Build Your Own Mean Machine

Gamers dream of owning the best gaming machine, one that they can flaunt at

LAN parties and get eye balls rolling. The good news is that now you can build

such a machine yourself. If you know the components you require, then you just

need an hour to configure one that suits your style. Through this

visually-intensive story we show you how we've used AMD's latest gaming platform

for this, which consists of the Phenom 9600 processor, 790GX chipset and an HD

3800 series graphics card. Incidentally, a similar gaming platform called Skull

trail has also been introduced by Intel. This consists of two Quad-core CPUs

running on a single motherboard. But, before we get started, here are the

components we selected:

1. Motherboard: We used an MSI K9A2 Platinum motherboard based on AMD 790GX

chipset that supports AMD's latest Quad Core Desktop Processor, AMD Phenom. We

used this board specifically, as it has 4 PCIe slots, allowing us to implement

Quad-Fire using one ATI Radeon HD 3870X2 and two ATI Radeon HD 3870 graphics

cards.

RAM: It's advisable to use at least 1 GB these days. We've used 1 GB of

Corsair RAM (2x 512MB of GDDR2 DIMM).

Processor: One of the key reasons for the development of Quad Core processors

for desktops is gaming. Even CPU manufacturers have realized the importance of

tapping the gaming market and so we not only see CPUs but also complete

platforms being launched by both Intel and AMD. We have used Phenom 9600

processor, which is a Quad Core desktop offering from AMD.



Graphics card: One of the essential components for a gaming PC. We decided to go
with the latest cards from ATI. We cashed on ATI Radeon HD3870X2, a dual GPU

card, a high end offering from ATI along with 2 mid-range ATI Radeon HD3870

cards. We put the three cards in CrossFire mode to achieve Quad-Fire.

Other components: Some of the other essential components include a Sony DVD

ROM, as most games these days ship on a DVD. It's also advisable to have a good

sound system and LCD monitor for an enriching gaming experience. We used a 120

GB SATA HDD running at 7200 rpm. Last but not the least, a gaming cabinet that

is big enough to fit all the cards with the motherboard.

Step 1



Place the processor on the motherboard before installing it in the cabinet. They
are very delicate, so you need to be careful; in case a processor pin bends, the

whole processor can get damaged. Always install a processor prior to installing

the board inside the cabinet. Once you've placed the CPU, place the CPU fan on

top of it for keeping the CPU cool and steady.

Step 2



We used a gaming cabinet from Zebronics, called Black Jet, to configure our

Mean Machine. It has lots of space to boot, plus the transparent side windows

allow you to flaunt the card from inside. It also comes with an LED fan which

adds to the overall style. You can open the cabinet by pressing the notch on the

side window.

Step 3



Place the motherboard inside the cabinet and tighten all screws to hold it

firmly in place.

Step 4



After locking the motherboard inside the cabinet, place the RAM on the DIMM slot
provided.

Step 5



Now you need to place the HDD in the space provided. Once you've placed the HDD,
you need to connect the SATA cable. One end of the cable goes to the HDD and the

other end gets connected to the motherboard.

Step 6



Place the DVD ROM in the topmost slot inside the cabinet. You need to slide

in the DVD ROM from the front side and connect the IDE cable to the

motherboard's IDE port.

Step 7



Probably the most complex part of building your mean machine is to place the

power supply and connecting it to various components. To make things easy for

you, we will divide this in two parts. In the first we shall explain all the

different connectors a power supply has and in the second, we shall describe how

to place them inside the cabinet.

Step 7a



Since we are building a high end machine, it's imperative to use a high watt
power supply. We used an 850W one, but you can also opt for higher ones with a

1000 W capacity. Don't be baffled with so many wires; if you look closely there

are only four major types of wires.

1. SATA connector, to power the SATA HDD.
2. PCIe power supply connector-It can either be 4 pin or 6 pin or 8 pin.
   
   Usually in a higher watt power supply you would find all the options
   
   available.
3. ATX power connector, to power the motherboard.
4. PATA connector, to power the DVD ROM or even a PATA drive.

Step 7b



At the upper edge of the motherboard, there would be space for the power supply.
While placing the power supply, always place it in such a manner that the fan of

the power supply faces the motherboard. This will help in keeping the system

cool. Tighten up the screws from outside so that the power supply is fixed

inside the cabinet.

Step 8



Fitting the graphics card in the PCIe slot is difficult for high end bulky

cards. We chose ATI Radeon HD 3870X2, which is the latest high-end offering from

ATI and is a dual GPU card, something we haven't seen for a long time. We used

it in tandem with two ATI Radeon HD 3870 cards to achieve Quad-Fire. Refer to

their reviews elsewhere in this issue.

Step 9



Place the cards in the PCI slots and connect them using the CrossFire cable to
enable Quad-Fire. Connect the power supply to power the cards.

Step 10



As we have used three cards, you can easily connect six different LCD monitors
for a wider display and also for multi-tasking. Just connect them to DVI ports.

If your LCD monitor doesn't have DVI connectivity, don't panic, all these cards

come with a VGA to DVI converter. Also they support HDMI and 5.1 audio channels

so you can enjoy HD quality videos along with audios.

Step 11



Your system is now ready for action. Close the side panel and gear up for an
exhilarating gaming experience.