Guide to Building Your Own Personal Computer

May 2005

Brian Wells, MPH

Overview

• Types of PCs and basic components

• How and where to get the right components

• Sample systems

• Putting it all together

About Me

• Have built many single and dual processor personal PCs

• Have built sever-class systems

• Have done some custom mod work

• Extensive experience with Windows-server based network administration

Types of PCs

• Intel-based (Pentium 4, Pentium 4 EE, Xeon)

• AMD-based (Athlon XP, Athlon MP, Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX, Opteron)

• Single Processor

• Dual Processor

What Makes A PC?

• Basic Parts to a PC– Case - CD/DVD Drive– Motherboard - Power Supply– Processor - Floppy drive– RAM– Video card– Sound card– Hard Drive

Where To Go For Components

• Newegg, Newegg, Newegg!!!

• Other good stores – Mwave, Xoxide, FrozenCPU, CrazyPC, etc.

• Pricewatch.com

• If you’re unsure, check ResellerRatings.com

• Did I mention Newegg.com?

Choosing Your Components

• Decide if you want AMD or Intel• Decide what you’re going to use the PC for

– Gaming, web browsing, writing papers, Tivo? Go with a single processor

– Heavy multitasking, graphic design, video encoding? Look into a dual processor

• Decide how much you’re willing to spend• Go shopping!

Sample Configuration

• Budget Box ($530)– Intel Celeron 2.53GHz – 512MB PC3200– 8X DVD+/-RW– 80GB Hard drive– Onboard Sound, Video, and LAN– Windows XP Home SP1a

Sample Configuration

• Midrange Box ($1100)– Athlon 64 3000+– Albatron K8X800 Pro II– 1GB PC3200 – 200GB Hard drive– Radeon 9800 Pro– 8x Dual Layer DVD+/-RW– Windows XP Home SP1a

Sample Configuration

• High-End Box ($2300)– Pentium 4 3.4GHz– Radeon X800 Pro– 1GB DDR2 PC4200– Abit AA-DuraMAX i925X– CL Audigy 2 ZS– 8X Dual Layer DVD+/RW– WD 74GB Raptor– WD 250GB SATA– Antec P160 w/ 550W PS– Windows XP Professional SP1a

Putting It All Together

• Confirm you have all the pieces

Component Installation

• Install the motherboard and power supply into the case

• Install the processor and RAM• Hook up the case connections to the

motherboard• Install all hard drives and CD/DVD drives• Hook up power connections, PATA, and

SATA cables• Try to boot up

Final Steps

• Configure the BIOS settings

• Install your OS

• Enjoy!

• You can add lights, water cooling, etc. – Use your imagination!

In a Nutshell

• Decide what you want to do with your PC

• Decide how much you want to spend

• Shop around to get the best deal

Additional Resources

• HardOCP.com• MaximumPC Forums• AMDMB.com• Tom’s Hardware• Bit-Tech.net• Your equipment manufacturer• Microsoft Knowledgebase

Thank You!

Any Questions?

This presentation is available for download at:

http://www.destination-web.com/howto/buildpc.pdf