Computers and Technology

Building Your Own Computer

An average person, without technical training, can build their own computer. The assembly can be done in an afternoon. Learning how, and planning the system they want, can take place in little bite sized chunks of time spread over a few days.

The biggest advantage of doing it yourself is you ll get exactly the system you want. You won t have to make any compromises if you re after a specialty machine for game play, or video editing. And if you re building one of these high end units you ll save money.

Your first step should be to get a good how-to guidebook, and read through it, familiarizing yourself with the process. Then, start asking yourself what your needs are, and which combination of CPU, motherboard, hard drive, and so forth, will meet them. This sort of planning is one of the most enjoyable phases of building a computer.

Nearly everyone designs their machine around the CPU, their main concern being speed. If speed above all is your deciding factor, dual core chips are coming down in price. It should be noted these CPUs can be installed as easily as single core. They re all zero insertion force chips. They literally drop into place.

What more speed brings to the equation is heat, a factor you ll have to deal with. It can mean installing extra fans in the case (which is no great expense, they cost only five dollars or so each) or even going the water cooled route.

Some folks may want to re-use an old case. This is perfectly acceptable, if there are enough fan ports to fill your needs, and if the power supply is sufficient. Remember, gaming rigs may require 500 watts or more. The CPU will claim 100 watts all by itself, and so will the graphics card.

Rather than re-use a case to save money, let me suggest buying a CPU/motherboard bundle. Purchasing them together can save 20 percent or more. Just about every walk-in and online store offers these bargains, often on top line chips and boards.

Michael Quarles is the author of the book “Building a PC for Beginners”. His website is http://www.monkeyseemonkeydobooks.com

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Building Your Own Computer

The world of computers is constantly changing. It is one of the only industries that is different from month to month. If you re in the market for a new PC, there are continually new options available. To get the best bang for your buck in computer technology, you may want to consider building your own PC.

Those with a little know how in the computer industry can save themselves tons of money by building their own computers. Companies such as Tiger Direct and mwave.com offer components that can create a top of the line system for a fraction of the cost. These stores offer all of the necessary components that reside in the “case” or main unit of the computer.

These include the motherboard, processor, cooling fans, hard drive, memory, keyboard, mouse, video and sound cards. There are motherboards available with integrated video and sound but not all do.

When you are buying a motherboard, make sure to check whether you will need to buy a separate video and sound card. Also make sure that the motherboard you are buying has extra slots so you can expand your system.

Another key to remember when building your own computer is to make sure all of your components will work together. Manufacturers make specific models to work together, so you may want to buy your parts from just one brand.

If you are going to use your computer to surf the Internet and play computer games you are going to need extra pieces. At minimum you will need an Ethernet card, CD/DVD drives and a graphics card. You can also benefit from gaming ports for joysticks or other game controllers.

The hardest part about building your own PC is installing the motherboard and the Operating System. This is the first step toward creating the unit. You must physically put the components into the case using screws. Begin with the motherboard and then connect your processor. Add the memory into the memory slots and install any necessary drives.

Once you ve installed the drives, you can put in the install CDs for your operating system. Most PCs will guide you through the set up process to install the operating system. After making sure the operating system is up and running, put in your other devices one at a time.

Although it may be quicker to install all of your additional hardware at once, you want to test each piece as you go to make sure that piece is in good working order.

Even though building your own PC can give you a better computer for less money, the process is not for everyone. As a compromise, computer companies like Dell and Gateway allow their customers to custom build PCs on their website.

A customer can choose from different options regarding speed, memory and special portals. The additional benefit of buying from a company is that the PC is normally under a guarantee. You can also take advantage of technical support. This may be the best option for someone who has extra money to spend to get the custom components that they want.

D. David Dugan personally helps to maintain a computer shopping site at http://www.greatpcdeals.com as well as a Spyware Information site at http://spyware.dugancom.com

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