Notes about How to Build a Computer

Have you ever thought about building your own computer? Actually buying a motherboard and a case along with all the supporting components and assembling the whole thing yourself? Here are three reasons why you might want to consider taking the plunge: 1.

You'll be able to create a custom machine that exactly matches your needs. 2. It will be much easier to upgrade your machine In the future because you'll understand it completely. 3. You may be able to save some money.And, if you've never done it before, you'll definitely learn a lot about computers.

In this article, we'll take you through the entire process of building a computer. You'll learn how to choose the parts you'll use, how to buy them and how to put them all together. When you're done, you'll have exactly the machine that you need. The first step in building a computer is deciding what type of machine you want to build. Do you want a really inexpensive computer for the kids to use? A small, quiet machine to use as a media computer in the living room?A high-end gaming computer? Or maybe you need a powerful machine with a lot of disk space for video editing.

The capabilities are endless, and the type of machine you want to build will control many of the decisions you make down the line. Therefore, it's important to know exactly what you want the machine to accomplish from the start. Let's imagine that you want to build a powerful video-editing computer. You want It to have a quad-correct, lots of RAM and at least 2 terabytes of disk space.

You also want to have Firmware and USB 3. 0 ports on the motherboard.Look for a motherboard that supports: * Quad-core Cups (either Intel or MAD) * At least BIB of high-speed RAM * Four (or more) SAT hard drives Firmware connections (possibly in both the front and back of the case) * USB 3. 0 ports Then It all needs to go In a case with enough space to hold multiple hard disks and enough air ;flow to keep everything cool. With any computer you build, knowing the type of machine you want to create can really help with decision-making. Choosing a Motherboard Choosing a motherboard Is the most Interesting part of any building project.

There are hundreds of motherboards to choose from and each has its own advantages and 1 OFF few categories. For example: * Cheap motherboards: Generally in the $50 range, Hess are motherboards for older JPL's. They're great for building inexpensive machines. * Middle-of-the-road motherboards: Ranging in price from $50 to $100, these are one step up from the cheap motherboards. In many cases you can find motherboard and CPU combos in this price range, which is another great way to build a cheap machine or an inexpensive home/office computer. High-end motherboards: If you're building a powerful gaming machine or video workstation, these motherboards give you the speed you need.

They range in price from $100 to $200. They handle the latest CPU chips at their highest speeds. * Extreme dartboards: Falling into the over-$200 range, these motherboards have special features that boost the price. For example, they might have multiple CPU sockets, extra memory slots or special cooling features.

You need to decide whether you are building a "cheap machine," a "high-end machine" or a "tricked-out super machine" and then choose your motherboard accordingly.Here are some other decisions that help narrow down your motherboard choices: * Do you want to use an Intel or an MAD processor? Making this choice will cut the number of motherboards in half. MAD chips are often cheaper, but lots of people are die-hard Intel fans. What size motherboard do you want to use? If you're trying to build a smaller computer, you may want to look at micro ATX cases.

That means you'll need to buy a micro ATX motherboard. Otherwise you can use a normal ATX motherboard and case. (There are also smaller motherboard form factors like mini-ITS and even Anna-alt if you want to go really small. The size of the motherboard determines the size of the case you'll need. * How many USB ports do you want? If you want several, make sure the motherboard can handle it.

* Do you need Firmware? It's nice if the motherboard accommodates it (although it's also possible to add a card). Do you want a PC Express graphics card? Or do you want to use a graphics card on the motherboard to keep the price and size down? If you want to go the cheapest route, make sure the motherboard includes a video card on board (easiest way to tell is to see if there is a DVD or VGA connector on the motherboard).If you want an HIDE port, TV tuner or other video component, make sure the video card or cards you've chosen include them. * What pin configuration are you using for the CPA]? If you want to use the latest JPL's, make sure that your motherboard accepts them. * Do you want to try hinges like dual video cards or special high-speed RAM configurations? If so, make sure the motherboard supports it. If you don't care about any of this stuff (or if it all sounds like gibberish to you), then you're probably interested in building a cheap machine.

In that case, find an inexpensive motherboard/Chip combo kit and don't worry about all of these details. Buying Your Components Now that you've picked everything out, it's time to purchase your parts. You have three options: * Mail order on the Internet All kinds of stores sell computer parts on the Web. Visit multiple sites to compare prices.

Don't forget about eBay. A big national chain Places like Tiger Direct, Fry's, and Best Buy have stores in many large cities that will sell you parts. They also have people on staff who may be able to smaller, local shops selling parts. Look in the Yellow Pages or online.The people working at a shop like this can often answer lots of questions, and they may also be willing to help you if your machine does not work after you assemble it. Now that you have your parts, it's time to build.

This is the fun part. Installing RAM and the Microprocessor CAUTION: Before we start building, we need to say one thing about static electricity. Most of the parts you'll be handling when you assemble your computer are highly sensitive to static shocks. If you build up static electricity on your body and a shock passes from your body to something like a CPU chip, that CPU chip is dead.

You'll have to buy another one. The way you eliminate static electricity is by grounding yourself. There are lots of ways to ground yourself, but probably the easiest is to wear a grounding bracelet on your wrist. Then you connect the bracelet to something grounded (like a copper pipe or the center screw on a wall outlet's face plate). By injecting yourself to ground, you eliminate the possibility of static shock. Each combination of parts is unique.

But in general, here are the basic steps you'll need to follow when you assemble your machine: First, you'll need to unwrap the motherboard and the microprocessor chip.The chip will have one marked corner that aligns with another marked corner of its socket on the motherboard. Align the corners and drop the microprocessor into the socket. You don't need to apply any pressure - if it's aligned correctly, it should fall into place. Once you have it in, cinch it down with the lever arm. Now, you need to install the heat sink.

The CPU box will contain a manual that tells you how to do it. The heat sink will contain either a heat sink sticker or heat sink grease to use when mounting it on the CPA]. Follow the instructions closely to install it.To install our heat sink, all we had to do was put it in place, cinch it down with flanges on either side and lock it with a cam. Connect the power lead for the heat sink to the motherboard. Next, you'll install the RAM.

Look on the motherboard for the slot marked "one" and firmly press the RAM module into it. It will probably take more pressure than you'd think to get the RAM into place. Each side of the module should also have a rotating arm that will lock the RAM down. Now your motherboard is ready to put in the case. Assembling the Case Next, you'll assemble the case.

You'll need to install the power supply, the motherboard, a faceplate and standoffs to hold the motherboard in place. You'll also need to connect some wires to the motherboard. Your motherboard should have come with a face plate for its back connectors. The case already has a hole cut in it for the plate, so you Just need to put in the plate and press it until it clicks into place.

Now you can put in the motherboard. It needs to sit about a quarter of an inch (6. 4 millimeters) away from the case's surface so that none of its connectors touch the case.You'll accomplish this by placing spacers, which are also included with the motherboard.

Because each motherboard is different, you'll have to set it into the case first to see which screw holes on the motherboard match up with the pre-drilled holes in the case. Then you can take the motherboard back out, place the spacers, up with the faceplate and the holes line up with the spacers. Find the screws that fit (these should have come with the case) the spacers and screw down the motherboard. Don't screw them in too tightly they Just need to be snug. Be very careful when putting in the screws.

If you drop them into the case, they could damage the fine wires on the motherboard. Now you can install the power supply in the case if it's not already installed. The power supply has two sides. The fan side faces outside the case and the wire side faces inside. Slide the power supply onto its brackets and secure it with screws (the case or the power supply should have come with them). Connect the power leads to the motherboard.

There should be a large one and a small one, and it will be obvious as to where each one goes. You'll be left with about 15 more wires. Don't worry the manual has a page to tell you exactly where each one goes.Each of them has a label that corresponds to a label on the correct port. Troubleshooting What if you put it all together and it doesn't work? This is the one possible downside of building your own machine.

It is hard to describe the feeling you get when you try turning on the machine and nothing happens. You've put in several hours of work and a significant amount of cash, so it's discouraging to get no response. All is not lost, however. Here are several items to check: Is the power supply firmly plugged in and turned on (many power supplies have a small switch on the back)? Try a different outlet. Did you plug the power supply into the motherboard? Look at the manual for details.

* Is the case's power switch properly connected to the motherboard? If you've plugged the switch into the wrong pins on the motherboard, it wont work. Check the motherboard manual. * Are the drives connected to the motherboard properly? Do they have power? * Unseat and reseat the video card. If the motherboard has onboard video, try to remove the video card completely and boot using the onboard version. If you've checked all of that and nothing continues to happen, it could mean: * The power supply is bad. The switch on the case doesn't work.

. * Something is wrong with the motherboard or the CPA]. The easiest way to determine where the problem lies is to swap parts. Try a different power supply. Swap a different motherboard into the case. Play around with different combinations.

If it's still not working, then you have a few options. You can go back to the shop that sold you the parts. If you bought them from a small local shop, they can help you debug the problem (although it may cost you). If they sold you a bad motherboard (rare, but possible) they'll usually help you out.You can also try to find a more experienced builder who would be willing to help you.

There's a rational cause for the problem you're experiencing either a bad part or a bad connection somewhere and you'll find it. Now that you've seen how simple it is to build your own computer, we hope that you'll give it a shot. You'll have a computer that you understand completely and will be able to easily to upgrade. You can save money, and it's a lot of fun, too.

So the next time you need a new computer, consider building one.