The Abridged How to Build a PC Guide

There are so many guides about how to build PC's out there that it can be hard to choose the right one. Finding a concise guide that can explain things so they make sense can be even harder.
I have been working with computers for the past 20 years and have been writing guides for the past eight. I wanted to share what I have learned with others in a very clear, and easy to follow guide that you can read in one sitting.

With that concept in mind let's jump right into what you need to know to build your first PC.

01. First, you need to determine what parts you need. The best way to determine the components is to decide what the main use of your PC will be. (Gaming, Multimedia, Office, Business, etc.)

Once you know what it will be used for read some reviews on the best parts for each type of system. Or you can save yourself time by working with a reliable company to set you up with the hardware you need.

02. The computer parts you'll need to build a PC:

Motherboard CPU Memory Power Supply Hard Drive PC Case CD or DVD Rom/RW Video Card (Optional but recommended) Operating System

(Use the list above as a checklist for buying your components.)

03. Once you have read reviews and purchased your parts, you need to start by prepping your motherboard combo. I recommend doing a POST test to make sure your motherboard, CPU, memory, and power supply are all working before installing them into your case.

To do a POST test do a Google search for "How to POST test a motherboard". A good guide should walk you through how to assemble the hardware for the POST test.

04. Once you have POST tested your combo, you can install the parts into your PC case.

Install your Power Supply into your case first. The screw holes on the back should line up with the four screw holes in your case. One is usually offset to ensure proper alignment. Look for the offset screw hole when installing the power supply.

05. Your case comes with brass mounts that screw into the inside of your case. Look at the motherboard, and count the number of silver holes in the board and make a note of their orientation. The brass screws should mirror this placement inside the case for when you mount the motherboard combo.

*** Make sure you remove the IO back-plate that comes with your case and install the back-plate provided with your motherboard. ***

06. Now that the power supply and motherboard combo are installed, look for 2 sets of wires coming off of your power supply. One is a block of 4 wires and the other is a block of 20/24 wires.

These are the main power leads. There are spots to connect these near your CPU and memory. They are "keyed" connections so they will only fit the proper way. (This keeps people from connecting them incorrectly.) Make sure to push the wires in until you feel a click.

07. Now you need to install your hard drive and CD/DVD ROM drives. Make sure to remove any plastic bezels on the front of the case for your ROM drives. Use the screws that came with your case to mount the CD/DVD ROM and hard drive. Make sure the ends of the drives with the cable connections (the pins) are facing the inside of the case.

08. Once the drives are mounted use the IDE (grey ribbon) or SATA (red usually, maybe orange or black) to connect the drives. (Check your hardware documentation or invoice to determine what types of drives you have if you are unsure.) If you are unsure of what these wires look like, check your motherboard manual for documentation.

Connect one end of the wire to the drives and the other end of the wire to the motherboard. These connections are usually located below the memory slots on the motherboard. (The lower right corner of the motherboard.)

Check your motherboard manual for where to connect them if you are unsure.

09. Now connect power leads from the power supply to the drives. SATA power leads look like an "L" shape. IDE leads are 4 wires/pins on a white connection. Once you locate the leads plug them into the drives. These leads are also keyed so they can only be plugged in the correct way.

10. You are almost done. Now check your motherboard manual for how to wire the front panel wiring from your case. These are the four colored wires coming from the front panel.

The proper orientation is usually the colored wire towards the rear of the case. (Of the colored/white or colored/black wires.) Your manual will provide you with the proper orientation for the wires.

Congratulations you have now built your first PC. Recheck your motherboard manual to make sure you have the USB, Firewire and Audio cables hooked up too. (These are usually located off the front panel also.)

Now you can install your operating system. When you boot the system hit the "delete" key to enter the BIOS. Look for an area that says "boot order", and make sure to set the CD/DVD ROM ahead of the hard drive. This will allow you to boot right into the operating system setup.

Once this is done insert your OS disk into your ROM drive and follow the on screen instructions to finish installing your new computer.

See, it's a lot easier than you thought. Most modern day hardware has become very user friendly and is practically plug and play allowing anyone to build own computer. When in doubt refer to manuals and documentation that come with the hardware.

You are now ready to get started. Don't just sit there. Get your hardware and start building your new PC today!



About the Author
CPU Solutions has a ten year history in the computer industry and is ranked as one of the top 30 largest custom system builders by CRN Magazine 2007. We specialize in building custom computer systems for business, home office, gamers, and the PC enthusiast.

Visit our website at: http://www.cpusolutions.com/