How to
Build Your Own Computer - its easy
How to Build Your Own Computer - where do we start?
If you have read my other pages you will be well up to speed concerning
all of the individual computer parts.
Lets recap with a list of what you will need to build your own computer.
build your own computer
Computer parts
- ATX computer case – essential
- ATX Motherboard – essential
- Intel or AMD processor – essential
- Cooler/heat sink for processor – essential
- Memory for motherboard – essential
- Graphics card (if not built into motherboard) – essential
- Sound card (if not built into motherboard) – essential (will run without)
- EIDE or SATA Hard drive – essential
- CD/CDRW drive – a least a CD drive is more or less essential these days
- DVD or DVDRW – optional
- Floppy drive – essential
- Monitor – essential
- Mouse – essential
- Keyboard – essential
- Modem and/or Ethernet Card - essential for internet connection
- Network card – optional but great for connecting two computers together - some
cable modems use this to communicate with the computer
As you can see most computer parts are more or less essential when you
build your own computer.
Electrostatic Protection
Do not take any parts out of the protective packaging until you have observed the
procedures for stopping damage to them due to static electricity.
Many things in the household can charge to many thousands of volts with
static electricity. This is totally harmless to you and me since static electricity flows
with such little current, but can cause catastrophic damage to the delicate components
that make your computer.
The plastic bags and foam used to package the exposed expansion cards and
motherboards have special conducting coatings designed discharge any build up of static
electricity.
Usually the simple expedient of plugging the computer into the power
socket (but with the power switched off) earths the computer case. And connecting your
self to the case with an electrostatic wristband, earths you. Mission accomplished. This
is my simplistic approach to this problem, as ideally you should use an anti-static mat
and wristband all properly earthed.
Getting Started
Taking electrostatic precautions start with the motherboard. Keep the board, wherever
possible, placed on the protective foam it was supplied with.
build your own computer
1 - Install the mounting pillars
Fitting the mounting pillars to the motherboard is the first step to take when you build
your own computer. Compare the board with the computer case, and fit the supplied mounting
pillars and stand offs such that the board will be supported and locked into the case.
Do not install the motherboard just yet.
The mounting pillars will have been supplied with the computer case.
Removal of the power supply, held usually by four screws in the back of
the case, will make this task much easier.
Check that the I/O screen, found on the back of the case, matches the I/O
ports on the motherboard, if not change the screen for one that does match.
build your own computer
2 - Install the processor
Still observing electrostatic protection techniques (essential when you build your own
computer) remove the processor from its protective packaging. Lift the lever on the ZIF
(Zero Insertion Force) socket on the motherboard until it is in a vertical position.
Insert the processor into the socket, the marked corner going to the same
corner as the upraised locking lever. It is very important that the processor is fitted
properly as failure to do so could result in destroying the motherboard and processor. If
you are in any doubt take advice.
Some motherboards are supplied with processors already fitted. If you have
any concern about fitting the CPU, purchasing one of these may be the way to go.
When fitting a CPU, at no time should any force be used. It should just
drop into the socket with the minimum of assistance from you.
The locking lever is then pushed back down and locked into place with its
catch. This closes up the connections on the socket grabbing and making good electrical
connection to the pins on the processor. On to the next step of - build your own computer.
build your own computer
3 - Fit the Cooler
Coolers or heat sinks come in different shapes and sizes. This device is essential, when
you build your own computer, to the well being of the processor and the one that you
intend using must be up to the job of cooling it.
Clocking processors faster, so as to increase the speed, generates more
heat. The packaging of the cooler should tell you its capabilities.
If you are building an AMD based system fitting the cooler is very
straight forward as it is held in place with a spring steel clip.
If you are building an Intel based system both processor and cooler can be
purchased together.
Before the processor is fitted to the motherboard apply a small amount of
the heat transfer compound/heat sink compound to the top of the processor. The compound is
a creamy white paste that, with any luck, will have been provided with the cooler in a
small polythene bag. If not it can be purchased separately.
Only a small amount of compound is applied since its function is to fill
in the minute gaps between the two mating surfaces and not to form a thick sandwich.
The cooler is now applied by - latching one side of the clip, followed by
levelling the cooler on the processor, then by pushing down on the handled side of the
clip on the other side and hooking it over the latch.
Do not forget to plug in the fan power lead into the connector on the
motherboard. The connector will be marked on the board in the vicinity of the processor.
If you have problems finding it, consult the motherboard handbook. Take your time with all
these tasks and never force anything.
build your own computer
4 - Fitting the Memory
The next build your own computer step is to fit the memory DIMM still observing
electrostatic precautions. Have you got the correct type of memory – SDR, DDR, and is
the speed of it correct?
The motherboard will have three or four parallel slots, with plastic clips
at either end. The slots will be labelled up as DDR1 to DDR4 or something similar. Consult
the motherboard handbook as to which slots are to be populated first.
Once the slot that is to be used has been identified push back the clips
on either end. Check to see that the DIMM is the right way around, by way of the cut out
in the edge connector, and place it into the socket. Position the DIMM in the socket first
then apply a small amount of pressure so as to push it into the motherboard socket. You
may have to apply pressure at each end of the DIMM in turn, rocking the DIMM down into the
socket. As you do this, the plastic clips should rise up slightly. When the DIMM is fully
down in the socket, push the clips across to lock the DIMM in place.
Never touch the edge connector of the DIM, or any component for that
matter, as the acids present in sweat from the skin damages the electrical contact.
Always leave the DIMM in its protective bag until you are ready to fit it
and always try to handle the DIMM by its edges.
build your own computer
5 - Fitting the Motherboard into the Case
The next key step, when you build your own computer, is to fit the motherboard into the
case.
Previously you fitted the mounting pillars and also checked that the I/O
shield fitted to the case and matched with the ports on the motherboard.
The CPU had its heat sink fitted and the memory was installed.
The power supply had also been removed.
Lower the motherboard into the case, sliding any slotted pillars into the
case slots provided. Position the board so that retaining screws can be fitted, locking
the motherboard in place. Do not over tighten the retaining screws.
Always – Always - remove any loose screws dropped into the
system.
Never power a system when you know that there is a loose screw inside. It
will can and will destroy the computer motherboard at the very least.
It is always worth taking a lot more time over this operation than you
think it should.
Inspect the motherboard, case and fitting components to get the best
support and fitting for the motherboard in the case.
Refit the power supply and plug the power lead into the socket on the
motherboard. With modern motherboard/PSU combinations, you cannot get this wrong (the
phrase "famous last words" comes to mind here).
Ensure that the PSU is set to the correct power setting for your household
electrical supply.
Refer to the motherboard handbook and connect all of the flying leads that
come from the front of the computer case and plug into the motherboard. These provide the
necessary start and reset function plus give indications of power and hard drive activity.
No harm will be done if you get them wrong. Each miniature plug will be
identified as to its function, and in the case of indications getting them to work may
simply require them being plugged in the other way around.
Final note – older motherboards once required the adjustment of link,
this was to configure them properly for memory and processor. Modern boards are configured
semi automatically with adjustments being made from within the BIOS. Check your
motherboard handbook to see if anything needs changing or setting.
build your own computer
6 - Install the Disk Drives
On both optical drives and hard drives the links on the rear of each unit needs setting to
make the device either a master or slave unit. Consult the instructions that came with the
drive.
When you build your own computer the hard drive that you boot from will be
configured as a master unit. You have the flexibility to set the others as you see fit.
Remember – most motherboards have two IDE ports each of which will support one master
and one slave device. The master device must connect to the master connector of the ribbon
cable as should the slave be connected to the slave connector of the ribbon cable. The
master connector is on the end of the ribbon cable.
But I digress, lets continue with build your own computer.
Install the hard drives – optical drives and floppy drives into the
bays provided in the case.
The front blanking panels clip out to give the external access for the
optical and floppy drives. A couple of screws on each side of each device are all that is
needed to fasten each unit.
The top large bays are reserved for the optical devices – CD/DVD
drives. Below this are two more bays designed to accept two floppy drives. Below this is a
bay with no removable front panel - the hard drives are mounted here. Once the drives are
physically mounted inside the case, it is time to connect them up.
As I mentioned earlier each IDE cable will support two devices, a master
and a slave device. The first hard drive in the system is the one that is booted from and
should be made the primary device.
If you have two optical devices then one should be a master the other a
slave device. Both of these could them be connected to the second IDE port.
For master and slave information, consult the instructions that came with
the drives. You may also see these referred to as Primary and Secondary devices.
Fairly ordinary IDE cables can be used for the optical drives as they are
relatively slow, but get cables that match the performance of the hard drives so as to get
the best from them.
Some of the latest IDE cables are now round instead of a flat ribbon, this
aids cooling and visibility inside the case.
The IDE cables may or may not be keyed. If they are not keyed make sure
that pin 1 of the cable goes to pin 1 of the motherboard or drive connector. If have got
this wrong on several occasions and have yet to cause damage to either the motherboard or
drive, it just will not work until connected properly.
Obviously, if you are using the new ATA drives then you will require ATA
serial cables.
When you build your own computer take a look at Serial ATA. It will
probably replace the parallel EIDE type interface in the foreseeable future.
If you have EIDE hard drives and optical drives, it is not a good idea to
not have the slow optical drive on the same cable as the hard drive.
Next plug the power leads into all devices, again take your time and plan
the best possible way for this as some of the cables daisy chain from one drive to
another.
The only cable to be careful of is the power connection to the floppy
drive. It is possible to get his connector the wrong way around and if you do you will
need a new floppy disk drive, as this item will be destroyed by the reverse power
connection.
One final connection is required. If you want to play CDs from on of the
optical drives say then the drive that you want to play the CDs must be connected to the
sound card using the small thin 4pin audio cable.
Initial set up when building
As a starter, if you have lots of disc drive devices for your computer, connect up one
hard drive, the boot drive, and one optical drive. Make the two devices master or primary
devices and connect each to the master connection on the two separate IDE cables (the end
of the cable).
Connect up the floppy drive to its own cable and motherboard interface.
Plug in the supply leads to all of the devices. The only one to be careful of is the
floppy drive as it is possible to plug the connector on the wrong way and bye bye floppy.
Three interface cables – three power cables - three devices to start
with.
build your own computer
7 - Installing Expansion Cards
You may have a motherboard that has graphic and sound capability built in, if so your job
is done here.
If you intend using a separate graphic and sound expansion cards, just
install the graphic card at this stage. Remove the case-blanking panel in line with the
AGP socket (the socket for the graphic card). The graphic card is pushed down into the AGP
graphic port. Use a gentle rocking motion.
Make sure to fasten it in with the top locking screw, I have seen a
motherboard written off when, without this screw, a cable was pushed into the back of the
card, lifting the card partially out of its socket, shorting and exit one motherboard.
You only need graphics to initially run the computer up. Some AGP ports
may have a locking mechanism not dissimilar to the memory card locking clips.
All other expansion cards can be added after you have initially powered
the computer. Once the computer will run up and generate characters on the monitor and
respond to the keyboard you are nearly home and dry. This is then the time to add the
other expansion cards, just prior to loading windows.
Note – prior to loading Windows, unless you have a mouse driver
loaded the mouse will not function.
build your own computer
8 - Review of the build your own computer process
- Take PSU out of the case.
- Mount the pillars to the motherboard.
- Install the CPU and cooler.
- Install the memory.
- Fit the motherboard into the case. It should not be in
- contact with the case except at
- certain screw mounting points.
- Refit the PSU.
- Connect power cables into the motherboard.
- Install the disk drives.
- Cable up a floppy drive, a primary disk drive and a primary hard drive.
- Install the graphic card and lock it in with a screw
- Install ethernet and/or modem card
- Check the case for loose screws etc.
- Check the cabling.
- Plug in the monitor, keyboard and mouse.
Click here to go to section 9 where we continue to build
your own computer by getting the system up and running and install Windows.
build your own computer
