Computer Building Guide
Building your own PC is easier than you think and provides a sense of accomplishment. Not to mention the fun of putting something like a computer together. Here is a detailed guide for the beginning computer builder.
Index of Contents
»Why build your own?
»What parts do I need?
»Compatibility, sockets, interfaces, and standards
»Preparation
»Putting it together
»Troubleshooting
»What next?
Why buid your own?
There are several reasons why people build their own PC's. The three main reasons are: 1) It's fun, 2) It gives you more control over what components go into your PC, and 3) it costs less. It also gives you a sense of accomplishment, and it really doesn't take as much skill as it sounds like. The hardest part is selecting the correct parts, which I will cover in the next section.
What parts do I need?
Let's first take a look at the components that typically go into a PC. Note that this list does not include the monitor, keyboard, mouse, or other external hardware, just the PC box itself.
- Computer case
- Power supply (PSU)
- Motherboard (Mainboard, MB)
- Processor (CPU)
- Memory (RAM)
- Hard drive (HDD)
- Optical drive (CD/DVD burner typically)
- Graphics card (GPU) - can be "integrated" or "discrete", more on that below
Optional Hardware
- Sound card
- Additional hard drives
- Wireless network card
You can mostly ignore the Optional Hardware for now, unless you need more space than a single HDD can handle or need to connect to a wireless network. All motherboards come with a sound chip integrated into them, and they are usually sufficient for most people.
The first step is to decide what you want to use your new PC for. Will you just be surfing the Internet and checking emails? Will you be playing the latest PC games? Will you be doing movie editing? A gaming PC will need better components than an Internet PC will, and will cost more. The most expensive single part of a PC is usually a discrete graphics card. Discrete means separate or detached, and a discrete graphics card is a separate board that is connected to the motherboard. You can forgo buying a graphics card altogether and just select a motherboard with integrated graphics. It is much less expensive, however the graphics processing ability of an integrated GPU is far less, and will only be suitable for games that are 7-10 years old and light photo editing. For an Internet/Email only station integrated graphics are usually ok.
Now that you have an idea of what components you will need, and whether you need a discrete graphics card or just a motherboard with integrated graphics, it is time to learn about compatibility, sockets, and interfaces.
Compatibility, sockets, interfaces, and standards
This is the part that discourages most newcomers, as there is a plethora of different standards that you will have to mix and match. Stick with it, and you will eventually understand it and have a leg up on all your friends. I will break down each component and give the most common standards used as well as my preference.
Cases generally have USB, Fire-wire, and Audio ports somewhere on or near the front. These are useful and make sure the case has them in the location you desire. They will be plugged into the motherboard, which I will cover later. Just FYI, the ports on the back of the PC are a part of the motherboard, not the case.
One other thing to consider is that a lot of PC cases come with a power supply. It can be a good way to save a few bucks by buying a case with a PSU already in it, just make sure you get a more expensive case as the cheap power supplies that come in cheap cases can cause instability or damage other components.
Power supply: ATX and Micro-ATX are the two main options here as above. There is also BTX and others, but ignore those for now. Power supplies are the most important component of the PC, as a low quality one can damage your components. Just make sure to stay away from $15-20~ cheap ones, as those are generally low quality. When purchasing a case with PSU or a separate PSU, be sure to read the reviews (depending on where you buy) and if one has too many negative reviews stay away from it.
Motherboard: Here's where things get a little tricky. We know about ATX and micro-ATX, which refers to the mounting of the motherboard to the case, however there are many other things we need to consider in a motherboard. Different motherboards come with different chipsets which support different processors and different feature sets. You may not need to think too heavily about what chipset you need, as long as the motherboard has the features you want and supports the CPU, memory, GPU, and other devices that you want.
The first thing to decide is if you want integrated graphics or not. If you plan to purchase a discrete graphics card, you can get a motherboard with or without integrated graphics. If you do not plan to purchase a graphics card, make sure the motherboard has integrated graphics. Just a quick review, gaming PC's will need a discrete graphics card while Internet/Email-only PC's will be fine with integrated graphics. If you edit photos heavily or edit movies, a discrete graphics card is recommended.
Note: If your motherboard has integrated graphics and you install a discrete graphics card (making sure to plug the monitor into the port on the discrete card and not the motherboard), your computer will automatically use the discrete card. Also, one other thing of note; "Hybrid" integrated graphics motherboards have recently been coming onto the market. These are motherboards that are designed to use the integrated graphics chip and a discrete graphics card in tandem, to improve performance. You may not want to worry about that, but if you do decide to purchase a motherboard with hybrid graphics, be sure to follow the chipset manufacturer's directions for what discrete graphics cards are compatible, so you can get the benefits.
Now the next thing to decide on is the CPU socket, which tells us what CPU we can use. The most common and popular sockets are socket AM2 and AM2+ for AMD (AM3 not available at the time of this writing), and LGA 775 and LGA 1366 for Intel. Decide what processor you want. A low end PC will be fine with a single-core Sempron or Athlon from AMD, or Celeron or Pentium from Intel. A higher end PC or a gaming PC will make good use of a dual-core or better processor. I recommend a Phenom X3 or X4, or Phenom II X4 from AMD, or a Core 2 Duo, Core 2 Quad, or i7 from Intel.
Next is the memory socket, which is either DDR2 or DDR3. DDR2 is common in most PC's, while DDR3 is becoming common in high end PC's.
Next is the graphics card socket, which is almost always PCI Express X16. There can be up to 4 PCI Express X16 slots, but 1 is the most common and all you really need. Multi-graphics cards setups won't be covered in this tutorial.
Now the feature set, which I brought up earlier. Things like how many USB ports are on the back, whether or not Fire-wire ports are available, etc. Make sure the motherboard has the features you need. There are too many features to list here so I will leave that up to your own discretion.
Processor: The different processor models I mentioned above are what you will generally want to stick to. It really is up to your preference, Intel or AMD. The main things you will want to look at when shopping for a processor are the CPU speed (1.6ghz up to 3.2ghz usually) and the L2 and L3 cache. The more total cache the better. Just a note: AMD Phenom's use a L2 and L3 cache, while Intel CPU's use a L2 cache only. I use a Phenom X3 in my primary computer, as it provides good performance for the money, overclocks well (see my Phenom overclocking guide), and keeps up with the latest quad-core processors at a fraction of the price. I have also used Core 2 Duo processors and they are just as good and overclock even better. The Core 2 processors are generally a little more spendy but usually worth it for enthusiasts.
Retail CPU's almost always come with a heat sink and fan (HSF). Unless you are buying an aftermarket heat sink for better cooling, stick with the stock heat sink.
Memory: As stated above, DDR2 and DDR3 are your choices here. Make sure you get what your motherboard supports. I recommend purchasing a dual-channel kit (comes with two of the same memory modules). On most all motherboards, performance will increase when using two identical modules in dual-channel mode.
Hard drive: Hard drives use various interfaces, so make sure your motherboard has the correct connections. SATA 1.5 or 3.0 are the most common, and all new motherboards should have these ports. IDE100/133/PATA is an older standard and most motherboards still have one of these ports, however I would recommend sticking to SATA.
Optical drive: CD, DVD, HD-DVD, and Blu-ray ROM drives and burners. A ROM drive is a reader, while a burner allows you to write onto burnable disks. I would recommend a DVD ROM drive as the bare minimum, and DVD burners are fairly cheap now. At the time of this writing, Blu-ray ROM drives are still expensive, so I wouldn't recommend one of those unless you plan to use Blu-ray disks in your PC. Like hard drives, optical drives usually come in either SATA or PATA/IDE. I recommend sticking to SATA here as well. One more thing to note, all new DVD burners will burn and read CD's as well, so no need to purchase two optical drives.
Graphics card: This can be the single most expensive part of the PC. If you have decided you need a discrete graphics card, then you have a large range of choices to make. Discrete graphics cards range from $30 up to $700 and higher. Figuring out how much graphics power you need can be difficult, and I can only give a very rough guide here since the market changes constantly as new cards are released several times per year. If you do a bit of movie editing or graphics editing, a $50~ card should be fine. If you want to play the latest games but aren't worried about maxing out settings, a $150-200~ card should be fine. If you want to max the latest games, a $300-400 card should do fine. As far as which graphics card to buy at each price point, I recommend going to Tom's Hardware and searching for their "Best Video Cards For The Money" guides, which are updated often.
Next thing is to make sure to select a discrete graphics card that fits your motherboard. PCI Express X16 is the standard right now, so be sure to get a graphics card that uses that standard. AGP is still around and is an older standard, steer clear. You won't have to worry too much here since most all new cards are PCI Express X16.
Now that you have an idea of what you need and what to look for, it's time to start shopping. I recommend Newegg.com since they usually have competitive prices, they have excellent customer service, and their website is very informative. Use the categories to find the parts, it may take some getting used to. Refer to this guide when selecting each component.
Preparation
So you've gone through Checkout and the parts will be on the way to you shortly. Make sure you have a full set of tools and a nice clear workspace to build your new PC. A static wristband is a good idea for beginners, which can be purchased at any electronics store (or online at Newegg). The fasteners and other hardware you need (such as cables) should come with your components, as long as you've purchased "Retail" products and not "OEM" products (note: most hard drives at Newegg.com are OEM and that's ok, as the cable to connect them comes with the motherboard).
Putting it together
You have all of your new parts laying neatly in your workspace. The first thing to do is wash your hands! Finger grease is bad for electronics and the materials used on these parts. Next is to attach the anti-static wristband to yourself and a solid ground (like the computer's case). For each step I may have a picture to the right to help with the explanation. You can click on these to enlarge them, they will automatically open in a new window or tab (if you popup blocker prevents this, just right-click on the image and select open in new window or equivalent).
| Step 1. Take your case out and remove the side panels. There are usually between 1 and 3 screws in the back for each side panel, although some use a lever. Pull any hardware or tape out of the inside of the case. Usually there is a small packet with screws/stands, a power cord, and zip ties around the wires of the power supply (if it is included). |
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| Step 2. Make sure there is a slot for your optical drive that is open in the front (usually the top-most one). If there is not one open, remove the front bezel and then remove one of the 5.25inch drive bay covers. Once you have an open slot for your optical drive, put the front bezel back on. |
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| Step 3. Install the optical drive by sliding it in from the front of the PC (with the bezel fully attached), then use 4 fine screws (2 on each side) to fasten it in place. Note: some cases have "tool-less" features, which are usually little plastic snaps or sliding pieces that secure the optical drive. If these are available you can use them in place of screws. |
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| Step 4. If you purchased a separate PSU, now is a good time to install the PSU. If the PSU is pre-installed, skip this step. The PSU is held on by 4 coarse screws in the back top of the PC case. These screws should come with the case or PSU. There is only one orientation that it will properly line up, so don't worry about messing it up. |
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| Step 5. The next step is to install the motherboard. Before this is done, the rear-panel will need to be swapped out. The motherboard comes with a rear panel which you will want to use. Hold that rear panel up to your new motherboard's rear ports and poke out any additional holes from the panel that need to be poked out. Now install it into the case, making sure to remove the one that may have come with the case first. Most usually snap into place, just make sure it is fully seated. |
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| Step 6. Motherboards mount with 6 or more screws. The motherboard in the first picture to the right (a micro-ATX motherboard I used for my office build) uses 6 screws, and you can see the designated holes as they are outlined by a white circle. The case will have corresponding holes to match these, and may need to have motherboard stands installed, which can be seen in the 2nd photo to the right. Some cases come with little bumps that stick out about 1/4, in which case the motherboard stands are not needed. If the case needs motherboard stands, take the motherboard (in its plastic wrap still), set it in place, and eye-ball which holes need to have a stand installed. If you are unsure, refer to the motherboard and case manuals/paperwork. Once you have the motherboard stands installed (tighten them with pliers), or if you didn't need them, carefully remove the motherboard from its plastic wrap or foam (making sure your static wristband is on) and set it in place, then use the provided screws to tighten it down. |
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| Step 7. Next insert the hard drive into one of the open hard drive internal 3.5-inch bays towards the front of the case. Use 4 coarse screws to secure it in place (2 on each side). In the picture to the right, I have the hard drive installed and have also connected some motherboard headers (explained in the next step). For those that have taken notice, I did install the hard drive into one of the 3.5-inch external floppy drive bays as opposed to one of the internal hard drive bays. This was mostly a preference for this build to keep the wires uncluttered. Note: some cases have "tool-less" features, which are usually little plastic snaps or sliding pieces that secure the hard drive. If these are available you can use them in place of screws. One other thing to note in the picture is that I removed the rear exhaust fan. For this build, the extra fan is not needed as this computer will generate very little heat (integrated graphics and 45W CPU). I recommend keeping the exhaust fan (if the case came with one) unless you know it won't be needed. |
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| Step 8. Now while things are still easy to access you may want to connect the front bezel buttons, USB, Fire-wire ports, audio ports, and speaker. All those wires that were dangling from the front bezel need to get plugged into the proper motherboard ports. Refer to your motherboard manual for help on where they plug in. The plugs are usually labeled for USB, Fire-wire (IEEE-1394), Audio, Power SW (Power Button), Reset SW (Reset Button), HD LED (hard drive activity LED), P LED (computer on LED), and Speaker (makes the beep during boot up). Their exact names vary by case, but are usually self-explanatory. In the picture to the right you will see I have plugged in the front panel buttons and one USB front panel port. I chose not to connect the front audio connectors as it isn't needed on this build. And there is no Fire-wire support with this motherboard. It is a good idea to keep wires neat as you build the computer, so I have wire-tied any slack in the wires and tied them out of the way. |
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| Step 9. Now install the CPU. Follow the directions that come with the CPU, as the installation procedure will vary slightly by model and maker. There will be a specific orientation that the CPU fits into the socket, so be sure to follow the directions closely. I have provided pictures of a socket AM2 AMD Sempron install, which uses a lever on the socket and a lever on the heat sink. Intel processors and heat sinks will install differently. One thing to check on all CPU installation is that there is thermal compound on the bottom of the heat sink (the part that contacts the top of the CPU). There should be a patch of compound on all retail heat sinks that come with CPU's, so you should not have to worry about this; however in the event there is no compound you will want to apply some before installing (buy it from Radio Shack or an electronics store). Socket AM2 and AM2+ AMD Only:       On both Intel and AMD systems, you will want to make sure the heat sink fan's power wire is connected to the correct power port on the motherboard. Again refer to the motherboard manual if you need help locating it, it is usually above the socket and close to it. In the last picture above (bottom right picture) you can see the CPU heat sink fan power port on the very top right of the motherboard (4 prongs sticking out of a white base). |
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| Step 10. Now install the memory. Follow the motherboard manual's guide for which slots to install them into. If you purchased a dual-channel kit, make sure you use the right ports so that dual-channel is functional. There will be two tabs at each end of each memory slot. Snap them back and insert the memory module (making sure the "cut-out" on the module is aligned properly) and press firmly until the two tabs lock into place. If the ram module doesn't go into place, make sure you aren't attempting to put it in upside-down. In the picture to the right, I have installed two 1GB memory modules (a dual-channel 2GB kit). They came with shiny chrome heat spreaders. There were only two slots available so there was no guessing as to which slots to put them in. Many motherboards have 3 or 4 memory slots though, which is why you should consult the manual on which ports to use depending on how many modules you have. |
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| Step 11. If you purchased a discrete graphics card, install it now. You should see the PCI Express X16 slot on the motherboard, be sure to open up the rear expansion slot cover so the graphics card can fit. In the first picture to the right, I have highlighted in the red the PCI Express X16 slot and also the back panel that needs to be removed. The 2nd picture shows a PC with a discrete GPU installed, and a custom heat sink. Once the GPU is in place, use a coarse screw to secure it. Note: some cases have "tool-less" features, which are usually little plastic snaps or sliding pieces that secure the graphics card. If these are available you can use them in place of screws. On the second picture to the right, you will also see that the motherboard has 4 memory slots, and I have modules installed in the two right ones. On this MB model, it specified to have them either in both right slots or both left slots, to activate dual-channel. Some motherboards have a different configuration. |
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| Step 12. Now it's time to plug everything else in. Plug in the 24-pin motherboard power cable from your PSU into the large motherboard power port, and then the 4 or 8-pin CPU power cable into the motherboard as well. Plug in your optical and hard drive(s) using the proper plug (SATA power cable plugs are long, very flat, and black, and the cables themselves are very small - IDE/PATA power cable plugs are larger with 4 distinct plugs, and the cable is very wide and flat). If you have a discrete graphics card that requires a 6 or 8-pin (or sometimes more) power plug, be sure to plug it in. Plug in all your fans. If the fan has a very small 2, 3, or 4 pin connector, plug it into a free power plug on your motherboard (if available), or use a molex adapter to plug it into the PSU. If they use the larger molex 4-pin connectors only, connect those to your power supply. In the build to the right, I didn't have any other case fans so that wasn't an issue. You're almost done, if you plugged everything in right, you can move on to the software installation. You may have extra cables and hardware left over, don't worry as that is normal. There is a lot you will not need. I recommend being very neat about routing your wires, in case you need to change anything later. |
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Troubleshooting
Before you even have the operating system installed, you can test the system to make sure it is working and detecting all of the hardware. Plug the monitor and keyboard in and the power cables, and start it up. Tap the Delete key repeatedly until you are presented with the blue BIOS screen. If everything went correctly, you would have heard one beep shortly after pressing the power button, and in the blue BIOS screen you should be able to navigate and find where it shows what hard drives and optical drives are connected. You will likely also be able to detect the system temperatures if the BIOS supports it.
If you pressed the power button and absolutely nothing happened, make sure the switch on the back of the power supply is on "I" and not "O" (which would be off). Then double check to make sure the power cables are connected. If the computer fans spin up, but it does not beep, or emits a long beep or two long beeps, then there is a problem. If it does not beep yet you still got into the blue BIOS screen, then the case speaker is likely not plugged in properly. Shut it down and follow the chart in the motherboard manual to make sure it is on the right pins (a flashlight usually helps).
If it does not beep and you cannot get into the BIOS, or it beeps twice or has a long beep, you need to go into the Troubleshooting section of your motherboard manual, and see what it says for the beep error code. Usually long beeps are the result of RAM that is faulty or set to a speed that it cannot run at, but that is not always the case. No beeps could mean a bad motherboard, or possible CPU. But again, the beep codes are different for every motherboard so follow the troubleshooting guide in the manual.
What next?
Now it's time to install the operating system, drivers, and other software. That will not be covered in this guide, I recommend Tweakguides tweaking companion to help you with that task; just download the PDF guide and scroll down to the "Installing Windows" menu item and click it.