Building your own computer is something that’s becoming increasingly popular. Instead of buying expensive computers from retailers, many people are finding that custom building their own computer tailored to their needs is a cheaper and more convenient alternative. Not only is it custom built, but learning about how a computer is assembled makes it easier for you to upgrade hardware like RAM, the motherboard or graphics card in the future. So read, learn and try it out the next time you’re looking to buy a PC.
Step 1 – Research the components
Before you actually start building your computer, you’ll need to learn a bit about each component that makes up the computer and its functions. Only then can you start to select components with the specs you need. Make sure you know what type of computer you want: how much memory do you need? How many USB ports and CD drives? Is speed your priority or storage? Are you going to play games on the highest video settings possible? Ask yourselves these questions before you start building your computer.
Step 2 – Choosing your components
Here will be listed the essential components of a good computer. Depending on quality, brand and version, each component has a wide price range. Stick to the middle of that range for a decent computer.
The computer case and power supply:
You’ll want a computer case that looks good and essentially can fit everything you want to install. Get an appropriately sized case with good ventilation and a mount for a fan. The power supply is what will feed your computer electricity and usually (but not always) comes with the case. As a rule of thumb, follow these minimum recommendations: for 3 drives (USB, CD, hard drives) you’ll want 400 Watts; 4-5 drives, 500 Watts; and 6-8 drives, 650 Watts.
The Motherboard:
The motherboard is where everything comes together. The motherboard is essentially made up of slots and sockets for different components like the CPU, video cards, USB ports, RAM etc. Some motherboards come with in-built video and audio cards. Research the different parts of the motherboard in greater detail to understand how it all comes together.
The CPU:
The “brain” of the computer manages all the systems and allows your computer to run. Things to consider are the amount of cores it boasts, the speed, and crucially, its size and whether it will fit in your case. Get a reliable brand like Intel for safe measure.
The Hard Drive:
The hard drive is where you’ll store stuff and install programs. This is your memory unit.
RAM:
If your hard drive is your long-term memory, think of this as your working memory: that is memory used to store information while the computer is using it. Different sizes and types exist with bigger ones enabling greater performance.
PCI Expansion Cards:
These are your video, sound and network cards which will allow you to play video and sound and join local or wireless networks.
Software:
You’ll need an operating system like Windows 7 for you to run your computer.
Step 3 – Assembling Your Computer
Assembling your computer might seem a daunting task, but often instructions are provided and it’s just like building something from IKEA. First, you’ll need to mount your motherboard. Your processor will need to be installed next and following that, your RAM. Your PCI cards are fixed in next, followed by your hard drive. If the power supply isn’t already installed, install that next. Once everything is mounted, proceed to connect everything with the appropriate wires. Turn it on and install your operating system.
This guide should only introduce you to the very doable option of building your own computer. With more research, this is relatively easy to do and is cheap and a great way to custom build your computer tailored to your needs. For a more detailed explanation with pictures, visit this site.
Author’s Bio
Sarah Paige is a university student and freelance writer who has built two state-of-the-art computers for a very cheap price. If you want to use your new computer to start a website, check out the world-class data centres in Sydney.
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