Build a PC: hearing Post beep is just as great sex

There is very little gladdens a geek heart more than the sound of this first successful Post Beep from a home-built computer. So when my purred finally into life, we made the victory laps around my sitting room.

It had taken long and frustrating time to reach this point. My friend John and had decided to rebuild my ageing PC, reckoning that it would be a fun project. Plus you really argue not true geek cred, until you've built a PC. And it is actually not so difficult to make given the default architecture. It is not as we are back in the days of homebrew, deep in dawn of computing history — all just slots together. What could possibly go wrong?

I assemble the components that go for high end, as this build was to replace gaming Rig I had bought from Voodoo PC, when it was a boutique builder of high performance PCs, before it was part of HP.

The built-in LOLcat

So overall I a Intel i7 processor 2600K, the top of its new Sandybridge interval Intel and a DP67BG motherboard. As I wanted this as a quick machine that will last me for a while, I decided to go for solid state drives, ends with two — one for the OS and apps, and one for the data I access most, there are photos: I do a lot of processing of images in Photoshop and Lightroom, as both will gobble up the speed and processing grynt as you can throw them.

Next up – Ram. With the focus on Imaging seemed 16 GB DDR3 1333 MHz Ram from Kingston just the ticket. I am also not forces for a bit of gaming, and as this was quickly transformed into a luxury build, Nvidia's GTX 580 seemed the obvious choice, not least because Nvidia has spoils noisy fans to a vapour pressure of cooling.

We reckoned my old 700W PSU, which were new only three years ago, the conditions of the permit; and I really like to Voodoo case the original build came in: it is large, with plenty of airflow fans are quiet and it got side panel through which to admire the inside of your computer so that there was no reason to replace. And my dvd burner, a newish SATA one I put in recently, would also be fine.

Stripping out the old build took a long time – it became as fashionable in 2005 – watercooled, so it had to be drained.

Watercooling worked well for me at that time, and I had some problems with the bar having to replace the tank once when it has begun to leak. And it looked pretty cool through the Panel page to see snaking the tubes transporting blue coolant around the system. But times change and we decided not to go for it this time.

All the old stuff out of the case, we assembled the new parts before the. ready for the big switch on, we crossed our fingers and I pushed the button – only to be greeted with an alarming fizzing and popping with all the lights on the Board flashing everyday life. It was a bad and frightening moment. Next, it came to pass, where the same thing happened on my wood floor. BITS were removed, the symptoms don't go away.

Test PSU suggested, the excitement was everywhere, so the decision was taken to order a new one. Disappointing, as it would have been fine in the old build, as with two DX9 GPUs in SLI and a couple of 10,000 rpm Raptor hard drives in Raid 0, was a resource-intensive beast.

, We still do not know if the old PSU coincidentally failed, or was Tipped over the edge of something short circuit inside (more on that in a moment), but either way, it was time to ditch the old list in favor of a new a OCZ 700W StealthXStream PSU.

While we were waiting for this to arrive, broke News problems with Intel's Sandybridge chipset, which could affect the throughput serial ATA disks. My SSDs are so, but the delay meant we could do some research, find 6Gbps connector is not affected by the error, so we made a note to Connect three SATA disks – SSDs and dvd burner – to 6Gps connector.

Finally the new PSU arrived, and we assembled PC. The time of the big switch on arrived (again). We crossed our collective fingers and pressed the button. Nothing. Just a light on the motherboard, which seemed to warn against overheating.

Frustrated, we took it out of the case again and tried it on the wood floor. This time our hearts tossed because we got a Post beep.

Back went in it – nothing.

We finally arrived on responses via Google, discovers that any short circuit board (of course) will prevent a successful start. Proposals ranged from using brass deadlocks (which keep motherboard screws) to put a rubber sheet between the motherboard and the image. We went for less obtrusive option of adding rubber spacers – which finally solved the problem.

Total back inside the case (again, next time I buy a case in which everything is mounted instead of being attached by means of tiny fiddly screws and with a removable motherboard backing plate) and finally the long-awaited Post beep sounded. This is geek equivalent of great sex. Or at least great chocolate.

I have not started overclocking CPU yet, but already it is a pleasure to use – fast and responsive in demanding apps such as Photoshop, and I look forward to trying a truly intensive gaming. Windows Experience Index, a ragged and ready indicator gives the 7.2 out of a possible 7.9 – system SSD is the slowest part of the rig. I want to run correctly benchmarks when I have done the overclocking.

It has been a learning experience. At times, frustrating, sometimes downright tricky and fiddly. But the moment I first looked at my new PC Bios screen is right up there with the happiest moments in my life.

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' I felt great after I have lost my mobile phone»

In front of our eyes, Eric ... Stoltz with Paula Malcomson in Caprica. Photo: Syfy

What is your favorite piece of technology, and how it has improved your life?
TV-B-gone. It is a wonderful little device that has one button – which when pressed, will turn off any tv within 15 metres. It is ideal when you are sitting in an empty pub and a television is blaring ads too high. A simple device that brings peace.

When was the last time you used it, and what for?
Last week. Turn off a TV.

What additional features do you want to add, if you could?
It would be nice if the company expanded their repertoire a little. "People-who-speak-on-cellphones-in-shops-B-Gone" would be album swell. Not to mention "Taxes-B-gone".

Do you think, it will be obsolete in 10 years time?
' No '.

What always frustrates you about technology in General?
All that cursed convenience.

Is there any particular piece of technology that you have owned and hated?
I have a love-hate with just about all the technology in my life. My first typewriter in particular. I had a helluva time put new tape on it.

If you had a tip to get the best out of new technology, what would it be?
Please wait until the next version comes out – price drops, and they work normally some of the kinks.

You consider yourself to be a living or a nerd?
Both at different times in my life. Recently I directing an episode of hopeful of this and I lost my cellphone – and I devote time to buy a new one for three weeks. Well, could the first few days in was eager as hell, a little delirium tremens, didn't think I make it through, and so on. Then been kind of curious something – I began to feel great. Really great. Completely untethered, almost giddy. I had not had this feeling, because I learned to ride a bike, when I was a kid – it was fantastic. Later this week, my Twitter account suddenly and inexplicably deleted all my incredibly interesting speech. I took this as a sign, and decided to leave Luddites and end the modern age once more. But I am still thought-provoking about the entire experience.

What is the most expensive piece of technology you've ever owned?
My car or my piano, they were both pretty animals.

Mac or PC, and why?
Mac. I have been on them for 13 years and never had a virus.

Buy you still physical media such as CDs and DVDs, or you download? What was your last purchase?
I still buy them, even if it is stupid. A DVD Store near me went out of business last year, so I favoritspillet up a lot of older and foreign films. CDs not so much, I download them. my last purchase was you are not listening to the rescue operations.

Robot butlers – a good idea or not?
Let us not kid ourselves here, robots that are already running most of our world. We want to be their butlers quickly enough.

What piece of technology would you most like to own?
The emerging nanotechnology, which is able to deliver treatment to (and trigger death) malignant cancer cells in your body while leaving the healthy cells untouched.

• Eric Stoltz stars in tv series Caprica, season, one which is out now on DVD

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