| Building your computer from individual parts starts by | | | | of the CPU, trying to make an even coat, and put the |
| getting a motherboard, CPU, RAM and hard drives. | | | | heatsink on. There will usually be a spring tension |
| The motherboard is the part of the computer that | | | | locking lever to hold it in; use it. The single largest cause |
| everything else connects to; the CPU is what actually | | | | of dead CPUs and motherboards is forcing the former |
| makes your computer a computer, the RAM is where | | | | into the motherboard and bending a pin, and trying to |
| your computer does all its work, and the hard drives | | | | run it without the heat sink on it. |
| are where your data is stored. You'll also need a video | | | | Once the CPU is put in, put the RAM into the slots, and |
| card, and will want a network card (or wireless | | | | plug in the hard drives. Make sure, when you buy the |
| networking card), and may need a sound card if your | | | | hard drives, that the use the same connectors that |
| motherboard doesn't have onboard sound. You'll also | | | | come with the motherboard (which is why we start |
| need a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and you'll want | | | | from the motherboard and work our way out). SATA |
| a case to put it in and some fans. Let's assume you | | | | hard drives are faster, larger and easier to find than |
| have all the parts, and were smart enough to do a | | | | the older IDE ones. SATA versus IDE is a good |
| bundle buy at a place like NewEgg.com, where | | | | reason to choose one hard drive over the other. Most |
| someone else selected the CPU, RAM and | | | | hard drive bays have screw mounts so you can |
| motherboard so they'd all work together. (For | | | | mount the hard drives in there. If your hard drives |
| computers that are "last generation" stuff, this is often | | | | come with fans, make sure the fans are connected |
| a great way to get a really cheap computer for a tiny | | | | too. Hard drives can get pretty hot, and it's not good |
| amount of money.) | | | | for them. |
| OK, you're going to need a screwdriver, a well lit place, | | | | Now, put in the video card, hook up the monitor, and |
| and a magnifying glass doesn't hurt. Following the | | | | turn on the machine - you should get a "POST" test, |
| instructions for your case and motherboard, mount the | | | | identifying the CPU and how much RAM you have, |
| motherboard into the case. Plug in the leads from the | | | | and with luck, it'll tell you it's found the hard drives. If it |
| power supply into the motherboard, and hook all the | | | | hasn't, you probably need to look at the motherboard's |
| connectors up to the front plate and backplate. Power | | | | manual again and play with some jumper switches. |
| it up - there will be LEDs that should light up; if they | | | | Finally, plug in all the other components where they're |
| don't, you may need to talk to whoever sold you the | | | | supposed to go, including that CD-ROM Drive. You'll |
| motherboard. | | | | need the CD-ROM drive to install Windows or Ubuntu |
| Now, power it down again. Put your CPU into the CPU | | | | Linux. Leave the case open while you're installing the |
| socket; this can be tricky - but don't force it. Eventually, | | | | operating system, just in case something needs to be |
| everything will line up and it'll pop in. Now, practice | | | | adjusted. |
| putting the heatsink/fan on the motherboard, then take | | | | You're well on your way to building your own |
| it off, smear some of the thermal paste onto the top | | | | computer. |