Some people think building a PC is hard. They see the inside of a pc as a no go area, believing it is incredibly complex to build and understand such a thing. The funny thing is, it really isn’t that hard.
Building a PC is like a jigsaw puzzle, each component will only slot in one place. The only way you will do something wrong is if you put a piece in the wrong place.
Understanding the PC
The first thing you need to know is what each component does. I will try to simplify this by using the human body as a basis.
The Motherboard is the brain, everything revolves around it. It is the main hub of your PC. Just as with brains, they come in different shapes and sizes, which are called form factors. You will need to know what the form factor is of the Motherboard in order to fit the Motherboard in the case.
The processor or CPU is like the heart, it is the engine that drives your pc. The faster this engine is the better, as it can allow your PC to run faster.
The RAM is like the short term memory of your brain. The better the memory, the more files the system can handle at once.
The hard drive is like the long term memory of your brain. This is where all your files are stored, the bigger the hard drive the more files you can store.
Just like the human body, a PC needs more than just a brain and a heart. The Graphics and Sound Cards are like your eyes and ears. The better your sight and the better your ears, the clearer you see and hear things.
The Power Supply Unit (PSU) is like the systems food and water. The PC needs this to run, as it provides the computer with the electricity it needs. This may seem obvious, but a good PSU is very important, as many components require a PSU of a certain wattage or with a certain number of power connectors to plug into it. Make sure you know these requirements before purchasing.
Finally we have the case. This is the skeleton of the PC. As with the PSU, many people forget the importance of the case. The size and weight will affect not only how much you can put in it and how much room will be required on your desk, but also how good the cooling system is. This will be huge in the summer months when room temperature rises, and even bigger for gaming. The PC will heat up a lot when the room temperature rises, and when a lot of components are running at once, like they are in gaming, the case gets got and this can damage components very easily.
Choosing the components
Now you have a rough idea of what each component does, you need to buy your components. There are a few ways to go about this.
One option is to simply pick them yourself, which is what I did when I built my first system. If you choose this option I would recommend you do your homework, as you need to ensure the Motherboard, Processor and RAM are all compatible with one another in order for them all to work as one.
Another option is to buy a barebones bundle from a company such as Novatech. This is a bundle of several components such as the Motherboard, RAM and CPU at a discounted price as they are bought together. Yet again, I would make sure you do your homework, this time to see how good the processor is, as it has been known for these bundles to put a good board and RAM with a poor processor.
The last option is the one I would recommend. In many computer magazines such as Custom PC, there are component lists. All the components listed will work together, and the best price and place to buy it will be listed. Even if you want to choose your own components, I would recommend this as a base model to go by, as this will cut out a lot of time finding the best prices.
Choosing the operating system
Most people will choose either a Windows or Mac operating system (OS). If you are going to then you will need to purchase a full, not upgrade, version of the OS in order for it to work.
There are several ways to go about doing this. Either purchase the latest version of the OS, or get an older version or upgrade from there, depending on which is cheapest.
The alternate option is an OS called Linux. It is a free to use OS that can be downloaded online and is a good option if you would just like to test your system first, or do not feel you will benefit from having Windows or Mac.
If you choose Linux you will need to do a little research into which version is best for you, as each version has its benefits. I would recommend Ubuntu, as it is easy to understand for beginners. The other downside to getting Linux is that you cannot use a lot of software that can be bought for Windows or Mac on it, so bare this is mind before making a final decision.
Building the PC
-Tools
Before you can start building, you will need to buy a few tools, a number 2.0 Phillips-head screwdriver and an anti-static wristband.
An anti-static wristband is a wristband that is earthed, ridding your body of the static electricity it contains. Static electricity will ruin PC components, and most PC shops sell them for as little as £5.
PSU-
The first thing you need to do is to attach the PSU to the case.
First determine if your PSU mounts to the top or bottom of the case. This should be easy to spot, as you will notice a gap in the back panel of the case roughly the same size as the PSU. If you need to mount your PSU from the top ensure the fan is facing downwards so the fan can draw air from inside the case.
To mount the PSU all you need to do is find the holes for the screws on your case and align them with the holes on the PSU. Now use the screwdriver to put the screws provided with the PSU or case in the holes.
Now this is done you can put your anti-static wristband on and plug your PSU into the wall, but do not turn it on. This will earth the case, now attach the wristband to a part of the case and you can handle the components without fear of static damage.
-CPU
We need to attach the CPU to the Motherboard. I would recommend doing this part of the build outside of the case, as it makes it easier.
Remove the CPU and Motherboard from the packaging and use the manual to locate where the CPU will go on the Motherboard. Next unfasten and lift the retention clip and remove the plastic pin cover, if you have an Intel CPU. Now match up the pins on the Motherboard to the pins on the CPU and push the CPU onto the Motherboard, then refasten the retention clip.
Now you need to install the Heatsink. This must be correct as it can serious damage the computer if it is not. All you have to do is position the Heatsink’s pins with the pins on the Motherboard and push down until you hear a click.
-RAM
This will vary depending on how much RAM you have.
If you have one stick then you do not need to worry just match the grooves on the RAM to the grooves on the board and push until you hear a click as the plastic heads clamp down.
If you have two sticks then put both in port A. To find out whether a port is A or B, just look can in the Motherboard manual. To install three sticks, you do the same as two, only this time you must add a third into one of the B slots. For four sticks two sticks are placed in A and B.
-Motherboard
This can be the most fiddly part of the build, so you may want another person to hold the board still.
This is a very important step as, if done correctly, it will protect your PC from potential short-circuits.
There are holes on the Motherboard, check the Motherboard manual to see where all of these holes are and match them to the holes on the Motherboard tray inside the case. Now put the screws through the holes on the Motherboard and into the Motherboard tray.
-Fitting the drives
On the case there will be several bays for the drives to sit it. The hard drive slides into the smaller bays, and the DVD or Blu-ray drive into the bigger one. There are also holes along the side of the drives and drive bays, which need the screws provided with the drive to be screwed into them. This will hold the drive in place.
You should also have two SATA cables with your drive, one for power and one for data. The power cable is the bigger of the two. They both plug into the back of the drive and then into the Motherboard SATA ports. To find where these are check the Motherboard manual.
-Graphics and Sound Card
This step is not necessary, as almost every Motherboard comes with these built in. This means the PC can run without them, but if you have purchased separate cards, then you will need to do this at some point.
Find the PCI-E slot for the sound and/or graphics card, which can be found in the Motherboard manual. Then line up the grooves and push the card into place, you will hear a clicking sound when it is done.
Some Graphics Cards need a 6 or 8 pin power adapter. If your card requires this then find it on the PSU and plug it into the card.
-Wiring the front panel
You will need the manual to help you find where each wire goes, as the colours of the cables will not match their location on the board.
The wires then need to be plugged into the correct place on the Motherboard. It is vital you ensure they are pushed in as far as possible, as if not whatever is plugged into a falsely wired USB port will be corrupted.
-The finishing touches
All that remains is to plug the case fans into the 3 or 4 pin connectors from the PSU, the 24 pin power connector for the motherboard and the 8 pin connector for the Heatsink and then you will be ready to boot.
Preparing the PC for everyday use
When you turn the PC on you will be greeted by the BIOS screen. First you will need to check your components are detected by the Motherboard by going to the Standard CMOS features option. Once you have done this you need to go back to the menu and choose Advanced BIOS features, then change the first boot device to the DVD or Blu-ray drive, normally called CD ROM or the full manufactures name and the model of the drive.
Now open the drive and pop in your OS disk, then follow the instructions on screen to install the operating system.
Once this is done, you will have finished building this PC. All that remains is to install any drivers provided with the motherboard, and check for updates for any drivers that you do not have disks for.
