Semi-Guide?  What the heck is a semi-guide?  Well basically it’s not quite a guide.  This article won’t give you step by step info on things, but more of an overview.  If you have more specific questions, please feel free to send me an email.  If any of you have bothered to spare a few seconds of your time to look at my bio in our ?About? section, then you would know that in addition to writing here for Sudhian I also work as a Technician.  As a tech I have spent time doing all sorts of things from building new systems and servers, upgrading computers, diagnosing and repairing machines from old AT systems, new P4 based rigs, laptops, printers and scanners.  These days you probably won?t find many techs out there that have a strong knowledge of DOS and can not only fix computers but printers, laptops and other various electronic items as well.  You will usually find techs with more knowledge of recent operating systems and hardware, typically working at a CompUSA or some other similar place that wouldn?t see a 386 ever.  Growing up I had a strong interest in taking things apart.  Luckily for my parents I usually confined this interest to taking things apart that were already broken ? a dead VCR or reel-to-reel tape player.  I have always been mechanically minded and have been able to take things apart and reassemble them without much trouble. 

Because of this experience I learned to work on a variety of different types of equipment, much of it self-taught through trial and error.  I remember putting my first computer together.  I had never been shown how and well, I of course did some pretty funny things.  The first time I put the motherboard in my new case I did not install the standoffs and laid the board flat on the metal case.  I wasn?t even thinking about the electronics of it at the point, simply the mechanics.  No, I didn?t plug it in that way and screw up my motherboard, but it was rather embarrassing at first.  But with some turns of the screwdriver and some standoffs installed I was on my way to my first computer system.  I still remember some of the components that were installed inside.  I had a Packard Bell that my parents had bought for me and it was getting slow.  A friend of mine gave me a motherboard with a Cyrix 233 and some RAM.  With that, a new case and hard drive and parts cannibalized from the Packard Bell I had myself a faster system, and there was no looking back.  I fervently upgraded my system after that and learned a lot.  Years passed and I eventually landed my first job in the tech world and was building new computers for customers.  I began to take more care in how I built them and used zip ties and other methods of making a clean looking system.

So how is all this relevant?  Well hopefully I still have your attention and my ramblings haven?t caused you to hang yourself from the ceiling fan.  For those of you that are still reading (or skipped to the last paragraph), this article is going to focus on upgrading a system and also building a quiet system.  I will focus on cable management and other issues.  This is not intended to be a complete system building guide, but I hope to show you some tricks and discuss some ideas and creations that I had which may give rise to ideas of your own.  So read on and if you like articles presented in an orderly fashion, I?m making no promises as I may skip around a bit.

The PDC:

So what is the PDC?  Nope, it?s not a new term in the latest rap song, nor is it a Primary Domain Controller.  Though PDC does stand for Primary Domain Controller (for you NT4 people out there), but in the context of this article it stands for Power Distribution Center.  Okay, Power Distribution Center?again what is that?

In larger systems with many fans, wires can build up and connectors can make a mess.  Too many 4-pin pass-through connectors and your case will be cluttered.  The solution?  Purchase one of those fan controllers like the Vantec Nexus which I have installed in my system or build one yourself.  I chose to build one myself and make it better than any fanbus out there.  If you don?t need speed-control, you can make something that not only does a great job, but is fun to build too.  You don?t even need that much to put one together, so head on over to your local Radio Shack.
 

 

The Tools

Here is most of what you need for your very own PDC.  A project box with cover, stranded wire, solder, soldering iron, heatshrink, male phono (RCA) plugs, and an 8-connector board with femal phono (RCA) connectors.  You also will need some wire strippers and some mini-wire clips for routing wire inside your case.  Oh, and who can forget a dremel, the ultimate case modders tool.  A third hand will also be a good idea.  For those who don?t know what a third hand is, all you need to do is swim in some toxic waste.  Just kidding.  A third hand is just a weighted stand with some alligator clips and usually a magnifying glass attached so that you can use it to hold two pieces of wire together while they are soldered.  Now, let?s go over how to build one.

next >

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• PDC Reloaded (1 of 6)
• PDC Revolutions (2 of 6)
• A Quiet System (3 of 6)
• Upgrading Episode I (4 of 6)
• Upgrading Episode II (5 of 6)
• To Not Be Continued (6 of 6)