How to Build a Computer from Scratch Tutorial for Beginners in PDF

Learning the How to Build a Computer from Scratch

When you build a computer from scratch, you can ensure it meets all your needs. Building takes a lot more time than buying, and it can be scary the first time you do it. This week's Night School series will show you how to build your first (or second, or third) computer. This is the right computer for you if you want one that won't break the bank. The price of machines in the middle can vary quite a bit, but generally, they cost between $300 and $700.

Price ranges for high-performance machines range from $700 to infinity and beyond. The motherboard is the part of the computer that holds everything together. It has a lot of important information about your machine, like its many USB ports and expansion cards. Your computer's case holds all of its parts together and determines how big it will be. Some motherboards have a GPU built in, but it needs to be more powerful for 3D graphics.

With the optical drive, you can read CDs, DVDs, and Blu-Ray discs, but only some need one. It holds things that you want to keep for a long time. This is the last part you'll buy after you've decided on your other parts and how much power they'll need. Other Things to Think About Even though these are the main parts of almost every computer, you may need something else. Sit back and think about how you use your current computer, how you'll use your new one, and what that means for the above parts. These summaries, along with other feedback you might find on the Internet, should help you find the right details for your build. Keep in mind that these descriptions are likely to become out of date over time, so in addition to reading the information below, check out some similar systems that have already been built.

When picking a processor, the clock's speed is more important than the number of cores. Most games are made to use only one core, so they can't do that. AMD and Intel are the two big names in CPUs, and in general, AMD's processors are cheaper. Most of the time, if you choose a brand and the number of cores you want, you'll only have a few "families" of processors to choose from. You can compare clock speeds within each family because the processors are otherwise the same. Based on the processor socket type, you can only use specific processors with that board.

The more advanced features you want, the bigger your motherboard will need to be, which will also affect how big your case is (and the final machine). If you don't want a graphics card and plan to use your computer with a monitor, the graphics will have to be built into the motherboard. Most of the time, this isn't a big deal unless you plan to put a lot of drives in your computer (like if you're building a server or NAS). The number of SATA ports tells you how many hard drives and optical drives you can have on the inside of your computer. Integrated graphics: If all you're going to do is surf the web, use Microsoft Office, and do other simple tasks, you might be better off with a motherboard that has graphics built in. The number of PCI Slots: You can only have as many expansion cards as there are PCI slots.

When you need more of these features on the motherboard, it gets bigger and costs more. Most people don't need a computer with a Mini ITX motherboard or a Micro ATX mini tower. Some cases come with holes that you can use to run your computer's cables through. For others, you'll have to figure out how to do it yourself. Normal machines have 4GB, but most machines should be fine with 4GB or less. Check the list of specifications for your motherboard to see what kinds of RAM it can handle, then buy RAM that fits those needs.

Some of the best cases are made by Antec and Cooler Master. Just look at the list of specs for your motherboard to find out what kind of RAM it can handle and buy that. Speed: Your motherboard can work with different rates of RAM, such as "800/1066/1333." The most complex part of the process is picking a graphics card. When you buy RAM, you have to think about it a lot more. There are a few different card makers from which to choose.

MSI, ZOTAC, ASUS, and Sapphire are also popular choices. The faster your hard drive, the faster your computer will start up, open files, and run programs. Note that these are not the actual speeds at which data is sent. If you have the funds, an SSD is one of the best computer upgrades you can make. You can get a good solid-state drive from Western Digital, Seagate, Hitachi, Samsung, or Toshiba.

If you want to buy a CD or DVD drive, you won't find a lot of difference between the different models. The only thing that might be different is the software that comes with them. Here, the saying "you get what you pay for" is very accurate. If you have the choice, spend the extra $20; you want to avoid trying to save money and ruining a $700 machine. How to Select and Purchase Parts Before we get into the details of each part, it's essential to know how to shop so you can get the best parts for your machine at the best price. Places to Shop, For example, a 400-watt PSU that is "80 plus certified" will pull about 500 watts from the wall. Most people get their computer parts from Newegg.com. Pay attention to your local computer store; Micro Center or Fry's will have better deals.

You can also look for parts that fit your needs on Reddit's Build a PC forum or Tom's Hardware forums. Look around your case and get to know it. Take note of where the hard drive bays are, where your CD drive will go, whether the power supply mounts on the top or bottom, and so on. Now that you've bought all the parts, it's time for the moment of truth: it's time to put the machine together.

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