How to Build a Computer

Branded computers can offer both value and performance, the parts used can be powerful and cheap, and you can switch on and start work. Yet parts are often short-spec in one place or another. Sadly you'll often get a performance "bottleneck" such as a slow graphics card, only a basic amount of memory, or a slimline motherboard with too few upgrade slots. Luckily, computers are surprisingly easy to build. If you can afford the time to plan and build your own machine, you can design a system more targeted toward your own use.

Steps

1. Outline the benefits you're seeking from building your own computer. Different configurations suit different purposes:
   
   
   • Basic System. Nothing special, just some good parts from solid brands.
   • Home System. More RAM and a slightly better CPU for that added boost.
   • A Gamer's Rig. You'll need a killer graphics card, and a lot of RAM.
   • Music Producer. Specialist sound cards offer lots of features and multi-channels.
   • Video Editing Suite. Your processor, hard drive, and memory (some situations graphics card too) are used extensively.
   • Server System. You need a really powerful rig that can shift large amounts of data 24/7.
2. Choose your setup. The cost implications of choosing between these uses are huge. A cheap work computer might cost only two or three hundred. A server can reach tens of thousands. Take the advice of experienced users in your field. Spend no more than is required for your usage. Ignore salesmen or others who implore you to waste money on unneeded upgrades. Refer to the table below for guidelines.
3. Select your hardware. Review the Things You'll Need section below to determine what to obtain for your computer. Consult the many forums on the Web for people who enjoy building their own computer systems. Post what you are planning on building, and ask for suggestions. Many people on forums are more than willing to make sure that you have chosen parts that are good, and that the overall computer will work.
4. Make sure the parts you have selected will work together. Almost all good computer parts websites have detailed lists of specifications to view and check what type of connection the specific part uses. Usually this entails:
   • CPU socket-Motherboard socket (ex. 775, AM2)
   • Graphics card slot-Motherboard slot (ex. PCI-E, AGP)
   • Hard drive type-Motherboard connections (ex. SATA, PATA, RAID 0)
   • Case type-Motherboard type (ex. ATX, Micro-ATX)
   • PSU type-Case type (ex. ATX, Micro-ATX)
   • RAM type-Motherboard RAM supported (ex. DDR-400, PC-3200)
   • Monitor-Graphics card connection (ex. VGA, DVI)
   • Sound Card slot-Motherboard slot (ex. PCI)
5. Know where each part will go and how they will connect and disconnect from the socket/slot. This is crucial as incorrect placement can ruin computer components.
6. Connect your hardware according to the instructions that come with the motherboard. Don't leave the hardware on your floor for days while you figure out what you should do, as this may lead to electrostatic discharge which can damage or ruin computer components. When not attached to the motherboard and case, all components should be left in their anti-static bags. Generally, this entails:
   • Attach the PSU (power supply unit) to the inside of the case, following the instructions included with the case (some cases might have this step completed).
   • Place the motherboard on top of its antistatic bag.
   • Insert the processor into the motherboard. This is done by opening the ZIF [zero insertion force] socket, and carefully inserting the processor (NO force needed, if it doesn't slip right in, or it feels like you have to push, something is probably not right). Then close the ZIF socket arm (little force needed).
   • Apply good thermal paste to the CPU. Use a very small pea sized amount and spread it in a thin layer over the entire processor surface (or if this is an older Athlon series without the protective cover, only apply to the chip in the center of the processor board). Adding too much thermal paste will decrease the life of the processor.
   • Attach the heat sink. This varies from heat sink to heat sink, so read the instructions.
   • Insert the RAM in the proper slots by opening the slots and pushing the RAM in until the little handles can lock it into position.
   • Screw the standoff screws (usually gold hexagonal screws) into the case at the proper points where the motherboard will be screwed in.
   • If your motherboard came with an IO backplate, pop out the one that came with your case and snap in the new one. This sometimes takes a bit of force. If your motherboard has standard IO connectors, your case will already have an appropriate backplate. Just snap out the metal covers (by bending from side to side) for each IO port that your motherboard has.
   • Insert the motherboard into the case (it helps to hold on to the heatsink), and secure it (fasten screws into the holes, which will go into the standoffs).
   • Attach the video card (if you have one ) and any other PCI cards into the motherboard. Be sure to secure them into place via the proper screws.
   • Insert the floppy drive, CD-ROM drives, and the hard drives. Connect them with the appropriate cables, either IDE or SATA.
   • Attach the power supply cables to the appropriate connectors in the computer (motherboard, floppy drive, hard drive, fans, CD-ROM drive). Each cable will only fit in the correct orientation, but pressure will still be needed to push the cables in. Be sure to read the directions that came with each component.
   • Use zip ties to carefully bundle all of the cables, and route them to prevent them from blocking the airflow.
   • Connect front panel connectors to the motherboard (the layout is in the motherboard and/or case manuals).
7. Plug in your computer. Turn on the computer and immediately open the CD drive. Put the CD for your operating system in the drive and close it. Restart your computer by pressing the power button until it shuts off and then push the power button again to turn the computer back on. Don't forget to turn your monitor on.
8. Check your motherboard manual for keys to use to start the "boot sequence" or "CMOS settings", or sometimes "BIOS settings". Click this button when the motherboard splash screen appears. Set your computer's CD/DVD drive as the first boot option. You may have to reboot your computer for these settings to take affect.
9. Follow the instructions to install your operating system. With most operating systems, this will include: Formatting the hard drive, configuring the boot loader, configuring the operating system, and finally installing the operating system. Once the operating system is installed, you're ready to go!

Tips

• The more preparation, research and careful selection of parts you do (and making it), the less proportion of your life you will spend making the darn thing work.
• If you feel overwhelmed, it's better to ask nicely and get an experienced technician to source the parts and build the machine. Individual hardware can have niggling incompatibilities that can ruin your user experience. Insist on years of experience. You'll be glad you did.
• This is a basic outline to build computers, but you still need an operating system (Windows, Mac, Linux).
  • Most people have Windows and know it well, but the legal Windows version for a custom machine may be more expensive than the pre-installed OS you get in the computer from the shop.
  • Linux is great and free but may need more attention to install and configure. However building machine from pieces gives you great opportunity to check the list of supported hardware and be sure that your devices (especially video cards) will work.
• Choose the right amount of memory. The correct amount and type of memory is crucial for system function and stability.
• Don't go cheap on the power supply. A low-grade power supply can fail and destroy your motherboard. When this happens, you will replace the power supply, motherboard, CPU and RAM as your old CPU and RAM won't work in the new motherboard. Spend the extra $50 and make sure your system lasts for several years.
• If you put the computer system together and it does not work, take out everything except the power supply and motherboard (and video card if not using an on-board video card). Ensure that works by viewing your BIOS start up screen. Turn it off, then plug in your hard drives and verify that works. Turn it off, then plug in your CD-ROM and ensure that works. Turn it off, and continue to plug in each additional peripheral until everything is plugged in and working. The idea here is to put in the minimum components to get it to power up, then add one at a time so you know what component is causing the problem.
• Read online or magazine reviews on each component before purchasing it.
• It may be very helpful to request the assistance of a friend who is familiar with building computers. At the very least, ask for their opinions on the parts you plan to use.
• Be mindful of the price. It may be cheaper to buy a brand name computer.

Warnings

• The quality and price of a component are often linked when comparing one brand's component to another brand's component of the same specs. Make a judgment call based upon the brand's reputation, the quality of their support (ie: RMA process), and online reviews. Do not settle for a component of sub-par reliability just to save a few dollars. The biggest differences in price come from each component's level of technology (ie: Core 2 Duo verses Core 2 Quad).
• Do not use force to insert any component into any slot or socket. The tolerances of newer hardware components may be narrow, but everything should still fit without the need to apply too much force. Memory modules are among the few types of components that may require a bit of pressure to install. Before installing your memory modules, make sure they match the memory slots by comparing the notches.
• Do not force cable connections. Fortunately, cables at the back of a computer will only fit onto their intended connector. All cables, except for coaxial and some laptop power connections, will only connect when they are in the same orientation as their connector. For example, DVI and VGA video cables have a trapezoidal connector, not a rectangular one.
• If you are unsure about any aspect of the construction of your computer, DO NOT try "winging" it, either ask for someone who knows what their doing to "spot" you while you build or hire a professional to do it for you.
• Avoid electrostatic discharge when installing components. Wear a static wristband or regularly ground yourself by touching a metal part of the case before handling components. Read the Related wikiHow on How to Avoid Destroying a Computer With Electrostatic Discharge for additional information.
• Double-check all connections before switching on the computer for the first time.
• Do not spill any liquids on electronic components, especially when they are powered on.
• When plugging in CPUs and PATA (IDE) devices, be gentle. If you bend a pin, use tweezers or a narrow needle-nose pliers to straighten it. If you break a pin, on a CPU or CPU socket, your hardware will no longer function correctly. If you break a pin on an IDE connector, you have a 7 in 40 chance that you've broken a ground pin, which may not be critical to a device's functionality. Reference this chart to verify.
• Don't skimp on purchasing quality components. This is especially important of computer's power supply. Acquire a power supply made by a well-known and respected manufacturer. A low-quality or inadequate power supply may damage other system components if it fails.

Things You'll Need

• Motherboard - The motherboard is basically the computer. Without it nothing happens. Everything connects into the motherboard, which makes it really important. Modern boards contain PCI-Express (PCI-E) slots that are much faster than the old PCI. Motherboard makers list compatible CPU and memory products online. Read them before making your CPU and memory selections. You might want to look at the processor an the motherboard at the same time. Make sure your motherboard has enough USB slots for all your peripherals. Although the performance chart states MicroATX as the lowest performance motherboard, that is not always true. Though the MicroATX form factor has fewer expansion slots, it is often similar in performance to its larger cousins. It is indeed possible to create a MicroATX system that has high performance and reliability.
• Processor (CPU) - This is the thing that makes the computer run, it does everything from running a game to adding 2+2. There is not a lot to think about in a CPU but there is one major decision. Intel or AMD. Up until recently, AMD showed better results in gaming and desktop computing, and Intel had better straightline speeds for data-crunching. Since the release of Intel's Core 2 Duo Processor line, however, this has changed. In the sweet spot for gaming performance, AMD could be competitive by significantly lowering prices for the Athlon 64 X2 or Athlon 64 FX-62. However, either a Core 2 Duo or an Athlon will fill your needs, as long as you purchase a processor from either line that is powerful enough for your needs.
• Power Supply - Focal to the computer is the power supply itself, which provides power to the components. Power supplies are mainly rated by their power output in watts. Watts, however, aren't everything. A good quality 400 watt power supply from a reputable manufacturer will generally be a much better choice than a generic '550 watt' unit. If you get a case with the power supply included, then there's nothing you need to worry about. Antec generally makes high quality cases and power supplies. If you are looking to make a gaming rig then you must also look at how much power your video card will draw, both amps and watts. Many of today's power supplies have 2 or more 12-Volt rails, which is where a video card draws its power. This divides the total available amps and watts evenly between these. Certain high end Video cards will need to draw more amps or watts then a single one of these rails can provide so it may be important to get a single 12Volt rail power supply. Be certain to check that the power supply you want also has the proper connectors for the newer video cards.
• Hard Drive - The hard drive stores everything you'll need: the operating system and all other data that you put on your computer. The only criteria for your hard drive is capacity and type. SATA, the current interface, offers RAID support and faster transfer speeds. All new motherboards are compatible with SATA hard drives. A 7200 RPM drive is crucial (anything less will bottleneck your entire system). Perpendicular Recording Technology is recommended for high capacity. Use RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) is you require rapid reading and writing of large quantities of data or if you need to duplicate your data among different drives to ensure reliable storage; otherwise, don't bother. People have different opinions about which are the best hard drives, but Seagate drives have been shown to be very reliable. Check the reviews. As always, avoid no-name components.
• RAM/Memory - Since the hard drive is slow to give information, a lot of information has to be stored in a place where it can be accessed fast. This is where the RAM comes in. However, it is not a replacement to a hard drive because it is not a permanent memory. Sometimes more is better than faster, depending on what applications you want to use. RAM choice is dependent on the motherboard. Go with a stick of 512 MB DDR or DDR2 (depending on the motherboard) RAM as the bare minimum, but for anything other than office applications, you'll want at least 1GB. Install 1 GB per processor core, and stick with Crucial, Corsair and Kingston.
• Additional Drives - In addition to the hard drive, you will also want to purchase a CD/DVD Drive. The CD/DVD drive (optical drive) is an important removable media drive for CD's or DVD's. They are cheap and easy to install. All you have to consider is whether it burns CD's or not and whether it reads/writes DVD's. The most "able-bodied" CD/DVD drive is a combo drive.
• Graphics Card (GPU) - The graphics card is the gateway between your computer and your monitor. It determines how you will see your desktop and everything else you do on your computer. This means how fast you see it and the quality of what you're seeing. For most purposes, fast integrated video like Intel GMA 3000 or nVIDIA 6150 will suffice (even for Vista's Aero Glass), but if you are going to be gaming or editing video a lot, get a standalone video adapter. Your graphics card fits into either a PCI-E slot (the current graphics standard), or an AGP slot. If you are upgrading an older or low-end PC, there may be neither of these slots, in which case you will have to use an empty PCI slot to accommodate a PCI video card. These boards almost always have integrated video. In addition, you have to check the memory of the graphics card. The memory in the graphics card determines what you can do it with the card. Some programs need more memory to run. 256 MB is recommended but 512 MB is better for gamers.
• Case - The case is the enclosure that holds your computer together. It protects your computer from dust and other things that may harm your computer. A mid-size, mini, or micro cube is fine for most users, but a full tower may be needed for servers or users who want a lot of space. The main thing you want to consider in your case is the fans that are in it. The more fans the cooler your computer will be. However, the more fans the more noisier your computer is. In addition, some cases have a Power Supply which will determine if you need to buy a separate one later. Also, make sure the tiny box you'd like has enough space for hard drives, DVD recorders, and that optional card reader. Running out of space is a pain. Antec is usually best.
• Monitor - The monitor is the display on which you will see your desktop and everything you do on your computer. The only thing you have to worry about is whether there are ports that will connect your computer's your monitor. For instance, most graphics cards have DVI ports instead of VGA ports while some only have VGA ports and not DVI ports. The description of the graphics card will tell you if it has a DVI port or not. You may want to get special features with your monitor, but that is completely up to you. CRTs, the large, boxy monitors, are still preferred by graphic artists for their reliability and color accuracy. However, LCDs are much sharper and will leave your desk less crowded. They also consume less power. It's mainly a money and personal preference decision.
• Keyboard & Mouse - There are expensive gaming and work sets available, for first-person-shooter (FPS) games or designing 3D. Just get a cheap set (wireless is good, less congested) for basic computing. A docking rechargeable mouse is great (no more battery changing!). If you love FPS games, then you should go with a laser mouse (not to be confused with an optical mouse!) that has a nice feel and weight to it. If you have a tendency to develop carpal tunnel syndrome then a trackball mouse might be best. They are slightly more expensive, but you don't have to move your wrist at all and you can place them anywhere (leg, table, arm of chair, anything).
• Sound card/headphones - Your sound card or headphones is the device that lets you hear the sounds of your computer. A surround sound card lets you have surround sound with a lot of speakers. There are also headphones that have a microphone built in (headset). You can have either. But remember, if you get a sound card you also have to get speakers. Remember also that many motherboards have excellent integrated high definition audio, so you may not need one for all your sound horsepower.
• Operating system - Keep in mind what Operating System you will be using. Windows Vista will require better performing hardware than Windows XP, MacOS X, or Linux. The operating system you select should fit your needs, your comfort level, and your peripherals. For example, Windows XP and Ubuntu are excellent choices for hardware compatibility and ease of use, but may not always include the latest features of Windows Vista, MacOS X, or other Linux distributions. There are a multitude of Linux distributions such as Fedora, openSUSE, Mandriva, PCLinuxOS, Knoppix, Kubuntu, Debian, Freespire, Slackware, Gentoo, etc. Avoid distributions such as Slackware that require intimate knowledge of Linux command line shells unless you're comfortable with Linux. Avoid distributions such as Gentoo that require every file to be compiled during install unless you're willing to spend multiple days on an install for a disputable increase in performance.

Recommendations

The following table is a general suggestion table for choosing parts, regardless of a computer's intended use. Value categories are suggestions to save money (ie: build a PC for less than $500 US), performance categories are mainstream or for gamers, and the enthusiast categories are for those who enjoy building high-end systems. These categories are highly subjective, may not be up-to-date beyond its initial writing, and only exist to serve as an example.

	Value	Performance	Enthusiast
Case	Any, typically mini or mid-towers	Mid-tower with room for intake and exhaust fans (example: Antec, Thermaltake, Coolermaster)	Full-tower or mod case with extensive cooling capabilities (ie: room for water cooling system), or built-in passive cooling (example: Lia-li, Coolermaster, Zalman, etc.)
Motherboard	Socket 4xx/9xx, AGP graphics	Socket 775/AM2+, PCI-E graphics	Socket 775/AM2/F, multiple PCI-E slots, Crossfire or SLI support
CPU	AMD X2 or Intel Core 2 E4xxx	AMD Phenom or Intel Core 2 Duo E6xxx/Quad Q6xxx	AMD Opteron (typically in dual-CPU configuration) or Intel Core 2 Extreme (Extreme series CPUs are quad core)
RAM	1GB of DDR/DDR2, any latency	2GB of DDR2, moderately low latency	2GB+ of ultra low latency DDR2/DDR3 (typically 4GB+)
Power Supply	400W+ value PSU (20+ amps of 12V)	500W+ quality PSU or 650W+ value PSU (35+ amps of 12V)	750W+ quality PSU (60+ amps of 12V)
Video	built-in video chip on motherboard, NVIDIA x300/x400/7500, or ATI Radeon x3xx card.	NVIDIA 7600/7800/8500/8600/8800GT or ATI 2600/2900 card	NVIDIA 79x0/8800GTX/8800 Ultra or ATI Radeon HD 38xx card(s)
Audio	built-in sound chip on motherboard, Creative Labs Live, Audigy, or any C-Media based sound card.	Creative Labs X-Fi, Auzentech X-Meridian, or HT Omega (cards with EAX 2.0 or higher)	ASUS Xondar, Auzentech X-Fi Prelude (cards with EAX 5.0), or audiophile cards by E-MU or M-Audio
Hard Drive(s)	Any 7200rpm SATA drive (any capacity)	10k rpm SATA (Raptor) or Ultra320 SCSI drives(s) in standalone or RAID 0/1 configuration (250GB or higher total capacity to store media such as movies and music)	Ultra320 SCSI drives in RAID arrays on RAID controllers with on-board memory (any capacity, but typically 1TB and higher)
Optical Drive(s)	Any DVD reader or burner	DVD lightscribe burner (example: Lite-on brand)	DVD burner w/ Bluray/HD-DVD support or multiple drives (example: Plextor brand)