FPSLabs : The Comprehensive PC Building Guide

Ever wonder exactly how to build a computer? Ever read the price guides and think to yourself, "If only I knew how!"? Now you can build one too by following this easy guide!

In the past year, the hardware division has brought you articles detailing and examining the inner workings of every part of your computer. However, in the process, we appear to have missed the one article that the majority of you crave so much: How to actually build your own computer. Well, the wait is finally over, and so now the hardware division proudly brings you the definitive guide to computer construction. This guide is designed not only to teach even the most green of novices how to build a computer, but it also helps to teach you what the job is on every part of the computer

Introduction
So you’ve decided to delve into the realm of computer building. That’s great! There are several things to keep in mind though before you undertake this project. First and formost, try not to be intimidated by the cost of all the equipment you’re handling. Many components take quite a bit of force to install properly, and many first timers are afraid of applying it. This then leads to components that are improperly installed and in the end causes the same problems you wanted to avoid. So don’t let it affect you. This guide mentions which parts will require force to insert, so just watch out for it when you encounter it. This does not mean, however, that you should treat the parts carelessly. Handle everything with care, even when you have to apply large amounts of pressure. It is expensive stuff, after all. Second, is what we’ve all always heard about, and that’s static electricity. Now, let me tell you, static can be a big problem. However, if you follow a few easy procedures any issues with it are easily resolved. First of all, try to always have one hand on your case when you’re handling a circuit board. This will keep you grounded and negate static’s effects. Second of all, only grab circuit boards by the sides, so that you make as little contact as possible with the actual circuitry. The less contact you make, the less chance you have of frying anything. Those are the two biggest issues I’ve encountered during first system builds; I hope this helps you on your way.
{mospagebreak heading=Introduction&title=Setup}

The setup
Before you start anything, make absolutely sure you have all the parts you need. There’s nothing more annoying that having to search for some part while your computer sits in a room half-finished. Here is a rundown of what you’ll need or want to have for your new setup.

CPU

First things first, you’ll need the central processing unit, the ‘brains’ of your machine. Depending on the type you get, these chips can literally be worth their weight in gold. So handle them with extreme care! They usually come in a retail package with a heatsink/fan assembly included.

Motherboard
As the name would imply, this is the mother of all PC components. It is the pathway through which all computer parts communicate, and it is the device which controls the flow of traffic between the parts. It is, arguably, the most important part of your computer. For more information, check out our motherboard article.

RAM
Ram is the area of your computer that stores data that is currently being used, providing an interface that is nearly 1 million times faster than the ancient process of retrieving the needed data straight from the hard drive. This middle-man keeps the CPU properly fed with information for it to digest. Check out this article on RAM function for more info.

Hard Drives
These devices store your massive amounts of media files in a secure magnetized platter, ready to be transferred to the RAM when it’s needed. Shoes wrote a good article on their function earlier, here.

Video Card
Because the CPU is designed to perform any task at a decent level, it can’t perform any one task at a superb level. That’s where video cards come into play. With their own processor and ram specifically dedicated to graphics, they can achieve hundreds of times the graphic capabilities of a CPU.

Power Supply
This is probably the most overlooked part of your computer. It provides a constant, steady flow of power to all your computer parts, which are quite sensitive to any sudden spikes in the flow. Once again, Shoes has a very thorough article on the subject here.

Case
Simple and straightforward. The enclosure that houses all of your computer parts, protecting them from dust and accidental damage.

Other Peripherals
These are any cards or other devices you’re adding on to your system. Things like a CD/DVD-RW or a floppy drive, or even a sound card. Make sure you have these around, though you could really add them at any time. It is simply easier to add them all at once.

{mospagebreak title=Motherboard Preparation}
Motherboard preparation
Once you have brought all of your components together, it is time to get to work. The first thing you’ll want to do is prepare your motherboard for insertion into the case. This involves installing the CPU and RAM onto the motherboard and then screwing it into place.

CPU Install
Though it goes without saying, be sure to handle the CPU with extreme care! Every socket designed in the last ten years uses what’s called a Zero Insertion Force socket (ZIF). It has a lever by the side of the socket that allows you to simply plop the CPU right into place, and then upon returning the lever to it’s lowered position, the proper amount of electrical contact is established. If the CPU does not fall into the pin holes under it’s own weight, then you’ve aligned them wrong. Do NOT push it down, you may bend the pins which leads to colossal headaches. Once the CPU is installed and the level has been pushed back down, it’s time to install the heatsink/fan unit (HSF).

HSF Install
In the old days, installing an HSF unit that came with the retail processor was a bit of a hassle. You had to screw it into place, trying to guess the correct pressure required for proper thermal transfer, but without cracking the CPU core. However, these issues are a thing of the past with retail HSF’s today. They feature a simplistic retention bracket that makes proper installation, literally, a flip of a switch away. If you purchased a retail processor, don’t worry about thermal paste in this situation. All retail HSF’s come with a thermal pad already applied to the bottom. If you want to replace that therma

l pad with some higher quality paste, such as arctic silver 5, first remove the existing thermal pad with an organic solvent, such as 99% isopropyl alcohol (at your local pharmacy). Then make a dot no larger than a BB in the center of the chip with the new thermal paste. The pressure will spread it out. Place the HSF on top of the processor, and hook the metal brackets under the socket’s retention system. Once in place, flip down the retention level until it snaps under the tab on the side of the socket. This will take quite a bit of pressure, and it will cause the board to creak. Don’t let either of those facts scare you. It’s quite safe. Once the HSF is properly secured, connect the fan to the 3-pin power connector labeled “CPU fan” on your motherboard.

RAM Install
Installing RAM is probably the most fool-proof part of any rig-building project. All one must do is push the tabs on either side outwards, then install the DIMM stick so that the notches match up with what is in the socket. Apply pressure to the top of the stick to push it into the socket, and through this, the outer tabs should automatically pop back into retaining position. Be sure the DIMM is deep enough into the socket to allow the retaining tabs to return to their original position, or the DIMM won’t work.

As a side note, most motherboards have color coded DIMM slots for dual channel memory configurations. It’s usually best to put the two DIMMs in similarly colored sockets.

Your motherboard is now complete and ready to be mounted into your case. Congratulations, you have just completed the easy part.

Case Mounting
We’re now ready to put all of our parts into the case. By following these instructions in proper order, you’ll run into the least headaches when it comes time to really try to cram things in.

Motherboard
We’re now ready to put all of our parts into the case. Since the motherboard is the largest part, it makes sense to put it in first. Install all the proper spacers or standoffs into your case so that they match up with your motherboard’s mounting holes, and install the back panel plate, which came with your motherboard. Now slowly lower the motherboard into the case so that it lines up with the screws. The motherboard holes might be a little off, but as long as you can get a screw started, the pressure from screwing it in will put the motherboard in it’s proper position.

Hard drives, floppy drives, and CD drives
All of these devices are mounted in the front cages of your case. Depending on the case you have, they either feature a snap in, screw less rail design, or have a more traditional screw-based mounting system. In this particular case, the hard drives and DVD-RW are mounted with screws, whereas the floppy uses a rail retention system. Either way, it’s a very easy install. All you have to do is match up the screw holes on the drives with those on your case, and screw them in. The rail system attaches to the floppy via the same screw holes, and then snaps into place. Hard drives are always mounted from inside the case, but most of the time you insert floppy and CD drives from the front bezel instead of from the back interior.

Power Supply
The power supply has it’s own personal compartment, generally above the motherboard. It’s hard to

miss. In order to install, one must merely line up the power supply screw holes with the case screw holes and screw it in.

Everything you need to run the computer is now installed. All you have to do now is connect everything.
{mospagebreak title=Cable Connections}

Cable Connections
Here comes the tricky section: getting all of your cables properly installed. There are several cases which can easily be reversed and cause the connection to malfunction, so be sure to pay careful attention.

Interface Cables
First off, let’s install the floppy cable, since it’s the hardest area of the computer to get to. Most floppy cables today are labeled, so it’s hard to plug the wrong end into the motherboard. But as a general reference, the twist that is present in every floppy cable should be closer to the floppy drive than to the motherboard. After that is installed, connect the floppy power connector.

It is the small, “mini-molex” 4 pin connector. It’s keyed so that it will only work in one direction, so there’s no risk of upside-down installation. If your floppy drive doesn’t register in that POST screen (more on that later), then pull out the cable on the floppy drive end and flip it.

Now connect the IDE cable that goes to your CD burner. Generally, with the emergence of SATA, only IDE cable you’ll be using is for the

CD/DVD burner, so just set the jumper on the drive to cable select (CS) so you don’t have to worry about it. Next is the power connector for the CD drive. It takes a standard 4-pin molex plug, which should be very easy to find on your power supply’s nest of cables.

Now it’s time to connect the SATA hard drives. This is probably the easiest cable to connect. Just line up the slim SATA cables so it fits the slot’s keying, and connect. It’s generally best to use the SATA slots on your motherboard in order (I.E., use slots 1 and 2 before 3 and 4). Most modern power supplies will have an independent cord with several SATA power plugs. Connect these now.

Power Connectors
Find the 20 or 24 pin ATX main power plug as well as the 4 (or in some cases, 8 pin) ATX12V plug, and insert them into the motherboard. They have tabs and retention clips on only one side of the

plugs to avoid a backwards insertion of some sort. Once this has been completed, connect the power on, power LED, and HDD LED plugs onto your motherboard. Unfortunately, these pins are different on every motherboard, but they are also clearly labeled, so just follow what it says.

During this time, you should also set up your pci-express power connector, if your PSU doesn’t come with one already. Find two independent molex power plugs (I.E.,

>not on the same cord coming from the PSU) and connect them both to the 6 pin pci-express adapter that should have come with your video card. One final, optional thing you can do is plug your front USB ports into one of the many 9 pin internal USB plugs found on your motherboard. Also, plug your fans into either a 3 pin plug on the motherboard or onto one of the molex connectors. Don’t worry about which molex you plug it in to, the power drawn by fans is insignificant.

Inserting Cards
Though you can do this in any order, I’ve found that installing the video card last results in the fewest headaches. Start at the bottom PCI slot and work your way up, connecting all the cards you have. A

general note about putting cards into pci or pci-e slots is that it will take a bit of pressure to get them in, so don’t be afraid to put some force on it to make it snap in to place. Don’t worry; you’ll know when it’s properly connected. Once everything has been seated, attach the 6 pin pci-express power to the video card and you’re read for action.

Connect the power, monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and press the power button. If you’ve followed this guide and haven’t gotten anything DOA, you should boot to the POST screen. It’s all downhill from there.

{mospagebreak title=Software Setup}
Software Setup
Once you’ve gotten to the POST screen, enter the bios. If you want to set up a raid array, you usually have to turn on RAID on the bios, which can be accomplished by going to the integrated peripherals tab, selecting “on-chip IDE function” and then selecting “RAID configuration.” This will bring you to a menu that allows you to activate RAID and select which channels to specifically activate for an array. Once you’ve set that up, reboot.

After passing the POST screen, you’ll now have the option of going to the RAID setup menu by hitting tab. Do so, and you’ll find the RAID menu, which is very easy to use. Simply create a striping (RAID-0) or mirroring (RAID-1) array and then add the disks you want on it. Now it’s time for windows!

Insert your Windows CD and reboot. The computer will boot off of the CD and start the windows installation. Once again, a bit of a RAID side note here: You have to hit F6 right at the startup of the windows install so windows knows that you have drivers for your RAID array that you’ll use right before the windows setup goes into it’s main file copying phase. These drivers are found on a floppy disk that came with your motherboard. If you don’t do this, windows will NOT be able to see your array. Also, windows won’t tell you it registered you hitting F6, it will just go to a driver install screen later on in the installation. So just spam F6 the entire time it says to hit it, and assume it got the message. While windows is installing, you’ll have a bit of free time. Use this time to gather together all of the various driver CD’s for your peripherals. After about 20 minutes, windows will boot into that familiar screen and you’re ready to start major driver installation. For this, here’s my recommendations for driver order:

1. Motherboard drivers, found on motherboard CD
2. Reboot
3. Video card drivers, latest ones found on your video card manufacturer’s website
4. Reboot
5. All other pci devices, such as sound cards, TV tuners, etc (no need to reboot between these installations)
6. Reboot
7. You’re ready to go! Enjoy!

With the help of this guide, you’ll be able to create a top of the line, fully customized gaming PC for quite a bit less than pre-built manufacturers charge for their own machines designed specifically for gaming. So now there’s no excuse for any of you to say that you don’t know how to build your computer, because all you need to know you’ve just read. Once you get good at it, it goes by relatively quickly. In fact, in setting up for this article I took apart my entire computer and rebuilt it, along with taking breaks for pictures, in 45 minutes. It’s a skill no computer gamer should be without, and now you know how it’s done. I hope you’ve enjoyed this guide, and I wish you good luck on your building endeavors!

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