Upgrading & Repairing PCs Eighth Edition
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- 19 -
Building a System
* System Components
o Case and Power Supply
o Motherboard
o I/O Ports
o Floppy Disk Drive
o Hard Disk Drive
o CD-ROM Drive
o Keyboard and Pointing Device (Mouse)
o Video Card and Display
o Sound Card and Speakers
o Accessories
* System Assembly
* Sources and Suppliers
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In these days of commodity parts and component pricing, building your own
system from scratch is no longer the daunting process it once was. Every
component necessary to build a PC-compatible system is available off the
shelf, and at very competitive pricing. In many cases, the system you build
can use the same components as the top name-brand systems.
There are, however, some cautions. The main thing to note is that you
rarely save money when building your own system compared to purchasing a
complete system from a mail order vendor or mass merchandiser. The
reasoning for this is simple: Most system vendors today who build systems
to order use many if not all the same components you can when building your
own. The difference is that they buy these components in quantity and
receive a much larger discount than you can purchasing only one of a
particular item.
There also is only one shipping or handling charge when you purchase a
complete system instead of the individual shipping charges when you
purchase separate components. In fact, the shipping, handling, and even
phone charges from ordering all of the separate parts needed to build a PC
often add up to $100 or more. This cost rises if you encounter problems
with any of the components and have to make additional calls or send
improper or malfunctioning parts back for replacement.
It is clear that the reasons for building a system from scratch often has
less to do with saving money than with the experience and end result. In
the end, you have a custom system that contains the exact components and
features you have selected. The experience itself is also very rewarding.
You know exactly how your system is constructed and configured because you
have done it yourself. This makes future support and installation of
additional accessories much easier.
It may be possible to save some money using components of your current
system when building your new system. You might have recently upgraded your
hard drive or memory in an attempt to extend the life of your current
computer. You can take those components with you to the new system in most
cases, if you plan appropriately. For example, if you used 30-pin SIMMs in
your old system, you can buy a new motherboard that supports both 72- and
30-pin SIMMs, or buy a SIMM adapter to convert your 30-pin SIMMs to 72.
So if you are interested in a rewarding experience, want to have a custom
system that is not exactly offered by any vendor, want to save some money
by re-using some of the components from your current system, and you are
not in a hurry, then building your own PC-compatible may be the way to go.
On the other hand, if you are interested in getting a PC-compatible for the
best price, want one-stop support for warranty claims, and need an
operational system quickly, then building your own system should definitely
be avoided!
This chapter details the components needed to assemble your own system,
explains the assembly procedures, and lists some recommendations for
components and their sources.
System Components
The components used in building a typical PC compatible are:
* Case and power supply
* Motherboard:
ProcessorParallel
Memory IDE
Serial Floppy
* Floppy disk drive
* Hard disk drive(s)
* CD-ROM drive
* Keyboard and pointing device (mouse)
* PCI video card and display
* Sound card and speakers
* Accessories:
Heat Hardware
sinks/cooling
fans
Cables Operating system software
* Heat sinks/cooling fansHardwareCablesOperating system softwareEach of
these components is discussed in the following sections.
Case and Power Supply
The case and power supply is usually sold as a unit. There are several
designs to choose from, most of which will take a standard Baby-AT or the
new ATX form factor mother-boards. The size of the case, power supply, and
even the motherboard are called the form factor. The most popular case form
factors are as follows:
* Full Tower
* Desktop
* Mid-Tower
* Low Profile (also called Slimline)
* Mini-Tower
Out of these choices, it is recommended that you avoid the Low Profile
systems. These cases require a special type of motherboard called a Low
Profile or LPX board. LPX motherboards have virtually everything built in,
even video, and do not have any normal adapter slots. Instead, all of the
expansion slots are mounted on a "tree" board called a riser card, which
plugs into a special slot on the motherboard. Adapter cards then plug
sideways into the riser card, making expansion somewhat limited and
difficult.
Most of the case designs other than the Low Profile (or Slimline) take a
standard sized motherboard called a Baby-AT type. This designation refers
to the form factor or shape of the motherboard, which is to say that it
mimics the original IBM AT but is slightly smaller. Actually, the Baby-AT
form factor is a kind of a cross between the IBM XT and AT motherboard
sizes.
Many of the newer cases accept the standard Baby-AT form factor
motherboards as well as the ATX-style boards, but an older case designed
for Baby-AT motherboards does not accept an ATX motherboard. The ATX form
factor will eventually replace the Baby-AT style for most newer
motherboards. So if you are interested in the most flexible type of case
and power supply that will support future upgrades, look for a unit that
conforms to the ATX and Baby-AT motherboard form factors.
Whether you choose a desktop or one of the tower cases is really a personal
preference. Most feel that the tower systems are easier to work on, and the
full-sized tower cases have lots of bays for different storage devices.
Tower cases have enough bays to hold floppy drives, multiple hard disks,
CD-ROM drives, tape drives, and anything else you might want to install.
Some of the desktop cases also can have as much room as the towers,
particularly the mini- or mid-tower models. In fact, a tower case can
really be considered a desktop case turned sideways or vice versa. Some
cases are convertible-- that is, they can be used in either a desktop or
tower orientation.
Motherboard
There are several compatible form factors used for motherboards. The form
factor refers to the physical dimensions and size of the board, and
dictates what type of case the board will fit into. The types of
motherboard form factors generally available are the following:
* Full-size AT
* ATX
* Baby-AT
* LPX
The full-size AT motherboard is so named because it matches the original
IBM AT motherboard design. This allows for a very large board of up to 12
inches wide by 13.8 inches deep. The keyboard connector and slot connectors
must conform to specific placement requirements to fit the holes in the
case. This type of board will fit into the tower or full-sized desktop
cases only. Because the cases that will fit these boards are more limited
in availability, and due to component miniaturization, the full-size AT
boards are no longer being produced by most motherboard manufacturers.
The Baby-AT form factor is essentially the same as the original IBM XT
motherboard, with modifications in screw hole positions to fit into an
AT-style case (see Figure 19.1). These motherboards also have specific
placement of the keyboard connector and slot connectors to match the holes
in the case.
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NOTE: Virtually all full size AT and Baby-AT motherboards use the
standard 5-pin DIN type connector for the keyboard. Baby-AT
motherboards will fit into every type of case except the Low
Profile or Slimline cases. Because of their flexibility, this is
now the most popular motherboard form factor. Figure 19.1 shows
the dimensions and layout of a Baby-AT motherboard.
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The newest form factor on the market today is the ATX form factor, which
was released by Intel in July 1995 (see Figure 19.2). This motherboard
design is featured on many new Pentium and Pentium Pro-based motherboards
and should continue to be featured over the next few years, and it is
destined to replace the Baby-AT form factor. ATX-shaped boards are the same
basic dimensions as Baby-AT; however, they are rotated 90 degrees from the
standard Baby-AT orientation. This places the slots parallel to the short
side of the board, allowing more space for other components without
interfering with expansion boards. Components that produce large amounts of
heat, such as the CPU and memory, are located next to the power supply,
which is redesigned to feature an internal fan blowing directly across the
board.
The ATX-style power supply also features a redesigned single keyed
(foolproof!) connector that cannot be plugged in backwards, and it also
supplies the motherboard with 3.3v for many of the newer CPUs and other
components.
Consider that if you don't purchase an ATX form factor motherboard this
time, the next time you probably will! Virtually all motherboard
manufacturers have committed to the new ATX design in the long run, as the
ATX motherboard designs will be cheaper, easier to access for user
serviceability, and more reliable.
Other form factors used in motherboards today are the LPX and Mini-LPX form
factors. These form factors require the use of a Low Profile case and are
normally not recommended when building your own system. This is due to the
number of different variations on case and riser card designs. These types
of form factors are popular with many of the PC systems sold through retail
outlets and appliance stores.
FIG. 19.1 Baby-AT motherboard form factor.
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TIP: There can be some differences between systems with LPX
motherboards, so it is possible to find interchangability
problems between different motherboards and cases. I usually do
not recommend LPX style systems if future upgradability is a
factor; it is not only difficult to locate a new motherboard that
will fit, but LPX systems are also limited in expansion slots and
drive bays as well. Generally, the Baby-AT configuration is the
most popular and the most flexible type of system to consider.
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Besides the form factor, there are several other features you should
consider in a motherboard. The primary considerations would be the
processor type and chipset. Motherboards you should consider would have a
socket for one of three different processor families:
* Pentium
* Pentium with MMX (MultiMedia eXtension)
* Pentium Pro
* Pentium II
FIG. 19.2 ATX motherboard form factor.
Pentium motherboards will normally have a Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) Socket
7 (321-pin), which is available in speeds from 120MHz to 233MHz. MMX is an
extension of the Pentium line that includes additional instructions to
handle and accelerate multimedia function calls, such as video and sound.
The Pentium II is to the Pentium Pro as the Pentium with MMX is to the
Pentium. The Pentium II processor is Intel's newest processor family and is
becoming a popular alternative among the highest end systems that run full
32-bit OSes, for example, Windows NT.
Depending on the exact processor version you install and the speed at which
it is to be run, there may be jumpers on the motherboard to set. There may
also be jumpers to control the voltage supplied to the processor; these
should be carefully checked or the board and processor will not operate
properly.
There are a few other items to consider when purchasing a motherboard.
Besides the processor, the main component on the board would be the
chipset. This is normally a set of one to five chips that contain the main
motherboard circuits. These chipsets replace the 100 or more discrete
components that were used in the original IBM AT systems, and allow a
motherboard designer to easily create a functional system. The chipset will
contain the local bus controller (usually PCI), the cache controller, main
memory controller, DMA and Interrupt controllers, and several other
circuits as well. The chipset used in a given motherboard will have a
profound effect on the performance of the board, and will dictate
performance parameters and limitations such as cache size and speed, main
memory size and speed, processor types and speeds, and more.
Because chipsets are constantly being introduced and improved over time, I
cannot possibly list all of them and their functions, but as an example, I
will discuss some of the popular ones for Pentium-based systems. There are
several very popular high performance chipsets designed for Pentium
motherboards on the market today. The best of these offer support for EDO
(Extended Data Out) RAM, pipeline burst cache SRAM (Static RAM), PCI local
bus, and Advanced Power Management (APM), as well as other functions, such
as IDE interfaces.
Here are several of the high-performance chipsets available for
Pentium-based motherboards:
* Intel Triton/Triton II. The 82430FX PCIset (called Triton) and HX
(called Triton II) are both four chipsets. The Triton chipset consists
of the 82437FX Triton System Controller (TSC), two 82438FX Triton Data
Paths (TDP), and the 82371FB PCI ISA IDE Xcelerator (PIIX). The TSC
integrates the cache and main memory control functions and provides
bus control for transfers between the CPU, cache, main memory, and the
PCI Bus. The L2 cache controller in the TSC supports write-back cache
for cache sizes of 256 and 512K, as well as lower cost cacheless
designs. Cache memory can be implemented with either standard, burst,
or pipeline burst SRAMs. The TSC and TDPs together support up to 128M
of EDO or standard main memory. The PIIX acts as a PCI to ISA bridge,
and includes the DMA controllers, interrupt controllers,
timer/counter, power management support, and an Enhanced IDE interface
with up to two IDE connectors for four IDE devices.
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NOTE: The original (FX suffix) version Triton chipset
unfortunately does not support parity-checked RAM. This means
that any motherboard built with this chipset will not be able to
detect memory errors during system operation. Even if you
purchase parity SIMMs, the parity will not be used. Many system
integrators will not use non-parity RAM in mission-critical
systems, such as file servers. Because of market pressures
demanding such support, Intel has released a second-generation
(HX suffix) Triton II chipset that includes both parity and ECC
(Error Correcting Code) memory support.
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* Opti Viper. The 82C550 Viper-DP from Opti supports not only the
Pentium, but the AMD K5 and Cyrix M1 processors as well, in both
single and dual processor configurations. The Viper-DP chipset
consists of three chips: the 82C556 Data Buffer Controller (DBC), the
82C557 System Controller (SC), and the 82C558 Integrated Peripherals
Controller (IPC). The SC is the main chip and contains the main memory
controller, L2 cache controller, and the PCI and VL-Bus interfaces.
The IPC contains the ISA bus controller, DMA and Interrupt
controllers, and PCI to ISA bridge. The DBC buffers the CPU and main
memory and contains the parity generation and checking circuits. Viper
supports up to 512M of EDO or standard main memory with or without
parity checking, and up to 2M of L2 write-back cache using either
asynchronous, burst, or pipeline burst SRAMs.
* ALI Aladdin. The Aladdin M1510 chipset from Acer Laboratories Inc.
also supports the Pentium, AMD K5, and Cyrix M1 series processors in
both single and dual processor configurations. Aladdin M1510 is a
four-chip set. It includes the M1511 Memory/Cache Controller that
supports EDO RAM as well as standard RAM up to 768M with or without
parity checking.
* This chip also supports up to 1M of L2 write-back cache, including
support for standard burst and pipeline burst SRAMs. The M1513 System
I/O Controller contains the PCI bus interface, DMA and Interrupt
controllers, timer circuits, and PCI Enhanced IDE interface, as well
as an integrated keyboard controller. Finally, two M1512 data buffers
are used to serve as an intermediate between the CPU and main memory.
The choices for Pentium II motherboard chipsets are a little more
restricted. As of this printing, only a couple of chipsets are available,
including the Intel Orion and Natoma chipsets. Intel's original Pentium Pro
(Pentium II without MMX support) chipset was code-named Orion and is
technically known as the 82450GX or KX. This chipset is generally made up
of seven individual chips and supports up to four Pentium Pro processors
and two separate PCI buses in the GX server version. A desktop version of
Orion, the 82450KX, supports two processors and a single PCI bus.
More recently, Intel released a less expensive and more efficient Natoma
chipset for Pentium Pro machines. Natoma is technically called the 82440FX
chipset and consists of only three chips rather than seven as with Orion.
Natoma supports only two Pentium Pro processors and a single PCI bus,
making it less suited to servers than the GX version of the Orion chipset.
However, the greater internal efficiency of Natoma makes it a better
performer overall than Orion.
No matter what Pentium class chipset you look for, I would recommend
looking for the following supported features:
* EDO RAM (main memory)
* Pipeline Burst (also called Synchronous) SRAM cache
* Parity generation and checking
* ECC memory support
* APM (Advanced Power Management) energy saving functions
* MMX support (if you plan to do any multimedia)
* PCI Local Bus
Most of the better Pentium chipsets on the market today should have these
features. If you are buying a motherboard, I highly recommend you contact
the chipset manufacturer and obtain the documentation (usually called the
Data Book) for your particular chipset. This will explain how the memory
and cache controllers, as well as many other devices in your system,
operate. This documentation will also describe the Advanced Chipset Setup
functions in your system's Setup program. With this information, you may be
able to fine-tune the motherboard configuration by altering the chipset
features. Because chipsets are discontinued and new ones are introduced all
the time, don't wait too long to get the chipset documentation, as most
manufacturers only make it available for chips currently in production.
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NOTE: One interesting tidbit about the chipset is that in the
volume that the motherboard manufacturers purchase them, the
chipsets usually cost about $40 each. If you have an older
motherboard and need repair, you normally cannot purchase the
chipset because they are normally not stocked by the manufacturer
after they are discontinued. The low-cost chipset is one of the
reasons mother-boards have become disposable items and are
rarely, if ever, repaired.
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Another feature on your motherboard will be the BIOS (Basic Input/Output
System). This is also called the ROM BIOS because the code is stored in a
Read Only Memory (ROM) chip. There are several things to look for here. One
is that the BIOS be supplied by one of the major BIOS manufacturers such as
AMI (American Megatrends International), Phoenix, Award, or Microid
Research. Also, make sure that the BIOS is contained in a special type of
reprogrammable chip called a Flash ROM or EEPROM (Electrically Erasable
Programmable Read Only Memory). This will allow you to download BIOS
updates from the manufacturer and, using a program they supply, easily
update the code in your BIOS. If you do not have the Flash ROM or EEPROM
type, you will have to physically replace the chip if an update is
required.
Make sure that the motherboard and BIOS support the new Plug and Play (PnP)
specification. This will make installing new cards, especially PnP cards,
much easier. PnP automates the installation and uses special software that
is both built in to the BIOS as well as the operating system (such as
Windows 95) to automatically configure adapter cards and resolve adapter
resource conflicts.
Processor
In most cases, your motherboard comes with the processor already installed.
Most of the name-brand motherboard manufacturers like to install the
processor and warranty the board and processor as a unit. This is not
always the case, and it is definitely possible to purchase the motherboard
and processor separately.
The processor normally is installed in a special ZIF socket on the
motherboard. Make sure the jumpers on the board are set to match the
correct processor type, speed, and voltage.
Memory
Your system will require memory for the Level 2 (secondary) cache as well
as the main memory. The cache memory will be in the form of individual SRAM
chips, or possibly in what is called COAST (Cache On A Stick) or CELP (Card
Edge Low Profile). COAST and CELP are different names for the same thing.
This is a new standard for cache SIMMs. COAST/CELP SIMMs have a different
number of pins and pinout from standard main memory SIMMs, and are not
interchangeable with them.
Most Pentium motherboards support at least 256-512K of cache memory. The
chips themselves are available in three basic cache types: standard
asynchronous, burst, and pipeline burst. The latter offers the highest
performance; choose it if your motherboard supports it. Most of the newer
Pentium boards support the pipeline burst cache chips; most of the 486
boards didn't. This is because these faster cache chips are not really
needed at the slower 33 to 40MHz memory bus speeds on the 486 compared to
the 60 and 66MHz memory bus speeds in a Pentium system.
Main memory will normally be installed in the form of SIMMs (Single Inline
Memory Modules) or in some cases the newer DIMMs (Dual Inline Memory
Modules). There are three different physical types of main memory modules
used in PC systems today, with several variations of each. The three main
types are as follows:
* 30-pin SIMMs
* 72-pin SIMMs
* 168-pin DIMMs
The 72-pin SIMMs are by far the most common type of memory module used
today; however, just a few years ago most systems came with 30-pin modules.
Many of the high-end systems use the DIMMs, because they are 64-bits wide
and can be used as a single bank on a Pentium or Pentium Pro system.
Depending on the type of processor, a different number of SIMMs must be
installed to make a complete memory bank, and the 72-pin SIMMs are four
times as dense as the 30-pin types.
For example, in a 486-based system, you would need four 30-pin SIMMs to
make a single bank of memory, while only one 72-pin SIMM would be required
for a single bank. This is because the 72-pin SIMMs hold data 32 bits wide,
while the 30-pin SIMMs only hold data 8 bits wide. A 64-bit Pentium system,
then, would require two 72-pin SIMMs or a single 168-pin DIMM to make a
single bank.
Memory modules can include an extra bit for each eight to be used for
parity checking. These are called parity SIMMs or parity DIMMs and are
required by most older boards. Many newer motherboards do not employ parity
checking, which means that you will not be able to use the slightly more
expensive parity SIMMs. You can install them, but the extra parity bits
will not function. I do not necessarily agree with this philosophy, but
nevertheless, many newer motherboards (such as those based on the Intel
Triton chipset) simply cannot use parity checking at all! Most other
chipsets, including the newer Triton II, do support memory parity checking.
Another thing to watch out for is the type of metal on the memory module
contacts. They are available with either tin- or gold-plated contacts.
While it may seem that gold-plated contacts are better (they are), you
should not use them in all systems. You should instead always match the
type of plating on the module contacts to what is also used on the socket
contacts. In other words, if the motherboard SIMM or DIMM sockets have
tin-plated contacts, then you must use SIMMs or DIMMs with tin-plated
contacts also.
If you mix dissimilar metals (tin with gold), there will be a rapidly
accelerated corrosion occurring on the tin side, and also tiny electrical
currents will be generated. The combination of the corrosion and tiny
currents causes havoc, and all types of memory problems and errors occur.
In some systems, I have observed that everything will seem fine for about a
year, during which the corrosion develops. After that, random memory errors
result. Removing and cleaning the memory module and socket contacts
postpones the problem for another year, upon which the problems return
again. How would you like this problem if you had 100 or more systems to
support? Of course you can avoid these problems if you insist on using
SIMMs with contacts whose metal matches the metal found in the sockets in
which they will be installed.
Finally, some systems now use a special type of memory called EDO (Extended
Data Out). These memory chips are slightly redesigned and do not cost much
more than standard non-EDO memory, but they can operate at increased
efficiency in a motherboard designed for them. The actual speed increase
varies but is usually not more than a couple of percentage points.
Motherboards that use EDO memory also can use standard non-EDO memory, but
they will not enjoy the increased performance. You also can install EDO
memory in older systems that do not support it because EDO is
backward-compatible with standard (called fast page mode) memory. Of
course, installing the more expensive EDO modules in an older system will
not improve performance.
I/O Ports
Most motherboards today have built-in I/O ports. If these ports are not
built-in, then they will have to be supplied via a plug-in expansion board
that unfortunately wastes a slot. The following ports should be included in
any new system you assemble:
* Mouse port (so-called PS/2 type)
* Two local bus Enhanced IDE ports (primary and secondary)
* Floppy controller (2.88M capable)
* Two serial ports (16550A buffered type)
* Parallel port (EPP/ECP type)
The standard procedure is to include these ports directly on the
motherboard. This is possible because there are several chip companies that
have implemented all of these features except the mouse port (which uses
the keyboard controller) on a single Super I/O chip! These chips often cost
less than $5 in quantities of 1,000 or more, so adding these items directly
to the motherboard saves a more expensive board taking up an expansion
slot.
If these devices are not present on the motherboard, then various Super or
Multi-I/O boards are available that implement all of these ports. Again,
most of the newer versions of these boards use a single chip implementation
because it is cheaper and more reliable.
Floppy Disk Drive
Obviously, your system needs some type of floppy drive to load software.
Usually, this is a 1.44M 3 1/2-inch drive, but I normally recommend a 2.88M
drive these days. The 2.88M drives are superior to the 1.44M drives, and
they are fully backward-compatible. Most current controllers and ROM BIOS
fully support the 2.88M drives.
If you are interested in a 5 1/4-inch drive, most of the floppy drive
manufacturers make combo drives that include both a 3 1/2-inch 1.44M and 5
1/4-inch 1.2M drive in a single unit, which installs in a half-height 5
1/4-inch bay. At least one company (Teac) offers a combo drive that
combines a 1.44M floppy and a quad-speed CD-ROM drive in a single unit as
well. One drawback of these combo units is that if one of the components
fails, the entire combo drive has to be replaced. Also, no one seems to
make these with the more desirable 2.88M floppy drives.
Hard Disk Drive
Your system also needs a hard disk. In most cases, a drive with a minimum
capacity of 1.6G is recommended, although in some cases you can get away
with less for a low-end configuration; you will be hard pressed to find one
smaller. High-end systems should have drives of 2-4G or higher. The most
popular interface is IDE, although SCSI is preferred for multitasking OSes.
IDE generally offers greater performance for single installations, but SCSI
is better for two or more drives or with multitasking operating systems
like Windows 95 and NT. This is due to the greater intelligence in the SCSI
interface, which relieves some of the I/O processing from the CPU in the
system.
There are several brands of drives to choose from, but most of them offer
similar performance within their price and capacity categories.
CD-ROM Drive
A CD-ROM drive should be considered a mandatory item in any PC you
construct these days. This is because most software--particularly
multimedia programs--is now being distributed on CD-ROM. Systems can now
boot from CD-ROM drives (Windows NT 4.0, for example). There are several
types of CD-ROM drives to consider these days, but mostly I recommend a
minimum of a quad-speed drive interfaced via an IDE connection. This
results in the best possible performance with the minimum amount of hassle.
If you already have a SCSI adapter, go with a SCSI CD-ROM as well; you'll
improve your multitasking performance and save money on an unneeded IDE
controller.
Keyboard and Pointing Device (Mouse)
Obviously, your system needs a keyboard and some type of pointing device,
such as a mouse. Different people prefer different types of keyboards, and
the "feel" of one type can vary considerably from other types. I suggest
that you try a variety of keyboards until you find what suits you best. I
prefer a stiff action with tactile feedback myself, but others prefer a
lighter, quieter touch.
Because there are two types of keyboard connectors found in systems today,
make sure that the keyboard you purchase matches the connector on your
motherboard. Most Baby-AT boards use the larger 5-pin DIN connector, and
most ATX boards use the 6-pin, mini-DIN connector; however, the trend now
seems to be changing to the mini-DIN connector for all boards. On some
motherboards, you have an option of choosing either connector when you
purchase the board. If you end up with a keyboard and mother-board that do
not match, there are several companies that sell adapters to mate either
type of keyboard to either type of motherboard connector.
The same concept applies to mice or other pointing devices; there are a
number of different choices that suit different individuals. Try several
before deciding on the type you want. If your motherboard includes a
built-in mouse port, make sure that you get a mouse that is designed for
that interface. This mouse is often called a PS/2 type mouse because the
IBM PS/2 systems introduced this type of mouse port. Many systems use a
serial mouse connected to a serial port, but having a
motherboard-integrated mouse port would be better because you would have
both serial ports free for other devices.
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TIP: You might be tempted to skimp here to save a few dollars.
Don't. You do all of your interacting with your new PC through
these devices, and cheap ones make their presence known every
time you use your system.
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Video Card and Display
You need a PCI video adapter as well as a monitor or display to complete
your system. There are numerous choices in this area, but the biggest piece
of advice I have is to choose a good monitor. The display is your main view
to the system and can be the cause of many hours of either pain or
pleasure, depending on what monitor you choose.
I usually recommend a minimum of a 17-inch display these days. Anything
smaller cannot acceptably display 1,024x768 pixel resolution. If you opt
for a 15-inch or smaller display, you might find that the maximum tolerable
resolution would be 800x600. This may be confusing, because most 15-inch
monitors claim to be able to display 1,024x768 resolution or even higher,
but the characters and features are so small on-screen at that resolution
that excessive eyestrain and headaches will result. If you spend a lot of
time in front of your system and want to display the higher resolution, a
17-inch display should be considered mandatory.
Your video card and monitor should be compatible in terms of refresh rate,
and a minimum refresh rate for a solid, nonflickering display is 70-72Hz;
the higher the better. If your new video card can display 16 million colors
at a resolution of 1,024x768 and a refresh rate of 76Hz, your monitor's
maximum refresh rate at 1,024x768 is 56Hz, and you can't use the video card
to its maximum potential.
Sound Card and Speakers
You need a sound card and a set of external speakers for any system that is
to be multimedia capable. The sound card should be compatible with the
Creative Labs Sound Blaster cards, which have set the standards in this
area. Getting a sound card with an upgradable memory (the same SIMMs you
use for your main memory) enables you to download additional sound
samples--speaker size and quality are up to you.
Accessories
Often you need various accessories to complete your system. These are the
small parts that can make or break the assembly process.
Heat Sinks/Cooling Fans
Most of today's faster processors produce a lot of heat, and this heat has
to be dissipated or your system will operate intermittently or even fail
completely. Heat sinks are available in two main types: passive and active.
Passive heat sinks are simply finned chunks of metal (usually aluminum)
that are clipped or glued to the top of the processor. They act as a
radiator, and in effect give the processor more surface area to dissipate
the heat. I normally recommend this passive design type of heat sink
because there are no mechanical parts to fail. In some cases, you should
use a thermal transfer grease or sticky tape to fill any air gaps between
the heat sink and the processor. This allows for maximum heat transfer and
the best efficiency.
An active heat sink includes a fan. These can offer greater cooling
capacity than the passive types, but require power and are not known for
reliability. They often use a cheap fan mechanism that fails after a year
or so, thus allowing the processor to overheat and the system to fail. If
you do use an active heat sink with a fan, stay away from cheaper units
that may be more failure prone.
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NOTE: Notice that the newer ATX form factor motherboards are
designed to eliminate the troublesome and unreliable active heat
sink (CPU fan). These systems feature a power supply with reverse
flow cooling that blows air directly over the CPU, which is
relocated in these systems to take advantage of this. Due to a
superior design, the ATX motherboard form factor eliminates the
need for any sort of cooling fan mounted directly to the CPU.
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Cables
Any PC system needs a number of different cables to hook everything up.
These can include power cables or adapters, disk drive cables, CD-ROM
cables, and many others. Most of the time, the devices you purchase come
with included cables, but in some cases they aren't supplied. The vendor
list in Appendix A of this book has several cable and small parts suppliers
listed that can get you the cables or other parts you need to complete your
system.
Another advantage of the ATX motherboard form factor is that these boards
feature externally accessible I/O connectors directly mounted to the rear
of the board. This eliminates the "rat's nest" of cables found in the
common Baby-AT form factor systems. This feature also makes the ATX system
a little cheaper and more reliable as well.
Hardware
You need screws, standoffs, and other miscellaneous hardware to assemble
your system. Most of this comes with the case, but in some situations you
may need more. Again, you can consult the vendor list in Appendix A for
suppliers of small parts and hardware needed to get your system
operational.

Operating System Software. You need OS software such as DOS, Linux, or

Windows to run your PC. Most software houses carry a selection of
appropriate operating system software and any applications you need.

System Assembly

Actually assembling the system is easy after you have lined up all of the
components! In fact, you may find the procurement phase the most lengthy
and trying of the entire experience. Completing the system is simply a
matter of screwing everything together, plugging in all of the cable and
connectors, and configuring everything to operate properly together.

More explicit instructions for installing any of the system components can
be found in the section of this book that covers that particular component.
For example, to find out about configuring and installing the floppy drive,
consult Chapter 13, "Floppy Disk Drives."

In short order, you will find out whether your system operates as you had
planned, or whether there are some incompatibilities between some of the
components. Be careful and pay attention to how you install all of your
components. It is rare that a newly assembled system operates perfectly the
first time, even for those who are somewhat experienced. It is easy to
forget a jumper, switch, cable connection, and so on, which would cause
problems in system operation. The first reaction if there are problems is
to blame the problem on defective hardware, but that is usually not the
case. Usually the problem can be traced to some missed step or error made
in the assembly process.

Sources and Suppliers

One of the most valuable (to me anyway) parts of this book is the vendor
list in Appendix A. Here you will find a number of vendors of different PC
components, including addresses, phone numbers, and other information as it
is available. These vendors are in this list usually because I recommend
their products, or because they are an important company whose products are
very popular. There are companies in the vendor list covering all of the
components needed to build your system. In some cases, the manufacturers of
the components listed will not sell direct to end users, and you may find
yourself purchasing through a distributor instead. That is okay; I normally
include the actual manufacturers in my list because they can best recommend
a distributor for their own products, and of course they should support
their own products as well.

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