Previous | Next

How to Build a Computer

Most people just assume that a new computer is a Dell or

1. Motherboard - This is the essential piece that all other components of the computer hook into. If you are building a great computer, look for a board that contains PCI-Express slots for a killer graphics card(2005), plenty of RAM slots for memory, a good bus speed for fast processing, as well as 2-4 USB 2.0 slots would be nice for digital cameras, printers, etc. The motherboard is processor dependent(different types needed for different CPU's).
2. CPU - Major br as well as s right now are Intel as well as AMD. Everyone has their own opionions, but AMD gives more bang for the buck. Go for the Athlon 64 model as well as a socket 759 or 939 motherboard as it's not ridiculously expensive as well as has great value. Socket 939 is the way to go if you want more upgrade options, or a gaming computer. If you are an Intel fan since they are a little more stable, go with a Pentium 4 as well as a socket 775 board.
3. RAM - Again, dependent on the motherboard. A higher ranking is generally better but more expensive. I would go with 2 sticks of 512 MB DDR RAM as the minumum. Try to get CAS 2.5 at least.
4. Obtain a Hard Drive - They are being sold cheaper as well as cheaper. If you want one that will last for a long, long time...SATA is a must, 100-200GB recommended.
5. Case - A full tower if you are interested in a server class computer(very, very powerful as well as easy to upgrade) or a mid-size tower for a st as well as ard PC. They are usually the perfect size to stach it away as well as still have enough space to upgrade easily later on.
6. Monitor - I'd go with a 17" or 19" LCD monitor. They are much sharper the the CRT(the boxy ones) as well as will leave your desk less crowded.
7. Keyboard & Mouse - It doesn't really matter much unless you love First Person Shooter games. Get a the cheaper ones if you don't. An additional option is to get wireless so it's less congested. If you love FPS games, then you should go with a corded, optical mouse(less lag) that has a nice feel as well as weight to it.
8. Video Card - Depends on what motherboard you bought, PCI Express or AGP. As of 12/27/05 I would not get anything less than a 6600GT(Nvidia) or an x600(ATI) for gaming. Otherwise get the cheapest one you can find that will work.
9. Power Supply - Focal to the computer is the power supply itself. This will be mounted most probably on the upper back of your case. Ideally, your power supply will have many connectors within the case. These will connect to the other parts within your computer as well as regulate the power supplied to these components.
10. Additional Drives - In addition to the Hard Drive, you will also may want to purchase a Floppy Drive as well as a CD/DVD Drive. The Floppy Drive is fairly st as well as ard as well as will be inserted into your case by opening a side panel as well as putting it in a vacant bay. After doing so, use a connector from the power supply as well as a data cable from the motherboard. The CD/DVD drive is similar, but with greater storage capacity per disk as well as variety of drives (CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, CD/DVD, etc.).

• Well, that's all you need in order to build computers, but you still have the option to get an operating system(Windows, Mac, Linux), a CD/DVD Drive, Ethernet card(almost always onboard the motherboard), Floppy Disk Drive, Printer, Digital Camera, etc.

Be careful of ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) when putting it together.