Hey, it turns out that building your own PC from scratch, from basic components, is actually really easy, and a lot of fun!
I have recently built a computer for myself using the component parts. I am actually quite proud of this achievement although it was not too difficult once you get the general idea of where everything goes. The next job is going to build my Dad a new PC along the same lines.
I thought I'd ramble on a bit here about what inspired me to do this, and a few things to look out for. If I can do it, how hard can it be, right? Nothing too advanced or complicated though yet. No major modifications, Just the basic components are what I've been dealing with so far. To build a PC (this can be anything from a basic office PC to a low-to-mid-range gaming machine) you will need:
A motherboard (Mobo or board)
A processor (CPU or Chip)
Memory (RAM)
A Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
A power supply (PSU)
A disk drive (Optical drive) (eg. DVD-writer or Blu-Ray) - (optional)
A graphics card (GPU) - (optional unless you have no onboard processor or motherboard graphics)
A case of some description to safely hold your rig.
An operating system (eg. Windows, Linux).
And that's it!
Here is my new rig, (I can say for sure that all these parts work together OK). Building your own PC from component parts can save you a lot of money. I spent much less than you would have to, if ordering a similar pre-made specification online (which is what I'd previously done up to now - but hey ho, the economic crisis and all that!)
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Board - Asus M5A78L-M/USB3 micro-ATX, socket AM3+
CPU - AMD FX-6300 6-core, socket AM3+, 3.5 GHz
RAM - 8GB Corsair XMS DDR3 1600 MHz (4 x 2GB)
HDD - 1TB Samsung 3.5", 7200 RPM
Optical drive - Generic DVD 24X multi-recorder
GPU - Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 2GB Dual-X GHz edition
Case - Thermaltake V3 black
OS - Windows 8.1 OEM system builder version
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And now to where I got the idea for all this from... I happened across the following 3 videos on YouTube which really got me interested. For the first build, I pretty much just followed the rules laid out here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QBTpkPtDUI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgwU-pPDzqA&list=TLqJT9NPfgWNvAy14aNONs1EIS_VeZ-Rim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v40cbYZ0E5M
It's a pretty informative guide and really useful to a beginner who doesn't really know what they're doing, like me!
Some general guidelines for building a PC
Choose your Processor
What will be your main usage: Decide what you want the PC to do. General multimedia? Light gaming? Video editing? More intensive gaming?
As a very basic rule, for tight budgets where graphics performance is not too much of an issue and you only need to stream video or play basic games, you may be best off with an APU. For more intensive applications you will want better single-threaded performance of a dedicated processor and a dedicated GPU.
Choose compatible components and get the best deals
The AMD A-series APUs use socket FM2 or FM2+ and the AMD FX series CPUs use socket AM3+. Intel core-iX series processors use socket 1155 or 1150 depending on the release version. You need to get a motherboard which features the same socket as your processor. The other main point of note when choosing a motherboard is the "chipset" which basically describes the features and capabilities of the motherboard.
Better chipsets have faster data transfer rates, support for better processors, onboard graphics and better rear connection options, more RAM slots, support for faster RAM, easier to use BIOS, USB3 etc. It is usually advisable to avoid the lowest possible chipset of any socket type. Do a Google search for the different chipsets available for your chosen socket. It is worth spending a little extra on the board as it is the heart of your system. For example for the AMD A-series APUs, the A75 chipset is better than the basic A55 chipset.
Once the socket and chipset are decided, shop around online for the best buy. Stick to a brand name for quality, like Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, Asrock etc. Once you've selected the model, it's important to check the manufacturer's website for the model details. Check the compatibility/support page for your board model. It will confirm the exact product codes of the compatible CPUs, RAM modules and graphics cards. This can be really useful as it is easy to mismatch components by ignoring this - they may still work but default to lower performing speeds. For example if your board doesn't support your 1866MHz RAM it may default to 1600MHz, meaning you wasted money on the extra speed (in some case this may be correctable in the BIOS).
From here you can choose and find the best prices for the RAM and graphics card you want. This is the basis of your system. Pick a case you like which fits the motherboard size (ATX is bigger than micro-ATX which is bigger than the dinky mini-ITX). You may want to get a bigger size than needed (eg. ATX midi-tower with a micro-ATX board) as this gives you more room in the case to operate, which makes things easier for a newbie!
Check the manufacturer's website for the power usage of your graphics card, and purchase a power supply based on that value. Although the figures are a bit exaggerated as to what the card will normally use, you DON'T want any instant shutdowns due to power problems do it's always a good idea to overestimate the wattage by 50W at least, or at least get a good brand of PSU like Corsair, OCZ, etc. Also strongly consider the "80 plus" line of efficiency rated PSUs. For example if your graphics card states "minimum power requirement 500W" I would get PSU of 550W+, unless I got Corsair or OCZ where just 500W would be ample. The possible exception is for some Radeon cards that have 500W requirements but only need 400W or 450W in real life.
Preparation dowloads
When I installed my first system, the motherboard driver disk was incompatible with the operating system so could not be used. I needed to download all the software from the Asus website. Mainly, drivers for USB, HD audio and the chipset. It would have been helpful to have all these ready beforehand in case you get problems with the driver installation from disk. I also advise you download the latest graphics drivers from the AMD or NVidia website beforehand and not use the CD bundled with your new card. I'm not sure about updating BIOS, it may not be worth the hassle unless you are having problems with the board.
Installation points
I like to put together the board, processor and RAM first. It's quite simple, the video I embedded above shows how to do it. Next, prepare the case and the motherboard backing plate. Make sure the standoffs are in position before sliding the board into place and securing firmly in all available screw holes. It is then just a matter of connecting up the peripherals; hard drive, optical drive and graphics card, then the power and data cables. The cabling can be a pain and is one of the more annoying parts - trying to avoid all those cables touching the circuitry! The fiddliest bit though has to be connecting the front panel cables (things like the power switch, HDD LED indicator etc. - these pins are tiny and very awkward.
When all is complete run a final connection check then see if the green LED lights up when the PSU is turned on. If all seems OK, connect up a mouse, keyboard and TV/ monitor and cross those fingers ! Press the power switch and mash the delete button to enter BIOS. Check all is OK (processor and RAM correctly identified, and hard/disk drives appearing listed under SATA connections.) Insert the Windows disk and select the optical disk drive as the boot drive.
Windows should then kick in and install. You're nearly there!
Finally, it is just a matter of removing the Windows disk and installing any other drivers you may need from disk or USB drive. Ensure that the motherboard and graphics drivers are installed and check Windows Device Manager for unrecognised devices. Connect to the Internet early on (using a USB wireless adaptor or ethernet cable) so Windows can download any required updates or system drivers it needs.
Happy Computing!
Usage type: General office use and multimedia, occasional light gaming
Chipset A75 Socket FM2 micro-ATX motherboard, AMD A8-6600K APU, 4GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Windows 7, 400+W power supply, value Midi-ATX case, optional AMD dual graphics with AMD Radeon 6570 1GB graphics card
Usage type: Faster performance, Multimedia, online streaming and low-end gaming rig
Chipset A78 Socket AM3+ micro-ATX motherboard, AMD FX-6300 CPU, 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, Windows 8.1, 550+W power supply, gaming Midi-ATX case, AMD Radeon HD 7700+ series graphics card eg. Radeon HD 7870 2GB.
Things I'm aware of but haven't tried yet:
* Full size ATX motherboards with multi-GPUs
* Applications of thermal pastes and Liquid cooling solutions
* Overclocking of any type
* Configuring RAID drives or anything like that
Just to put it out there, I enjoy writing this blog even if no-one reads it! I am The One Reader!
TOR
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