Building a PC
Hardware Required
PC Case Hard Drive DVDRW Drive Processor Cooling Fan Motherboard Memory Power Supply Video Card
Building your own computer from the ground up may seem like a hugely daunting prospect. However, there are many beneficial factors that come with doing this. This article highlights five of the major advantages in putting together a computer yourself.
1. Lower Cost: The labour alone to build your beautiful new PC is 50% of its cost. Arguably you are paying for the brand as well.
If a 50% saving isn’t a good enough reason for you
2. Quality of Parts: With the exception of a few retailers many store-built computers are affectionately known as ‘Dead-End Builds’. The reason for this is the quality of the parts used in their construction results in them being unable to outlast their own hardware. Many retailers prefer to use generic parts or low quality parts because it’s cheaper and they can bulk purchase for their own needs. However with that the consumer is unwittingly receiving low performance hardware for severely inflated prices. Indeed, one should be particularly wary of computers boasting onboard graphical capabilities because they can potentially run at a fraction of the speed of a high end video card and, while quoting many of the same statistics, are merely worded very favourably: Up to 1GB Dedicated Video Memory!” Such machines would most likely be able to handle today’s applications, but within a couple of years you would be hard pressed to run the latest games or programs. Couple this with the fact retailers will assemble their offerings in somewhat modest custom branded cases giving the consumer little room for upgrades or expansion, and the result is always the same: an outdated PC with a premature lifespan.
3. Exact Specification: Building your own PC gives you total free reign and limitless options to create your own unique animal. Computers are essentially a vast collection of third party hardware working under the rule of an operating system (usually Windows), so the consumers have the ability to ‘cherry pick’ the best hardware to suit their needs. Motherboards, processors, memory, and other components all have specific rankings and speed ratings. Choosing the parts that are right for you is simply a case of understanding how these ranking systems actually work.
4. Upgrade Potential: The clever consumer thinks to the future when selecting hardware. The freedom to choose your own parts gives you the freedom to plan for later. A buyer may purchase 2 gigabytes (GB) of RAM for the time being, but select a motherboard able to house 12 GB and purchase more at a later date. This can be done with just about any component, and because you built it, there’s no warranty to void in the process. This goes back to point two and the quality of parts used. Not only will the custom built computer last for much longer than a same price ‘Dead End Computer’, but you will have the option to expand your current machine’s capabilities or simply recycle the parts and put them towards a new custom build. The two most frequently changed pieces of hardware are the processor and GPU, so it is not uncommon for hard disks or memory to withstand two builds, saving money in the long run.
5. Satisfaction: Building your own computer is a very rewarding experience. Toiling for hours on what is effectively a very expensive jigsaw, for you to push the power button at the end and the whole machine whir into life, gives somewhat of a warm feeling inside. You may then look back upon your creation and the experience as a whole and recap what you now know. This will include things like how to choose the right hardware and understand the ratings, how to put everything together, how to plan ahead and most importantly, how to get around retailer’s fees.
Granted, there is a degree of electrical knowledge required when installing and configuring the most intricate of parts, but there is always help available in the form of step by step guides on the Internet. As a last resort, some new builders may enlist the services of their well known friend, the aptly labelled ‘one that knows about computers’. As unspecific as that may sound 9 out of 10 people will be able to think of a friend or relative able to do this off the top of their head. To put it another way, even if he or she charges you a fee for the time, you will still be beating the retailers hands down on price.
There you have it — five very good reasons to build your own PC. Hopefully this article has educated you in the art of computer construction somewhat and at worst, given you an insight on what to look out for from high street retailers.
So you’ve picked out and purchased the hardware for your new computer, and you’ve already completed the most difficult step: Waiting for the parts to come in the mail. The next step is putting all of the pieces together, which we’ll cover here.
Putting the Computer Together
Tools required: Screwdriver, free time, patience, some cable ties or electrical tape, and maybe an anti-static band.
The first thing to do is start carefully removing the packaging from everything and enjoying the geek moment… be very careful when unwrapping the processor, and don’t drop it on the floor like I did.
I usually put the processor on the board before putting the board into the case, which makes it a little easier. Open up the latches on the processor socket…
…making sure to remove the little piece of plastic that protects the pins, of course. Note that these instructions are for an Intel processor, and might be slightly different for AMD.
Now very carefully insert the processor, making sure to align it correctly with the notches. Close the hatch carefully when you are done. You should wait to attach the fan until the motherboard is securely in place.
Your motherboard should come with a little metal cover for the back, where the ports will go. You should put that in before trying to stick the motherboard into the case.
Note: Before putting in the motherboard, make sure that the case has the right “pegs” in place for the motherboard to stand on. Some cases have the pegs built-in, but you might have to add a few. Check your manual.
Now you can carefully put the motherboard with the processor into the case, matching up the holes with the pegs.
Make sure that the motherboard lines up correctly with the holes in the port hole cover… you might end up having to bend some of the metal tabs on the inside if they were bent during shipment. The key is that all the ports should be unobstructed… make absolutely certain before screwing in the motherboard!
Now you can finally screw in the motherboard. Most motherboards have 9 screws, but that could vary. The key thing is that you should be putting the screws into the pegs so that the motherboard sits slightly above the case… and don’t fasten these screws too tightly… just snug enough that the board won’t be moving.
Next you’ll need to start plugging in some cables… most motherboards have a 4-pin power cable that needs to be plugged in near the processor. It’s important to plug this cable in first before adding the processor fan, otherwise it’s usually very difficult to reach.
Tip: When putting a computer together, you should think ahead… if you connect one cable or add in a new piece, is it going to block you from putting in the next one?
Now you can add the processor fan, carefully matching up the holes and making sure that you have enough slack in the cable to plug in the power. Notice how difficult it would have been to plug in the 4-pin power cable with the fan in the way!
Tip: It would be wise to use some thermal compound between the CPU and the fan, as it helps keep the temperature down. It’s pretty simple, just follow the directions on the back of the package. It’s not technically required, however.
Make sure to adjust the four fasteners so that they are positioned correctly according to the manual. If you are using a stock cooler, the bigger part of the groove needs to be pointed inwards.
Once you have the fan in place, you need to push down on each of the four fasteners in a diagonal pattern. For instance, I’d push down the upper left one in this picture first, since it’s crammed in the corner. Then I’d push down the one on the lower right next, and then the other two. (This is usually the most difficult step in the whole build process. Everything else is easy from here)
Next you’ll want to connect the motherboard wires to the wires coming from the case for the power and reset buttons. This will be completely different based on your motherboard, so you need to check the manual. My motherboard came with a little plastic piece that made it really easy to match them up…
This was then easily plugged into the motherboard (in the lower right on this picture). You’ll also need to connect your audio, USB, and any other cables coming from the case at this point, including the main motherboard power connectors. (Check your manual)
Now we’re getting somewhere… slide the DVD drive in place…
And make sure to align it with the front panel in place so that it fits correctly before adding the four screws on the side (it’s pretty simple). Make sure to fasten those tightly… remember that the DVD drive is a moving part and you don’t want it rattling.
Now you can add the hard drive to the case. I like to put mine so that the case fan is drawing air across the hard drive. You probably want to connect the SATA cables first before putting it into place. Make sure to securely screw in the four screws, because your hard drive can make a whole lot of rattling noises if you don’t.
At this point you should have most of the major pieces in place… but your cables are probably dangling all over. You should be able to use some of the included zip ties or some electrical tape to neatly tie the cables up so they aren’t dangling.
Something more like this… although I’ll admit I didn’t do the best job of making them look nice. The point is to make sure that the cables aren’t hanging around and hitting the fans if you move the machine. Making them look “pretty” is up to you. =)
I’m sure you probably thought I forgot about adding the RAM… well I didn’t. I’ve found that on many cases adding the ram first will block you from being able to insert the hard drive, so I wait to add it until we’re almost done.
First, consult your manual to figure out which memory slot you need to use. Next, make sure that the fasteners on either side are pushed Out, like you can see below:
You’ll notice that the notch in the memory indicates that you can only put it in facing one direction. Line up the notches, and simply push down on the memory stick, and the fasteners should snap into place magically like this:
Now you can add in your video card and any other add-on cards. Make sure that you knock the slot cover off the back first, and screw it into place securely. Remember that you’ll be connecting things to the back, so take a look to make sure you lined them up to make it easy to connect the cables later.
Checklist Before Closing Up the Computer
Before you go to the trouble of putting the case back together, you should check through this list to make sure you got everything. (Note that depending on your config you might need to plug in extra items… remember to read the manual)
Did you plug in the power cables to the motherboard? There’s usually a 24-pin connector and a 4-pin one.
Did you add the CPU with the fan… and did you plug in the fan power cable?
Did you plug in the memory (RAM) securely?
Did you plug in power cables to each of the drives (hard disk and DVD). What about the SATA cables?
Did you remember to put four screws in each of the hard drives or DVD drives?
Did you remember to screw in the motherboard?
Did you plug in all the wires coming from the case into the motherboard?
Are any cables dangling that might get caught in a fan?
Now you can add the panels back on the side of the case…
And you are done! That was rather fun, wasn’t it?
Plug in a monitor and turn your new machine on, and hopefully it will work immediately like mine did… success!
If It Doesn’t Turn On or Start Up
If the computer doesn’t turn on or work right away, don’t panic… the problem is most likely that something isn’t connected correctly. Go back through and verify that every single cable is connected exactly as the manual says it should be.