Vista Repair Category

Rules on How to Build Your Own Computer

Having personally built 1000's of computers and being a computer engineer for a computer manufacturing plant I have learned a few ticks for building your own computer that you may find useful.

Always read reviews on products before you purchase. Do not purchase generic products. Stick with name brand elecronics. Not only will you actually get to use your warrenty but you will also get far better customer support.

Some Simple steps to building your own computer

• The first step is to pick the parts you want. You need to ask yourself what you will be using this computer for. If it is gaming you need to make sure you have a good processor, video card and lots of memory. If it is just for surfing the web and checking email you can build a system for as little as $300.

• I would sugest you pick out the processor you want first. That is the best place to start. Intel or AMD and then how much power you want. After you know the processor then it's time to pick a board. Keep in mind what kind of memory the board will support. DDR3 is good stuff and I have 6 G's in mine that is tri channel. This works very well for my needs.

• Once you have chosen all the parts you want ensure they are all compatible. Making sure all components will work with each other before you buy them can save lots of headaches on the back end. Double check to ensure the type of video card is supported and that you have an adequite power supply. If your video card requires a 400 Watt PSU then ensure you have at least a 5 Watt PSU. always go 100 Watt over the minumum. If it's a generic power supply then go at least 200 Watt over. Or just don't buy generic.

• Always purchase the computer parts from reputable sellers. Buying over Ebay may be cheaper but make sure they are a reputable seller and that your part has a warranty. Personaly I do most my shopping on tigerdirect.com and newegg.com. They are good folks and have specials all the time.

• Now that you have all your computer parts it is time to build. Never work in an area that has carpet and always wear cotton when handling computer parts. This will help cut down on ESD damage. If possible purchase an ESD strap. They run around 10 bucks and are well worth it. work on a solid table or surface. Have lots of room for the parts.

• Place the motherboard in the computer and follow the manual for securing the motherboard to the case. Follow the diagram that came with the motherboard. Place the processor in place and ensure you lock it. Install the heat sink per-instructions. (Be sure that your processor has thermal grease on it before installing the heat sink). All new ones should have it but it can sometimes rug off when taking it out of the package.

• Install the memory onto the system board. Follow the directions given for the board. Place the mem in the correct slots.
• Install all hard drives and optical drivers. keyword mouse and the like. DO NOT plug in any printers or USB hard drives. This can cause issues on OS install.

• Install the power supply and plug it into the motherboard. Be sure to conect all devices and fan's on the system.

• If your computer has onboard video do not install the card yet. Instead power the computer on to see if it boots up. The whole idea behind this is to see if there is a problem. This will save you much time later on if there is one because you have fewer items to trouble shoot. BE SURE TO UNPLUG THE COMPUTER

• Now that you know you computer works install the video card. double check all wiring and fans. Ensure the CPU fan is on and moving.

• Boot your computer up again to see if it recognizes the hard drive and that you have video.

• Boot the system up to make sure it detects all drives. BE SURE TO UNPLUG THE COMPUTER

• Install the rest of your PCI/PCIE/AGP devices. At this point and time do not install any USB devices such as external hard drives.

• Boot your computer up and load that operating system. You are good to go.

Be sure to check all fans again.