How to install RAM memory in just 8 steps

Published on: 2004-12-19

by Otis F. Coope

Check to see if you have ample light. You may want to have a container to place small screws in.
The system unit cover may have small screws and you don't want to lose them.

After you have plenty of work space and ample lighting, prepare your mind as well. Make this
and every other adventure of working on your computer educational and fun.

Now go over to www.ultimatepcrepair.com to familiarize yourself with all components inside

the PC. Take the time to study the actual components inside your computer. You’ll be glad you
did should something go wrong. Follow these steps to install your drive.

FIRST
Turn off your computer and unplug all peripherals. Take notice of how you unplug or disconnect
any devices.

SECOND
Remove the side panel of the tower system or the cover if you have a desktop. Place the panel in
a safe place well out of the way.

THIRD Before touching anything inside the system unit, remove electrical static charge from
your body by touching a door knob or any unpainted metal surface.

FOURTH Remove the new memory from its protective wrapping and locate the sockets to
install the new memory chips.

FIFTH Notice the type of retaining clips that hold the chips in place. Remove any old chips you
intend to move. Now to be sure you won't damage the chips, ground yourself again to remove
any remaining static electricity.

SIXTH
Pull the retaining clip open and carefully slide the RAM Chips in their memory banks. Push the
clips back over the new memory chips.

SEVENTH
Check and double check the firmness of the chips by gently trying to move them from side to
side. Take a good long look at the chips for anything that looks unusual.

EIGHT
Replace the system unit cover and reconnect all peripherals. Reboot the computer and the
operating system should recognize your new or added memory without any problem.
Its that easy when it comes to installing new or more memory. Read your computer's manual first
to find out what type of ram memory you have and what is needed for upgrades.

Visit the Kingstom memory site above and use their memory configurator to find out the
memory you need to upgrade your computer.

And go ahead and enjoy the faster speed you should experience once your new memory is
installed. Don’t forget to run scandisk, defragment, and disk cleanup to clean your hard drive of
extra space.

An other 2

If your computer slows down when you're working with large files or many programs at once,
you might be able to improve performance by installing extra RAM (Random Access Memory -
your computer's temporary operating memory). These instructions will work for the majority of
machines built in the mid 1990s and later.

Instructions
Things You'll Need

 RAM
 Anti-static Wrist Band
 Surge Protectors

1.
o 1
 Determine what kind of RAM you need, and whether your computer has enough
open slots to hold it. The new RAM should match the existing RAM's
specifications and configuration.

o 2

Shut down the computer and leave it plugged into the surge suppressor.

o 3

Disconnect all peripheral devices, such as the monitor, from the computer.

o 4

Remove the computer cover.

o 5

Ground yourself to the computer with professional grounding equipment like an

anti-static wristband or hold a metal part of the chassis.

o 6

Remove any cards or internal components necessary to give yourself unobstructed

access to RAM sockets.

o 7

Pick up your SIMM (single in-line memory module) or DIMM (dual in-line
memory module) by the ends without touching pins or chips.
o 8

If adding a SIMM, find the notched end and turn the SIMM so that it is parallel to
the existing RAM card(s). Insert the SIMM into the socket at a 30-degree angle. If
adding a DIMM, insert the DIMM straight in so that it is perpendicular to the
motherboard.

o 9

Use slight pressure to keep a SIMM from backing out while rotating the module
to an upright position perpendicular to the motherboard.

o 10

Make sure the small holes on each side of a SIMM fit into holders.

o 11

Feel or hear retaining clips lock a SIMM into the socket; close the side clips on a
DIMM.

o 12
 Gently try to pull the module out to ensure it is locked in position.

o 13

Replace all internal components.

o 14

Leave the cover off and reconnect the monitor, keyboard and mouse.

o 15

Turn on the computer.

o 16

Check the amount of RAM by right-clicking the My Computer icon in Windows

and choosing Properties. On a Mac, use the About this Macintosh command in the
Apple menu.

o 17

If you don't see the right amount of RAM, turn off the computer and try
"reseating" the SIMM or DIMM (take it out and put is back in) and reboot. If that
doesn't work, call a technician.

o 18

Shut down the computer and disconnect the peripherals again.

o 19

Replace the cover and reconnect all the peripherals.

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Tips & Warnings

 Your computer will accept either SIMMs or DIMMs. Check your manual to find out
which.
 If you have an older machine, you may need to adjust DIP switches or jumpers. Consult
your manual.
 Label any cards or internal components that you remove in order to access RAM sockets
- this will ensure that you replace them in their proper places.
 Stand on uncarpeted flooring to reduce static electricity. Touch as little as possible inside
your machine and especially avoid touching any computer chips. Static damage, and even
oil from fingertips, may cause a failure months later.
 Some recent stub-chassis computers built by Compaq, Hewlett-Packard and others have
little or no work space inside. Some units require removing the hard drive and power
supply to access the RAM. Do not attempt to do this yourself.
 If your computer is under manufacturer's warranty, modifying the product usually
invalidates that warranty.

Another 3

How To Install RAM

Adding more RAM to a computer is one of the best, easiest, and most cost-
effective upgrades a computer owner can perform. Every program installed on
your computer uses RAM, and increasing the RAM capacity lets you open more
files and programs simultaneously, while upgrading to speedier RAM boosts
overall application performance, especially in computer games and multimedia-
intensive applications. Compared to other potential upgrades, such as video cards
and CPUs, RAM is fairly cheap and is easy to install (no driver updates or other
maintenance is required), and the performance enhancements are immediately
noticeable. If uncertainty at the thought of opening your computer's case and
handling relatively delicate components has left your computer chugging along
with a minimal amount of RAM, this step-by-step installation guide should be all
you need to finally take the plunge and enjoy the benefits extra RAM provides.

Before You Begin

Few people realize it, but purchasing the best RAM for
your system and computing needs is half the battle
where RAM upgrades are concerned. Adding RAM to
your computer is easy, but finding reliable sticks of
RAM that play well together can be a real challenge.
Doing a lot of research before placing an order or
Always handle listening to what the employee at the computer store
RAM modules by tells you can save considerable hassle down the line, so
their edges, grab the documentation that came with your computer
avoiding the metal and prepare to learn your motherboard inside and out.
contacts at the
bottom. The motherboard is the large wafer of silicon that the
CPU, video card, hard drive, RAM, and other
components all connect to; the motherboard determines what types of memory
are compatible with your system. The first thing you need to know is what is the
best types of RAM your system can handle, as many motherboards are
compatible with multiple types of RAM. Older computers use SIMMs (single in-
line memory modules) that you must install in pairs in the same memory bank (or
paired set of memory slots).

Newer PCs use DIMMs (dual in-line memory modules) that you can install
singly, although some dual-channel DDR (double data-rate) motherboards
perform better when RAM is installed in paired sets. If your motherboard
supports this feature, use it. For example, instead of purchasing a single 1GB
stick of RAM, purchase two 512MB sticks and install them as a pair. If you opt
for this latter option, do yourself a favor and purchase a matched pair of identical
sticks of RAM from the same manufacturer (many companies sell pre-paired
kits). Lots of companies make decent RAM, but computer enthusiasts looking for
matched pairs typically choose higher-end products from companies such as
Corsair (www.corsairmicro.com), Crucial (www.crucial.com), GeIL
(www.geilusa.com), Kingston (www.kingston.com), Mushkin
(www.mushkin.com), and OCZ (www.ocztechnology.com).

All these companies have Web configuration guides and sales specialists that will
help you determine what type of memory is compatible with your motherboard
and what memory speeds will provide the best performance within your budget.
Memory sticks have clock speeds measured in megahertz/gigahertz just like
CPUs do, and they also have latency speeds, data bus rates, voltage requirements,
and other considerations that can make a shopper's head spin. Research what is
right for your motherboard and go with the company that is most helpful and also
has reasonable prices.

Some people say you can never have enough RAM, and although we agree in
spirit, the operating system and motherboard you use actually dictate the
maximum amount of RAM your computer can address. Even older versions of
Windows (Windows 95/98/98SE/Me) can address up to 2GB of RAM, but a
glitch sometimes prevents them from taking advantage of all that memory.
Microsoft has posted a workaround at support.microsoft.com in Knowledge Base
Article 253912, "Out of Memory Error Messages With Large Amounts of RAM
Installed." Windows XP and Windows 2000 users can address even more
memory than 2GB, so the main limiting factor in the amount of memory you can
add is your motherboard. Check the motherboard's specifications closely to make
sure you don't buy more RAM than it can handle. Note that Windows Vista (the
32-bit version that most home users have) supports up to 4GB of memory –
including graphics card memory. That means that Windows will see 3GB of
memory if you install 4GB of RAM along with a video card that has 1GB of
RAM.

Step 1: You're Grounded

Prepping the area around the computer and handling RAM properly is important
if you want to avoid expensive damage. Get all liquids out of the area where
you'll be working and head to the local computer or electronics shop to see if it
has a grounding kit that will dissipate static electricity from your body into the
ground where it belongs. Static electricity is the bane of RAM; one zap can fry
the fragile chips in an instant, so stay away from carpet if you can and at the very
least touch a grounded metal object to discharge static before handling any RAM.
Try to discharge static electricity into a grounded metal object that is nearby .

If you really want to be cautious, buy an antistatic wrist strap, which consists of a
grounded wire attached to a wrist strap that you can wear to shed static electricity
continually throughout the installation process. If you're working in a carpeted
room, a grounding strap is especially prudent, and they are available for less than
$10.

Step 2: Crack The Case

Every computer manufacturer seems to use a different case design, and you'll
need to look at the documentation that came with your computer to see how to
open the thing up. You need unfettered access to the motherboard, whether that
means removing a panel, popping some stays to split the case in half, or
performing some other magic. Open the case in an area where there is plenty of
lighting because RAM slots are typically difficult to see and access, and don't
drop the computer if you have to move it because hard drives and optical drives
are especially susceptible to shock damage.
Step 3: Clear A Path

Once the case is open, you may need to move some

internal cables around to clear a straight path to the
RAM slots. Move cables or bundles of cables one at a
time, paying attention to where they are connected
within the computer so you can reseat them later if
necessary. You may need to detach some of the cables
to access your motherboard's RAM slots; if this is the
case, check the ends of the cables for release latches
before applying any force. Grab cables by their plastic
If you need to
terminators to detach them instead of pulling directly
remove internal
on the cables themselves, and don't lose track of what
cables to gain
sockets the cables attach to so you can properly reseat
unfettered access to
everything later.
your system's RAM
slots, look out for
Examine the RAM slots carefully to make sure they
cables such as these
aren't clogged with dirt, fuzz, or other gunk before you
if the computer is
insert the RAM modules. If you find that they slots are
plugged in. They
plugged, don't clean them with a cotton swab or with
are actually power
any liquid. Cotton is notorious for pulling apart when it
leads.
comes into contact with the irregular surface of the
RAM slot and can make the problem worse, and water
or other fluids can damage the slots or at least set them
up for future failure due to corrosion problems. Even
fabric, paper towels, and facial tissue leave particles
behind that can interfere with the RAM, so if cleaning
is necessary, use a can of compressed air to blast the
slots clean.

Step 4: Open The Hatch

RAM slots are Now that the RAM slots are accessible, you can
located on the remove existing memory sticks if necessary or prepare
motherboard, and the slots for the placement of the new memory sticks.
most use clips to Older computers that use 72-pin SIMM chips have
lock RAM modules slots with fragile clips on either end that you'll have to
in place. open before removing or inserting a SIMM. Remember
that you must add SIMMs in pairs and that each pair must be located in the same
memory bank. Refer to the documentation that came with your computer to
figure out the configuration of your motherboard's memory banks and prepare the
appropriate slots.

DIMMs are much easier to install. Just press down on the handles on either end
of a DIMM slot to open it, which gently ejects existing RAM and prepares empty
slots for the installation of new sticks.

Step 5: Secure New Memory Module(s)

The moment of truth has arrived; it's time to install the RAM module (or
modules). Check the documentation that came with your PC closely to see if you
need to fill the slots in any particular order. (This is especially important for
systems that use SIMMs, as you must completely fill their memory banks before
they can detect any RAM.)

Pick up your memory module by its top or side edges, but avoid touching any
metal contacts at the bottom of the stick. Oil from your fingers can interact with
the metal and eventually cause corrosion. Some memory sticks are bare silicon
wafers with black RAM modules embedded on them, but most high-end RAM
comes with metal heat spreaders attached to either side that dissipate heat. Don't
worry about touching the heat spreaders, but be careful not to accidentally pull
them off.

For SIMMs, make sure the clips are open, insert the
RAM at a slight angle relative to the slot, make sure it
isn't in backward (holes in the bottom of the chip
should match up with pegs in the RAM slot), and
gently swing it straight up into place. You'll know it's
secure when the clips on either end of the slot click and
hold the RAM in place.

With DIMMs, make sure any clips you opened in the

Open the clips on
previous step are still completely open and push the
either end of the
RAM straight down into the memory slot, placing a
RAM slot before
thumb on either end of the top of the RAM stick so as
installing the
to apply pressure as evenly as possible. Don't use too
module.
much pressure or you may crack the motherboard
beneath the RAM slot, and avoid "sawing" the RAM into place (by rocking it
back and forth) to avoid damaging the metal contacts. If it feels like a reasonable
amount of force isn't getting the job done, then the most likely cause is that the
RAM is not seated correctly in the slot. Lift it back up, reseat it, and try again.
There's also a chance that you're installing the stick backward, so make sure that
the notches cut into the bottom of the RAM stick
match up with plastic posts present in the RAM slot.

The clips on either end of the DIMM slot should

swing up and snap into place automatically once the
RAM is in position. You may have to manually
secure the clips on either end while simultaneously
maintaining pressure on the top of the RAM module
with your free thumb. Just gently pull upward on
each clip until it locks into place. (The clips should
When the RAM is
nestle into notches cut into either side of the RAM
seated completely in
module.)
the slot, the clips
should swing up
Repeat the above steps for any other RAM sticks you
and lock into place,
are installing, paying close attention to memory
as shown here. If
banks and avoiding scraping the RAM together or
they don't, you may
accidentally dropping it into the space between two
need to apply more
slots.
pressure to the top
of the RAM module
Step 6: Testing One, Two, Three
while
simultaneously
Don't put the cover back on the computer just yet.
pushing the clips
Reconnect any cables you may have had to detach
into their locked
during installation, plug the computer back in if
position.
necessary, and look in the
computer's manual to find
out how to access the BIOS (Basic Input/Output
System). This usually entails pressing F2 or F8 during
the boot process, but the procedure varies among
manufacturers. Some BIOSes let users navigate via a
mouse, but most require keyboard input. Use the arrow
keys to highlight menu entries and the ENTER key to
select entries.
Check the BIOS
(Basic Input/Output Changing BIOS settings accidentally can be a
System) to make detriment to the health of your PC, so try not to make
sure it recognizes any adjustments when you boot into the BIOS
all of the RAM interface. You're just there to see if the BIOS
installed in your recognizes the RAM you just installed and reports the
computer. proper memory capacity, so find the steps in the
documentation to accomplish that, exit the BIOS, and reboot the computer. If the
BIOS doesn't see the new RAM, the memory is either incompatible with your
hardware or is damaged, so exchange it if possible.

Step 7: Working With Windows

Once the RAM checks out in the BIOS, reboot the computer and make sure
Windows recognizes the new memory. Right-click My Computer (WinXP users
may have to click Start and right-click My Computer), click Properties, and look
for the RAM figure in the General tab of the resulting dialog box. It should match
up with the amount of memory you installed.

In Vista, click the Start orb and then right-click Computer. Select Properties from
the context menu. When the System window appears, you'll see plenty of
information about your computer, including its memory.

Step 8: Case Closed

Once everything checks out, close the computer's case to cut down on the amount
of time its innards are exposed to the elements. Dust, pet hair, and other particles
may build up quickly because of the multiple fans inside the computer's case, so
give the inside of the case a thorough blasting with compressed air before sealing
things up.

When closing the case, be careful not to pinch cables

between the case and the computer's frame. It is
especially important to make sure no internal cables are
sticking out of the side of the frame when you close the
case because pinching or severing one of those cables
can cause a short in the computer's power supply. Also
keep mouse, keyboard, and other cables pulled well out
of the way when closing the case.

Step 9: Burn It In

Windows will tell If your memory passed the previous tests, there's a
you how much good chance it will last for years. To be on the safe
RAM is installed in side, however, you should give it an intense workout
your PC. Remember for several hours to make sure it doesn't overheat and
that 1GB equals fail when stressed. Keep as many programs open
1,024MB, so the simultaneously as possible for as long as possible,
number here watching for memory errors. Another great way to
matches up with the stress-test memory is to spend some time playing
number that the hardware-intensive 3D games, such as idSoftware's
BIOS reported. Doom 3
 Did It Work?

You system should run more smoothly with more RAM installed, but if you need
quantifiable evidence, download some free benchmarking software, such as
Futuremark's PCMark or 3DMark (www.futuremark.com) before installing the
new RAM and record the performance of your initial configuration. Then run the
benchmark software again after you install the new RAM (multiple
benchmarking sessions in a row are also a great way to stress-test RAM), and
you'll get a nice, neat, numerical report proving the additional RAM is making a
difference.
How To Assemble A Desktop PC/Choosing the parts

The first step to building a computer is acquiring the parts. This guide will start with a quick
explanation of essential parts and elaborate on them further on.

A computer is made up of a case (or chassis) which houses several important internal
components, and provides places to connect the external components, including non-peripherals.

Inside the case go the following internal parts:

 Power Supply/PSU – power supply unit, converts outlet power, which is alternating current (AC),
to direct current (DC) which is required by internal components, as well as providing appropriate
voltages and currents for these internal components.

 Motherboard/mainboard – As the name indicates, this is the electronic centerpiece of the

computer: everything else connects to the motherboard.

 Processor/CPU – central processing unit, the "brain" of the computer, most actual computation
takes place here.

 RAM – random access memory, the "short-term memory" of a computer, used by the CPU to
store program instructions and data upon which it is currently operating. Data in RAM is lost
when the computer is powered off, thus necessitating a hard drive.

 Hard Drive/Hard Disk – the "long-term memory" of the computer, used for persistent storage –
i.e. the things stored on it remain even when the computer is powered down. The operating
system, and all your programs and data are stored here.

 Optical Drive – device for reading/writing optical disks. May read CDs, DVDs, or other optical
media, depending on the type. It is essential for installing many operating systems and
programs. It may be able to write some of these discs, as well. Some people like to have two
such drives for copying disks.
  Video Card/Graphics Card/GPU – does processing relating to video output. Some motherboards
have an "onboard" GPU built in so you don’t need (but may add) a separate video card.
Otherwise, you will need a video card. These plug into a slot on the motherboard and provide a
place to connect a monitor to your computer.

On top of the internal components listed above, you will also need these external components:

 Keyboard – for typing on. Many motherboards won't even boot without a keyboard attached.

 Mouse – for pointing and clicking. Unless you chose a text-based operating system, you will
likely want one of these.

 Monitor – This is where the pretty pictures go. They come in many forms, the most common
being CRT and LCD.

These are the parts that a standard PC will use. We are not considering such esoterica as
headless, touchscreen, or voice-controlled systems. You might want to make a check list
(perhaps using a spreadsheet) of parts to use as you go about your process of research and
selection. That way you won’t find yourself sitting down with a pile of brand new hardware only
to find that you forgot an essential component.

Before you jump onto the web and start spending lots of money on expensive computer parts,
there are three important questions you should answer which will guide your purchases:

1. What will be the main function of the computer?

2. What useful parts do you have on hand, from an old computer or otherwise?
3. How much can you afford to spend on the system?

What operating system am I going to use?

Before you buy components, be sure that they are supported by the operating system you plan to
use. Almost all commonly available PC devices have drivers (small programs that allow the
operating system to recognize and work with a hardware device) available for current versions of
Windows (generally, 2000, XP, Vista, 7 or newer); if you want to run an alternative operating
system, you'll have to do some research; many alternatives have extensive 'Hardware
Compatibility Lists' (HCLs) as well as software compatibility.

[edit] Main Operating systems available

 Microsoft Windows - 2000 (2k), XP (Home/Pro), Vista and 7 (Home/Business/Ultimate)
 Popular GNU/Linux Distros - Red-Hat, Ubuntu, Knoppix, SuSE, Fedora, Debian, Parsix, and
others
 Popular BSD Variants - FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, and others
 BeOS - No longer supported by the original creators, but was taken over as an open source
project
 DOS - MS-DOS, PC-DOS, DR-DOS, FreeDOS, etc - Disc Operating System
[edit] Windows information and hardware support lists

Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems made by the major software corporation
Microsoft. Nearly everybody who has worked with computers has used Windows in some way
or another. Windows is ideal for most personal computing and fits the needs (or wants) of just
about anyone: gamers, video/graphics editors, office workers, or the average guy who wants to
surf the web and play a bit of solitaire here and there. Today, Windows XP, Windows Vista, and
Windows 7 are the three most common versions of the operating system (Windows 7 being the
latest, Windows XP being the most common of the three).

Windows in general supports most processors and motherboards based on the i386 (x86; 32-bit)
or x86_64 (AMD64/EM64T; 64-bit) architectures. Put simply, all available consumer processors
(especially from AMD or Intel) will work with the Windows XP operating system, as well as
most internal and external devices, including Wireless Receivers, Graphics Cards/GPUs, and
Storage Devices.

For other hardware, see Microsoft's compatibility list.

[edit] GNU/Linux information and hardware support lists

As one of the most popular open-source (free) operating systems, GNU/Linux is a very good
(and popular) alternative. Linux is a UNIX-like series of operation systems and comes in many
different distributions (AKA "distros"), such as Ubuntu, Debian, openSuSE, and Mandriva.
Linux can perform many of the same functions as Windows and features similar programs.
Linux is also much more flexible than Windows as Linux is open-source, making it developer-
friendly. Some companies sell versions of Linux with technical support.

Linux has versions for many different architectures, including i386, x64 and PowerPC, though
i386 versions are much more common. It will also support all kinds of processors, enabling it to
be used on Palm PCs and even iPods. There are many different versions of Linux, produced by
different companies and organizations. These are called 'distributions' or 'distros' for short. For a
desktop PC, you should make sure to pick a desktop distribution, one where the
company/organization has desktop users in mind, e.g. Ubuntu, SimplyMEPIS or Mandriva. It
should be noted, however, that many popular programs, especially games, are not available for
Linux, and the only way to run them is with special compatibility layers or programs like Wine,
which may or may not work with a specific program. Even if you manage to get a certain
program running, you may still encounter issues in the program's emulation.

All this is important to bear in mind as different distributions will support different hardware
(generally more 'bleeding-edge' distributions will support newer hardware – look at Fedora,
SuSE, Ubuntu, compared to the latest stable release of Debian). A good rule of thumb is to buy
hardware that is 12 to 18 months old, as it most likely has Linux support with most distributions,
but won't be too old. Besides, the PC will be cheaper in the long run.
[edit] BSDs information and hardware support lists

BSD, or the Berkeley Software Distribution, is also a UNIX-Like series of operating systems
and could be considered the alternative to Linux (an alternative to an alternative?). Now, BSD is
an open-source (free) operating system and has its own descendants, such as FreeBSD and
OpenBSD. BSD Hardware Support is similar to Linux's - it can handle most hardware. Unlike
Linux, however, BSD tends not to support "new" hardware (such as Core i7 and Xeon
processors) but can handle a lot of both older and modern components. FreeBSD is also very
compatible with many Linux applications as they are both UNIX-based and can be installed on a
variety of platforms (even Xbox consoles!)

 DesktopBSD, see FreeBSD 5.4/i386 and FreeBSD 5.4/amd64

 Dragonfly BSD
 FreeBSD
 NetBSD
 OpenBSD
 PC-BSD, see FreeBSD 6.0/i386

..

[edit] What will be the main function of the computer?

If you're going to build a computer from scratch for a specific purpose, you'll want to keep that
purpose in mind when choosing your components; don't just go to the store or an online shop and
start buying. Consider what you want to use the computer for, you may be able to save money by
specifying expensive, premium parts only where needed.

Any reasonably configured computer built from current components will offer adequate Internet
browsing and word-processing capabilities. For an office computer, this is often all that is
needed. As long as you provide enough RAM for your chosen operating system (256 MB to 1
GB for XP or Linux, 2 GB for Vista) any processor you can buy new will provide acceptable
performance. If the computer is for gaming, a fast processor, the addition of a high-end graphics
accelerator card (or two) and extra RAM will provide a more satisfactory gaming experience.
Besides gaming, computers intended for video editing, serious audio work, CAD/CAM, or
animation will benefit from beefier components which are specifically designed for that purpose.

Here are some general system categories. Your own needs will probably not fit neatly into one of
these, but they are a good way to start thinking about what you are going to use your computer
for. With each we’ve indicated the components you should emphasize when building the system.

[edit] Simple web surfer

To provide basic functionality to a user who just needs web surfing, a little word processing, and
the occasional game of solitaire, it’s important not to go overboard. Such a user has no need for a
top of the line processor or 3D graphics card. A modestly configured system with an adequate
Internet connection will suit this user best and can be assembled quite cheaply.

This usage pattern is not going to stress any particular component, you should be looking at a
mid- to low-level processor (historically, and currently, at about the $125 price point or less),
enough RAM for the OS and a mother board with built in Ethernet, video and audio. You can use
a mid-level case/power supply combo (these components are often sold as a pair).

If you have a little extra money, spend it on a better monitor, mouse/keyboard, and case/power
supply in that order.

[edit] Office computer

An office computer can be expected to do word processing, spreadsheet and database work,
network access, e-mail and a little light development of spreadsheets, databases, and
presentations. It might also be called on to do page layout work, some 2D graphic creation,
and/or terminal emulation.

None of this stresses any particular component either, but since office workers often run several
applications at the same time, and because time is money in this space, a strong mid-level
processor is suggested. Typically this would be the processor one or two places from the top of
the line. Plenty of RAM will also facilitate multitasking and save time.

You will not need much in the way of 3D graphics but you’ll want to make sure that the video
subsystem has its own memory rather than using system RAM. Many integrated video systems
do this and it can really slow things down. A cheap (sub $75) (for this and other prices in US
dollars see www.xe.com/ucc or other currency converter of your choice for conversion into your
local currency) video card with 64MB or more can be a good investment.

You’ll want a sturdy case (computers kept under desks get kicked by users and poked by
cleaning staff) with a reliable power supply but nothing fancy. If you plan on keeping the system
running nearly all the time, look for a power supply with a good reliability record. Any extra
budget after the above should focus on a better monitor, better/more ergonomic mouse/keyboard
and more RAM.

[edit] Server

A server these days can be anything from a home unit serving MP3's and homework files to the
kids, to a machine running a business-critical system for a small business, to a 3u rack mount
unit serving up millions of hits a day on the Internet.

The thing that most servers have in common is that they are always on and therefore reliability is
a key characteristic. Also they serve more than one user while storing and processing important
information. For this reason servers are often equipped with redundant systems such as dual
power supplies, RAID 5 arrays of four or more hard disks, special server grade processors that
require error-correcting memory, multiple high-speed Ethernet connections, etc.
All of this is a little beyond the scope of the current work, but, in general, servers need lots of
RAM, fast redundant hard drives, and the most reliable components your budget will allow. The
CPU choice should be made in accordance with the use of the server. A simple print/fax server
will do fine with a CPU stolen from a museum, whereas a server running a database and a front
end for that, will work much better with a top of the line CPU.

On the other end of the hardware list, since nobody is usually sitting at them, you can get away
with the cheapest possible keyboard, mouse and monitor (in fact many servers run "headless"
with no monitor at all). Graphics are also a very low priority on these machines, and a read only
CD/DVD-ROM optical drive (used, infrequently, for installing software and updates) will do just
fine.

[edit] Gaming system

We’re not talking here about the occasional game of solitaire or a secret late night Zuma
obsession. We’re talking about cutting edge 3D gaming – first-person shooters or real-time
strategy games with thousands of troops on the screen at the same time, with anisotropic filtering
and anti-aliasing and mip-mapped specular reflections and a lot of other confusing terminology
describing visual effects that will make anything less than a top-of-the-line system fall down on
its knees and beg for mercy.

A top of the range processor is not critical to gaming performance (though it does help), but you
will need at least a mid range one and plenty of RAM, as well as a motherboard to match, since
the speed of the motherboard buses can limit high-end components. The most important part will
be the video card (or cards) with cutting edge GPUs (Graphic Processing Units). ATI and
NVIDIA have been competing for "king of the graphics card" honors for years and the
competition is so keen that new cards running on new GPUs are released, it seems, twice a
month. So do your research and buy the best current cards you can afford.

The other component which can offload some of the burden from your CPU is a good audio card.
The DSPs (Digital Signal Processors) on the audio card can take over a lot of the sound
processing and free up the CPU for other tasks. Currently Creative Labs pretty much owns this
space, but again do your research (partly by reading on) and get the best audio card you can
afford. Some motherboards have audio cards already built in, though these are generally of lesser
quality.

Finally all of these components are going to require a pretty hefty power supply, particularly if
you decide to run two graphics cards in Crossfire (ATI) or SLI (NVIDIA) mode, in which case
make sure the power supply is rated for the dual-graphics card mode you choose. Generally a
serious gaming rig will require at least a 500 watt supply; units are available up to 1000 watts (1
Kilowatt) and two Kilowatt supplies have been announced. Keep in mind that having a higher-
rated power supply will not actually increase the power your computer draws. The rating is the
maximum that the power supply is designed to provide. Get the best you can afford.

As you may have noticed, pretty much every component inside the computer needs to be top of
the line; the same is true outside the case. You’ll want a big monitor, and a high sensitivity
mouse. There are even gaming keyboards with the keys specially arranged, not to mention
joysticks, throttle controllers, driving wheels, etc.

So, given that your budget is not bottomless, how do you prioritize? Well, the processor and
video card are the components that will have the most effect on your gaming performance. Next
comes the motherboard and RAM. If you use one instead of two video cards, you can also use a
less expensive power supply. One of the advantages to building your own computer is that you
can get the components you can afford now and plan to upgrade them later.

A note on cases for gaming rigs – it is not necessary to get a case with a side window that reveals
glowing blue fans and revolving animated heat-sinks. A well-built plain case will do just as well
and let you spend more money on the components that matter. But if you have the cash, and
that’s your taste, there are lots of flashy add-ons available these days.

[edit] Entertainment system/media center

This is a computer designed to sit in the living room with the rest of your A/V gear. The idea is
that it will record and serve audio and video files for replay via your existing television and
stereo. The current notion is that this computer should be built in a special case that makes it
look more like a stereo component, the size of which can present a challenge when it comes to
getting all the necessary parts fitted.

For this system a mid-range processor will be fine, along with a generous amount of RAM. A
fast Ethernet connection will facilitate sharing large files. You’ll also want a TV tuner card (or
two) to get video in and out of the machine. Many of these also provide DVR (digital video
recorder) functionality, often without the monthly subscription fees and DRM (digital rights
management) restrictions required by companies like Tivo. A wireless keyboard and mouse
provide for couch-based use and a separate monitor may be unnecessary as your TV will fill that
role.

All components should be as quiet as possible since you'll likely be watching/listening in the
same room. For this application it makes sense to trade a little power for passively-cooled
(without fans) parts. Following this logic, one may consider fan-less CPUs and mainboards.

[edit] Workstation

A workstation was, originally, a single-user computer with more muscle than a PC, intended to
support a demanding technical application, like CAD or complicated array-based simulations of
real world phenomena. The niche that these computers filled – between high end PC’s and low
end minicomputers – has essentially evaporated. The serious scientific applications have
migrated to clusters of PC's with near super-computer speeds, and end-user applications, like
video editing, music production and CAD, run well on high-end PC's. One sector that still uses
large workstation farms from Sun or Silicon Graphics is serious, Pixar-style animation.

For any of the following uses, you will need the fastest processor and the most RAM you can
manage.

Note: On a Microsoft OS (anything before Vista 64x), the maximum practical RAM available for
programs is 3 Gigabytes. the 4th gigabyte will be partially absorbed by system overhead.

[edit] Video editing

Big and fast hard drives are key. 10000 RPM Raptors in Raid 0 as working space with multiple
750 GB drives or 1 Terabyte drives for storage is a good target. SATA/300 is highly
recommended and SCSI subsystems should also be considered. A large amount of memory (4
gig or more, depending on your OS and hardware limitations) would be beneficial, as would a
fast CPU, especially if you intend to render effects or wish to quickly transcode video.

[edit] Music production

Plenty of disk space is important, you'll also want at least 2 GB of RAM, but a music production
(recording and mixing) workstation is chiefly distinguished by specialized external components
– studio reference monitors instead of normal speakers, mixing consoles, microphones, etc. If
you want to record external sources, like vocals or instruments, you'll need an audio interface
which allows you to plug mics or instruments into your computer.

Audio interfaces allow anything from a single microphone or instrument on up to pro level
systems that have 32 or more simultaneous inputs. These separate inputs will allow you to record
each one as a separate track in your DAW. Most use Steinberg's ASIO interface (a software
driver that connects your hardware to your DAW software). If you don't wish to invest in
anything other than the onboard sound card your computer comes with, consider ASIO4All, a
free driver that imitates the ASIO framework for almost any sound card.

One piece of advice, if you have extra money, get better microphones - even if you have to trade
the Bluesmobile.

[edit] CAD/CAM

(Computer Assisted Design / Computer Aided Manufacturing)

A CAD/CAM workstation is usually a machine that runs a single, very intense, application.
These machines often utilize specialized video hardware, like the Nvidia Quadro series of GPU's,
which are designed specifically for CAD/CAM rendering. Since these machines are usually
devoted to a single, expensive, application it's especially important to pay close attention to the
requirements of that application. Spec the hardware to support the software - always a good idea
but especially important here.

Some examples of this specialized software are 3ds Studio Max, Maya, AutoCAD and Maxwell
Render Engine.

[edit] Do I plan on overclocking my computer?

Overclocking consists of running components at faster internal speeds than they are rated for. If
you are serious about overclocking your computer, you need to do extensive research into the
components you select, as some parts respond to overclocking better than others. Processors that
respond well to heavy overclocking are generally not very expensive (though overclockable
memory is), but the price of a component is by no means a guarantee of its overclocking
potential. Overclocking usually voids your warranty and is risky (you can destroy your entire
computer), so be warned! You need to think hard about cooling the computer as overclocking
generates heat. Anything from a few extra fans to a liquid-cooled system may be necessary
depending on the nature of your system.

[edit] Do I plan on underclocking my computer?

This can be ideal for always-on entertainment systems. Underclocked parts run cooler, often
enabling passive cooling options to be used, which leads to a much quieter system.

The risk here is not destroying your computer, as with overclocking, but possible problems with
hard-disk data integrity. It is a good idea to back up your disk data periodically on a non-volatile
medium, such as DVDs or tape.

[edit] Can I use any of the parts from my old computer?

This depends on your situation; if your computer is more than four years old, chances are that
most of the parts will be too old, slow or incompatible for your new machine. On the other hand,
if you are upgrading from a fairly new machine, you may be able to use many of the parts. All of
this assumes the old computer will no longer be used. If you, or someone else, is going to
continue using your old computer, it's probably best just to leave it intact.

One important point – if you are selling your old computer it's a good idea to erase the hard drive
before giving it to its new owner. Special precautions must be taken to ensure that you are not
giving away your sensitive or personal information. Don't forget that a simple 'delete' command
does not actually erase the data on your hard drive. The original data will still be present and can
later be recovered by someone else using special programs and/or equipment. To avoid this,
programs are available that will effectively 'shred' your data, making it unrecoverable. Driver
floppies or CD's that come with some hard drives may also have programs to do this, that write
0s or 1s (either way, "blankness") to the whole drive. Lower-tech approaches include drilling a
few holes in the drive or taking a blowtorch to it. Obviously, either prevents it from being used
again.
Since monitor technology moves quite slowly, you can probably keep your current monitor and
use it on the new computer if it's of sufficient size and clarity for your work. The same can go for
keyboards, as well as mice, printers, scanners, and possibly speaker sets. On the inside, you may
be able to take out the floppy drive, CD-ROM drive, and possibly the sound card and hard drive
(depending on how good they are, of course). Sometimes so much is used from the old computer,
that the line between an upgrade and a new computer can become blurred.

Reusing a hard drive is an easy way to keep data from your old computer. With most Windows
operating systems moving a boot drive from one motherboard to another will entail a series of
reboots and installation of new drivers. In the case of newer Windows systems, like 2000 and
XP, an entire 'refresh install' may be necessary to allow Windows to install a new Hardware
Abstraction Layer. Back up your data before trying this.

[edit] Where do I find the parts?

Once you have decided what you’re going to use your computer for, and have reviewed which
parts are available for reuse, you should make a list of what components you will need to buy. A
few hours of research can save you years of regret, so make sure that the computer you build will
do what you need it to do.

Computer terminology can be confusing, so if there are terms you don’t understand, be sure to
look them up. Wikipedia is an excellent place to start if, for example, you’re not clear on the
difference between, say, DDR and DDR2 memory.

There are several places to buy parts:

 Internet retailers generally offer the best price for new parts. If a part needs to be returned, you
may be stuck for the shipping; check return policies before you purchase.
 Auction sites like eBay and several others offer very good prices for used parts. This is especially
useful for parts which do not wear out. Returns can be problematic or impossible. Some
auctions may not be legitimate. Always check the shipping cost before you bid.
 Local PC shops - Their prices are often higher, but they may make up for this by providing a lot
of expertise. Get opinions from other sources, however, as they may be eager to sell you parts
you don't need.
 Big local retailers often lack technical expertise and charge higher prices, but can be useful
because they usually handle returns quickly. Also good if you need something right away.
 Trade shows that occur from time to time also provide a good place to shop, as the prices are
often significantly reduced, and the variety of prefabricated computers built towards specific
computing needs tend to be higher.

Also, your local town dump may have a special section for computers and monitors that others
have got rid of. These can be more or less brand new computers with trivial problems such as a
busted power supply or faulty cables. Of course if the dump does have such a section, you should
ask permission of those in charge. They're usually glad to let you go through it, but don't leave a
mess. Taking advantage of this can yield incredible finds, with a price tag of nothing or very
little.

[edit] OEM vs Retail

Many hardware manufacturers will sell the same components in both OEM and Retail versions.
Retail hardware is intended to be sold to the end-user through retail channels, and will come
fully packaged with manuals, accessories, software, etc. OEM stands for "original equipment
manufacturer"; items labeled as such are intended to be sold in bulk for use by firms which
integrate the components into their own products.

However, many online stores will offer OEM hardware at cheaper prices than the corresponding
retail versions. You will usually receive such an item by itself in an anti-static bag. It may or may
not come with a manual or a CD containing drivers. Warranties on OEM parts may often be
shorter, and sometimes require you to obtain support through your vendor, rather than the
manufacturer. OEM components are also sometimes specified differently than their retail
counterparts, parts may be clocked slower, and ports or features may be missing. Some of the
support may be less (as in the case of Microsoft). Again, do your research.

[edit] What should affect the choice of any part/peripheral?

Many things should be taken into account when deciding what parts to buy. Below are some
things to consider.

[edit] Compatibility

You’ll want to make sure that all the parts you buy work together without problems. The CPU,
the motherboard, and the RAM in particular must be compatible with each other. Check the
motherboard manufacturer's web site; most will list compatible RAM and processors. Often
quality RAM that is not on the approved list (but is of the proper type) will work anyway, but the
manufacturers list of processors should be rigidly adhered to.

Again, you’ll also want to make sure that your operating system supports the hardware you
choose. Windows is supported by almost everything, though watch out for older components if
you're planning on using Vista. If you have any interest in running Linux, MacOS or another
operating system now or in the future, buy parts that are supported by that OS (Operating
System). It is also worth checking around the Internet to make sure there is no history of your
chosen components clashing (e.g. certain combinations of hardware causing instability, crashing,
etc.)
[edit] Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the science of designing things so that they work with the human body. This is
obviously important when choosing peripherals such as a keyboard or mouse but should also be
considered when selecting a monitor, and especially when setting up the computer for your use.
If your wrist hurts or you’re getting a crick in your neck, look at the physical setup of your
computer, check your chair height and posture. An ounce of prevention here can avert
troublesome repetitive strain injuries.

[edit] Operating temperature

Modern components, notably processors, GPUs, RAM, and some elements on the motherboard,
are very small and draw a lot of power. A small area doing a lot of work with a lot of power
leads to high temperatures. Various factors can cause electronic parts to break down over time
and all of these factors are exacerbated by heat. Very high temperatures can burn out chips
almost instantly, while running hot can shorten the useful life of a part, so the cooler we can
make these parts, the better.

If you are not going to overclock your system, stock air cooling, when paired with a good case
with adequate fans, should be enough to keep your system cool. If you want a quiet computer
then components designed for passive (fan-less) cooling can be paired with very low noise case
fans (or a well-vented case). In general, high-end parts will require more attention to cooling.

To keep your system at a proper operating temperature, you can monitor vital components with
software (which usually comes with your motherboard). If you are seeing high temps, make sure
the interior of your case is dust free, and remember that most cooling solutions can not reduce
the temperature of your computer parts below room temperature. Of course, unless you happen
to have your computer outdoors in a climate such as the Sahara, room temperature will be well
within the thermal limits of any component on your computer.

Which brings us to overclocking. It's specialty cooling solutions that make overclocking
possible, a processor that might run stable at a maximum of 3.3 GHz at 60C could hit speeds as
high as 5 GHz with specialized cooling systems. A sensible person wanting a 20% overclock
could add a special fan/heatsink to his CPU and some extra case fans. An enthusiast seeking a
major overclock might go with a water-cooling solution for the CPU and GPU and sometimes
other chips. The real fanatics have been known to use liquid nitrogen or total immersion in pure
water or oil. You should not try any of the more extreme solutions unless you really know what
you're doing.

[edit] Price

Today, there are a wide array of hardware components and peripherals tailored to fit every home
computing need and budget. With all these options to choose from, it can be a bit overwhelming
if you've never bought computer parts before. Shop around and remember to factor in shipping
and handling, and taxes. Some places may be priced a bit higher, but offer perks such as free
shipping, limited warranties, or 24-hour tech support. Many websites, such as CNET and ZDNet
offer comprehensive reviews, user ratings, and links to stores, including price comparisons.

Since prices for any given part are always falling, it’s tempting to just wait until the part you
want goes down in price. Unfortunately the reason prices decline is that better/faster parts are
coming out all the time, so the part you want this year that costs $500 may well be $200 next
year, but by that time you won’t want it any more, you’ll want the new, better part that still costs
$500. At some point you’ve got to get on the bus and ride, even if the prices are still falling.

Usually the best bet is to buy just behind the bleeding edge, where, typically, you can get 90% of
the performance of the top of the line part for 50% or 60% of the price. That last 10% is very
expensive and if you don’t need it, you can save a lot of money with the second-tier part.

It's a good idea to think about future upgradeability when selecting some components. While the
computer that you're building today may be fine for your current needs you may want to upgrade
it later. So look for components that support the newest standards and have room for future
expansion, like a motherboard that will allow you to fit more memory than you are planning to
use, or a case that has room for extra hard drives. If your current machine is maxed out the only
possible upgrade is often a new machine.

You may also find that by overspecifing in some areas you can save money on others, e.g. if you
don't currently need fantastic sound but you do need IEEE1394 (Firewire, iLink) then you might
want to purchase a sound card anyway as some of the higher end sound cards also have a
IEEE1394 port.

[edit] Performance

If money is no object, this is an easy question; just buy the most powerful components you can
find. If, like most of us, there are limits to what you can/want to spend, then focus on those areas
where more powerful parts will pay off for you and scrimp on others. Always look for that sweet
spot on the price/performance curve where you get the most bang for your buck.

[edit] Primary components

These are the components that will be the core of your new computer. It is impractical to put
together a PC compatible computer without these components and a bare set of peripherals.
Chassis (case) & power supply

Exploded view of a personal computer:

1 Monitor
2 Motherboard
3 CPU (Microprocessor)
4 ATA sockets
5 Main memory (RAM)
6 Expansion cards
7 Power supply unit
8 Optical disc drive
9 Hard disk drive (HDD)
10 Keyboard
11 Mouse

In earlier eras most cases were beige, and since most components drew far less power than
similar components do now, power supplies received little attention. Recently, however, cases
for the home market have become considerably more elaborate, with lights, side windows, glow-
in-the-dark cables and other shiny/glowing embellishments. Cases now come in a plethora of
styles and colors to suit anyone's taste. And as current components require much more power,
power supply quality and size is an important issue.
If you are only building an office computer, the style of case will be of little concern to you. You
might want an inexpensive ATX case (ATX is a specification which refers to the size of the
motherboard. Any ATX motherboard, and the parts designed therefore, will fit in any ATX
case), and an inexpensive power supply as you won't be running a high-end processor or
graphics card. As a guide, you’ll want a power supply with a rating of more than 300 watts; any
less won’t reliably power modern components. Most case/PSU bundles are adequate, but tend to
feature a lower quality power supply than those that are sold separately from cases. If possible,
avoid power supplies with sleeve bearing fans, as these are of considerably lesser quality.

Before purchasing any PSU, make sure that the supplied wattage is sufficient for your
components. Power requirements are usually listed in the manuals that came with your
components. It is important to note a power supply's total power, and the power at each voltage:
3.3, 5 and 12V. If any of these do not meet your requirements, the rest of the specifications don't
matter.

Some companies have calculators to help you determine what your power supply needs are; if
you are the type to just plug in the numbers without reading the details, you should buy a power
supply that is 1.5 to 2 times the wattage that results from these calculators.

For a quiet system, you can choose a fan-less power supply -- more expensive but well worth it if
noise is a concern, but be sure to monitor system temperatures to make sure cooling is adequate.

For cases and power supply here are some things to consider:

Form factor

Form factor is the specification that provides the physical measurements for the size of
components and where mounting devices for them are located.

 EATX or Extended ATX boards are 12"x13". This format is almost exclusive to workstation
computers.
 ATX is the most common form factor and is the de facto standard. In this form factor the
motherboard is (usually) vertically mounted for more space and more efficient cooling than
some other standards.
 microATX, or µATX, is smaller than standard ATX, but at the cost of fewer expansion slots. Many
cases that support ATX also allow micro-ATX. Flex ATX is even smaller than micro-ATX, but only
allows 2 expansion slots.
 WTX is intended for workstations and servers. Note: WTX has been discontinued as of 2008.
 BTX is another formfactor designed for more efficient cooling.
o PicoBTX 8"x10.5"
o MicroBTX up to 10.4"x10.5"
o BTX up to 12.8"x10.5"
 Mini-ITX is even smaller than BTX, at 6.75" square.
 NLX

Many OEM computers use non-standard form factors. Be sure to choose a motherboard
compatible with your case's form factor.
[edit] Number of storage drive spaces

Internal hard drives/floppy drives (which go in the small 3.5" bays) and internal CD/DVD drives
(which go in the large 5.25" bays) take up space in the case, so make sure you consider how
many drives you will need and what size slot they require. Note that optical drives and floppy
drives will need what are called "external" slots (meaning they have a hole in the case through
which their face can be accessed), while hard drives do not need to be manipulated manually
often, so they can usually go into an "internal" slot. This is not to be confused with an external
drive, which doesn't go into the case at all.

Note that it's possible to buy adapters to fit items that go in small bays (usually hard drives) into
large bays. It is, however, not possible to do the reverse.

[edit] Power rating

A power supply

The power supply you choose needs to supply enough DC current to run your components.
Beyond that it needs to supply stable, accurate voltages, i.e. the 12 volt rail needs to supply 12
volts (within normal tolerances of 10% or so) steadily under any foreseeable load, likewise the 3
and 5v rails at their respective voltages. Cheap power supplies tend to fall down in these areas.
There are several tech-heavy websites that actually throw a multimeter on the PSU in the course
of a review, seek these out and make sure you select a quality PSU.

In selecting a power supply, check carefully that it has the power feeds you need, e.g. six-pin
PCI power, 20 vs. 24-pin motherboard connectors, etc. If you are planning on running two video
cards in SLI (NVIDIA) or Crossfire (ATI) mode, make sure your power supply is approved for
that. Both companies have certification programs.

There are several calculators that try to help you select an adequate PSU for your system, such
as:

 http://web.aanet.com.au/SnooP/psucalc.php
 http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculator.jsp
Choose an efficient PSU. Efficient PSUs run cooler and more quietly and thus do not create as
much noise (important if you plan to sleep (or think) in the same room with it or use it as a media
center PC).

More information about this can be found at Silent PC Review, OCAU Wiki, among others.

[edit] Fans

An additional fan

Most cases mount one or more case fans, distinct from the fans that may be attached to the power
supply, video card and CPU. The purpose of a case mounted fan is to move air through the
system and carry excess heat out. This is why some cases may have two or more fans mounted in
a push-pull configuration (one fan pulls cool outside air in, the other pushes hot interior air out).
The more air these fans can move, the cooler things will generally be.

Fans currently come in two basic sizes, 80mm and 120mm. Cases tend to support either one or
the other; in that the case fan mounts can hold that size. The larger 120mm fans spin more slowly
while moving a given volume of air, and slower fans are usually quieter fans, so the 120's are
generally preferred even though they cost a little more. Good 80mm fans can still be pretty quiet
though, so while fan size is a factor, it shouldn’t be a deal-breaker if the case has other features
you like.

Make sure the power plug on any case fans is supported by your mother board, 3 and 4-pin
Molex connectors are common. Fans can also be powered directly by the PSU, but in that
configuration, the motherboard can’t control or report the fan’s speed.

[edit] CPU (processor)

We discuss choosing a CPU in the next chapter, How To Assemble A Desktop PC/Choosing the
parts/CPU.
[edit] Motherboard

A PC motherboard: IDE connectors and the motherboard power connector (white with large holes) are
on the left edge. Between them and the large quadratic CPU socket in the lower middle are the longish
RAM sockets. The extension slots are above the CPU socket (two white, one black) and the ports for
external devices are on the right edge.

The motherboard is a very important part of your computer. The difference between a cheap and
a quality motherboard is typically around $100. A good motherboard allows a modest CPU and
RAM to run at maximum efficiency whereas a bad motherboard restricts high-end products to
run only at modest levels.

There are six things one must consider in choosing a motherboard: CPU interface, Chipset, IDE
or SATA support, Expansion slot interfaces, and other connectors. One must also make sure that
the motherboard is of a form factor compatible with the case.

[edit] CPU interface

The CPU interface is the "plug" that your processor goes into. For your processor to physically
fit in the motherboard, the interface must be an exact match to your processor. Intel currently
has four mainstream formats, the older Land Grid Array (LGA) 775 mostly for the Core 2 chips,
the LGA 1366 supporting their high-end Core i7 9XX CPUs (as well as Xeon CPUs for servers),
the LGA 1156 for mainstream i5 and i7 CPUs, and the 1155 for the iX-XXXX (Sandy Bridge
architecture) CPUs. AMD currently uses six sockets AM3+, AM3, AM2+, AM2, 754 and 939.
The AM3 and AM3+ sockets are compatible with DDR3 RAM. The AM2+ socket is a improved
version of AM2. The AM2 sockets are faster (compatible with DDR2 RAM) and more efficient
than the older two. Socket 754 was aimed at the value market, while Socket 939 was for
performance applications.

Check with the motherboard manufacturer to ensure that the slot on the motherboard will support
the CPU you want to use. It is important to know whether the motherboard's bus can support the
exact CPU you plan on using.

If the motherboard, CPU, and heatsink/fan are not compatible and installed correctly, you can
destroy the CPU and/or the motherboard in a matter of seconds. Most modern processors come
with a stock cooling fan which will work well at stock speeds, stick with this if you have any
doubts.

[edit] Chipset

The function of BIOS is highly important. Some BIOS feature crash proof functions essential for
updating the firmware. Other motherboards allow BIOS control of overclocking of CPU, RAM
and Graphics card which are much more stable and safer for overclocking. Newer BIOS have
temperature controls, and functions that shut down the computer if the temperature gets too high.

[edit] IDE (ATA) or SATA interface

Used for connecting hard and optical drives, most motherboards used to have two parallel, 40 pin
IDE interface connectors which are now mostly used for backwards compatibility if they are
present. These old PATA (parallel ATA) connections have been largely replaced by SATA
(Serial ATA) connections for hard drives and optical drives. SATA connections are simple - one
plug, one cable, one device.

In the older PATA/IDE standard up to two devices could be connected to each port in a
Master/Slave configuration. A 44 wire ribbon cable was used for this connection with three
connectors, one on each end and one in the middle (actually slightly off center). One end was
plugged into the motherboard connection and the other end plugged into the first (or only)
device. If two devices are connected the second is connected to the middle connection. The
device plugged into the end must be configured as a master (usually via a jumper on a set of pins
on the device) while the second must be configured as a slave – OR both must be configured as
“cable select”.

Two devices connected on the same IDE port can contend for access to the bus, causing a
reduction in the effective speed of the drives. The newer serial ATA (SATA) interface has four
or more separate motherboard connections that allow independent access and can increase the
speed at which hard drives work. The cables are also narrower, improving the flow of air inside
the case.

The support for older (PATA) IDE drives is starting to disappear. The new G/Q/P 965 chipset
series from Intel completely dropped support for such devices. Nevertheless, many motherboard
makers are still including an additional IDE controller on their boards, and it still remains
possible to buy an extra PCI IDE controller.
[edit] Expansion slot interfaces

PCI Express slots (from top to bottom: x4, x16, x1 and x16), compared to a traditional 32-bit PCI slot
(bottom)

Old motherboards may have one or more the following slots:

 AGP - for graphics cards (ranging from AGP 1x, 2x, 4x and 8x)
 PCI - for expansion cards and low end graphics cards

ATI still manufactures PCI graphics cards, but for better performance try a card supporting PCI-
Express. AGP is not a good idea, because it is a standard that is on its way out. You may come
upon ancient motherboards with neither AGP nor PCI, but please don't waste your time trying to
reuse them.

Due to the evolution of new graphics cards on the serial PCI-Express Technology, current newer
motherboards have the following connections:

 PCI-Express 16x for mainstream graphics cards (4 times speed of AGP 8x)
 PCI-Express 1x for faster expansion cards (replacing older PCI)
 PCI for use of old expansion cards (will eventually be phased out)

Older AGP 8x graphics cards are generally being discontinued in favor of PCI-Express 16x, as
the speed and efficiency is about 4 times that of the AGP 8x technology. Old PCI cards are either
now built into the motherboard (for sound cards, LAN cards, IEEE 1394 firewire and USB 2.0
interfaces) or becoming PCI-Express variants.
[edit] Other connectors

USB connector

USB

In addition to the USB 2.0 ports provided on the back panel, most motherboards will have
connectors for additional ports, either on the front of the case or in a panel that fits where a PCI
card might otherwise be connected. USB 2.0 ports (and be sure that your chosen motherboard
supports the faster 2.0 standard) are used for connecting various peripherals such as printers,
external hard drives etc. USB connectors are also used for connecting MP3 players, some
cameras and an assortment of less serious devices like fans, nerf missile launchers and drink
warmers. Given the growing popularity of USB devices, the more ports your motherboard
supports the better.

USB 3 ports are now available on some motherboards and they are even faster than 2.0 (up to
5Gbps). Although there are not many devices available yet that support the USB 3.0 standard,
USB 3.0 ports are backwards compatible and can be used with USB 1 or 2 devices, although
these will not receive the benefit of USB 3.0 speeds.

9-pin serial port

Serial (COM) or parallel (printer) ports

Traditional parallel and 9-pin serial ports are much less used than they used to be. Many
motherboards have dropped the parallel port (formerly used almost exclusively for connecting
printers) altogether, while serial ports, which once numbered as many as four, are now usually
solitary. The principal use for serial ports was once connection to either a mouse or an external
 modem, both of these devices now connect via USB. Unless you are connecting some seriously
old peripheral hardware, these ports will be of minimal importance.

Firewire connector

IEEE 1394 Firewire

Firewire ports are principally used for connecting DV (Digital Video) cameras and external hard
drives. This technology got a foothold because it was much faster than USB 1.0 and 1.1. With
the near ubiquity of USB 2.0, however, the original (and still the most common) IEE1394
implementation, Firewire 400, was actually a little slower. For this reason, and in spite of the
existence of a faster but seldom implemented specification, Firewire 800, Firewire is not as
popular as USB. Like USB, most motherboards that support Firewire will have one or more
external ports on the back panel and the ability to connect one or more additional ports. One or
two Firewire ports will suffice for most users.

Note that, regardless of the motherboard’s native support, additional ports of all kinds can always
be added via a PCI or PCI-E 1 card.

[edit] RAM (random access memory)

The amount of RAM you use has become a fairly simple choice. Unless you are building on a
very restricted budget, you just have to choose between installing one, two, four, or eight gigs.
One gig of RAM is plenty for most modern operating systems but all of them will run a little
faster with two or four, it should be noted that while 32 bit operating systems can address 4 gigs,
they cannot utilize more than three or so gigs as system RAM (actually 4gigs minus VideoRAM
minus Overhead for other devices), if one wishes to utilize the full 4 (or more) gigs of RAM, you
need to install a 64 bit operating system. It really comes down to a financial decision. You might
also choose to get one gig of high quality RAM over two gig of lesser quality, especially if you
plan to overclock. Some specialized applications may profit from more than two gig of RAM, if
you are planning on using such, make sure you check that both your operating system and your
motherboard will accommodate the amount of RAM you have in mind.

Another thing to consider when choosing the amount of RAM for your system is your graphics
card. Most motherboard-integrated graphics chips and PCI Express graphics cards marketed with
the "Turbo Cache" feature will use system memory to store information related to rendering
graphics; this system memory is generally not available at all to the operating system. On
average, these graphics processors will use between 64MB and 512MB of system memory for
rendering purposes.

The actual type of RAM you will need depends on the motherboard and chipset you get. Some
old motherboards use DDR (Double Data Rate) RAM but the industry standard is now DDR2.
DDR3 is coming on strong on the high end and is required for Intel's new Core i7 CPU's.
Chipsets that use dual-channel memory require you to use two identical (in terms of size and
speed) sticks of RAM. Your RAM should usually operate at the same clock speed as the CPU's
Front Side Bus (FSB). Your motherboard may not be able to run RAM slower than the FSB, and
using RAM faster than the FSB will simply have it run at the same speed as your FSB. Buying
low-latency RAM will help with overclocking your FSB, which can be of use to people who
want to get more speed from their system.

If you are upgrading from an existing computer, it's best to check if your machine requires
specific kinds of RAM. Many computer OEMs, such as Gateway and HP, require custom RAM,
and generic RAM available from most computer stores may cause compatibility problems in
such systems.

[edit] Labeling of RAM

RAM is labeled by its Memory Size (In MB) and clock speed (or bandwidth).

SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic RAM) is labeled by its clock speed in megahertz (MHz). For
example, PC133 RAM runs at 133MHz. SDRAM is nearly obsolete as nearly all motherboards
have withdrawn support for SDRAM. It is now superseded by the more efficient DDR RAM.

 128MB SD-133 = 128MB PC133 RAM

DDR RAM can be labeled in two different ways. It can be labeled by approximate bandwidth; as
an example, 400MHz-effective DDR RAM has approximately 3.2GB/s of bandwidth, so it is
commonly labeled as PC3200. It can also be labeled by its effective clock speed; 400MHz
effective DDR RAM is also known as DDR-400. There is also DDR and DDR2 labeled as PC
and PC2.

 256MB DDR-400 = 256MB PC 3200 RAM

 256MB DDR2-400 = 256MB PC2 3200 RAM

DDR RAM has three versions: DDR (also DDRI), DDR2 (or DDRII) and DDR3

 DDR supports DDR-200, DDR-266, DDR-333, DDR-400 (mainstream) and DDR-533 (rare)
 DDR2 supports DDR-400, DDR-533, DDR-667, DDR-800, DDR-1066
 DDR3 supports DDR-1333 to DDR-2000
[edit] Hard drive

A hard drive

Things to consider when shopping for a hard drive:

Interface

The interface of a drive is how the hard drive communicates with the rest of the computer. The
following hard drive interfaces are available:

 Parallel IDE drives (PATA, also known as ATA or IDE) use cables that can be
distinguished by their wide 40-pin connector, colored first-pin wire, and usually gray
"ribbon" style cables. This technology is largely obsolete because SATA uses thinner
cables, eliminates contention for the IDE bus that can occur when two PATA drives are
attached to the same connector, and promises faster drive access.
 SATA drives have the advantages outlined above. If you want Serial ATA, you will either
need to purchase a motherboard that supports it (all newer motherboards do), or
purchase a PCI card that will allow you to connect your hard drive. Note that some older
motherboards will not allow you to install Windows XP to a Serial ATA hard drive.
 SCSI, although more expensive and less user friendly, is usually worthwile on high
performance workstations and servers. Few consumer desktop motherboards built
today support SCSI, and when building a new computer, the work needed to implement
SCSI may be outweighed by the relative simplicity and performance of IDE and SATA.
SCSI hard drives typically reach rotational speeds of up to 15,000 RPM, and are more
expensive.
 USB can be used for connecting external drives. An external drive enclosure can convert
an internal drive to an external drive.
 IEEE1394 This format is most commonly known as "Firewire" (Apple) or "I link" from
Sony. The theoretical speed of IEEE1394 is double that of USB 1.0.

Cache
The cache of a Hard drive is a faster media than the hard drive itself, which is normally 2MB (in
low-end), 8MB (standard), or 16MB (large disks only). The existence of a cache increases the
 speeds of retrieving short bursts of information, and also allows pre-fetching of data. Larger
cache sizes generally result in faster data access.

Form factor

 3.5 inch drives are usually used in desktops.

 2.5 inch drives are usually used in laptops.

Capacity
The smallest desktop drives that are widely available hold about 160 gig of data, although the
largest drives available on the market can contain 3TB (3000GB). Few people will need disks this
large - for most people, somewhere in the range of 300-750GB will be sufficient. The amount of
space you will need can depend on many factors, such as how many high-end games and
programs you want to install, how many media files you wish to store, or how many high-quality
videos you want to render. It is usually better to get a hard drive with a capacity larger than you
anticipate using, in case you need more in the future. If you run out of space, you can always
add an additional hard drive using any free IDE or Serial ATA connector, or through an external
interface, such as USB or FireWire.

Rotational Speed

The speed at which the hard drives platters spin. Most laptop (2.5 inch) drives spin at 5400 RPM,
while common desktop drives come in at 7200. There are PATA and SATA drives that spin at
10,000 RPM and some SCSI drives hit 15,000. However drives above 7,200 RPM usually have
limited capacity, and a much higher price than comparable 7,200RPM drives, making such drives
advisable only when the fastest possible speeds are required.

Noise and Heat

Modern hard drives are fairly quiet in operation though some people are sensitive to the faint
hum and occasional buzz they do make. If your HD is loud, it’s time to think about replacing it.
Hard drives will also throw some heat and adequate air circulation should be provided, usually
by case fans. There is software available that will allow you to monitor both the health and
temperature of your hard drive(s), it’s a good idea to check from time to time.

Warranty

Many manufactures offer warranties ranging from 30 days (typically OEM) up to five years. It is
well worth spending an extra few dollars to get the drive that carries a longer warranty.

[edit] Secondary components

These components are important to your computer, but are not as central as the Core
Components.
[edit] Video output

For a computer to use a display for monitoring it will need some form of video card into which a
display can be plugged. The majority of home and office computers, which predominantly use
2D graphics for office applications and web surfing can use an 'onboard' or integrated graphic
processor which will be included on most low to mid range motherboards. For gaming, or 3D
modeling, a good quality graphics card will be needed.

Currently, two companies dominate the 3D graphics accelerator market; nVIDIA and ATI.
nVIDIA and ATI build their own graphics products, and license their technologies to other
companies. Both companies make a complete line of cards with entries at every
price/performance level, and each brand has its own supporters. Video cards have their own
RAM, and many of the same rules that govern the motherboard RAM field apply here: to a point,
the more RAM, and the faster it is, the better the performance will be. Most applications require
at least 128MB of video RAM, although 512MB is rapidly becoming the new standard. On the
other end, 1GB video cards top the consumer end of the video card market. As a rule of thumb, if
you want a high end video card, you need a minimum of 756MB of video memory -- preferably
1GB. Don't be fooled, though; memory is only part of the card and the actual video processor is
more important than the memory.

It is generally better to choose your video card based on your own research, as everyone has
slightly different needs. Many video card and chip makers are known to measure their products'
performances in ways that you may not find practical. A good video card is often much more
than a robust 3D renderer; be sure to examine what you want and need your card to do, such as
digital (DVI) output, TV output, multiple-monitor support, built-in TV tuners and video input.
Another reason you need to carefully research is that manufacturers will often use confusing
model numbers designed to make a card sound better than it is to sell it better. For example, the
Geforce 4 MX series of cards claim to be a "Geforce 4," however, the actual processor is closer
to a Geforce 2, only more powerful, meaning that these cards actually lack many features
available even to the Geforce 3 series. However, when these cards were first produced, they were
considerably cheaper than a real Geforce 4 (the TI series) making them an ideal choice if you
were more interested in working on a spreadsheet than in playing games. For this sort of reason,
you have to carefully pick your card depending on your needs. TV outputs can easily be adapted
to your computer by using a DVI - Component Video cable.

Newer technologies such as SLI and Crossfire allow the use of two video cards to render the
same video scene, similar to using two CPUs or a dual-core CPU. These systems tend to be
expensive, as only some video cards offer this option, and you'll need two of them. However, it
can be a useful upgrade path to consider. A SLI-capable motherboard is usually not much more
expensive than the regular model, and will work fine with a single video card. You can use it
with one card now, and buy another one in the future (which will probably be much cheaper by
then), which means you will take advantage of your old video card too.

[edit] Interface

There are four different current graphics card interfaces: integrated, PCI, AGP and PCI-Express.
Most retail computers will ship with an integrated graphics card. It is important to understand
that an integrated graphics card uses the system's RAM, and relies heavily on your system's
CPU. This will mean slow performance for graphic-intensive software, such as games. Most
motherboards that have integrated graphics will also have one of the other three slot interfaces
available so it isn't hard to place a new card to suit your needs if the need ever arises.

Older video cards use the standard PCI slots that are now growing obsolete due to limited speed
and memory. These cards are needed for a few rare systems lacking an AGP or PCI-E slot
(usually low end desktop systems designed to be cheap.) They are also useful for adding
additional video cards to a system.

Although the AGP standard has now, by and large, been superseded by PCI-E, the cards are still
available as are a few motherboards that support them. There are 4 different speed and
bandwidths of AGP, 1x, 2x, 4x and 8x. While 8x is the fastest and most common for high end
products, the true performance of your AGP card is limited by the lower AGP value of your
graphics card and motherboard. For example, an AGP 8x card on a 4x motherboard can only run
at up to 4x. AGP has mostly been phased out and there will not be an AGP 16x due to technical
limitations.

The newest trend in graphics card is the PCI-Express (not to be confused with PCI-X) system
that supports up to 16x speeds. Some graphics cards still come in both AGP and PCI-E 16x
models but the newest models of graphics cards are often PCI-E 16x only. While most
motherboards have only one PCI-E 16x slot, those with two such slots can combine the power of
two video cards using technologies known as SLI for NVidia, and CrossFire for ATI. However,
you will have to match the video cards to a motherboard supporting the multiple card technology
of choice, and use two similar video cards that both support dual video cards.

Keep in mind that to provide best picture quality your graphics card must be capable of
displaying the same resolution as your LCD display's native resolution.

[edit] CD/DVD

CD-RW writer

Optical drives have progressed a long way in the past few years, and you can now easily
purchase DVD writers that are capable of burning 9GB of data to a disk for an insignificant
amount of money. Even if you don't plan on watching or copying DVDs on your computer, it is
still worth purchasing a burner for their superior backup capabilities.

When purchasing a DVD writer, you will want one that is capable of burning both the '+' and '-'
standards, and it should also be Dual Layer compatible. This will ensure that you can burn to
almost all recordable DVDs currently on the market (the other major format, DVD-RAM is
almost unused, for the most part, so don't worry about it).

[edit] Floppy drive

3.5" floppy drive

Though Floppy drives have been made largely obsolete in recent years by devices such as USB
"Thumb Drives" and CD writers, they are often installed anyway because they are sometimes
required for BIOS updates and exchanging small files with older computers. Floppy drives block
air movement with wide cables, and can make computers set to check the drive take longer to
start (most have an option in their BIOS to disable this.). One option to overcome the cable
problem and to make it easier to install is to buy an external USB floppy drive, these are
potentially a little bit faster and can be plugged into a different system (such as a laptop without a
floppy drive.) However, not all systems support booting from a USB floppy drive -- most
notably older motherboards.

It should be noted that floppy disks are not suitable for long term storage of data, even in a
backup role. Never keep your only copy of an important file on a floppy disk.

[edit] Sound card

Most motherboards have built-in sound features. These are often adequate for most users.
However, you can purchase a good sound card and speakers at relatively low cost - a few dollars
at the low end can make an enormous difference in the range and clarity of sound. Also, these
onboard systems tend to use more system resources, so you are better off with a real sound card
for gaming.

Sound card quality depends on a few factors. The digital-analog conversion (DAC) is generally
the most important stage for general clarity, but this is hard to measure. Reviews, especially
those from audiophile sources, are worth consulting for this; but don't go purely by
specifications, as many different models with similar specs can produce completely different
results. Cards may offer digital (S/PDIF) output, in which case the DAC process is moved from
your sound card either to a dedicated receiver or to one built into your speakers.
Sound cards made for gaming or professional music tend to do outstandingly well for their
particular purpose. In games various effects are oftentimes applied to the sound in real-time, and
a gaming sound card will be able to do this processing on-board, instead of using your CPU for
the task. Professional music cards tend to be built both for maximum sound quality and low
latency (transmission delay) input and output, and include more and/or different kinds of inputs
than those of consumer cards.

[edit] Modem

A modem is needed in order to connect to a dial up Internet connection. A modem can also be
used for faxing. Modems can attach to the computer in different ways, and can have built-in
processing or use the computer's CPU for processing.

Modems with built-in processing generally include all modems that connect via a standard serial
port, as well as any modems that refer to themselves as "Hardware Modems". Software Modems,
or modems that rely on the CPU generally include both Internal and USB modems, or have
packaging that mentions drivers or requiring a specific CPU to work.

Modems that rely on the CPU are often designed specifically for the current version of Windows
only, and will require drivers that are incompatible with future Windows versions, and may be
difficult to upgrade. Software Modems are also very difficult to find drivers for non-Windows
operating systems. The manufacturer is unlikely to support the hardware with new drivers after it
is discontinued, forcing you to buy new hardware. Most such modems are internal or external
USB, but this is not always the case.

Modems can be attached via USB, a traditional serial port, or an internal card slot. Internal and
USB modems are more easily autodetected by the operating system and less likely to have
problems with setup. USB and serial port modems often require an extra power supply block.

Gaming modems are normal modems that default to having a low compression setting to reduce
lag, but are generally no longer used by gamers, who prefer broadband connections.

[edit] Network interface card

Network interface card

A Network interface card, or Ethernet card, is required in order to connect to a local area
network or a cable or DSL modem. These typically come in speeds of 10Mbps, 100Mbps, or
1000Mbps (gigabit); these are designated as 10Mbps, 10/100Mbps, or 10/100/1000Mbps
products. The 10/100 and 10/100/1000 parts are most commonly in use today. In many cases,
one or two Ethernet adapters will be built into a motherboard. If there are none, you will have to
purchase one. These typically are inserted into a PCI slot. To get the full speed of
10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet, it's best to get a motherboard with that connector built in. A typical
Ethernet card usually costs around US$10.

[edit] Peripherals
Anything outside the case that connects to your computer is considered a peripheral. The
keyboard, mouse and monitor are pretty much the bare minimum you can go with and still be
able to interact with your computer. Your choice in peripherals depends on personal preference
and what you intend to do with your computer.

[edit] Mouse and keyboard

There are, broadly, two types of mouse: optical and mechanical. Mechanical mice use a rubber
coated ball bearing that contacts the mousepad or other surface and actually rolls around. Optical
mice use a bright light and a sensor to track the movement of the mouse.

When choosing a mouse, there is generally no reason not to choose an optical mouse. They are
considerably lighter (and as such, reduce RSI) as they have no moving parts, they are much
better at smoothly tracking movement, and they don’t require constant cleaning like ball mice
(though it may be wise to brush off the lens with a q-tip or other soft tool on occasion). Make
sure that you spend money on a decent-quality mouse made by companies such as Microsoft or
Logitech, as lower-end optical mice will skip if moved too fast. Mice of medium-to-high quality
will track your movement almost flawlessly.

Although three buttons are generally enough for operating a computer in normal circumstances,
extra buttons can come in handy, as you can add set actions to each button, and they can come in
handy for playing various video games. One thing to note is that with some mice those extra
buttons are not actually seen by the computer itself as extra buttons and will not work properly in
games. These buttons use software provided by the manufacturer to function. However, it is
sometimes possible to configure the software to map the button to act like a certain keyboard key
so that it will be possible to use it in games in this manner.

Wireless keyboards and mice do not now display the sort of noticeable delay that they once did,
and now also have considerably improved battery life. However, gamers may still want to avoid
wireless input devices because the very slight delay may impact gaming activities, though some
of the higher end models have less trouble with this. The extra weight of the batteries can also be
an inconvenience.
[edit] Printer and scanner

For most purposes, a mid-range inkjet printer will work well for most people. If you plan on
printing photos, you will want one that is capable of printing at around 4800dpi. Also, you will
want to compare the speed of various printers, which is usually listed in ppm (pages per minute).
When choosing a printer, always check how much new cartridges cost, as replacement cartridges
can quickly outweigh the actual printer's cost. Be aware of other possible quirks as well. For
example, Epson has protection measures that make refilling your own ink cartridges more
difficult because an embedded microchip that keeps track of how much ink has been used keeps
the printer from seeing the cartridge as full once it has been emptied.

For office users that plan to do quite a bit of black and white printing buying a black and white
laser printer is now an affordable option, and the savings and speed can quickly add up for home
office users printing more than 500 pages a month.

Scanners are useful, especially in office settings, they can function with your printer as a
photocopier, and with software can also interact with your modem to send Faxes. When
purchasing a Scanner, check to see how "accessible" it is (does it have one-touch buttons), and
check how good the scanning quality is, before you leave the store if possible.

Finally, "Multi-Function Centres" (also called "Printer-Scanner-Copiers") are often a cost-

effective solution to purchasing both, as they take up only one port on your computer, and one
power point, but remember that they can be a liability, since if one component breaks down, both
may need to be replaced.

[edit] Display

When choosing a display for your computer, you have two choices: a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
screen, or a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) screen. Both technologies have their advantages and
disadvantages but CRT's, now nearly obsolete, are almost unavailable new - making the
argument moot. Used CRT's on the other hand, can be had nearly for free and still work if you
have the room for them.

[edit] LCD panels

Liquid Crystal Displays (LCDs) have the advantage of being a completely digital setup, when
used with the DVI-D or HDMI digital connectors. When running at the screen's native
resolution, this can result in the most stable and sharp image available on current monitors. Many
LCD panel displays are sold with an analog 15-pin VGA connector or, rarely, with an analog
DVI-I connector. Such displays will be a bit fuzzier than their digital counterparts, and are
generally not preferred over a similarly-sized CRT. If you want an LCD display, be sure to
choose a digital setup if you can; however, manufacturers have chosen to use this feature for
price differentiation.

The prime disadvantage of LCDs is "dead pixels", small, failed areas on your monitor, which can
be very annoying, but generally aren't covered under warranty; this can make purchasing LCD
displays a financial risk. In fact, most LCD panel manufacturers allow for a certain number of
dead pixels in their product specification.

LCDs are acceptable for fast-paced gaming, but you should be sure that your screen has a fairly
fast response time (of 12 ms or lower) if you want to play fast games. Nearly all flat panels sold
today meet this requirement, some by a factor of 3.

When picking an LCD, keep in mind that they are designed to display at one resolution only, so,
to reap the benefits of your screen, your graphics card must be capable of displaying at that
resolution. That in mind, they can display lower resolutions with a black frame around the
outside (which means your entire screen isn't filled), or by stretching the image (which leads to
much lower quality). Running at a higher resolution than your monitor can handle will either
make everything on the screen smaller, at a significant quality drop, or will display only a part of
the screen at a time.

[edit] CRT (cathode ray tube) displays

The other key type of display is the Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) display. While CRT technology is
older, it often outperforms LCD technology in terms of color reproduction (color gamut),
although LCD displays are quickly catching up. CRTs are becoming increasingly difficult to find
and have almost vanished from mass-market retail. High end CRT's are still available, though
they are rapidly being discontinued, and now cost a considerable amount.

There are two types of CRT displays, shadow mask and aperture grill. An aperture grill display
is brighter and perfectly flat in the vertical direction, but is more fragile and has one or two
mostly-unnoticeable thin black lines (support wires) running across the screen. CRTs are
generally two to four times as deep as similarly-sized LCDs, and can weigh around 10 times as
much. If you purchase a CRT display over the Internet, shipping is much more expensive than an
LCD, due to the significantly greater weight.

Sometimes CRTs with a flat screen instead of a curved one are called "flat screens". This is not
to be confused with the term "flat panel", used to refer to LCDs. In order to withstand
atmospheric pressure, the glass at the front of a flat screen CRT needs to be very thick, and thus
they are limited to diagonal sizes of 20 inches, or so. A flat screen CRT will be noticeably
heavier than its curved screen counterpart.

For improved contrast and readability, some CRTs were manufactured with an anti-reflection
coating. Such tubes make colors appear more vibrant and blacks appear jet black. Also, if the
user has a light from behind, such as from a lighting fixture or windows, annoying reflections on
the screen will be much less noticeable. The coating typically consists of magnesium fluoride,
the same material used to coat binocular optics and some corrective eyeglass lenses. It is
relatively soft, and must be cleaned with care, using special lens cleaning cloths or papers to
prevent scratching of the coating. Another way to clean them is with a boiled 100% cotton
flannel cloth and commercial glass cleaning solution, such as Windex. Oily fingerprints show up
very clearly on coated screens, so one should avoid touching them. With reasonable care,
however, the screen may only need to be wet-cleaned once a year and in the meantime can be
wiped with a soft dust cloth or brushed with a soft, natural-bristle paint brush to remove any dust
that may accumulate. If you're shopping for such a display on the used market, you will
recognize it by the faint, purplish reflection of room lights and daylight.

Lower-end CRTs use an etched glass tube face. It gives the glass a dull, non-specular appearance
that helps cut down on glare, but such tubes do not provide the high contrast and color brilliance
of tubes treated with an anti-reflection coating.

Flicker in CRT's can cause headaches in some people when run at lower frequencies, so it may
be ideal to pick a screen offering higher vertical refresh rates at whichever resolutions you intend
to use. Most people who have problems with low frequencies (60 Hz) find it preferable to have at
least 80 Hz at the intended resolution. Many won't be bothered by this at all, however.

CRT displays and early LCD displays were developed at a time when television and computers
used screens with 4:3 (width x height) aspect ratios. If your application requires a wide-screen
display, even at the expense of reduced performance, a modern 16:9 aspect ratio LCD screen
should be chosen instead.

[edit] Speakers

Computer loudspeaker sets come in two general varieties; 2/2.1 sets (over a wide range of
quality), and "surround", "theater", or "gaming" sets with four or more speakers, which tend to
be somewhat more expensive. A 2-speaker set is adequate for basic stereophonic sound. A 2.1-
speaker set adds a sub-woofer to handle low frequencies. Low-end speakers can suffer from low
bass response or inadequate amplification, both of which compromise sound quality. Powered
speakers with separate sub-woofers usually cost only a little more and can sound much better. At
the higher end, one should start to see features like standard audio cables (instead of
manufacturer-specific ones), built in DACs, and a separate control box.

The surround sets include a sub-woofer, and two or more sets of smaller speakers. These support
5.1 or 7.1 standards that allow sound to be mixed not only left and right, as with standard stereo
speakers, but front and back and even behind the listener. Movies and video games make use of
this technology to provide a full-immersion experience. Make sure your sound hardware will
support 5.1 or 7.1 before buying such a speaker system. If your budget allows, you can avoid the
computer speaker market entirely and look into piecing together a set of higher-end parts. If you
are buying a speaker system designed for PCs, research the systems beforehand so you can be
certain of getting one that promises clarity rather than just raw power. Speaker power is usually
measured in RMS Watts. However, some cheap speakers use a different measure, Peak Music
Power Output (PMPO), which appears much higher.

Headphones can offer good sound much more cheaply than speakers, so if you are on a limited
budget, but want maximum quality, they should be considered first. The advantage of
headphones is that the acoustic environment between the audio driver is fully contained and
controlled within the earcups and is not dependent on room acoustics. There are even
headphones which promise surround-sound, though these have not been favorably reviewed.
Another 2(assem..)
Tools and equipment

Combination flanged-hex/Phillips-head screw used in computers

You won’t need many tools to assemble your computer, in fact the only one you must have is the
screwdriver, but if you can get most of the following together, you’ll find things go a little easier.

[edit] Basic tools

Before you begin building or refitting a computer, you should have some basic tools:

1. #2 Phillips-head (cross-shaped) screwdriver

2. Needle-nose pliers
3. Anti-static Wrist Strap
4. A large level working space

An anti-static wrist strap with crocodile clip.

[edit] Optional, but useful tools

Some other tools and equipment can come in handy as well, such as:

1. Spring action parts grabber.

2. Electrical tape
3. Wire or nylon ties
4. Flashlight, preferably hands-free
 5. A second, working computer to swap parts, look for tips, ask for help on-line, download drivers
and patches, etc. - very useful
6. A can of compressed air - useful when working with older parts that have collected dust. A
better alternative but also more costly, is a vacuum cleaner designed for cleaning electronics.

[edit] Preparation
Proper preparation is the key to a successful build. Before you begin, make sure you have all the
tools you will need, secure a clear, well-lit workspace, gather all the components you’ll be using
and unpack them one at a time, verifying that everything that is supposed to be there is actually
present. At this point you should leave the parts themselves in their protective anti-static bags,
and assemble all the accompanying manuals. Now I know you want to get started, but trust me,
read the manuals, check the diagrams, make sure you understand where each part goes and how
it attaches. If there is anything you don’t understand, now is the time to do a little extra Internet
research or call the manufacturer with your questions.

Find a dry, well-ventilated place to do your work. You should have plenty of light and if
possible, you should choose an area without carpet on the floor, as carpet tends to generate a lot
of static. An unfurnished basement is a good work location.

Safety precautions are important for your own security. Please read the safety precautions
thoroughly.

[edit] Safety precautions

1. Static electricity is the biggest danger to the expensive parts you are about to assemble, even a
tiny shock, much too small for you to feel, can damage or ruin the delicate electronic traces,
many times smaller than a human hair, that make up your CPU, RAM and other chips. It’s
important to use your anti-static wrist strap to prevent damage to these components. Once you
have the power supply installed in the case, clip the end of the wrist strap to the outside of the
power supply. (Never plug your computer in while you are connected to it by a wrist strap.) This
will ensure that you, the case and the power supply are all connected to a common ground, in
other words there will be no inequality of charge that will allow a spark to jump from you to the
case. It’s also helpful to have an anti-static mat to set the case and other components on.
2. Nobody but you is at fault if you shock your components with static electricity. Make sure that
you take the precautions in the previous paragraph to ground yourself from static electricity.
(Note: if you really must work on a computer and have not got proper anti-static equipment, it is
usually OK if you make sure that you do not move about much; are not wearing any static-prone
clothing; handle components by the edges; and regularly (once a minute or so), touch a
grounded object.). The case metal of your PC's power supply will usually be a suitable grounded
object. As noted above, touch it every few minutes while you are working on your PC if you
haven’t got a wrist strap.
 3. Turn off your computer and switch off your Power Supply at the wall before installing or
removing any components - if power is flowing to components as they are installed or removed,
they can be seriously damaged. In order to have a computer properly grounded, you need it
plugged in at the wall but turned off at the power supply and at the wall. The neutral line may
be earthed
4. Never cut the grounding pin off your power cord. This "safety ground" stands between you and
potentially lethal voltages inside the power supply.
5. Be wary of sharp edges! Many lower-end PC cases have sharp, unfinished edges. This is
especially so on interior surfaces, and where the case has been cut or punched-out. Use care
and take your time to avoid cutting your hands.If your case has this problem, a little time with
some sandpaper before you begin construction can spare you a lot of pain.
6. Dismantling discrete electronic components such as your Power Supply or Monitor is dangerous.
They contain high voltage capacitors, which can cause a severe electric shock if you touch them.
These hold a charge even when the unit is not plugged in and are capable of delivering a fatal
shock.

[edit] Construction
Start by putting your case down on your work surface, with the case door facing up, and open the
case.

[edit] Motherboard
Find the motherboard standoffs (spacers) that should have come with the case. They are screws,
usually brass, with large hexagonal heads that are tapped so you can fasten screws into the top.
These hold the motherboard up off the case preventing a short-circuit. Set these aside.

I/O Panel Shield of an ATX Motherboard

Remove the I/O Shield from the back of the case where the ports on the back of the motherboard
will fit, and put in the I/O Shield that came with your motherboard. There may be small metal
tabs on the inside of this face plate, if so you may have to adjust them to accommodate the ports
on the back of the motherboard.

Some case styles make it difficult to install the motherboard or the CPU with the power supply
installed. If the power supply is in your way, take it out and set it aside (we'll put it back in later).

Now locate the screw holes on your motherboard and find the corresponding holes on the
motherboard plate (or tray) in the case. Put a standoff in each of these holes on the tray and
position the motherboard so that you can see the holes in the top of the standoffs through the
screw holes in the motherboard.

Now is the time to make sure the ports on the motherboard are mating with the backplate you
just installed, and make any necessary adjustments. The small metal tabs are intended to make
contact with the metal parts of the connections on the back of the motherboard and ground them,
but you may have to bend these tabs a bit to get the ports all properly mounted, this is where
those needle-nose pliers may come in handy.

If you have trouble lining up the screw holes, double check that you have the standoffs in the
proper holes on the tray. With lower quality cases there are sometimes alignment problems and
you may have to forgo one or two screws. If this is the case, make sure you remove the
corresponding standoffs. Some combinations of motherboards and cases may also use different
types of screws in different places or provide non-matching screw holes that cannot be used in a
specific case. The motherboard can possibly be damaged if you try to push it into position with
the wrong set of standoffs underneath or when trying to use the wrong set of screw holes.

Now fasten a screw through each of the motherboard screw holes into the standoffs underneath.
These screws should be snug but not tight, there is no reason to torque down on them, hand tight
is fine, otherwise you can damage the motherboard.Once the motherboard is installed, it is time
to plug the other components
CPU

An example of a CPU socket, Socket A

Installing the CPU, and the CPU’s heat-sink and fan, are by far the most difficult steps you’ll
have to complete during your build. Here, more than anywhere else, it will pay to read the
instructions carefully, look at the parts, study the diagrams that came with your CPU and/or third
party cooling solution, and make sure you thoroughly understand what you are going to do
before you try to do it. During the process, if anything does not seem to fit or make sense, put the
parts down and look things over carefully before you proceed. Some operations, especially
installing the heat-sink/fan combination, can require pretty firm pressure, so don’t be afraid to
push a little harder if you’re sure everything is set up correctly.

The details of the installation process differ in slight but important ways for each manufacturer’s
processors, and even within a manufacturers product line. Therefore, for these details, you
should rely on the instructions that are provided with the CPU.

The two things that go wrong the most often and most expensively (minimum of a killed CPU,
sometimes more) in building one's own computer are both related to the CPU and its cooler:

1. Switching the computer on "just to see if it works" before adding any CPU cooling unit. Without
cooling, CPUs heat up at extreme rates (a CPU heats up anywhere between ten times and a
thousand times as fast as a cooking area on your stove!) By the time you see the first display on
the screen, your CPU will already be severely overheating and might be damaged beyond repair.
2. Mounting the CPU cooler improperly. Read the instructions that came with your CPU and cooler
very carefully and ensure you are using all components in the correct order and correct place.

If you buy a third party cooling solution for your CPU make sure you get one that is compatible
with the CPU you have. Most brands come with multiple mounting brackets that will suit many
different chipsets, but it is best to check for compatibility just in case.
If using thermal paste, apply it only to the CPU die (the square piece of silicon in the middle of
the CPU) and do so sparingly -- most modern CPUs take no more than a dab of thermal paste the
size of a grain of rice. Some people do like to wipe some onto the heat-sink's surface and then
wipe it smoothly off so that bits of it may get into tiny holes for better heat transfer. See Arctic
Silver Instructions for more info on how to apply and remove thermal paste/grease. (It was
written to be specifically for Arctic Silver paste, but the same techniques can be applied to other
brands of thermal paste.)

If using a thermal pad supplied with your cooler, make sure you remove any protective tape from
the die just before installing and do not get it dirty - and do not combine thermal pads with
thermal paste, it is either one or the other. Then, check that you install the cooler in the right
orientation and that you set it flat on the CPU die without exerting undue pressure on any edges
or corners - the latter can make small pieces of the die break off, killing the CPU.

One option you may consider, before installing the heat-sink, is to "lap" the heat-sink, which
means to smooth out the bottom surface. To do this, you will need a very flat surface; a piece of
thick window glass will work. Fasten your sandpaper on the flat surface, invert the heat-sink on
the sandpaper and sand in small circles, applying minimum pressure. Check frequently and when
you see a uniform pattern of scratches, switch to finer grained sandpaper (the numbers go up as
the sandpaper is finer, so something such as 220 is coarse while 2000 will be very fine.)
Remember that you are not trying to remove any material, just polish out surface irregularities. If
you get it right, you should have a surface which feels completely smooth to the touch (but don’t
touch it, the oil in your fingers can cause corrosion of the fresh surface) with a mirror finish.
Some companies producing heat-sinks lap the surface themselves, so if the surface already looks
like a perfect mirror, leave it alone. A lapped heat-sink is more effective as it will have better
surface contact with the chip.

Tighten the cooler using only the specified holding devices - if you did everything right, they
will fit. If they do not fit, check your setup - most likely something is wrong. After mounting the
cooler, connect any power cables for the fan that is attached to the cooler.

As an aside to the instructions above, it has been my personal experience that fitting the CPU and
heat sink is best done on a supportive surface (a telephone directory on a table in my case) prior
to installation, to avoid excessive flexing of the motherboard.

If you've got the CPU and its cooler installed, and the motherboard in the case, you’re over the
hump, there just a few more easy pieces to go before that momentous first power-up.
[edit] Memory Slots

Next, you will need to install your RAM (random access memory). Find the RAM slots on your
motherboard; they will look something like the picture on your left. To install the RAM modules,
first push on the levers (white plastic in the picture) on either side of the DIMM socket, so that
they move to the sides. Do not force them, they should move fairly easily.

Put the RAM module in the socket. Line up the notch in the center of the module with the small
bump in the center of the RAM socket, making sure to insert it the right way. Push down on the
module until both levers move up into the notches on the sides of the module. There should be a
small "snap" when the module is fully seated. Although this does require a fair bit of force, do
not over do it or you may break the RAM module.
Different types of RAM modules

Take a good look at your seated RAM, if one side seems to be higher than the other, odds are it
is improperly seated - take it out and try again. As you handle the RAM, try not to touch the
copper stripes you can see along the bottom edge, as doing so is the best way to damage the part.

Start adding RAM at the slot labeled "Bank 0" or "DIMM 1". If you do not have a stick in "Bank
0" or "DIMM 1" the system will think there is no RAM and will not boot.

On newer motherboards with 4 slots, you'll see alternating colours. For example, slot 1 is blue,
slot 2 is black, slot 3 is blue, slot 4 is black.

If you were to put 1 gigabyte of RAM in your PC, it is best to use dual channel 512MBx2 sticks.
Put the first 512MB stick in slot 1, and put the 2nd stick in slot 3 (the two slots that are blue) -
leaving slot 2 empty. This will give you better performance, vs. putting 1GB in slot 1, or two
512MB sticks in slot 1 and 2.

[edit] Power supply

Installing your power supply is pretty straightforward, if it came with your case it was pre-
installed and if you took it out earlier to get the motherboard in, now is the time to put it back.
Otherwise a few moments of screwdriver work will get the job done. Generally there will be a
bracket on the top of the case where the power supply is mounted and a few screws used to fix it
in place. Some cases place the Power Supply differently, see the documentation that came with
yours.
Some power supplies come with modular cables, so you can plug in only those you’ll be using,
now is a good time to figure out what you’ll need and plug them in. Other power supplies have
all the cables hardwired in, you’ll want to separate out the ones you’ll need and neatly coil the
remainder somewhere out of the way.

If your power supply has a switch to select 115v or 220v make sure it is set properly, this is
important. Many newer power supplies can automatically select and don’t have such a switch.

Once you get the power supply installed you should plug the main power, a 20 or 24 pin plug,
into the motherboard. There may also be an additional four or eight pin power lead on the
motherboard that needs to be plugged in, this is usually located near the processor socket. Make
sure you check the motherboard documentation carefully for the location of the power sockets.

Video card

Insert the card into a matching slot on the motherboard.

If your motherboard has a built-in video adapter you want to use, skip this section.

If you have an AGP video card: Install the video card into the AGP socket. This is always the top
expansion slot near the back of the computer. AGP slots are often brown, but can also be strange
colours such as fluorescent green. Check the motherboard for levers (or similar devices) that are
part of the AGP slot to help hold the card in place. These must be retracted before insertion of
the card. Check the motherboard's manual for information on how to use these devices (if your
motherboard has one.) Push the card into the socket (AGP slots are often pretty tight, do not be
afraid to push it until it is well inserted), then screw it in at the top of the metal bracket. If it has a
power connector, connect it to a 4-pin molex connector. If it has a pass through, do not connect it
to a hard drive.
If you have a PCI Express video card, install it the same way as an AGP video card, however the
slot where it goes looks a little different having an extra spot on the slot as opposed to the 2 slot
parts on an AGP slot. PCI Express slots used for video cards are commonly 16x as opposed to
AGP 8x.

When your card is properly installed the line formed by the top of the card will be exactly
parallel to the motherboard, if one side seems to be higher than the other, chances are that it is
not fully inserted, press a little harder on the high side or pull it out and try again.

[edit] Installing drive jumpers

The drive jumpers are in the middle (between the connector for the cable and the power connector) but
the location may vary.

If you are using SATA drives there is no need to adjust jumpers -- you can skip this section.

Before you install IDE/ATA (PATA) drives, you will need to set the drives jumpers. Each
IDE/ATA channel can handle two drives, a master and a slave. Consult your drive's instructions
on how to set the jumpers. The jumper configurations are usually either printed on the back, or
on the top of the drive. Drives can be configured in 2 ways: Drive Select or Cable Select.

A jumper
  "Cable select": Use this if you have 80-pin cables. Cable select automatically assigns
slave/master based on the plug on the IDE cable the drive is plugged into. Put the jumper on CS.
 "Drive select": If you are using a 40 pin cable, you must use "drive select". Master/slave status is
determined by the jumper. In this mode, configure the drive on the end connector as the
master, and the drive connected to the middle connector as the slave. If the IDE channel has
only one drive, check your motherboard documentation for the appropriate setting, which is
usually master.

Note that Drive Select will always work, while Cable Select will only work if you have the
proper cable.

[edit] Installing drives

Next install the hard drive and optical drives.

How a drive is physically installed will depend on the case.

A Serial ATA connector

Most new drives are SATA (Serial ATA) which use simple, small cables for a data connection.
The ends of the cables are L shaped, just look carefully at the cable ends and the connector on
the drive and match them up. Only one drive can be connected to each SATA port on the
motherboard. Some SATA drives have two different power ports - make sure you connect
ONLY ONE of these ports to the power supply, connecting both can damage the drive.

Older drives have PATA (Parallel ATA) connections which use a flat ribbon (IDE) cable for data
connection. When using an IDE cable, plug the two connectors that are closer together into the 2
drives, and the third to the controller or motherboard. The connector furthest from the board
should be attached to the drive set as Master. Make sure the drive that you will install your OS
on is the primary master. This is the master drive on the Primary IDE bus which is usually the
IDE 40 pin port on the motherboard labeled “Primary” or “IDE 1”..
Floppy Disk Drive Cable

Note: IDE connectors are keyed, so it should be impossible to insert them backwards. However,
it does not require very much force to do this and it can destroy your motherboard. Look
carefully at the drive and the cable connection before you try to connect them. You should see a
"missing" pin on the drive, and a corresponding blocked socket on the connector. If you break a
pin on the drive, you will probably have a worthless drive.

Note: Most parallel IDE cables have a colored stripe down one side. That colored stripe signifies
"pin 1" - and usually will line up next to the molex power connection on your drive. Use this rule
of thumb if your connectors are not keyed.

Next, plug a 4 pin molex power connector into each hard drive and optical drive. If you are
installing the power connector to a SATA drive, some drives have the option of using either the
SATA power connector (a flat about 1" wide connector) or the standard molex connector; use
one or the other, not both. Connecting both can break your hard drive. For better data transfer,
you can purchase heat-protected high-end data cables at your nearest electronics store.

If you install a floppy disk drive, the cable is very similar to the IDE cable, but with fewer wires,
and a strange little twist in the middle. Floppy drives do not have master/slave configurations.
The floppy disk connector is not usually keyed, making it all too easy to plug it in the wrong
way! One wire in the IDE cable will be colored differently: this is pin 1. There is usually some
indication on the floppy drive as to which side this is. The power plug for a floppy is 4 pins in a
line, but rather smaller than the standard hard drive power connector. Plug the end of the cable
with the twist into the floppy drive ("drive A:"). Plug the other end of the floppy ribbon cable
into the motherboard. If you install a second floppy drives, plug the middle connector into "drive
B:". The twist between drive A: (on the end) and drive B (in the middle) helps the computer
distinguish between them.[1]
[edit] Other connections

Some cables are attached to pins on a board (e.g. motherboard or extension card)

In order to turn the computer on, you will need to connect the power button and while you are at
it, you might as well do the reset buttons and front panel lights as well.

There will be a set of pins, usually near the front edge of the motherboard to which you will
attach the cables sometimes already connected to the the front of the case, or if needed supplied
with the motherboard. Most of the time the plugs will be labeled as the pins they will connect to
in the motherboard, there they can be difficult to read since the print is very small or you may not
be in the right orientation to do so. The documentation that came with your case and
motherboard should tell where these connectors are.

Note:
The front panel LEDs are polarized: usually the positive wire is a color while the negative
wire is white or black, this may be important if you have to do alterations or do not have
the proper cables.

In addition, you can connect any case-specific ports if they are supported by the motherboard.
Many cases have front mounted USB, Firewire and/or sound ports.

Other connections of this type to remember can be power for the CPU fans, various temperature
sensors and Wake-on-LAN cables (if the feature is supported) from the network card to the
motherboard.

[edit] Prepare for power up

Some people will put power to a system several times during assembly and for experienced
builders this may serve some purpose. For first timers though, it’s best to assemble a minimal
complete system before powering up. Minimal because that way there are comparatively few
potential sources of trouble, complete so that you can test everything at once and because the
fewer times you have to put power to an open machine, the better..

If you’ve been working along with us you should now have such a minimal system put together.
Briefly this includes a case with a motherboard in it, a processor (and its cooling unit) and some
RAM plugged into the motherboard, hard and floppy drives installed, and some kind of video
available. If your motherboard has built-in video, you might want to use that for this first try,
even if you are going to install a video card later.

For this test, you’ll want to have the computer open, so that you can see all of the fans, and
you’ll need to connect a monitor and a keyboard and a mouse (OK, you don’t really need the
mouse . . .)

Comparison of VGA and DVI

Monitors will either have a VGA or a newer DVI plug (see picture, as they are a lot less apparent
than PS/2 / USB by comparison). Most monitors use VGA connectors, and so most graphics
cards have VGA output. If you have one type of plug and the graphics card has another, you can
easily buy an adapter. Some cards even come with one.

There are two standard connectors for mice and keyboards; PS/2 connectors and the more
modern USB connectors. Plug the mouse and keyboard in the appropriate slot.

Note: If you intend to install an operating system from a boot CD or floppy, or modify BIOS
settings you will need to use either a PS/2 keyboard, a USB to PS/2 converter, or a motherboard
that supports USB devices. Otherwise your keyboard will not work until the operating system
has loaded USB drivers.
Once you have this all set up, it’s time to double check, then triple check that you have made all
the necessary connections and that you haven’t left any foreign objects (where’s that
screwdriver?) in the case.

[edit] Power up
Take a moment to check one more time that everything is as it should be. Make sure you've
removed your wrist strap, turn on the monitor, then press the power button, and observe the
inside of the open machine. (Do not touch any part of the inside of the machine while it is
powered up – you will NOT die but your computer might.) The first thing to look for is that the
CPU cooler fan spins up, if it does not, cut the power immediately. This fan should start up right
away; something is wrong if it doesn’t and your CPU is in danger of overheating so stop now
and troubleshoot.

NOTE: If you have a Gigabyte brand motherboard, the CPU fan may twitch and stop turning.
Wait 10-15 seconds and it should start. If it does not, there is a problem and you should
immediately cut power as stated above. Other fans such as case fans should turn on and spin.

If the CPU fan spins up, check that all the other fans that should be spinning – case fans and fans
on the power supply and video card (if installed) are also spinning. Some of these fans may not
spin up until a temperature threshold is passed, check your documentation if anything is not
spinning.

If the fans spin, you can turn your attention to the monitor, what you are hoping to see is the
motherboard’s splash-screen, usually featuring the manufacturer’s logo. If you see this, take a
moment to bask in the glow, you’ve built a computer!

If this happy event does not occur, if smoke appears, or if the computer does not do anything,
unplug the power cord immediately and check the steps above to make sure you have not missed
anything. Give special attention to the cables and power connections. If the computer does
appear to come on, but, you hear beeps, listen carefully to the beeps, turn the computer off, and
refer to your motherboard's manual for the meaning of the beeps. Some boards have an optional
diagnostic device, usually a collection of LEDs, which when properly plugged in will inform you
of the nature of the problem. Instructions for installing this as well as the meaning of its display
should be in the manual for the motherboard. If the computer turns on but the only thing that
comes on is your power supply, turn it off. This probably means something is shorted, and
leaving it on could damage the parts.
If all is well it is time to turn the computer off, and close it up. Then you may want to turn it on
again and set certain options in the Computer's BIOS (usually by pressing 'F1' or 'Del' a few
seconds after boot.) These options will be explained in the motherboard manual. In general, the
default options are OK, but you may wish to set the computer's hardware clock to the correct
time and date. The BIOS is also where you determine the default boot order of the system,
typically Floppy, then CD-ROM, then Hard Disc.

If you want a further quick test, before you install an operating system, you may find a bootable
CD-ROM such as Knoppix extremely useful