How to Build Your First Computer

Many computer users find that they want to be able to have more control over the components and features of their system than a pre-built machine can offer them. Building your first computer can be frustrating if you don't know where to start or what parts you need, but once you have the basics down the process becomes much more simple and can be finished in an afternoon.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Screwdriver
• Anti-static wrist strap

Purchasing Parts

1. Decide what capabilities you want the computer to have and compare that to your budget for purchasing parts. Figure out if you want a cutting edge gaming system with a high end graphics cards and extremely fast processor or if you just want a system meant for office work that only requires average components.

2. Choose a motherboard and processor combination before deciding on any of the other parts. Compare the prices between the AMD and Intel processors and take stock of their speed capabilities. Check which socket the processor connects to and then find a motherboard that uses the same socket. Compare the different motherboards that have the correct socket and choose one that has the number of drive bays, expansion card slots, and USB or Firewire ports that you want (see Resources below).

3. Check the form factor of the motherboard, which will usually be designated as either "mini-ATX" of "Full ATX," and then purchase a computer case that matches the form. Double check the dimensions of the motherboard and make sure that the case has enough drive bays and open card slots to utilize all of the motherboard's features. Check the details of the processor and motherboard to find out how much voltage they require and then purchase a corresponding power supply that fits the drive bay size of the case (see Resources below).

4. Read the documentation of the motherboard to find out what type of random access memory (RAM) modules it utilizes and how many modules it can handle. Buy the amount of RAM that you want and keep in mind that adding more RAM can be a much cheaper way of increasing computer performance than going with a faster processor (see Resources below).

5. Choose a graphics card and audio card that fit the type of card slots on the motherboard if you didn't choose a board that has integrated graphics and sound features. Finish buying the parts by acquiring a case fan if the case you chose did not come with one and then purchase a CD or DVD drive, hard drive, monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Choose which operating system you want for your computer, such as Linux or Windows Vista, and buy the installation disc (see Resources below).

Putting The Parts Together

6. Put on an anti-static wrist strap and then touch a metal object that is on the floor to ground yourself and prevent electrostatic shock from harming your computer parts. Take a screwdriver and remove all of the screws on the side of the computer case.

7. Push on the side panel until it slides off. Find the case mounting screws that came with your motherboard and install them in the corresponding holes along the edges of the inside of the case. Line up the motherboard so that the drive bays and card slots are matched up to the openings on the case. Mount the motherboard on the screws and then install the remaining smaller screws.

8. 
   A SATA Cable

   Slide the power supply into the drive bay at the top of the case and install the screws to hold it in place. Take the SATA cable that came with the power supply and connect it from the back of the power supply to the power connector on the motherboard.

9. 
   An IDE Cable

   Put the CD or DVD drive into it's drive bay and attach the screws. Plug one end of the flat IDE cable into the back of the drive and the other into the IDE slot on the motherboard.

10. Put the processor on the socket in the center of the motherboard. Place the fan that came with the processor on top and then snap it into place by popping over the side clips. Put the RAM modules into their slots and then snap the plastic holders into place.

11. Place the hard drive into a drive bay and attach the SATA cable to the power supply and the IDE cable to the motherboard. Put the audio and video cards into the card slots and then attach their screws. Put the side panel back on the case and then put the screws back in. Plug the power cord from the power supply into a wall outlet and then connect the cables from the monitor, keyboard, and mouse into their corresponding slots.

12. Press the power button on the case and then put the installation disc for the operating system into the CD drive. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the installation and finish building your first computer.

Tips & Warnings

• Computer screws are much smaller than regular screws and can be hard to pick up if you drop them inside the case so you may want to buy a "parts retrieval" tool to pick them up.
• Make sure you carefully check which direction the processor is supposed to be inserted into the motherboard socket, as it will not work properly if any of the metal pins are bent or broken.

Resources

• Buy Computer Parts From Geeks
• Buy Computer Parts From Newegg
• Buy Computer Parts From TigerDirect
• More Information On Building A Computer