How to Build a Simple Computer

Many companies build their so-called brand-name computers out of parts from the lowest bidding subcontractor on automated assembly lines and give them more bells and whistles than you may wish to pay for. Though potentially challenging, building your own computer will prevent many of these pitfalls, not to mention making it easier for you to fix if something goes wrong.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Motherboard
• Central processing unit (CPU) with fan (usually sold together) that matches your motherboard
• Random access memory (RAM) that matches your motherboard
• Desktop computer case with power supply
• Hard drive
• DVD-ROM drive
• Monitor with video cable
• Operating system (such as Windows or Linux)

Choose Your Parts

1. Purchase your motherboard, RAM, CPU and case at your local computer store. Always buy these four parts together, as your motherboard will determine which of the other three you can purchase. Not all motherboards support all CPUs or RAM, and many won't fit into all the cases. Have a store employee help you choose these parts, and never purchase the most expensive, which usually translates to the newest parts to market, generally buggy and a poor value.

2. Purchase your remaining three parts at your computer store or online. Find the hard drive with the most storage capability you can afford; good performance requires a drive less than half full. As you are building a simple computer, buy an inexpensive DVD-ROM drive and monitor.

3. Purchase your operating system. If looking to purchase used, make sure you are purchasing from the United States, the software comes with a Windows key and the user is no longer using the software, and will take it back if it does not work for any reason.

Build Your Computer

4. Install your CPU, CPU fan and RAM into the motherboard. Refer to your CPU's manual before you do this, but usually the CPU will have an angle that only allows it to fit in one way. Clip the fan to the top of the motherboard, and plug the fan into the fan power port, usually very close to the CPU. The RAM chip will also only install one way, due to a groove on the bottom of the chip.

5. Mount your motherboard into the case using the screws that came with the case. Face all the ports on the board out the back of the computer.

6. Mount your DVD-ROM and hard drive inside the case. Put the DVD-ROM in the topmost bay---usually close to the top of the computer itself and one of the larger ones. Mount the hard drive as far away from the DVD-ROM as possible---usually one of the smaller ones. Use the screws that came with the parts themselves.

Connect It Up And Fire It Up

7. Connect all parts to the power supply, which generally comes installed in the case with various sizes of cords with white plastic ends. Use trial and error to fit the hard drive and DVD-ROM; if it fits, it works. Check your motherboard's schematic for which ports you need to connect to the power supply; you'll usually see one long connector, and sometimes an auxiliary.

8. Connect the hard drive and DVD-ROM to the IDE ports. Using the flat gray wires that accompany these parts, connect the back of the hard drive to the primary master IDE port. Connect the DVD-ROM to the primary slave IDE port. Look for the IDE ports on the drives; they are long and thin, usually with two rows of perhaps two dozen pins, though the actual number of pins can vary. Consult your motherboard's documentation for their exact location on the board, though they usually sit near the edge.

9. Connect the various small wires inside the case to the motherboard. These control various aspects of the case, such as the power button and the lights on the front. Refer to your motherboard manual as to how exactly to do this; it varies wildly by motherboards.

10. Connect the monitor to the VGA port on the back of the computer, usually shaped like a trapezoid. Connect the power to both parts, and turn the computer on.

11. Insert your Windows disc into the DVD-ROM, and follow the on-screen instructions; the Windows guide will take you through the complete installation of the operating system.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you read all the documentation that comes with each part before you start. This will greatly help you with the connections and any settings that may be unique to your parts.
• Do not attempt to modify the inside of your computer while you have it connected to the power. Doing so might well give you the shock of your life---literally.

References

• How To Build Your Own Computer