Assemble a Computer

by Quing and Yao

With only the power source inside the casing of the tower, place the following accordingly:

1. CD-ROM drive
From the front cover, slide in the CD-ROM drive at the top most available 5 ¼ inch slot or
opening. Slide it in until the front of the CD-ROM aligns with the front of the computer case.
Then screw it securely.

2. Floppy disk drive

From the front cover, slide in the floppy disk drive in an available 3 ½ inch slot or opening. Slide
it in until the front of the floppy disk drive aligns with the front of the computer case. Then screw
it securely.

3. Hard disk drive

Under the floppy disk drive, place the hard disk drive inside the computer case. Align the screw
poles to the case rails and screw them securely. Remember to differentiate the top and the bottom

part.

4. Motherboard
Place the motherboard near the power source and screw it in place. Remember to align the ports
behind the tower. There should be at least six screws.
We are actually placing the motherboard after putting in the drives so the motherboard wouldn’t
be in the way of the drives when they are being put in.

5. Microprocessor
An indicator can be seen in the microchip and at the place where it is supposed to be seated at
one of its edges. It can be checked if the microprocessor is correctly placed if it sits in without
force. Then, lock it in place with the lever.

6. Fan
Put in the fan with as less force as possible and lock it in with its given locks. Remember that the
levers are facing towards opposite directions. Don’t forget to connect the fan’s wiring!

7. Video card
Put the video card in its proper place on the motherboard located near the back of the computer
case. Then there, secure it with a screw on the back case to hold it in place.

8. RAM
Line the memory in its designated socket which can be determined by its length. It automatically
locks in if the RAM is placed correctly.

9. Ribbon Cables (floppy disk and cd-rom drive, hard disk drive)
Attach each ribbon from the floppy disk drive, CD-ROM drive and hard disk drive to the
motherboard. There are a total of three pairs of ribbons in the PC. The end of the partly twisted
ribbon goes to the floppy drive. The other ribbons can be checked where to go by looking at their
indicators and their length.

10. Wirings/ power connectors/ power cables

A power connector is to be connected from the floppy disk drive, CD-ROM drive and hard disk
drive to the motherboard. It can be determined where to put in the connection by its length and
key indicator. Note that in some casings, there may be excess wirings depending on what you
need.
Don’t forget those wirings for your switches (power, reset), power LED, and speaker. These may
get a bit confusing where to place. Check the mother board up close; it should have small words
written on it. It will indicate which wire should go to which pin.
11. Close the casing
To close the whole tower, slide in the casing then screw it in place. Now just plug it in and the
CPU tower is ready to use! Congratulations!

Glossary
by Quing

This is just a simple list and definitions to some jargons which are useful in reading some
technical guides.

Indicator – a missing pin or pin hole which is used as a guide in which direction or which hole
your object should go to. This is applicable to ribbon cables, RAM, and the microprocessor.

Tower – basically, this is the casing of the computer. Note that it is not called a central
processing unit. (CPU)

Hardware – any physical device that make up a gadget.

Software – this would include all programs in your computer, including system software and
application software.

Peripheral – any computer hardware that is added to expand the capabilities of your already
functioning unit. Example of this include your Video Graphics Accelerator, printer, scanner, and
mouse.

Parts of a Computer
by Barit and Uy

Hard Disk Drive

– A rectangular shaped part that has a thick exterior to protect the magnetic disks inside.
– It is a magnetic disk used to store computer data up to several gigabytes and even several
terabytes.

Floppy Disk Drive

– A rectangular shaped device that has an opening to insert the floppy disks and also has a button
to eject them. It has a port at the back that connects to the motherboard.
– It is used to read and write data on the floppy disks.

CD Drive
– A rectangular shaped device that has usually an open/close button so that the CD’s can be
placed and removed from it. It has a port at the back that connects to the motherboard and it also
has a connection to the power supply for its power.
– It is like a floppy disk drive that reads and sometimes writes on disks, except that it uses bigger
capacity devices like CD’s and DVD’s than the floppy disks.

Tower or Case
– It is like a metal box that is designed for the parts to fit in it. It also has a built-in power supply.
The style varies but the technical design does not.
– It serves as protection for the parts as well as to organize them in a way that it will not look too
messy and complicated.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

– It looks like a green ruler that has gold plates at the bottom. It also has thin chips at the right
side of it.
– It serves as the memory for the computer. More RAM working at the same time means
additional performance for the computer.
– Technically, it functions as a primary computer data storage. It is called Random because any
data it contains can be switched to use at will. This type of memory and only stores data until its
source of power is cut off. If a computer becomes low on RAM during intensive application
cycles, the computer can perform an operation known as “swapping”. In order to reduce the
dependency on swapping, more RAM can be installed.

Video Card or Graphics Accelerator Card

– A rectangular shaped device that has one or more ports at one side for video displays and some
other devices like projectors.
– It is used to send graphical information to video display device like monitors.
– It is a peripheral device whose function is to generate images for output. It is also called
Graphics Accelerator to differentiate it from the Integrated Graphics Processor built within the
motherboard.
– It has its own cooling fan and memory. There are two types of Video Cards according to the
slots they use: the AGP and the PCI.

Power Supply Unit (PSU)

– The power supply is attached in the upper back of the case. It has three sockets at the back. It
also has wires that connect to different parts especially in the motherboard.

– It converts the electricity to be used from the main outlet to the computer. Technically, it is a
device or system that supplies electrical or other types of energy to an output load or group of
loads.

Motherboard
– The motherboard looks like a thicker and wider sheet of paper with sockets and ports mounted
on it. From afar, it looks like a miniature modern city.
– The motherboard holds the computer together. Almost all of the other parts are connected to it.
It serves as the connection of those parts. It is like the backbone of the computer.

Ribbon Cables
– From its name, it looks like a ribbon. Many wires are placed adjacent to each other thus the
cable looks wide.
– It is used to connect the hard disk drive, CD Drive and floppy disk drive to the motherboard.
Microprocessor
– It contains all the functions of the Central Processing Unit or CPU in a small integrated circuit.
Every computer requires a microprocessor in order to work as it contains the most basic but also
the most important tasks, making it the heart of the machine. It is a complete engine fabricated
into a small component.
– The microprocessor, especially its needles, is very sensitive and must be protected from outside
pressure. It also produces heat. These are the reasons why it is usually found under the cooling

fan.

Cooling Fan/ Processor Fan

– This is used for cooling purposes because a computer’s CPU produces a lot of heat while
active. These fans work to keep the level of heat in a safe level using heat sinks to increase
surface area which dissipates heat.

Modem or Modular Demodulator

– It is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also
demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a
signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data. Modems
can be used over any means of transmitting analog signals, from driven diodes to radio. The
modem has a port which a network cable may be attached.

Safety Precautions by Guloy

A few warnings and reminders before you start disassembling your computer tower to keep both
your unit and yourself safe
1. Fully shut down and unplug the computer before you make any attempts to disassemble the
tower.

2. Take off any metal objects on your arms or fingers such as bracelets, rings or watches. Even if
your unit is unplugged, there may still be some remaining electric charge.

3. Make sure your hands are completely dry to avoid damaging any mechanical parts as well as
to avoid electrocution.

4. Work in a cool area to avoid perspiration for the same reason as seen in the previous number.

5. Before touching any part within the tower, put your hands against another metal surface (such
as the computer casing) to remove static charge, which may damage sensitive devices.

6. Prepare a place to keep any screws you may remove. A container or piece of paper with labels
for each part (casing, motherboard, CD drive, etc) is ideal to avoid confusion between the
similar-looking screws.

7. Handle all parts with care. Place each piece you remove carefully down onto a stable surface.

8. If a component does not come out easily, do not forcefully remove it. Instead, check that you
are removing it correctly and that no wires or other parts are in the way.

9. Be careful when holding the motherboard, it’s underside actually quite pointy and able to hurt
you.

10. Never attempt to remove the power source, a box attached to the side or bottom of the unit to
which all cables are connected.

11. When removing any cables, wires or ribbons, make sure to grasp the wire at the base or head
to keep it from breaking.

12. Be careful not to drop any small parts (particularly screws) into unreachable areas such as
into the computer fan or disk drive.

13. Take note that the three of the most damaging things to a computer are moisture (sweat,
drinking water), shock (electric or from being dropped) and dust (any debris from household dust
to bits of food).

Have a safe experience in assembling your computer!