Building a Computer in 2017

Disclaimer

This is a guide book. I am not responsible for anything that may go wrong
when building a computer.
 Table of Contents

Intro

Things to Consider

Part 1; Picking your parts

Part 2; Building your computer

Final remarks

FAQs
 Intro

So, you want to build a computer? Building a computer may seem like an impossible
feat however it boils down to three main steps.
1. Choose your parts
2. Assemble the Parts
3. Install the operating system and drivers

There are many reasons you may choose to build your computer rather than buy it.
Currently there are 2 main reasons. You either want to save money, or you are interested
in computer science.

The folks who want to save money should try to follow these guidelines.
1. Have a total hardware budget over $550.
2. Buy a hardware bundle online. (Some online retailers offer computer parts in
bundles.)

Building a high-budget computer will yield more savings than a low-budget computer.

Things to Consider

There are thousands of computer parts to choose from, so what do you need to know
when picking them out?

1. Price
How much are you willing to spend?
2. Usage
What software and applications will you be using?
3. Compatibility
 Will my computer parts work together in a system?

Part 1
Picking your parts

Benchmarks
A fair way of comparing computer components is to look at benchmarks.
Benchmarks consist of using software to compare the performance of different
computer components. Searching online for benchmarks are a great way to
decide what to buy.

Before we continue any further I want you to beware of the word Future-
Proofing. No matter how much you spend today your computer will be
outdated in 5 years. Your very own home-built computer will most likely be
more powerful than a super-computer from the year 2000.
Another important thing to consider is to check the product dimensions to make
sure everything is physically compatible.
The last thing to talk about before we move on is bottlenecks. A bottleneck
prevents the full capabilities of a piece of hardware to be used. Bottlenecks
occur when you spend a lot on one component and very little on another
component. Make sure your CPU and video card are around the same price.

1. CPU (Central Processing Unit)

This is the unit that you should build your whole computer around.
As the most important piece in a computer, the central- processing-unit is the main
component that determines how fast your computer is.

What are cores and gigahertz?

The two main companies that make desktop CPUs are Intel and AMD. Although both
companies measure processing power in cores and gigahertz, not all cores and gigahertz
are the same. Currently, in 2017 as of writing this, Intel cores are much more powerful
than AMD cores. AMDs new RYZEN processors are scheduled to come out this
year and may change this fact. The only way to determine the processing power of a
CPU is to use a benchmark. Benchmarks show how well the processor performs in a
specific program. Benchmarks are commonly found online and are generally performed
by product reviewers. Benchmarks are crucial to comparing Processors.
When analyzing benchmark results you must pay attention to either the higher framerate
or shortest time of completing a task.

A smart rule of thumb when buying most computer components is: the greater amount
you spend, the greater product you receive.

2. Motherboard
When choosing a motherboard, you want to make sure it has all the ports you need. The
most essential thing to remember when choosing a motherboard is that it must have the
same socket and chipset as the CPU. I cannot stress this enough. If you have a CPU
that does not fit into your motherboard, then you will have to replace your motherboard.
If you decide to buy a video card you will need a PCI Express x16 slot

3. CPU Cooler
You only need a CPU Cooler if your CPU does not come with one already. I recommend
buying an after-market cooler if you plan to run CPU intense software.

Any CPU cooler will work fine, but it has to fit in the computer case and it cannot
interfere with RAM on the motherboard.
(Some types of RAM are tall, making them rise above the motherboard too high and
coming in contact with the CPU cooler.)
4. RAM
RAM, also known as Random Access Memory, feeds the CPU information to process.
RAM is measured in megabytes and gigabytes.

The amount of RAM you need will depend on what you will do with your computer.
One gigabyte (GB) equals one thousand megabytes (MB).

4GB is best for general purposes.

8GB is best for gaming or virtual reality.

16GB is best for advanced rendering or content creation.

The speed of RAM is measured in megahertz. 1600 megahertz is a standard speed.

Currently RAM is sold as DDR3 and DDR4. DDR3 is fine for a basic purpose
computer however, if you are able to afford DDR4, your system will be better equipped
for upgrades in the future. Your RAM, CPU, and motherboard must all have the same
DDR3/DDR4 compatibility in the CPUs chipset. Some CPUs will accept DDR3 and
DDR4 just dont mix the two types.

5. Video Card / Graphics card

Video cards process the image on your screen. This basic task of processing an image
actually requires lots of power.
When buying graphics cards, it is better to buy one $400 graphics card, rather than two
$200 graphics cards in crossfire or SLI. Crossfire and SLI are AMD and Nvidias
solution to multi graphics card use.

Prices for video cards can vary from around $40 to a few thousand dollars. To figure
out how much you need to spend on a video card, you will need to put yourself into one
of 3 classes.

1. The normal computer user who doesnt play videogames and doesnt use
graphically intense programs should spend $40 to $100 on a video card. If your
 Processor has integrated graphics, (a low powered Graphics-Processing-Unit
integrated into the CPU) than your computer doesnt even need a graphics card.
Just check to make sure that your motherboard has a video output.

2. Gamers who want to play all of their games on maxed out settings, at 1080p,
should spend $100 to $1000. The sweet spot for price to performance is $200
to $400.

3. Content creators that constantly render videos and animations professionally

should spend $500 or more on a video card.

Compatibility is sometimes an issue with video cards. You will be safe as long as
you do not mix two models of video cards in the same computer.
Graphics cards can take up a lot of space length wise. Check the physical
dimensions of your graphics card to make sure it will fit in your case.

6. PSU (Power Supply Unit)

The PSU converts unusable AC electricity into usable DC electricity. The required
wattage of your power supply (PSU) will be determined by your video card and other
power hungry components. A low end computer with a low end video card will require
around 450-500 watts. A medium gaming build with one powerful video card will
require 600-800 watts. A high quality build with multiple powerful video cards will
require over 1000 watts. Make sure the total wattage of your system is less than the
wattage of your PSU. The main power draw is a video card but you also have to
consider your motherboard, CPU, storage, RAM and any other component that draws
electricity.

Some power supplies are rated 80 plus; platinum, gold, silver or bronze. As long as
your PSU is 80 plus rated, you will know it is efficient. If you are very concerned about
power consumption, you can look the ratings up online, but it really doesnt matter as
long as it is 80 plus rated.

Some power supplies are modular, which means you can swap cables in and out of the
power supply. This can be useful with cable management, but it is not necessary.
When buying a PSU, the price will obviously be based on the wattage, ratings and
modularity.

7. Storage

In a computer advertisement, the computer may be described as having a 17 inch

Display with 500GB. The 500 GB (Gigabytes) refers to the storage. The amount of
storage is important, but a computer should also be assessed on the speed of the
processor and video card.

What is storage? Storage is the part of your computer which stores all of your content;
applications, games, movies and documents. Like RAM, it is also measured in
megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes.

One gigabyte (GB) equals one thousand megabytes (MB).

One terabyte (TB) equals one thousand gigabytes (GB).

Many videogames in 2017 can take up to 50 gigabytes of storage.

There are two types of storage, An SSD (Solid State Drive) and a HDD (Hard Disk
Drive). Solid state drives and hard disk drives offer their own benefits.

SSD storage is much faster than HDD storage. They are more expensive but they also
breakdown less.
HDD storage is slower but offers more storage for your money. HDD storage is the
older method of storage and is less reliable.

For one terabyte of HHD storage you will be paying around forty to seventy dollars. On
the other hand, one terabyte of SSD storage will cost hundreds of dollars.

Make sure your storage is SATA (Serial ATA) compatible, as well as your
motherboard. A SATA cable used to internally attach your motherboard to your storage.

8. Case

The last component will house your computer. Make sure you enjoy the aesthetics of
your case. There are many features you can choose from. Ex. USB ports integrated into
the case.

Make sure the case will fit your motherboard and graphics card. Cases will be labeled
as ATX compatible or micro-ATX compatible etc.. Make sure your motherboard is
an equal or smaller ATX size than your case. Graphics card space is sometimes hard to
determine. Your case will tell you how much graphics card space is available. Make
sure your video card length is less than that amount.

Most cases are priced between fifty and one hundred dollars.

Also make sure there is plenty of cable space in the back of the case. This will make the
building experience a lot more enjoyable.

Part 2
Building your computer
 1. Wait for every part to arrive before beginning the building process!

You dont want a half-built computer sitting on your desk for 3 days.

2. Put the CPU into the motherboard.

Warning! Do not bend any pins on the CPU or motherboard. This will ruin you
processor or motherboard.
AMD CPU

Open the metal arm on the CPU socket in the motherboard. Align the CPU pins with the
holes in the CPU socket. Make sure the CPU is facing the right way by matching the 2
gold triangles. With little pressure, place the CPU in the socket. Close the metal arm on
the socket to lock it into place.

Intel CPU
Open the metal arm but do not remove the plastic on the lid. Align the CPU gold
triangle with the motherboard socket gold triangle and place the CPU down using little
pressure. When the CPU fits you will close the metal arm. The metal arm should bring
down the door on top of the CPU and the plastic should pop off.

3. RAM is the easiest component to install

Simply align the RAM indentation with the RAM socket indentation, press the tab next
to the RAM socket, and press the RAM in place until the tab pops back up.

4. Place the IO cover that came with your motherboard into your case.
Screw the brass metal standoffs into your case (these should come with your case).
Insert the motherboard into the case, aligning the standoffs to fit through the motherboard
holes, while at the same time aligning the motherboard with the IO cover. This can be
tricky. The IO cover will come with your motherboard.
5. Installing the cooler
Installing the cooler can vary, in regard to the order and method of installation. Consult
your cooler manual and use logic to figure out how to install your CPU cooler.

6. Video card installation

Video cards are very easy to install. Just press down the tab next to your PCI e
connector below the CPU socket, and plug it in until the tab pops up.

Most cases have a PCI e lock, so before you plug in your video card you may have to
take out a thin shield on the case to place in your video card.
Make sure you plug your video card into the fastest PCI e connection your motherboard
has. It will most likely be
PCI e 16x.

7. Power supply
Screw your PSU into the designated spot on your case. This is most likely on the bottom
left of your case.
You can install you PSU in two configurations to achieve optimal airflow. Install your
PSU with the fan facing up if your computer will be sitting on carpet. Otherwise install
your PSU with the fan facing down.

Next, start to plug in the video card and motherboard power connectors. This is very
easy as you just have to match up the cables with the connectors on the motherboard and
video card. The connectors are keyed, so you do not have to worry about messing up.

Your motherboard and your video card may require two connections.

8. Storage
When installing your storage component, there is one of two places you can use. The
most common place to put your storage is in the storage bays at the bottom right of your
case. You will install the storage differently depending on your case. The second, less
common place only applies to certain SSD storage. Some SSD storage will be stored in
a PCI e connector. This is only applicable if you have an M.2 SSD and your
motherboard supports M.2. M.2 is just a different type of SSD storage.

After installing the storage plug the power cables into the storage.

Lastly, you will plug a SATA cable into the motherboard. The other end of the SATA
cable should be plugged into your storage.

9. Final checks

Make sure everything is plugged in correctly. Plug the wires leading from your case into
the motherboard. This will allow you to use case IO. Every case is different and every
motherboard is different, so the location for plugging these connectors will vary.
Consult your motherboard / case manual. Connect your video card to a display via an
HDMI, DVI or Display Port cable. Lastly, connect a mouse and keyboard and you
finally are ready to go.

10. Booting up

Press the power button on your computer case. You will see the logo of your brand of
motherboard. It will then take you to the bios. A bios (basic input output system) allows
you to perform simple tasks such as loading an operating system. Congratulations. You
have successfully built your computer.

11. Installing your OS

To install your operating system you will need another working computer that has the
same bit type operating system as the OS you plan to use. Ex. 64 bit, 32 bit.
Download your OS to a flash drive from your computer. Now you will need to create
an ISO file from the operating system. There are many free ISO converters to download
online.

Stick your USB flash drive into your built computer. Then in the bios you will have to
select to boot from that flash drive. Your OS will load and you are ready to go.

The last optional but highly recommended step is to install drivers for your components.
You can find these on your manufacturers websites. Some components will come with
a disk including these drivers.

Final Remarks

When building a computer, there are many variations as you buy different parts. The
steps to build computer A may be a little bit different than the steps to build computer B.

If you found this book helpful, please consider leaving an honest review on amazon.
 FAQs

Do I need a Radeon video card if I have an AMD processor?

No, video cards will work with any processor.

Should I use DDR4? Will it give me better performance?

DDR4 is becoming more standard now but it is not a necessity.

Can I buy used computer parts?

Yes. Just make sure you are confident in their quality.

How hard is building a computer?

It is not hard at all. I built my first computer at 13 years old.

Picking out computer parts is so overwhelming. Is there a place that makes it

easier?

Pcpartpicker.com is a great website that compares components from different websites

and gives you the best price. (I have no affiliation with Pcpartpicker.com)