Basics of building a PC (How to Build the Perfect Computer)

Name: barabz

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Product:	How to Build the Perfect Computer
Date:	04/08/01 (73 review reads)
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Advantages: Save LOTS of money, know whats inside computer, increases knowledge

Disadvantages: not for beginners

Building a computer had a geeky stereotyped image attached to it, which nowadays is totally wrong. Provididng you know a little about computers, and have maybe installed a piece of hardware before, such as RAM or a network card, you should be fine.
Firstly, you will need to buy the components for your system. If you are starting from scratch, you will need:

MONITOR - displays the picture
CASE - contains all the hardware
MOTHERBOARD - main piece of computer hardware, everything joins to this
PROCESSOR - this is the "brain" of your computer
RAM - this is memory, which speeds everything up.
FAN - this cools the processor down
SOUNDCARD - this makes sounds...
SPEAKERS - which are emitted from these
GRAPHICS CARD (optional)- this is recommended if you want to play games
HARD DRIVE - this stores everything
FLOPPY DRIVE - for floppy disks
CD/DVD DRIVE - for CDs or DVDs
MODEM - allows you to use the internet
KEYBOARD - for typing
MOUSE - obvious

The best place to find the components is from an internet site, such as dabs.com. Make sure that you are buying from an english site though, otherwise the shipping will be very expensive. To build a system that isn't exactly cutting-egde, but will perform well for the majority of tasks, such as playing games, go for at least an 800Mhz processor, 128Mb RAM, 10 GB hard-drive, 56K modem, GeForce2 graphics card, Soundblaster sound card, 30x CD drive, and 17" monitor. This wsystem would probbly set you back around £350.
Try to get the motherboard and case from the same manufacturer, so that they are guaranteed to fit together. You should get screws with the motherboard for screwing it to the case. This is just a case of lining up the holes and screwing (you should get manuals with the motherboard telling you how to do this anyway).
Depending on the type on motherboa
rd, the slot for the processor is usually a large cream coloured square, which the processor fits onto. The fan sits on top of the processor, usually stuck together with double-sided tape.
There will be a number of long black slots, which is where the RAM slots into. The smaller, cream coloured sockets are the PCI sockets, which is usually where the extras such as sound, network and modem cards fit.
In the case, there will be compartments for the CD drive, and hard disk. These must be screwed in, but again you will be given manuals on how to do this. Then you must connect wires from these drives to the motherboard, before the main part is finished. Then it is just a case of fitting the colour-coded wires from the keyboard, mouse, etc to the back of the case.
Remember to have a copy of Windows available the first time you switch your computer on, as it won't automatically be installed. You will also have to install drivers for all your hardware, bu these will be supplied with the manuals.
Building a computer is definitely well worth it. You can easily build one for half the price that a shop would sell one for. You know exactly what you put in, so in the future if you need to upgrade it, you will know what to upgrade. The only downside is thatif things go wrong, you may only have yourself to blame. Above all, remember to discharge yourself from static electricity before handling the components, and never use excessive force.

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