Building and assembling a custom personal computer has become quite popular nowadays. The surge of more affordable desktop computer equipment has made things easier for today’s consumer. If you’re one of those people wondering about the steps on how to build PC, then you better check the pointers below. The information here won’t be that technical. It will just give you enough know how regarding what you need and which ones to get.
Required Parts
One of the first things that people want to know is the parts that they need to get in order to assemble their own personal computer. Not including the minor parts that aren’t that important to get you a running computer system, here is a list of the fundamental computer components that you will need:
Motherboard
CPU
Computer case + power supply
Memory modules
Hard drive
Human interface devices (i.e. keyboard, mouse)
CD/DVD ROM drive
Graphics card
Expansion cards (e.g. TV card, modem card, sound card, etc.)
Monitor
Cables (e.g. IDE/SATA cables, power cable, etc.)
Note: Most motherboards nowadays have onboard components so you don’t really have to get all the expansion cards installed on your system. For instance, most motherboards already have a basic graphics card, USB ports, sound cards, and network interface card (LAN) already built in. Check the type of motherboard you’re buying and see what components are already onboard and which ones aren’t that you need.
Cost
The next consideration on how to build PC is the cost of the said equipment. Cheap parts will usually sell at less than $100. However, take note that those would probably be for older computers. You should start with the motherboard and ask for compatible components. You can purchase a mid-range motherboard that would cost some $100 or more that would already be quite enough for home or office needs.
A gaming PC may require motherboards that would cost around $200 or more. If you’re looking to build one heck of a beast of a machine then go for the extremely powerful boards that support the best of the top of the line hardware in the computer market today. Expect to pay more than $200 for such a motherboard and the rest of the hardware as well.
Assembly
Some folks don’t want to deal with the assembly of the various parts of a personal computer. This is the rather technical aspect on how to build PC. If you don’t want to mess around with this then you can hire a technician to get this assembled for you in less than an hour. Another option is to have the parts assembled in the computer store where you bought them.
However, if you’re kind of technically inclined and would love the challenge then grab the instructions for each part and start assembling. You start with the case mounting the motherboard. Next goes the CPU and CPU fan followed by the memory modules.
You then mount the hard drive followed by the CD/DVD ROM. Next you then mount the expansion cards (video/graphics card and other PCI cards). Finally you plug all the cables starting from the power supply to the motherboard, IDE or SATA cables to the drives, and the cables from the computer case’s front panel to the board.
When you go over the instructions and documentation on how to build PC, be sure to follow all safety precautions. Be sure to follow all the manufacturer’s specifications when you go over the assembly instructions.
