build a computer
 
 
processor
Buying motherboard
buying computer case
buying a monitor
buying computer memory
buying keyboard mouse
buying a dvd writer
buying hard drive
buying sound card
buying graphics card
computer cooling
build a cheap computer
build a cheap computer
case
processor
motherboard
drives
books
 

The build a computer guide tells you how to build your own computer from component parts. You'll be surprised how easy it is and how much you can save. Building a computer has never been easier with lots of bundled components available the whole build process can be completed in a day. This guide will aid you through the process of how to build your own PC step by step. Step One is buying the components. The purple buttons down the left hand side will tell you what components to buy. Step Two is how to build your own computer using these parts. The green buttons down the left hand side will tell you how to put these components together to build a cheap computer.

choosing a computer cases
choosing a processor
choosing a motherboard
choosing a monitor
Cases
Processors
Motherboards
Monitors
computer memory
choosing a hard drive
cd rom dvd drive
wireless keyboard mouse
Memory
Storage devices
Optical Drives
Input devices
       
sound card
video card
Soundcards
Videocards
Cooling
Other Stuff

 

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Buying a PC
 

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Barebone PCs

Here is what you will need.

Choosing a computer case

PC cases have come a long way from the ubiquitous gray or beige case. This section covers the case with several examples on how fashion conscious the case has become.

Choosing a processor

This is the brain of your PC and you get what you pay for. The greater the number of GHz the faster the PC and the more expensive the processor will be. This is a guide to what the jargon means and also which model to buy, AMD or Intel?

 

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Choosing a motherboard

If the processor is the brain and the RAM is the memory, then the motherboard is the backbone of the PC. This is the circuit board that contains the slots and sockets that everything else plugs into. This is a guide on which motherboard to buy to get the best out of all your other components.

Choosing a monitor

The monitor or screen of you computer is where you see what is going on. A revolution occurred in monitors a few years back with the introduction of reasonably priced LCD or TFT screens. Here are the things you need to know in order to buy a monitor.

Choosing Memory

The more memory you add to a PC in theory the faster it will be. This is a guide to choosing the correct memory for you computer

Choosing Computer input devices

This covers the keyboard and mouse and variations on the theme. Includes optical mice, wireless keyboards, wireless mice, wireless keyboard and mouse combinations, tablets and trackerballs.

Choosing Drives

Optical drives is a collective term for CD drives, DVD drives, CD RW burners and DVD burners. All of these devices read information from an optical disk, which one(s) do you need?

Choosing a Hard Drive

A hard drive is the main storage area you will utilize on your PC. All of your software is likely to be stored on it along with all of you files. Choosing the correct hard drive is critical to future proof your system.

Choosing a Sound Card

A Sound Card is responsible for any noise that comes out of your PC over and above the whirring of fans and spinning drives. Many motherboards now come with built in sound chips so do you really need anything more?

Choosing a Video Card

There are two possible reasons for changing you graphics card (video card). You may want to maximize your 3D performance for playing games, or you may want to use some of the additional features on more expensive cards like Video capture for editing home movies, TV-Out for watching DVDs played on your PC or even a TV tuner for watching TV on your PC.

Build a Computer Guide to cooling

Covers cooling the processor on the motherboard and cooling everything in the case.  Cooling your components is critical, a few minutes with a fan not working in your system and your PC could overheat so badly that it could do irreparable damage to your computer.

Other Stuff

There are some other items that we haven't included elsewhere these include Power supplies, Speakers, Network cards and Modems.

 
     
     
 

How to assemble a computer.

Preparation

What you need and what you need to know before you start assembly.

The Case

Putting the power supply in the case and preparing it for the other components.

The Processor

Putting the processor on the motherboard and adding its cooling.

The Motherboard

Adding memory and putting the motherboard in the case.

The Drives

Adding the drives to the case.

 
   

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