Tips on How to Build Your Own Computer, from 'scratch'.

Have you thought about building a computer? 

As in: Actually buying a motherboard and a case ­along with all the supporting components and assembling the whole thing yourself?

Three reasons why you might want to consider taking the plunge:

1. You'll be able to create a custom machine that exactly matches your needs.
2. It will be much easier to upgrade your machine in the future because you'll understand it completely.   
3. You may be able to save some serious money!

If you've never done it before, you'll definitely learn a lot about computer hardware, server supplies, & Networking Hardware!

In this article, we'll take you through the process of building a computer, from 'scratch'. You'll learn how to choose the parts you'll use, how to buy them and how to put them all together.
When you're done, you'll have exactly the machine that you need.

The process of building a computer:

The first step in building a computer is deciding what type of machine you want to build. Do you want a really inexpensive computer for the kids to use? A small, quiet machine to use as a media computer in the living room? A high-end gaming computer? Or maybe you need a powerful machine with a lot of disk space for video editing. The possibilities are endless, and the type of machine you want to build will control many of the decisions you make down the line. Therefore, it's important to know exactly what you want the machine to accomplish from the start.­

Let's imagine .... that you want to build a powerful video-editing computer. You want it to have a quad-core CPU, lots of RAM and at least 2 terabytes of disk space. You also want to have FireWire and USB 3.0 ports on the motherboard. Look for a motherboard that supports: USB 3.0 ports Quad-core CPUs (either Intel or AMD) At least 8GB of high-speed RAM Four (or more) SATA hard drives FireWire connections possibly in both the front and back of the case

Installing Internal Hard Drives

Then it all needs to go in a case with enough space to hold multiple hard disks and enough air -flow to keep everything cool. With any computer you build, knowing the type of machine you want to create can really help with decision-making. Installing the internal hard drive -- or drives -- and the optical drive. 

The case has a removable bracket with four rubber grommets on it, which line up with four holes on the hard drive. It also should have come with four screws made just to punch through those grommets. Screw the hard drive into the bracket, then put the bracket back into its slot in the case. Then connect the hard disk to the power using one of the connectors coming off of the power supply. If it fits, then it's a match.

Now install the cables. One side of the cable has a red stripe on it, which makes it "pin 1." Look on the motherboard and hook the cable into the IDE connector marked "1." Insert the other end of the cable on the back of the drive. Now the drive is ready to go.

Install the optical drive next. Again, set the jumpers correctly. The drive fits in the front of the case, and you may have to pop out a faceplate to make room for it. Slide it in and screw it into place, making sure that it's aligned with the front of the case. Just as with the hard drive, you can use any available connector from the computer power supply. <<< See This post more info.

You'll also use the cable that came with the optical drive to connect it to the motherboard (align the red stripe for "pin 1") and plug the other end into the drive. Connect the audio for the optical drive. Again, there's an obvious place for it to plug in on the motherboard and on the drive itself.

If you're using a video card, now you'll install it as well. The motherboard only has one video-card slot, so you should be able to find it easily (you can also use the manual). Line up the card with the slot and push it into place. If the video card has its own power connector, connect it to the power supply. If the case has extra fans, make sure they have power too.

Now Computer Memory is Needed!

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What is Computer Memory?)