Building Your First Computer – A Basic Checklist

Want to build your own computer? It’s easy to do and you can save a lot of money over buying a comparable pre-built PC. Do a little online research to figure out which components you want and to make sure that they will all work together.

In fact, this is probably the most difficult and time consuming part of the entire project. Make your parts selections based on how you plan to use the computer (i.e. gaming, graphic design, basic web surfing, etc) and establish your budget based around the options available.

Here is a basic parts list to get you started.

Motherboard

You want to get this right. Evaluate your choices against the number and type of slots you will want for RAM, cards, ports and bays for hard drive(s) and CD/DVD drives. Always allow at least a little room for future expansion. Your computer will last a lot longer if you take this simple step. Also, some motherboards come with certain components built in. While this may be more convenient, it’s usually not the best way to go if you are looking to build a high performance computer.

Processor

Refer back to the documentation on your motherboard options and match the processor to the motherboard. They need to be compatible with one another. You also want enough processing power to meet your intended usage. The processor snaps into its slot on the motherboard and then is held in place with metal clips.

Ram

Again, the type of RAM you select must be compatible with the motherboard and the documentation for each should tell you whether this is the case. Today, 2 GBs of memory should be enough to get you started and that is also probably the minimum amount to start with. RAM modules usually slide into there slots at a slight angle. Push gently towards perpendicular until they snap into their final position.

Cooling Components

You will need a heat sink and fan to mount above the processor to keep it from frying. For high end processing, you may need multiple fans as well. A heat sink is basically a metal slug, often with fins that increase surface area. It absorbs the heat from your processor and radiates it away from the processor. Heat sink compound can be used to attach it to the processor and this helps to conduct the heat between the two components.

The fan helps to cool the CPU and the heat sink. With fans, the general rule is that bigger is better. Keep in mind that you may also need either a heat sink or fan dedicated to other components like the graphics card. Water cooling systems are also available. Check your case to see if it has fan ports. If so, you’ll want to also buy case fans of the appropriate diameter and install them into these openings.

Power Supply

The power supply is a square metal box that usually mounts in the upper corner of the case. The power cord comes out one side and a whole lot of cables come out the other end and attach to the various components in your computer. As noted earlier, sometimes you can get a case that includes a power supply. Check the prices though because it is often cheaper to buy them separately.

Peripherals

These are all the individual operating components like audio cards, video cards, ethernet cards, USB cards, Firewire cards, hard drives, CD and/or DVD Drives.

Your choices here again depend on your budget and how you plan to use the computer. Some motherboards come with certain components built in. Depending on your motherboard, you may also need to purchase and install a video card, audio card, Ethernet card or modems. Most of these components will come with software that includes drivers. Those will need to be installed after the operating system is installed and the computer is up and running.

Your motherboard documentation will tell you whether it will accept a SATA or IDE hard drive. SATA drives are newer technology and are faster than IDE, so go for those if you can. Also, if the motherboard you are considering does not accept SATA drives, consider whether that board is really the one you should be getting. It might be older technology that is already behind the times. The hard drives will connect to the motherboard using supplied cables.

BIOS

This is software that comes with your motherboard and needs to be installed once everything is connected.

Operating System

You’ll need to buy an operating system like Windows 7 or VISTA. Pre-built computers already have the OS installed. Not so here. In fact, your operating system can often represent a significant portion of your overall project cost. Look for coupon codes or upgrade offers to reduce the cost. Often, if you have an original version of a product, you may qualify for upgrade pricing.

Case

Select your case last. The case must be able to fit the motherboard and all the other cool stuff you just decided to attach to it. Again here, planning ahead is recommended. Take a few moments to consider any future upgrades you may want to do because your case selection must accommodate those as well. Cases sometimes come with a power supply. If you select one of these, make sure the power supply included is adequate for the rest of the computer you are configuring. Also see if you would not get a better deal buying them separately. Just be sure you remember to include shipping in that evaluation.

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