I get asked the same question very often, how to build a computer?
It can be very deceiving to the average person's eyes when they glance into an
open computer. There are different "pieces" to be found and quite a
few wires running around from one part to the next. All of this can be quite
confusing and discouraging. The best advice I can give is that it looks more
complicated that what it actually is. Don't be afraid to do some trial and
error to figure things out, within reason. Of course you have to be careful and
not force components in spots they do not belong, but it is difficult to mix up
as most things can only go one way, and will only fit in the correct location.
Over the years it is how I learned most of what I do today, trial and error.
One something goes wrong, there is always a way to fix it, and sometimes it
just takes some patience and research to figure out a way to fix the problem.
I started building computers around 1996, when I was ten years
old, and it became a hobby of mine which led into a business about 16 months
ago. Over the years there has been a lot to learn and pick up on, and that is
the thing with technology and computers. Computers are always changing and
updating for more performance, reliably, smaller size, ease of use and less
energy consumption in more recent years to become "green" on the
environment.
But that is enough with the history, it is now time to move onto
the actual computer building process from start to finish. There is quite a bit
to cover and there are many ways to go about the process, but I will share my
personal views and opinions along the way.
To start things off you have to ask yourself what you want the
computer for. It could be a basic machine for simple web browsing, such as
Facebook and E-mail. Another need could be simply for a media center, a
computer hooked up with an entertainment center for movie watching purposes,
music, recording, and internet television as well as any other uses hooked up
to a television full time. The machine may be used primarily for gaming. A
gaming computer can be a touchy subject as everyone's views are different. Some
may just be happy with playing a game on lower setting, and others may want
everything turned up to the max with room to spare for future game titles. The
final use I will touch into would be photo and video editing. A lot of times a
high end gaming computer, and a photo/video editing machine will have many
similarities. You do not necessarily have to have an extremely powerful system
for videos and photos, but it will certainly cut down on the time required. If
someone is looking to produce lengthy videos, it could take ages to accomplish
on a less powerful computer. One thing I will say is no matter what you are
looking to build a computer for, figure out a budget of available funds and go
from there. There is no sense in looking at very costly premium components,
when there is just no budget for it. Many would be quite surprised at how
inexpensive a fairly powerful system can be "now days." I never
recommend to buy the latest and greatest as it will cost a premium and will be
replaced by something better in around six months' time. That is just how the
computer world works.
Once the purpose of the computer and a budget is planned out,
there are a handful of main components that are required to assemble a fully
functional computer. These core components include;
The chassis which houses and protects all of the components,
The power supply (PSU) which supplies power to the computer from
the wall,
Motherboard which is the central location for all the components
to communicate with each other,
Graphics card, which is responsible for putting an image on your
computer screen that you can see and interact with,
Processor (CPU) which functions as the brains of the operation,
calculating millions of operations every second,
Memory (RAM) which stores temporary information calculated by the
processor for fast access,
Hard drive, or hard disk which is the permanent storage device,
holding all of the user's data and programs,
Removable storage such as CD/DVD/Blu-Ray readers and burners, USB
drives and other storage devices.
The first component we will start with is the motherboard. This is
pretty much the central location where everything plugs into. The motherboard
is full of "highways" which pass data between all the components.
There are many kinds of motherboards available, most commonly there are AMD and
Intel based boards. An AMD bases motherboard must be matched with an AMD
processor and vice versa. An Intel based motherboard with an Intel processor.
There are also different form factors, or sizes available, which must be
matched with a proper case for a proper fit. Most commonly there are Micro ATX,
ATX, Extended ATX, and more recently Mini ITX which is of a very small size for
when space is extremely limited, such as in an entertainment center. There are
also other sizes available but these are the most common platforms I deal with.
The computer case chosen must be compatible with the size of the motherboard,
if the motherboard is an ATX form factor, the case has to support an ATX size.
Another main factor to take into consideration is the type of socket. The
processor (CPU) mounts onto the motherboard and the socket must be the same. \