youll find that with all the manuals to your hardware, your instructions (if you bough from good companies) are very clear and you should basically be able to assemble it from there.
 
 
 
RAID- Basically multiple hard drives simulated into one big drive, possiblity of making drives faster.

Anyone who runs a computer with many fans knows the frustrations of having your fans run full-bore when your simply checking your email; this all is because fans only connected to 4-pin connectors that arent connected to the motherboard will only run a single speed level.. making it noisy no matter what. Now theres 2 retail solutions to this, sound deadenting material, which is expensive and takes a good level of expertise to do correctly, or fan controllers, which for many fans can cost quite a bit, and due to the excess cables, will actually reduce air circulation in the case. Some fan controllers also can be complicated to use.
 
Now with the above mentioned, you KNOW ther has to be an easier way, right? Well there is. with a stop to radioshack and some 22g wire, and some electric know-how you can be the master of your fans. The pictures included are on a completed case, but will give you a good idea of how this is done.
 
REQUIRED MATERIALS

- wire strippers (scissors/pliers will work if you have steady hands)
- stereo wire (doesnt matter how thick/thin, for it doesnt get enough amperage to matter)
- switches (be creative, anything from a simple chrome switch to a red pilot's rocer switch will do)
- electric tape/ shrink wrap
- scissors,knife, or a drill with bit fitting your switch
 
 
 
Alright, so im assuming your aware this involves opening your case and messing with things, this is inviting for some but will draw some others away
 
/////----WARNING: IF YOUR NOT COMFORTABLE WITH WORKING WITH COMPUTER INTERNALS: PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS-----\\\\\
 
-Now first, make sure your computer is turned off, cable is OUT of power supply
 
-when the computer is off discharge any remaining electricity in it by switching the rocker switch on the back of the power supply to "off" or "O" , then pressing the power button on the case. The computer should try to turn on, then turn off fast, if it doesnt thats fine.
 
- recognize the fans you would like to be able to control , spot the red wires leading to them from the molex connectors they came with.
 
- with the red wires, you cut them anywhere between the connector and fan, then strip about 1/2-3/4 inch of the insulation off to reveal wire.
 
- now take your radio wire (should be 2 wires side/side) and strip both to 1/2-3/4 inch, with the two ends, one will go to one part of the red wire you stripped, and the other to the other stripped red wire.
 
- with the other end of the stereo wire, you will route it through any gap in the frame that goes to the front of the case.
 
- with the drill bit, scissors, or knife, put as many holes in the front of the case as you need that fit the switches your going to use.
 
-secure the switches in the holes and route the ends of the wires to the according terminals on the switch (not too hard theres 2 terminals, and 2 wire ends so its pretty straightforward.)

-close up the front cover
 
- go over all of your exposed wire with either electric tape or shrinkwrap, an exposed wire touching the metal on the case will create problems.
 
- close up your case
 
- switch your power supply on , put the cable back in, and press your power button.
 
- fool around with your switches for a while and make sure everything is doing its job. Most of the time, you can put your ear to the case and tell when one turns on/off; having a window in your case makes this a breeze for you can see your fans turning on/off.
 
-----TROUBLESHOOTING/FAQ---
 
- "my computer will not turn on"
-a exposed wire is touching metal on your case/ your comptuer does not have power (is not plugged in etc.)
 
- " does it matter how thick the wire is?"
-not at all
 
- " can i do more than one fan with one switch?"
-easily, just do the procedure for one fan, only with the 2 stereo ends, have 2 reds (one from each fan)
going to one stereo wire end.
 
- " how much quieter is this?"
- youd be surprised by how much noise is eliminated from shutting fans down, if you want to be blown away, put switches on all the case fans in your computer, then turn all of them off and see the difference (not recommended for extended periods)
 
- " can i do this to my CPU/Video Card fan?"
- ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! your CPU and GPU are dependant on those fas and keep it cool, no fans= burned up hardware.
 
Finished product! 3 switches monitoring 5 fans!
 

Anyone who runs a computer with many fans knows the frustrations of having your fans run full-bore when your simply checking your email; this all is because fans only connected to 4-pin connectors that arent connected to the motherboard will only run a single speed level.. making it noisy no matter what. Now theres 2 retail solutions to this, sound deadenting material, which is expensive and takes a good level of expertise to do correctly, or fan controllers, which for many fans can cost quite a bit, and due to the excess cables, will actually reduce air circulation in the case. Some fan controllers also can be complicated to use.
 
Now with the above mentioned, you KNOW ther has to be an easier way, right? Well there is. with a stop to radioshack and some 22g wire, and some electric know-how you can be the master of your fans. The pictures included are on a completed case, but will give you a good idea of how this is done.
 
REQUIRED MATERIALS

- wire strippers (scissors/pliers will work if you have steady hands)
- stereo wire (doesnt matter how thick/thin, for it doesnt get enough amperage to matter)
- switches (be creative, anything from a simple chrome switch to a red pilot's rocer switch will do)
- electric tape/ shrink wrap
- scissors,knife, or a drill with bit fitting your switch
 
 
 
Alright, so im assuming your aware this involves opening your case and messing with things, this is inviting for some but will draw some others away
 
/////----WARNING: IF YOUR NOT COMFORTABLE WITH WORKING WITH COMPUTER INTERNALS: PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS-----\\\\\
 
-Now first, make sure your computer is turned off, cable is OUT of power supply
 
-when the computer is off discharge any remaining electricity in it by switching the rocker switch on the back of the power supply to "off" or "O" , then pressing the power button on the case. The computer should try to turn on, then turn off fast, if it doesnt thats fine.
 
- recognize the fans you would like to be able to control , spot the red wires leading to them from the molex connectors they came with.
 
- with the red wires, you cut them anywhere between the connector and fan, then strip about 1/2-3/4 inch of the insulation off to reveal wire.
 
- now take your radio wire (should be 2 wires side/side) and strip both to 1/2-3/4 inch, with the two ends, one will go to one part of the red wire you stripped, and the other to the other stripped red wire.
 
- with the other end of the stereo wire, you will route it through any gap in the frame that goes to the front of the case.
 
- with the drill bit, scissors, or knife, put as many holes in the front of the case as you need that fit the switches your going to use.
 
-secure the switches in the holes and route the ends of the wires to the according terminals on the switch (not too hard theres 2 terminals, and 2 wire ends so its pretty straightforward.)

-close up the front cover
 
- go over all of your exposed wire with either electric tape or shrinkwrap, an exposed wire touching the metal on the case will create problems.
 
- close up your case
 
- switch your power supply on , put the cable back in, and press your power button.
 
- fool around with your switches for a while and make sure everything is doing its job. Most of the time, you can put your ear to the case and tell when one turns on/off; having a window in your case makes this a breeze for you can see your fans turning on/off.
 
-----TROUBLESHOOTING/FAQ---
 
- "my computer will not turn on"
-a exposed wire is touching metal on your case/ your comptuer does not have power (is not plugged in etc.)
 
- " does it matter how thick the wire is?"
-not at all
 
- " can i do more than one fan with one switch?"
-easily, just do the procedure for one fan, only with the 2 stereo ends, have 2 reds (one from each fan)
going to one stereo wire end.
 
- " how much quieter is this?"
- youd be surprised by how much noise is eliminated from shutting fans down, if you want to be blown away, put switches on all the case fans in your computer, then turn all of them off and see the difference (not recommended for extended periods)
 
- " can i do this to my CPU/Video Card fan?"
- ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! your CPU and GPU are dependant on those fas and keep it cool, no fans= burned up hardware.
 
Finished product! 3 switches monitoring 5 fans!
 

Anyone who runs a computer with many fans knows the frustrations of having your fans run full-bore when your simply checking your email; this all is because fans only connected to 4-pin connectors that arent connected to the motherboard will only run a single speed level.. making it noisy no matter what. Now theres 2 retail solutions to this, sound deadenting material, which is expensive and takes a good level of expertise to do correctly, or fan controllers, which for many fans can cost quite a bit, and due to the excess cables, will actually reduce air circulation in the case. Some fan controllers also can be complicated to use.
 
Now with the above mentioned, you KNOW ther has to be an easier way, right? Well there is. with a stop to radioshack and some 22g wire, and some electric know-how you can be the master of your fans. The pictures included are on a completed case, but will give you a good idea of how this is done.
 
REQUIRED MATERIALS

- wire strippers (scissors/pliers will work if you have steady hands)
- stereo wire (doesnt matter how thick/thin, for it doesnt get enough amperage to matter)
- switches (be creative, anything from a simple chrome switch to a red pilot's rocer switch will do)
- electric tape/ shrink wrap
- scissors,knife, or a drill with bit fitting your switch
 
 
 
Alright, so im assuming your aware this involves opening your case and messing with things, this is inviting for some but will draw some others away
 
/////----WARNING: IF YOUR NOT COMFORTABLE WITH WORKING WITH COMPUTER INTERNALS: PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS-----\\\\\
 
-Now first, make sure your computer is turned off, cable is OUT of power supply
 
-when the computer is off discharge any remaining electricity in it by switching the rocker switch on the back of the power supply to "off" or "O" , then pressing the power button on the case. The computer should try to turn on, then turn off fast, if it doesnt thats fine.
 
- recognize the fans you would like to be able to control , spot the red wires leading to them from the molex connectors they came with.
 
- with the red wires, you cut them anywhere between the connector and fan, then strip about 1/2-3/4 inch of the insulation off to reveal wire.
 
- now take your radio wire (should be 2 wires side/side) and strip both to 1/2-3/4 inch, with the two ends, one will go to one part of the red wire you stripped, and the other to the other stripped red wire.
 
- with the other end of the stereo wire, you will route it through any gap in the frame that goes to the front of the case.
 
- with the drill bit, scissors, or knife, put as many holes in the front of the case as you need that fit the switches your going to use.
 
-secure the switches in the holes and route the ends of the wires to the according terminals on the switch (not too hard theres 2 terminals, and 2 wire ends so its pretty straightforward.)

-close up the front cover
 
- go over all of your exposed wire with either electric tape or shrinkwrap, an exposed wire touching the metal on the case will create problems.
 
- close up your case
 
- switch your power supply on , put the cable back in, and press your power button.
 
- fool around with your switches for a while and make sure everything is doing its job. Most of the time, you can put your ear to the case and tell when one turns on/off; having a window in your case makes this a breeze for you can see your fans turning on/off.
 
-----TROUBLESHOOTING/FAQ---
 
- "my computer will not turn on"
-a exposed wire is touching metal on your case/ your comptuer does not have power (is not plugged in etc.)
 
- " does it matter how thick the wire is?"
-not at all
 
- " can i do more than one fan with one switch?"
-easily, just do the procedure for one fan, only with the 2 stereo ends, have 2 reds (one from each fan)
going to one stereo wire end.
 
- " how much quieter is this?"
- youd be surprised by how much noise is eliminated from shutting fans down, if you want to be blown away, put switches on all the case fans in your computer, then turn all of them off and see the difference (not recommended for extended periods)
 
- " can i do this to my CPU/Video Card fan?"
- ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! your CPU and GPU are dependant on those fas and keep it cool, no fans= burned up hardware.
 
Finished product! 3 switches monitoring 5 fans!
 

now lets get one thing strait to start out with, ill repect the first guide of how to build a computer, but at the same time will say it does not go into details that much.
 
EQUIPMENT
 
Through this i will specify the characteristics of
a-) a budget computer - common price -
b-) a midrange computer -common price
c-) a high end computer -common price-
 
so for example if im talking about cooling
 
a-) Stock Processor heatsink/fan, 2-3 case fans.- Processor heatsink/fan included w/ processor single 80mm(standard) fans usually run 3-7$ea. - 20$ max
b-) Aftermarket CPU/GPU cooling, 4+ fans- GPU cooling around 40, CPU 30-60 so 100$max
c-) Water-cooled component setup- 300$ for decent setup EXOS-2 or 3 system reccomended
 
so it is very structured in nature and houldnt be hard to understand. my prices may be off but al long as you know what kind of stuff is under which you should have a good idea of what to get.
 
Im mentioning theese in the order in which you sould get them.
 
CASE- basically the representation of the computer, its all a "you" thing mostly, some cases offer superior cooling possibilities, but some offer sleek styling etc. reminder- Plastic is inferior to metal as far as computer cases go in terms of durability and cooling, for more metal= more heat dissapation. HOWEVER if your one of those people who intends on running your rig at higher than normal temperatures, you ant a bit more plastic in it, metal dissapates better, but with higher temps will keep a warmer surface temperature than plastic. ATX is reccomended for space and compatibility.
 
a-) Standard budget case, usually mixed metal/plastic assembly, dominantly plastic. 25-40$
b-) steel/aluminum case, possible windows and integrated cooling/ I/O& USB on front panels- 45-90$
c-) Full tower case, aluminum, integrated cooling, fan control, I/O, USB- 100-200$
 
CPU- One of the most important components of your computer, for the midrange builder, the possibility of "overclocking" a CPU is always a possibility to squeeze some extra frequency out of your chip. Most processors have included with them a heatsink and fan. If your gonna go big, be ready for the more beastly models can run you into the 700's. More mhz= faster, 1000mhz= 1ghz. L1 & L2 cache is important, again more=better. Dual core models are better suited for desktop applications, like running many at once, but may not be prevalent in its price range to single core processors running higher freqencies. Please note the socket of your processor (939, 940 etc.)
 
a-) 1.5-2.2 ghz, 64+64 L1 cache, 512-1mb L2 cache, typically 2000mhz Hyper Transport- 100$ max.
b-)2.0ghz- 2.6ghz, Dual core possible, 128+128 L1, 1mb L2 cache 2ghz HT, 100-200$
c-)2.6ghz+, Dual core@ 2.6-8, 128+128L1, 2X1mb L2 cache 2ghz HT, 200$+
 
GPU (Video Card)- One of the more obsessed parts of a computer by those who play games, can get by VERY cheap on budget computers, but if your going high-end itll cost ya. more memory= better, more GPU& memory frequency= even better. GDDR3 is better than GDDR2, SLi and cossfire are systems that enable 2 video cards on 1 computer (see motherboard) -IF YOU WANT A MOTHERBOARD WITH INTEGRATED GRAPHICS PLEASE SKIP THIS!
 
(CPU FREQUENCY/MEM FREQUENCY/MEM AMOUNT/MEM TYPE)
 
a-)- (200-400mhz/300-600mhz/32-128mb/DDR)- 15-60$
b-)- (400-500mhz/600-1000mhz/128-256mb/gddr2,gddr3) 70-190$
c-)- X2(500-700mhz/1000-2000mhz/256-512mb/gddr3,gddr4)SLi/Cossfire enabled, some can be Dual core 200+$
 
RAM - Sometimes is overlooked, is basically part of the CPU process. PC**** the bigger the # the better, also see timings, the lower, the better so 2-8-8-7 is better than 3-9-7-11
 
a-)- 128-512mb of pc2700- 60-80$
b-)- 512-1gb pc 3200- 200$ max.
c-)- 1gb+ pc4000 or more- upwards of 300$ for good 2gb
 
Hard Drives- more rpm= faster recieving times, look for bigger buffer sizes also.
 
a-)- 40-100GB IDE drive 5400-7200 RPM- 100$ max
b-)- 100GB-300GB SATA(Serial ATA) drive- 7200 RPM typical- 100-200$
c-)- 500GB+ SATA/SATA2 RAID 250$ and up
 
Power Supply - More Amps on each voltage line is the most important, wattage is key also. more= better, you can never overpower a computer. Be sure that if your GPU requires a certain type of power supply, (usually SLI) its supported.
 
a-)- 150-300wt standard- 15-50$
b-)- 350-450wt standard/ maybe modular- 75-100$
c-)- 500+wt Modular- 110$+
 
 
Motherboard - IMPORTANT!!!!!- Look to see if your motherboard supports your GPU, CPU, Memory and hard drives!!!, also make sure it fits your case!! youll thank yourself for paying a bit more here, cheaper boards tend to give you alot more problems than you bargained for and may damage other things in the computer.
 
a-)- Standard 2 ram slots, pci, no SATA support, integrated graphics- 40-70$
b-)- AGP4x/8x or PCI express, 2-4 ram slots, SATA multi-channel sound- 70-130$
c-)- SLi, Crossfire enabled, PCI expressx16, 4 ram slots, SATA, 5.1 integrated audio- 200-300$
 
CD drives- Almost like case, its all user preference, havent been too many advancements here and theres really no ridiculously high-performance drives. i wont tier them a,b,and c ill just verbally depict them.
- Read-only devices are the way to go for a cheap drive.
- a good cd-r/w drive will run abou 60-80
- a drive capable of burning DVD's would be as high-end as i could imagine...
 
Cooling (look familiar?)- Well as we all know we gotta keep our baby cool, more heat literally can make the machine more unfriendly. The more insane your computer's performance is,the more you need to invest in cooling, simple as that. DO pay well for cooling if you intend to overclock. Look up a guide to thermal grease also, ive found that spreading it with playing cards woorks best but a guide will give you the finer details to the art. use caution with a water cooling system for it IS water, or some sort of liquid and your electronics will not not play nice if it ever leaves the tubing
 
a-) Stock Processor heatsink/fan, 2-3 case fans.- Processor heatsink/fan included w/ processor single 80mm(standard) fans usually run 3-7$ea. - 20$ max
b-) Aftermarket CPU/GPU cooling, 4+ fans- GPU cooling around 40, CPU 30-60 so 100$max
c-) Water-cooled component setup- 300$ for decent setup EXOS-2 or 3 system reccomended
 
 
after that your left with
 
OS--- ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL and let me emplasize ALLLLLLLLL opinions here... could go apple, linux, windows, where it stops nobody knows... its all preference. for there is no "high performance" OS, ill throw out an estimate of 100-150 for a solid OS.
 
 
From there, you may choose little addons, like PCI cards (sound, wireless, SATA), fan controllers, case lighting etc, which is WAY to much for me to describe to you.
 
Youll find that with all the manuals to your hardware, your instructions (if you bough from good companies) are very clear and you should basically be able to assemble it from there.
 
 
 
RAID- Basically multiple hard drives simulated into one big drive, possiblity of making drives faster.

now lets get one thing strait to start out with, ill repect the first guide of how to build a computer, but at the same time will say it does not go into details that much.
 
EQUIPMENT
 
Through this i will specify the characteristics of
a-) a budget computer - common price -
b-) a midrange computer -common price
c-) a high end computer -common price-
 
so for example if im talking about cooling
 
a-) Stock Processor heatsink/fan, 2-3 case fans.- Processor heatsink/fan included w/ processor single 80mm(standard) fans usually run 3-7$ea. - 20$ max
b-) Aftermarket CPU/GPU cooling, 4+ fans- GPU cooling around 40, CPU 30-60 so 100$max
c-) Water-cooled component setup- 300$ for decent setup EXOS-2 or 3 system reccomended
 
so it is very structured in nature and houldnt be hard to understand. my prices may be off but al long as you know what kind of stuff is under which you should have a good idea of what to get.
 
Im mentioning theese in the order in which you sould get them.
 
CASE- basically the representation of the computer, its all a "you" thing mostly, some cases offer superior cooling possibilities, but some offer sleek styling etc. reminder- Plastic is inferior to metal as far as computer cases go in terms of durability and cooling, for more metal= more heat dissapation. HOWEVER if your one of those people who intends on running your rig at higher than normal temperatures, you ant a bit more plastic in it, metal dissapates better, but with higher temps will keep a warmer surface temperature than plastic. ATX is reccomended for space and compatibility.
 
a-) Standard budget case, usually mixed metal/plastic assembly, dominantly plastic. 25-40$
b-) steel/aluminum case, possible windows and integrated cooling/ I/O& USB on front panels- 45-90$
c-) Full tower case, aluminum, integrated cooling, fan control, I/O, USB- 100-200$
 
CPU- One of the most important components of your computer, for the midrange builder, the possibility of "overclocking" a CPU is always a possibility to squeeze some extra frequency out of your chip. Most processors have included with them a heatsink and fan. If your gonna go big, be ready for the more beastly models can run you into the 700's. More mhz= faster, 1000mhz= 1ghz. L1 & L2 cache is important, again more=better. Dual core models are better suited for desktop applications, like running many at once, but may not be prevalent in its price range to single core processors running higher freqencies. Please note the socket of your processor (939, 940 etc.)
 
a-) 1.5-2.2 ghz, 64+64 L1 cache, 512-1mb L2 cache, typically 2000mhz Hyper Transport- 100$ max.
b-)2.0ghz- 2.6ghz, Dual core possible, 128+128 L1, 1mb L2 cache 2ghz HT, 100-200$
c-)2.6ghz+, Dual core@ 2.6-8, 128+128L1, 2X1mb L2 cache 2ghz HT, 200$+
 
GPU (Video Card)- One of the more obsessed parts of a computer by those who play games, can get by VERY cheap on budget computers, but if your going high-end itll cost ya. more memory= better, more GPU& memory frequency= even better. GDDR3 is better than GDDR2, SLi and cossfire are systems that enable 2 video cards on 1 computer (see motherboard) -IF YOU WANT A MOTHERBOARD WITH INTEGRATED GRAPHICS PLEASE SKIP THIS!
 
(CPU FREQUENCY/MEM FREQUENCY/MEM AMOUNT/MEM TYPE)
 
a-)- (200-400mhz/300-600mhz/32-128mb/DDR)- 15-60$
b-)- (400-500mhz/600-1000mhz/128-256mb/gddr2,gddr3) 70-190$
c-)- X2(500-700mhz/1000-2000mhz/256-512mb/gddr3,gddr4)SLi/Cossfire enabled, some can be Dual core 200+$
 
RAM - Sometimes is overlooked, is basically part of the CPU process. PC**** the bigger the # the better, also see timings, the lower, the better so 2-8-8-7 is better than 3-9-7-11
 
a-)- 128-512mb of pc2700- 60-80$
b-)- 512-1gb pc 3200- 200$ max.
c-)- 1gb+ pc4000 or more- upwards of 300$ for good 2gb
 
Hard Drives- more rpm= faster recieving times, look for bigger buffer sizes also.
 
a-)- 40-100GB IDE drive 5400-7200 RPM- 100$ max
b-)- 100GB-300GB SATA(Serial ATA) drive- 7200 RPM typical- 100-200$
c-)- 500GB+ SATA/SATA2 RAID 250$ and up
 
Power Supply - More Amps on each voltage line is the most important, wattage is key also. more= better, you can never overpower a computer. Be sure that if your GPU requires a certain type of power supply, (usually SLI) its supported.
 
a-)- 150-300wt standard- 15-50$
b-)- 350-450wt standard/ maybe modular- 75-100$
c-)- 500+wt Modular- 110$+
 
 
Motherboard - IMPORTANT!!!!!- Look to see if your motherboard supports your GPU, CPU, Memory and hard drives!!!, also make sure it fits your case!! youll thank yourself for paying a bit more here, cheaper boards tend to give you alot more problems than you bargained for and may damage other things in the computer.
 
a-)- Standard 2 ram slots, pci, no SATA support, integrated graphics- 40-70$
b-)- AGP4x/8x or PCI express, 2-4 ram slots, SATA multi-channel sound- 70-130$
c-)- SLi, Crossfire enabled, PCI expressx16, 4 ram slots, SATA, 5.1 integrated audio- 200-300$
 
CD drives- Almost like case, its all user preference, havent been too many advancements here and theres really no ridiculously high-performance drives. i wont tier them a,b,and c ill just verbally depict them.
- Read-only devices are the way to go for a cheap drive.
- a good cd-r/w drive will run abou 60-80
- a drive capable of burning DVD's would be as high-end as i could imagine...
 
Cooling (look familiar?)- Well as we all know we gotta keep our baby cool, more heat literally can make the machine more unfriendly. The more insane your computer's performance is,the more you need to invest in cooling, simple as that. DO pay well for cooling if you intend to overclock. Look up a guide to thermal grease also, ive found that spreading it with playing cards woorks best but a guide will give you the finer details to the art. use caution with a water cooling system for it IS water, or some sort of liquid and your electronics will not not play nice if it ever leaves the tubing
 
a-) Stock Processor heatsink/fan, 2-3 case fans.- Processor heatsink/fan included w/ processor single 80mm(standard) fans usually run 3-7$ea. - 20$ max
b-) Aftermarket CPU/GPU cooling, 4+ fans- GPU cooling around 40, CPU 30-60 so 100$max
c-) Water-cooled component setup- 300$ for decent setup EXOS-2 or 3 system reccomended
 
 
after that your left with
 
OS--- ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL and let me emplasize ALLLLLLLLL opinions here... could go apple, linux, windows, where it stops nobody knows... its all preference. for there is no "high performance" OS, ill throw out an estimate of 100-150 for a solid OS.
 
 
From there, you may choose little addons, like PCI cards (sound, wireless, SATA), fan controllers, case lighting etc, which is WAY to much for me to describe to you.
 
Youll find that with all the manuals to your hardware, your instructions (if you bough from good companies) are very clear and you should basically be able to assemble it from there.
 
 
 
RAID- Basically multiple hard drives simulated into one big drive, possiblity of making drives faster.

Anyone who runs a computer with many fans knows the frustrations of having your fans run full-bore when your simply checking your email; this all is because fans only connected to 4-pin connectors that arent connected to the motherboard will only run a single speed level.. making it noisy no matter what. Now theres 2 retail solutions to this, sound deadenting material, which is expensive and takes a good level of expertise to do correctly, or fan controllers, which for many fans can cost quite a bit, and due to the excess cables, will actually reduce air circulation in the case. Some fan controllers also can be complicated to use.
 
Now with the above mentioned, you KNOW ther has to be an easier way, right? Well there is. with a stop to radioshack and some 22g wire, and some electric know-how you can be the master of your fans. The pictures included are on a completed case, but will give you a good idea of how this is done.
 
REQUIRED MATERIALS

- wire strippers (scissors/pliers will work if you have steady hands)
- stereo wire (doesnt matter how thick/thin, for it doesnt get enough amperage to matter)
- switches (be creative, anything from a simple chrome switch to a red pilot's rocer switch will do)
- electric tape/ shrink wrap
- scissors,knife, or a drill with bit fitting your switch
 
 
 
Alright, so im assuming your aware this involves opening your case and messing with things, this is inviting for some but will draw some others away
 
/////----WARNING: IF YOUR NOT COMFORTABLE WITH WORKING WITH COMPUTER INTERNALS: PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT THIS-----\\\\\
 
-Now first, make sure your computer is turned off, cable is OUT of power supply
 
-when the computer is off discharge any remaining electricity in it by switching the rocker switch on the back of the power supply to "off" or "O" , then pressing the power button on the case. The computer should try to turn on, then turn off fast, if it doesnt thats fine.
 
- recognize the fans you would like to be able to control , spot the red wires leading to them from the molex connectors they came with.
 
- with the red wires, you cut them anywhere between the connector and fan, then strip about 1/2-3/4 inch of the insulation off to reveal wire.
 
- now take your radio wire (should be 2 wires side/side) and strip both to 1/2-3/4 inch, with the two ends, one will go to one part of the red wire you stripped, and the other to the other stripped red wire.
 
- with the other end of the stereo wire, you will route it through any gap in the frame that goes to the front of the case.
 
- with the drill bit, scissors, or knife, put as many holes in the front of the case as you need that fit the switches your going to use.
 
-secure the switches in the holes and route the ends of the wires to the according terminals on the switch (not too hard theres 2 terminals, and 2 wire ends so its pretty straightforward.)

-close up the front cover
 
- go over all of your exposed wire with either electric tape or shrinkwrap, an exposed wire touching the metal on the case will create problems.
 
- close up your case
 
- switch your power supply on , put the cable back in, and press your power button.
 
- fool around with your switches for a while and make sure everything is doing its job. Most of the time, you can put your ear to the case and tell when one turns on/off; having a window in your case makes this a breeze for you can see your fans turning on/off.
 
-----TROUBLESHOOTING/FAQ---
 
- "my computer will not turn on"
-a exposed wire is touching metal on your case/ your comptuer does not have power (is not plugged in etc.)
 
- " does it matter how thick the wire is?"
-not at all
 
- " can i do more than one fan with one switch?"
-easily, just do the procedure for one fan, only with the 2 stereo ends, have 2 reds (one from each fan)
going to one stereo wire end.
 
- " how much quieter is this?"
- youd be surprised by how much noise is eliminated from shutting fans down, if you want to be blown away, put switches on all the case fans in your computer, then turn all of them off and see the difference (not recommended for extended periods)
 
- " can i do this to my CPU/Video Card fan?"
- ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! your CPU and GPU are dependant on those fas and keep it cool, no fans= burned up hardware.
 
Finished product! 3 switches monitoring 5 fans!