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Computer Building Basics

by David Tate

  • Overview

    It's fair to say that most people have a love/hate relationship with computers. So long as they work fine and do what we want them to, we love them. When they don't work we hate them, and the worst thing for some people is having to buy a new computer. One of the cheapest ways to get one is to build it yourself. In general, you can always get parts cheaper online, and assembling it on your own saves even more money.

  • What You Need

    The basics of what you need to build a computer are: a screwdriver, computer case, motherboard, optical drives (includes CD-rom, DVD-rom, etc), central processing unit (CPU), CPU cooler, memory (RAM), a hard drive, power supply, and a video card. There are a few ground rules to follow when building a computer. First, keep yourself grounded at all times. Second, NEVER touch any of the pins on any of the hardware. The oil from your fingers could seriously damage the device you're handling. Third, always check the installation instructions before attempting anything. Most parts come with an easy reference installation guide now.
 

  • Motherboard

    On the motherboard, lift the CPU retaining lever up. Take the CPU and line up the bottom of the chip with the pattern on the motherboard. Lower the CPU into place, and push the retaining lever down to lock it down. Take the CPU cooler, add thermal paste to the underside if necessary, and align it to sit directly over the top of the CPU. Clamp it down as the instructions direct, and plug it into the motherboard. Take your RAM and align the stick into the correct slot as shown in the motherboard installation guide. Make sure the clamps are open, and push the stick down until the clamps pinch into place. Take the video card and align it with the correct PCI Express slot. Lower it into place and press it into the slot.

  • Case

    Take the back plate that came with your motherboard and push it into the corresponding slot in the case. Lay the case on its side. Take your motherboard and lower it into the case. Align it with the back plate, and the raised standoff screw connectors that should be installed. Use the screws provided to fasten the motherboard to the case. Screw the video card into the case also. Take the power supply and slide it into its slot, and secure with the screws provided.

  • Drives

    According to your case instructions, take the hard drive tray out. Use the screws supplied and secure the hard drive into the tray. Mount this back into the case. Take out the front bezel from your case. Slide your optical drive into the front and align the holes on the case with the holes on the drive. Use the screws supplied to secure it.

  • Connections

    Take the cables and plug them into their corresponding motherboard spots. You will need to connect the power button, reset button, hard drive light, front panel audio, USB, SATA, ATX power connector, and supplementary power connector. You will also need to plug in both the SATA power and data connections to the optical drive and hard drive. If necessary, plug in external power to your graphics card.

  • Starting Up

    Connect peripherals (mouse, keyboard, etc). Turn on your computer and install your operating system. Then install the chip set for your motherboard, network drivers, and video card drivers, and update your operating system.

    References & Resources

       
       
     
     

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