How to Build Pc

How to Build a Computer Learning how to build your own computer from scratch is fun, plus can save you money. And besides, there's always a feeling of pride after putting something together yourself. Now after looking at a PC and seeing cables and wires all over the place, you may have doubts and not feel up to the task, but that's OK. Actually it's quite simple. This page and the following pages will show you how to install all of the major parts with plenty of pictures and explanations. so put your mind at ease and relax. But before getting started, let's look at some important tips. Preparations: To build your own computer from scratch know what you want to do before buying parts. Do you want to just surf the net, check email, or perform word processing and make spreadsheets? Or is multimedia your thing? Will you want to upgrade? How many hard drives/DVD drives do you want? Your needs should determine what you spend. You don't need to purchase an expensive sound card, video card or fancy motherboard if all you're going to do is surf the net. Whereas if a person is a serious gamer he'll need these things. Compare prices and select parts wisely. Also, make sure components are compatible. You don't want to order parts, only to find out after they arrive that the CPU and motherboard are not compatible. Again, do your homework!!! After you have the parts, don't start building just yet. Always look at the computer manual first. Pay particular attention to the motherboard's layout. Look where connectors are located. Computer cases contain USB, Firewire, and speaker ports on the front of the case. Some have memory card slots. All of these plug into the motherboard so know where they go. The same holds true for thehard drive light, power button, and reset switch. Although certain things about building PCs are the same, motherboards have different features that vary by manufacturer and model.Familiarizing yourself with the manual makes building go much faster. OK, now that you've browsed the manual, one more thing. Get rid of any static electricity you may have by using an anti-static wrist strap.If you don't have one, touch the metal part of the chassis (the case). Static electricity can damage the motherboard, so this is an important step. Instructions: Below are links to the individual steps to follow to build your PC. Installing a Power Supply Installing the Motherboard Installing the CPU Installing Memory Installing Hard Drives Installing DVD Drives Installing Expansion Cards and Connecting the Front Panel How To Install a Power Supply To install a power supply is really quite easy. It fits in the top back of the case. First, orient the holes on the power supply to those on the case. Power supply screw holes Then, place the unit in the space provided and slide it in until the screw holes are aligned. Installing a power supply Secure it by screwing it in. Installing a power supply Finally, plug the power connector into the motherboard. It connects one way. How To Install a Motherboard To install a motherboard, you will need several screws. Case screws go into the bottom of the case and are metal or plastic. I will be using the metal ones. Case Screws Look at your board and find the screw holes. Then look at the holes in the bottom of the case. Installing a motherboard Match the holes on the motherboard to those in the case. You may have to hold the board slightly over the bottom of the case. Laying the board directly on the case may damage it. After the holes are matched, put in the case screws as shown on the right side of the image above. Next, place the motherboard on the screws. If done correctly, the ports on the motherboard will fit into the port holes on the back of the case. Motherboard installation Secure the board by putting in the fastening screws. How To Install a CPU To install a CPU, first raise the lever on the socket. Simply pull the lever out a little bit, then lift up. You should see the socket move up. CPU installation Now you're ready to put in the processor. The CPU pins have to be aligned with the socket holes. Look very carefully at the pin holes on the socket to see the arrangement. Turn the processor over and orient the pins to match the socket. *NOTE: Keep in mind CPUs and sockets vary. Modern Intel processors don't have pins. I'm using an AMD CPU. CPU installation Next, turn the processor back over and place it in the socket. It should basically fall in by itself. To secure it, pull the lever down until it locks in place. CPU installation Installing the CPU Fan and Heatsink: Processors get hot and require a fan or some other kind of cooling. They come in a variety of types and install by different means. Some are easy. Others may take a little work. Always check the documentation. The one in this tutorial is your basic fan. If the fan and heatsink are not attached together, go ahead and attach them now. CPU installation Apply a small amount of thermal grease on the processor or underneath the heat sink. CPU installation Place the fan/heatsink on top of the CPU. Make sure the fan's connector is next to the motherboard fan connector. CPU installation On one side of the heatsink, maneuver the heat sink arm until the notches on the socket lock through the holes. If done correctly, they'll click into place. This may take a little tinkering. Next, on the other side, take a pencil or other object and push down on the heatsink arm until the notches lock through the holes. Again, you should hear it click into place. CPU installation Now that it is secured, connect the fan to the motherboard. CPU installation How to Install Desktop Memory One of the easiest things to do is install desktop memory. To put in a stick of RAM, look at the center of the slots and you will see a notch. On the ends of each slot you will see a small latch. Pull them down if they are not already. Installing memory Next, look at the memory and notice the hole in the connector. Installing RAM Place the ends of the RAM into the ends of the slot. Make sure the hole is over the notch. Push down on the ends of the memory until the latches on the slot attach themselves to the sides of the memory. You will hear a click when this happens. Installing RAM That's all there is to it! When handling memory, try not to touch the contacts on the bottom. If your system supports dual channel and you want to use it, check the documentation to see which slots to populate. How to Install a Hard Drive Before we get started, it should be noted that while the most common hard drives used today are SATA, the system I'm using is IDE based. Besides having different types of connectors, the installment procedure is basically the same. SATA is discussed later. To start, look at the side of the hard drive. You should see some screw holes. Note: There are a variety of computer cases and many don't use screws to install drives. Check the case's specifications. Slide the drive into the drive bay so that the screw holes of the bay and drive are aligned. Then, insert the screws. Hard drive installation Now, find the IDE connectors on the motherboard. They are labeled IDE1 and IDE2, although many modern boards have only one IDE connector. IDE Connectors Next, look at the IDE cable. The blue end plugs into the motherboard. Notice there's a notch on each connector. This is to ensure that you connect it correctly. It only fits one way. If this is the primary hard drive for the system, connect the cable to IDE 1. IDE Cable Now take the other end of the cable (black) and connect it to the 40-pin connector on the drive. Remember, the cable's notch makes it fit one way. Another way to tell if you're doing it correctly is to examine the cable. One side has a thin red stripe that runs the length of the cable. This red side is aligned with pin 1 on the drive. IDE Cable The last thing to attach is the power. Get a molex connector from the power supply, and insert it into the power connector. The yellow wire is always to the outside. IDE power connection That's it! To install a second IDE drive, it must be configured to be the slave drive by using the jumpers located between the 40-pin and power connectors. The default setting is master. Which jumper to use is listed on top of the drive. Attach it to the middle cable connector. Installing SATA Drives: Installing SATA drives is just like installing IDE's except for one major difference. Since SATA cables support one drive, there is no need for a slave configuration if you want to put in a second drive. Just use another connector. Many motherboards come with several SATA connectors and are labeled SATA 1, SATA 2, etc. SATA connection Plug one end of the cable into the motherboard and the other into the drive. Then attach the power. The cables fit one way. The boot drive's cable is inserted into SATA 1 on the motherboard. How to Install a DVD Drive Installing DVD drives is practically identical to installing hard drives. Like hard drives, they can be either IDE or SATA. I will be installing an IDE drive. On the front side of the case, punch out one or more of the drive plates, depending on how many you're installing. Locate the screw holes on the side of the drive. Then slide the drive into the bay through the front of the case until it is even with the case and the screw holes are aligned. Put in the screws. Installing a DVD drive NOTE: I think it's worth mentioning again that cases are different and not all use screws, so check the cases' features. I'm using a standard case. As with the hard drive get your IDE cable and plug the blue end into the IDE2 motherboard connector. The cable's notch makes it fit one way. Installing a DVD drive Plug the other end (black) into the 40-pin drive connector. Again, it fits one way. Installing a DVD drive Last, connect the power. Get a molex cable from the power supply and insert it into the power connector. The yellow wire goes to the outside. Installing a DVD drive To install a second IDE drive, make sure it is configured as the slave drive by using the jumpers located between the 40-pin and power connectors. The default setting is master. Which jumper to use is listed just above the connectors. Slide it into another bay and attach it to the middle cable connector. Installing SATA DVD Drives: Like hard drives, installing SATA DVD drives is simple. SATA cables support one drive, so there is no need for a slave configuration if you want to put in a second one. Just use another connector. Many motherboards come with several SATA connectors and are labeled SATA 1, SATA 2, etc. Plug one end of the cable into the drive and the other into the board. Attach the power. The cables fit one way. If the system has a SATA hard drive, it will be connected to SATA 1 on the motherboard so you will need to use one of the other slots. Installing Expansion Cards and Connecting the Front Panel PC expansion cards provide extra functionality and features than built-in components. Whether it's a video card, sound card, or network card, the procedure for installing them is basically the same. I'm going to install a PCI sound card. To begin, find a PCI slot (blue in the image below). Notice in each one there is a notch close to the right side of the slot. If you're looking from the other angle it will be on the left. PCI Slots Next, look at the card and notice the gaps in the contacts. PCI Card Now, arrange the card so the ports face outside the case. Place the card into the slot. One of the gaps in the contact should fit over the notch on the slot. Press down on the ends of the card until you hear it snap into place. Secure it by screwing the handle to the case. PCI Card Installation PCI Card Installation Front Panel Connectors: Front panel connectors allow things on the front of the case, such as the power button, reset switch, power LED, internal speakers, and hard drive LED to function. They are two rows of pins located right on the edge of the motherboard and are usually individually labeled. Connecting these is basically the final step in building a PC. Front Panel Connectors The wires that connect to these extend from the front inside of the case and are also labeled. Front Panel Wires Since pin arrangement varies from board to board, it's best to check the motherboard manual for proper connection instructions. In addition to these, most cases contain front panel USB, Firewire, and audio connectors. Their motherboard pins are usually near the others. Finished PC Finished PC!