PC Building 101
YES, these are two feature projects I recently made! And a shot of "The Lab"
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The best way to build a computer is probably either to reverse engineer a machine you currently own, or take the step when considering to buy a new one to build, and would like to understand what makes a computer tick. Some at this point may just feel "I don't care at all, it's someone else's job!" Or maybe a simple "Huh?" If either of these descriptions are something you might say / have said, then go to another students website about football, there is plenty of them; if not, then prepare for a unique site with a few tips, tricks, and basic procedures for learning the basics of a home computer system in what I have titled "PC Building 101."
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The Motherboard If a computer were referred to a human body, this part would probably be thought of as something of the bones, or the frame on which the computer is built. The processor and RAM are installed directly onto this piece. All of the drives are connected via the appropriate cables. The most common cables encountered on a PC are IDE (hard disks & CD/DVD drives, FDD (Floppy Drives), and SATA (High speed hard drive interface). When purchasing a motherboard, it is advisable to look for a board and processor at the same time, as motherboard tailor to specific processors (sockets). Also when working on the processor or RAM, take the motherboard out whenever possible. Frequently it is possible to do an inaccurate alignment of the heatsink, as the case will get in the way of your arm, resulting in a screwdriver you would be applying down-pressure at a crooked angle causing scrapes to the motherboard, which can be hazardous to the system! |
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The Processor The processor of a computer, contrary to pop culture, is not really the brain of the computer. In fact, note a computer does not have a brain! Never think they due (you can curse all you want at a machine luckily because of this). What should be known about processors is two names in particular, Intel and AMD. Intel is the older of the two companies by pure age, but in talent AMD recent developments put them a little higher. AMD stands for Advanced Micro Devices, for your information. The latest processor series out on the market as of this writing are the Pentium 4 from Intel, and the Athlon 64 from AMD. A debate can be brewed about which is better between many, and for the sake of time will be spared here. When shopping for a motherboard for these processors, they always go by the number of pins the processor has, also known as the "socket." needed for the processor For a Pentium 4 compatible motherboard seek a socket 478 or LGA775 motherboard (you will know if you have an LGA775 processor for it will be in its title). The AMD Athlon 64 platform uses a socket 754, or much more frequently now a socket 939; AMD couldn't decide which socket they wanted at first. When the Athlon 64 is purchased, make careful note of which board to choose, for 939 sure isn't backwards compatible.. Installation notes for processors are pretty basic, just find the slot on the board that is about the same size and shape as the processor, open the retention bar 90 degrees, line up a "guide" pin (which is marked on a corner of the chip, and should allow the processor only to fit one way), carefully let go of processor, and it should natively just fall in. No force should be required. Bending the pins is very, very, very bad when trying to stuff the processor in the wrong direction (plus you just voided any warranty that was applicable even if you do fix it). Don't forget to lock that retention bar down again fully!!! |
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RAM Random access memory, most commonly referred to as "RAM" When purchasing RAM, DDRAM is the standard (Double Data Rate RAM). This is probably not as big a thing as a mere two years ago, but there is another type called SDRAM (Single Data Rate RAM), and it is tremendously slower. Although before you assume what "slow" means, RAM is extremely fast memory compared to hard drives. RAM has no moving parts, thus there is no time waiting to get to another piece of data that is really just "camping" in the RAM. It is quite fascinating how RAM works, but there is already a great explanation on howstuffworks.com, so journey on your own quest. To install RAM sticks onto your motherboard, just open the clips on the end of the slots, align the pin notch, and push firmly down (but in a cautious and controlled manner) and the clips on the end will lock. You are set once they lock. To remove the sticks again is also easy, merely push down on the clips on both ends, and the stick will pop right up. |
These first three stages have been emphasized the most as they are the most expensive and critical components in any build, as well as the least understood (which is a pity), and most important of course this is my page so I can put it in any order I wish. For the rest of the items I shall be terse, and at the bottom of this page is a checklist for an easy summary of the build.
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Today the recommended hard drive is the SATA platform. SATA is a high speed bus link for transfer speeds through the wire at 150 megabytes per second! Make sure to get a SATA power connector when using a SATA hard drive, many power supplies do not come with a SATA power connector standard! |
| By far the most frequently asked question I get is how to install a video card, and which card should I simply choose? Of course go out and buy the biggest most cluckin expensive thing you can find! Not really. The standard is that anything new from ATI or NVIDIA will be good. Both are big time GPU manufacturers (Graphics Processing Unit is like a second CPU). AGP 8x will do very well, even under hard use, but now there is something called PCI-Express which in terms of bus link speeds is 16x the original AGP standard (double the mentioned 8x before). Of course, it is not for anyone on a squeaky tight budget at this time (unless you find one very cheap, then go for it by all means!). |
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Of course I have to include at the
bottom, get a decent power supply when you build, alright? It's not
the smartest idea buying as cheap as possible with power supplies.
Never know when one might fail.
Remember, computers run entirely on electricity, there is no
"magic" really. So, the rule of thumb for desktop power supplies
is just get a slight brand-name, not overboard, and if it works for more
than a week 24/7, its good.
Server power supplies usually are redundant supplies; if one portion of the power blows, then there is another to take the part that just blew. But these power supplies cost $$$. So, just mentioning it FYI on a pricey power supply. |
Final List
1. Organize all parts and tools up front
2. Place Processor and RAM on Motherboard
3. Install Motherboard into case
4. Install drives into case
5. Hook up delicate start button pins near bottom right of motherboard
6. Connect all data cables into appropriate connections (IDE, SATA, FDD, SCSI, etc.)
7. Wire up all devices to correct power cables (remember computers run on electricity)
8. Plug in power supply, hit power button, and good luck if it works on the first time.*
*In the likely event that the system doest start on the first time, and you hear the internal speaker beeping, look up your particular motherboard's beep codes (refer to maker of BIOS chip for this information - Virtually all chips are produced by AMI or Award Bios)
