Tips & Techniques For Building Your Own PC

Compiled By Our CPN Techs

First things first. what do you need to build a computer? Believe us, it's not as complicated as it seems. Let's start with the case. The variety is staggering, with hundreds of styles, shapes and sizes available. We recommend that you look closely at the features. Some gorgeous PC cases are nightmares to work with, or are cheaply built. Get the best case you can afford, we recommend you ask for "tool-less" case design, which enables you to click---open, click---closed. Most cases and motherboards use the ATX Form Factor, standardizing the sizes of the components and all of the power connections. Speaking of power: Although many PC cases are sold with a pre-installed power supply, check it carefully---your power requirements may exceed the capacity of the pre-installed unit. How do you know?

Here's a quick guide:

Do the math. You may need to purchase a higher-output power supply for your new PC. Once you've selected a case and power supply, be sure that you have the following items:

• A set of screwdrivers (small, large, slot, Phillips), or a PC Tool Kit
• An anti-static wrist strap
• Needle-nosed pliers
• CPU (processor)
• CPU cooling fan and heat sink
• Sound Card
• Motherboard
• One or more hard drives
• Graphics card
• One or more RAM DIMMs (Memory modules)
• An operating system

Building Your Own System

1. Before you dive in…
Before you start the job, you have to take inventory of your parts. It does little good to begin your build when you don't have everything you need. Once you've determined you have everything you need, it's time to start! Make sure you have plenty of working room and a few hours to proceed with minimal interruption. Please note that carpeting represents some real dangers to your computer. The carpeted surface has the potential to create static electricity that can fry your components. An inexpensive antistatic wrist strap (they are often priced at less than 6 bucks) is the perfect preventive measure if you have no alternative to working on carpet. Remember, a bare floor is always the best place to build your system. Now, grab hold of a good set of screwdrivers, a pair of needle-nose pliers, and an antistatic wrist strap, and make sure you're wearing your antistatic wrist strap (it does you no good at all if you don't wear it!) Finally, download the latest drivers from the vendors' Web sites for each component you'll be installing, and copy them to a CD to avoid headaches later on; the drivers that come in product boxes are often several versions out of date.

2. Dive in!…Installing the Motherboard
Here comes the fun part! Installing the motherboard. First, take the board out of its packaging and put it on top of the antistatic bag it came in. Remember, you always want to safeguard your components from potentially hazardous static electricity. Before you secure the mobo onto the PC case, you should install the processor, heat sink and the memory modules on it. If you aren't sure which socket is which, or what goes where, consult your motherboard's user manual for guidance. User manuals are extremely helpful, easy to read and include illustrations. First, lift the lever on the processor socket so you can install the CPU. Carefully line up the pins and place the chip in its socket; it will fit only when oriented the proper way. An arrow or a missing pin on one corner of the chip will show you how to line things up. Lower the lever to lock the CPU into place.

Next, follow the manufacturer's directions to install the heat sink and the fan that will cool the processor. If you bought an OEM CPU and a separate heat sink, you may need to spread a thin layer of the thermal grease that came with the heat sink over the chip to ensure proper transfer of heat (some heat sinks come with this grease already applied). Attaching the clip that holds the heat sink in place may require a fair amount of force. Again, the instructions that came with the heat sink will show you how to know whether you've fitted it correctly. Plug the fan's power connector into the proper connector on the motherboard.

TIP: Choose the motherboard after selecting the processor: The processor you choose usually determines which motherboard you select: Motherboards are designed to work with specific CPUs, indicated by the type of socket that the processor fits into. Socket A, Socket 939, and Socket 940 are designed to work with Athlon processors, while Socket 478 and the new LGA socket 775 are for Intel CPUs. Many dealers offer bundles consisting of a processor, a motherboard, and memory; these can be a good way to save some money. The system chip set (the chips that pass data between the peripherals and the CPU) is the other component that differs among motherboards; it determines which integrated components (graphics, sound, Ethernet, etc.) will be included. Though integrated graphics aren't generally as good as dedicated cards, they're usually adequate for simple tasks.

3. Placing the Motherboard into Your Case
First, a word about cases. The right one can make working with your system a dream, but picking the wrong one will come back to haunt you. Though you can find a case plus power supply for less than $50, we recommend that you invest a bit more to obtain a case that will last through many upgrades and that you'll enjoy looking at.

Case Form Factor: Most cases and motherboards use the ATX form factor--a set of design standards that specify things such as the size of the motherboard and the connectors on the power supply. It's critical that your motherboard match the form factor of your case. Be aware of other standards--for example, Shuttle-style cube-shaped systems that come with their own custom motherboard. Check carefully and note the form factor when shopping.

Case Construction: Steel cases weigh more than aluminum ones, they cost less, and they muffle the noise from components such as hard drives better than aluminum cases do. On the other hand, aluminum boxes tend to be more stylish, and they are certainly easier to carry around.

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