Today we've been going through the script for Section 2 and making a shot list. Section 2 is all about gettings the hardware hooked up and the wireless adapters installed into the computers.  

Section 2 is where most of the actual video will be.  The other sections will largely be video screen captures with narration, much like the computer setup lessons in the Home PC Builder videos. 

I'm leaning toward making four seperate lesson for section 2.  It would be a lot to put in one video.

Tomorrow we'll finalize the Section 2 script, record the audio and start editing it together.  I hope to finish the editing tomorrow so we can start putting the shot list to use shooting the video this weekend.

The Geforce 9800 series is available.  They are Nvidia's new middle to high end video cards.  The prices range from $300 for a 9800GTX with 512MB of onboard memory, to $580 for a 9800GX2 with 1GB of onboard memory.

Here's a list of all of the 9800 boards on Newegg.com 

Today and yesterday we've been writing the dialog for Section 2.  Section 2 will cover connecting the modem and router and installing a USB, PCI card and PC Card wireless network adapters into two desktops and one notebook computer. 

It looks like it will either be one long lesson or four seperate smaller lessons.  I'll have to wait until I get the audio recorded to know for sure.  This will be the last of them that is scripted.  Sections 3 through 6 should mostly be recorded live.  Here's the course outline as it now stands.

1: Networking Hardware
2: Installing and connecting network components
3: Router configuration
4: Configuring and connecting computers and devices
5: Sharing Files and Printers between computers
6: Internet Security

This may and probably will change as we go through the process of making the videos.

I got a shipments yesterday with some of the Wireless N networking equipment we'll be showing in the Home Network Builder videos. 

The router is a D-Link DIR-655.  There's 3 wireless n adapters in the package.  A USB adapter, a PCI card adapter and a PC Card adapter. 

Section 2, which I'm writing now, will show how to physically install each adapter into a computer and set up the drivers in XP and Vista. 

In Section 3 we'll show how to configure the routers settings.  Not only the new D-Link we just got, but I'm also going to show a Linksys router set up and a more generic routers set up (Encore brand router). 

This will be helpful since each manufacturer has a different layout in their routers configuration.  You'll see they all have basically the same elements.  They are just in different areas and called by slightly different names.

DDR3 RAM is getting cheaper.  You can get 2GB of decent quality DDR3 PC310666 for $175.  Price referenced from Newegg.com

A few months ago the same level of DDR3 was about $50 more.  This is a considerable improvement but not enough to recommend DDR3 for every computer.  It's still too expensive.

You can get DDR2 RAM much cheaper.  DDR2 PC26400, which is pretty much standard for DDR2 starts at about $45 for 2GB of good quality RAM.

The speed benefits of DDR3 can't be denied and all signs are for continued price drops on DDR3 memory.  Intel is really pushing for DDR3 to become the new standard in all desktop computers by the end of the year.  This will push prices down to somewhere near DDR2 levels.  At least close enough for anyone building a computer to seriously consider using DDR3.

The Penryn family of CPU's from Intel that we talked about in the video lessons and in the forums is out.  They use a new 45nm process which makes them run cooler than the older Conroe family which used a 60nm process.  The improvements increase performance over the old generation by about 10%. 

The desktop version of the Penryn is called Yorkfield and there are several models. 

The Core 2 Quad Q9450 Yorkfield 2.66GHz looks to be the best bang for your buck at around $360.  It has 12MB of cache!  The lower clocked versions have 6MB cache and are only about $60 less.

Here's a link to the Yorkfield CPU's on Newegg.com

You can also search for Q9450 on your favorite search engine and find other places to buy it.

The price goes up very quickly after the Q9450.  Keep in mind this mostly gets you a higher clock speed.  With a good motherboard and memory you can take a lower clocked CPU like the Q9450 and overclock it to be just as fast as the higher priced models.  The QX9770 is the high end model and it cost $1500! 

If you're adventurous, you should consider overclocking and save yourself $1000+.

The Q9450 will probably be the CPU I use in the system we put together in the Home PC Builder 2009 videos.

Hello, it's Michael C.

I don't know why I waited so long to start a blog.  My intention is to keep you all up to date on what is happening on the site, new products from us and computer news from around the net. 

I've been working on a new set of videos for the site called Home Network Builder.  It aims to teach you how to set up a home network. 

I recorded the audio for section 1 on Tuesday and yesterday I edited it together with a first draft of the visuals.  Section 1 is all about the hardware you need for a wireless network. 

I'm going to try and put this first draft of the lesson online tonight to get feedback from the members of the site.  I need to even out the audio levels first and then the video encoding will take some time.  It will be in the Video Lessons drop down just below the Home PC Builder 2008 videos.

I'm off to level out that audio and start encoding.

Update: 11PM
Here's a direct link to the video
https://www.homepcbuilder.com/video-lessons/1-networking-hardware.html

This new chipset sports a 1600MHz system bus, DDR3 support up to 2000MHz,  two PCI Express 2.0 16x slots running at full speed.  (some motherboards run the PCI Express 2.0 slots at 8x when both are in use)

Of course it supports all the latest Dual and Quad core Intel Socket T (LGA-775) CPU's.

I guess it goes without saying that this is Intels new high end chipset.  The prices for boards are ranging from $300 to $400.

Add that to the cost of DDR3 memory and this is no budget build.

http://www.techspot.com/review/89-asus-p5e3-premium-wifi/

Added June 25th, 2008

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/1444/asus_rampage_formula_x48_motherboard/index.html

http://www.bigbruin.com/2008/asusp5e64_1