Building a powerful computer is fun and rewarding.
You have a lot of choices when it comes to building a desktop computer, but some simple guidelines will help anyone buy and assemble powerful components that will last for years. Speed, capacity and price represent the driving forces for most purchasing decisions, but warranty terms, vendor reliability and technical support are also important considerations for most people. Software can become a limiting factor when building a computer, as modern programs normally come with a list of minimum specifications that you must meet in order to run them. Moreover, don't forget to design your system with future software requirements in mind.
Instructions
Buying the Parts
1. Obtain a CPU and matching cooling solution, preferably a matching factory heat sink and fan, selected by number of cores, processing speed and price. Purchase a motherboard that supports the chosen CPU and offers the most room for equipment with available expansion slots, RAM capacity and ports, and look for a board that supports multiple video cards running in either SLI or CrossFire modes.
2. Buy a case with plenty of drive bays and room to install the motherboard and any expansion cards, and look for quality of build, ease of access and the number of internal case cooling fans included. Acquire a power supply of at least 500 watts that has all of the power adapters required for the components you plan to build into the system.
3. Obtain at least 4 gigabytes (GB) of lifetime warranty RAM in the highest density that the motherboard will support. Purchase the largest available hard drive, comparing the amount of cache, revolutions per minute (rpm) rating and warranty against the price; consider buying two drives to arrange in a mirror configuration for continuous backup.
4. Acquire a video card that allows for expansion using SLI or CrossFire technology to support multiple video card chaining, selecting the card based on speed ratings and the amount and type of video RAM. Obtain a monitor that supports wide-screen displays and offers high resolution and a long warranty. Purchase a keyboard and mouse from a major vendor. Buy an optical drive that utilizes SATA technology and a speaker system to meet the needs of the environment in which you plan to use them.
5. Obtain a surge suppressor outlet strip or a battery backup system to provide power protection to the system. Buy an anti-static wrist strap and have a screwdriver set, flashlight and some nylon cable ties ready when you begin to build the system. Purchase an operating system that supports the hardware and software that will be used in the computer.
Building the System
6. Rear ports on a typical motherboard
Replace the rear port shield for the motherboard ports on the case with the one that came with the motherboard. Install mounting offsets in the case to match the holes in the motherboard exactly, removing any that do not have a matching hole for a screw.
7. Install the CPU onto the motherboard by lifting the small lever on the CPU socket to the open position and aligning the CPU with the socket and gently inserting the CPU onto the motherboard and then locking the lever. Align pin 1 on the socket with pin 1 on the CPU by looking for the indicator triangle or matching the pins on the socket and the CPU. Attach the CPU cooling solution to the tabs on the motherboard, and connect the power connector to a CPU FAN port on the motherboard.
8. Install the RAM onto the motherboard by aligning the notch in the RAM with the key in the socket and pressing the RAM firmly into the socket until the plastic clips snap into the locked position. Install the motherboard into the case by aligning the rear ports with the port cover and then lowering the rest of the board onto the mounting offsets. Screw down the motherboard firmly, but do not tighten the screws too much. Put a screw into every available screw hole.
9. Attach the case utility cables including the power switch, speaker, HDD LED, power LED, USB and audio connectors. Install the hard drive and optical drive, and attach the data cables from these devices to the motherboard.
10. Install the video card into the closest slot to the CPU on the motherboard. If installing multiple video cards, always use the next closest slot for the next video card. Install the power supply, and connect the power supply cables to the motherboard, drives, cooling fans and video card (if required). Tie off loose cables with nylon cable ties; take care not to tighten them too much to prevent damaging the cables. Replace the system cover, attach the power cord, monitor, speakers, keyboard and mouse, and boot the system with an operating system (OS) disk in the optical drive to begin the OS installation.
Tags: video card, that supports, motherboard Install, multiple video, onto motherboard, optical drive