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Hello !
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Somewhere
Services: AppleTV, Netflix
Posts: 16,803
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Re: Want to build a PC but too afraid - step inside...
Yep that site is pretty good. It has video tutorials too.
The main thing to cosnsider when building your computer is to read the specs, and read the details. That will eliminate you going wrong in the buying stage.
In fact I see a couple of steps I'd reccomend when thinking about buying a PC:
1) Think about what you want from the machine. Is it going to be used for graphics, video production work, gaming, or is it mainly an internet machine.
You should think about these needs you have and reflect it to the hardware you will choose. So we are starting to lay down roots, eg. AMD or Intel, wether I need a particular graphics card to run certain games, if i need a drive of this capacity, etc.
At this same period in time, you should go out and buy a PC magazine to see what the latest trends are and what is the best technology to buy at the moment. See how it meets your needs.
2. Now is the time to make a list of all the bits you are going to need in order to give you a rough idea of what your system will be.
Go to all the regular sites, overclockers, ebuyer, etc. and get a quick spec drawn up of the components.
Make sure you remember to look at the price that says WITH VAT.
Add another £20 for essentials such as an anti static wrist band, cable ties, cables, and accesories.
3. Post your specs on the forum and let people see what you have chosen. This will let you customise your spec and a few things will change for the better here as we tell you whats worth changing or keeping.
*** A good system will need to work in good surroundings so do not cut back on choosing a good case that offers good airflow and good powrful Power supply. A £15 power supply is not a good idea.
You should look more towards spending atleast £40.
4. Having finally had the all clear from the people that have told you that it looks like a good system, its time to start buying.
Buy the components in this order:
a) Case, Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor.
b) Power supply.
c) Drives (Hard drive, floppy, optical drives).
d) RAM, Graphics card, CPU, and Motherboard.
The reason I put them in this order is that it will be easier for when you build the machine, and you dont need componenets (d) until the end.
Remembering that anti static strap, its easier to put in your power supply and all drives in and screwed down first. Make sure you have prepared the case and punched out the adequate blanking plates too.
Then put in ram and cpu on the motherboard outside of the case. Then, once everything else is in, put the motherboard in the case, on the stand offs, and screw it down, adding in any extra cards and graphics cards last.
- Remember to keep cables tidy.
- Its worth adding a few extra fans in to keep temperatures low.
- Connect all data and power cables to drives, graphics cards, fans, etc.
Your motherboard guide will show you where these go.
**** Are you still worried ? ****
Its worth reminding people that although there are things that can go wrong, if you take care, and dont rush things, things normally go to plan.
- Most power supply and data cables now only fit one way so you cant get them plugged in the wrong way round.
- Gone are the days of setting jumper switches and manually adjusting clock settings for the CPU. Nearly all motherboards now autodetect hardware without a problem.
- Set yourself atleast a weekend if you never have done computer work before and do read the manuals you receive.
Working on a big table with a good light will help you to work more easily.
- When handling drives, RAM, and other components, handle by the edges. If you need to put it down, use the anti static bags that came with it.
- The most annoying things are normally the smallest cables so check your motherboard guide for where they go.
- Double check everything before you switch on. Are all the cables connected up and the fans / power supply cables attached.
- Common errors are people overtightening screws, not putting in stand offs in the case or metal touching motherboard contacts, Not using an anti static wristband and frying the Ram, setting the power supply switch to the wrong voltage, forgetting to plug in fans, fogetting to plug in P4 CPU power supply cable on motherboard.
- There is often more chance of software messing a system up than hardware, so bare that in mind.
- Any more help, just post on the forums, I'm sure everyone will help you out if all was to fail.
- Setting up your systems operating system is also fairly simple and if you have the Windows XP CD, it should auto boot and let you configure your drive, format it for you, and then customise your windows set up.
+++ After the storm ++++
Once you have made your system, youl have saved a shed load of cash, know a tonne more about computers, be able to solve your own problems, and have a beast of a new PC.
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