Build Your Computer In 8 Easy To Follow Steps

Why not build your computer? Some people think it’s scary to do because it is too complicated. But it’s not, if you look at inside the casing there are only few wiring is in there and you can connect them easily. You don’t need a degree course to do this if you know how to read and understand you’re on your way to build your computer. I made a simple step by step procedure that makes it easier for you to follow.

Advantages of building your own computer

1. You can choose your own preference of parts that suits your needs

2. Easier for you to upgrade

3. You can fix any problems fast. You don’t need to call a technician.

4. Economical

5. Fun and Enjoyable and soon addictive

Disadvantage of Building your own computer

1. It takes a little time to learn

Make sure your hands are dry

Make sure your both hands are dry and free from moist because, water is a form of conductor that can caused short circuit that can damage your computer components.

Unplug the power chords

Make sure that the power chord is unplugged before touching anything inside your computer. To prevent electric shock and to avoid further damaged to your computer parts.

Discharge electric static in your body

Touch the metal frame of your computer case with your both hands to discharge any electric static charge in your body before touching any parts of your computer. Presence of electric static charge in your body can damage your computer components. If you have an anti static wrist band use it. Put it in your wrist and attached it into the metal part of your computer case.

Be careful not to hurt your hands

Your computer casing has many sharp edges that can hurt your hands and fingers. Not only that, the back of your motherboards and add in cards has many small pointed parts. You better be careful on holding this.

Tools to be needed

1.       Phillips head screwdriver

2.       Long nose pliers

That’s it you need only two but most of the time you’re using the Phillips head screwdriver 

List of your computer hardware parts

1.       Motherboard

2.       Processor

3.       Memory

4.       Computer case

5.       Power Supply

6.       Hard Disk Drive

7.       CD/DVD ROM Drive

8.       Video card

9.       Monitor

10.   Keyboard

11.   Mouse

Most mother boards comes with a built-in Sound, Network (LAN), and Video but I suggest you buy a separate Video card because it drastically affects your graphics performance.

Work Area

You need a comfortable work area with a proper ventilation to prevent you from dropping your sweat in any part of your computer components and also a proper lightning to perfectly visualize every detailed part of the computer components.

The square shaped with braces is the processor socket on the motherboard. Push down outward up to 90 degrees the lever arm to unlock the processor socket. Look for the indicator on the socket and the processor to install it properly. If you have experiencing a hard time placing the processor on the socket STOP IT and don’t push it too hard you maybe putting it in the wrong way. Read the manual of the motherboard and look for the installation guide to make it sure. It will naturally fit effortless into the socket if you’re doing it the right way. So be patient and look again for the right indicator. Make sure that the processor is in the proper place by holding it with your one finger, and then lock the lever arm by pushing it downward to the clip.     

NOTE: The processor is very fragile so please handle it with care and do not drop it.

For AMD processors, socket AM2, AM2+ and AM3 can be fitted into the same socket therefore, it is easier for you to upgrade the processor without changing the board and memory.

For Intel processors, socket LGA 775, socket LGA 1156 and socket LGA 1356 cannot be fitted into one another so, be sure that your processor fits into your motherboard.  Therefore, upgrading your processor means you have to change your board and memory too in some cases.   

Apply a thermal paste on the processor and also on the heat sink. Thermal paste is used to properly transfer the heat from the processor to the heat sink to prevent overheating. Most heat sink comes with cooler thermal in it.  The fan is directly mounted on the heat sink that provides further cooling to the processor.

For AMD processors, Place the heat sink on the retention frame on the motherboard. The heat sink has a bracket with a lever on the other side mounted in it. Hook the fist side of bracket on the motherboard retention frame and hook the other side inward to lock the heat sink.

For intel processor, Place your heat sink above the processor and look for the holes that exactly shoots the four posts into the holes. Then push down and twist the four posts into the holes to lock it.

Then connect the 3 – 4 pin socket connector of the fan supply on the motherboard that has a label of CPU1 Fan.

Unscrew and remove the access panel of your computer case. Most casing has a power supply included. If your casing doesn’t have a power supply you can easily mount it on the upper back of your casing it took only 4 screw to do this.

Remove any knock outs plate where you can install your Add in cards at the back case and also the back panel for your motherboard. Remove also the knock outs where you can install your DVD drive. You can use pliers to do this. Mount the I/O shield at the back panel of the casing. The I/O (input/output) shield is a rectangular shaped with holes that exactly fitted to your motherboard sound, LAN, USB, mouse, keyboard and other ports available from your motherboard back panel.  

Place your motherboard on the case and locate the mounting holes where your motherboard can be screwed. Other boards uses a stand offs. You will be needed 6 – 8 screw that was included in the casing to fix this.

After you’ve done this believe me the next part are very easy.

On your motherboard you can see the 20 pin or 24 pin ATX power supply connector. If your motherboard supports 24 pin you can easily add the extra 4 pin connector of your power supply. Look for the locking tab of the connector for proper connection. You can notice that it can only be connected in one way you can never go wrong with this one.

You still have another 4 pin connector which is the 12v supply comes with 2 yellow wires and 2 black wires. It is connected separately with the 24 pin. You can easily find it on the board and can be easily connected just follow the indicator.

The front panel connectors consist of power switch, reset switch, HDD LED and Internal speaker. The good thing here is that all connecting wires have label including the motherboard panel that makes it easier for you to identify the correct connections. It uses abbreviations such as SPKR for speaker, PWR for power switch, RST for reset switch.  Other connectors are USB, mic and audio that uses socket to make it easier for you to connect.    

Installing the memory module is very easy just look for the notch bellow the memory module between the pins if that is perfectly inline with the slot breaks of the memory slot. After securing the correct position, press down both ends of the module until the tab locks on either side. You can also press both the tab lock inward for further securing the lock.    

Note: DDR1, DDR2 and DDR3 memory module are not compatible and it doesn’t fit to each other. For example, if your motherboard supports DDR2 therefore, you can only use DDR2 memory and never DDR1 or DDR3.  

Install the Hard Disk Drive on the 3.5 inch drive bay of the casing. Find the two holes on both side for the screw and screw them. Get your 2 SATA cable, the smaller one is for the interface and the bigger is for the supply. Look for the indicator; in this case you can see the L type on the left side for the interface and on the right side for the supply. Then connect the other side of the SATA interface cable on the motherboard most probably in SATA1 header. The SATA supply cable has a 4 pin inline rectangular adaptor on the other end that you can connect to the 4 pin Molex connector of the power supply. Again look for the indicator it has a 2 slash on the top both side of the connector.

Next is the DVD ROM drive, Install it into the 5.25 inch drive bay of your casing and look for the two holes on both side (usually it has 4 holes on both sides) where you can screw it and make it sure that the DVD drive was properly label with the front panel of your casing. Then connect the two SATA cables same as you did in your hard drive but this time you connect it to SATA2 of your motherboard.

If your drives are using a 40 pin IDE interface cable, it has a slot notch in the middle of the cable connector that indicates the proper connections. On the hard drive part the pin1 indicator (which is the heavy line on the cable) is beside the 4 pin Molex connector of the power supply. If you’re using only one IDE cable your hard Drive is master by default and the DVD drive is your slave

Insert your PCI-E video card in the PCI-E slot in vertical position. If you’re using an AGP video card, insert it into the AGP slot. When the video card is properly seated into the slot put the screw into the card frame to secure the video card on the casing. Expansion slots are easier to identify because you can see it obviously the physical size of the cards and the slots if it fits, whether it is a PCI, PCI-E16x, PCI-E1x or an AGP slot.

If your motherboard has already an integrated (built-in) video in it, you don’t need to install another video card on the expansion slot, unless you have to upgrade it for faster graphics performance. Just make it sure that you disabled the integrated video in the CMOS settings to avoid conflicts.

Connect the ps/2 mouse and keyboard into its respective ports. Ps/2 ports are small circular shape having a 6 pin with a near center indicator on it. Violet color is for the keyboard and green is for mouse. If your mouse and keyboard uses a USB port then connect it into the USB port.

Connect your monitor into a 15 pin SVGA video port connector of the video card. If it uses a DVi port then connect it there.

Connect the monitor power cord (male connector) into the back of the power supply. And lastly, the power cord (female connector).

You can never be wrong with all of these because when you do it in the wrong way it doesn’t fit the port. Just avoid using of excessive force to prevent damage in any of the pins.

Now, the moment of truth! Make sure that you double check first all your connections. Plug the power cord into the outlet and press the power switch button. You can hear a single beep and the monitor will display. Congratulations! I know how it feels to successfully build your own machine. It’s very rewarding and soon very addictive and some day you’re aiming for a more powerful machine.