A detailed guide for choosing the correct computer hardware to build a home PC and the proper way of assembling it.

1. BUILDING A PC
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2. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH YOUR PC?
 Office use?
 Home pc?
 Hardcore gaming?
 Video editing?
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3. NECESSARY HARDWARE
 Cabinet
 Motherboard
 Processor
 Ram
 Video cards
 Hard disks 3

4.  Optical disks
 Monitor
 Keyboard and mouse
 Speakers
 Modem (optional)
 Accessories (headphones, sub woofer, multiple
displays, etc,)
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5. CABINET
 Cabinet houses all the
components of the pc.
 Amount of cooling (no. of fans)
required depends upon the usage.
 Choose the power supply unit
wisely.
 Must be easier to use.
Eg: Position of usb ports, power
and restart buttons, etc.,
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6. POWER SUPPLY UNIT (PSU)
 The type of psu depends upon
your personal usage.
 One can buy 450 W, 500 W,
650 W or 750 W psus based on
their needs.
 Antec, Corsair and Cooler
Master psus are preferred.
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7. MOTHERBOARD
 Motherboard connects or houses all the electronic
components-simply the backbone of a pc. 7

8.  When selecting a new motherboard for your homebuilt
computer, many things have to be taken into consideration,
including:
 Processor support- New processors require new
motherboards and socket types.
 RAM support- Number of ram sticks you need to insert or the
speed of ram to be installed.
 SATA support- Max speed (rpm) of drives, type of drives, etc.,
 Expansion Slots and Ports- Enough no. of USB, VGA, HDMI,
etc.,
 On Board Features- Such as integrated audio/video.
 Cost- Within you budget.
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9. PROCESSOR
 Choosing the correct processor is vital to
the success of your homebuilt computer
project.
 Factors to be in mind before choosing a
processor:
 No. of cores- More the better! Eg: dual,
quad, hexa, octa cores.
 CPU Speed(GHz)- The clock speed and
refers to the speed at which the processor
can execute instructions. But one cant
select the processor based speed alone!
 Its architecture also plays an important
role. 9

10.  On-Board Cache- The L2 (or Level 2) cache bridges the gap
between the very fast CPU and the much slower system RAM
bus (and the even slower hard drive) by anticipating and
storing data right on the CPU itself. More of it, the better!
(Atleast 2 MB per core)
 Bandwidth- It determines how much information the
processor can process in one instruction.Eg:32 or 64 bit (64
bit is better!)
 Front Side Bus (FSB) Speed- It is the interface between the
processor and the system memory and determines the
maximum speed at which it can transfer data to the rest of the
system. More the better!
 Heat and Heat Dissipation-When processors run too hot, they
can start doing funky things like cause errors, lock, freeze, or
even burn up.Eg: 4th gen cores are better than second gen
cores. They produce less heat and consume less power.
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11. RAM
 It is a name applied to microchips designed to store and
address information while a computer is actually using it.
 DDR3 ram is better.
 Suggested ram for diff. operating systems:
Windows Vista / Windows 7 32-bit: 2GB to 4 GB
Windows Vista / Windows 7 64-bit: 6 GB to 16 GB
Windows 8 32-bit: 2GB to 4 GB
Windows 8 64-bit: 6 GB to 16 GB
Ubuntu, Mint, or other Linux with X-Server, 32-bit: 1 GB to 4 GB
Ubuntu, Mint, or other Linux with X-Server, 64-bit: 4 GB to 16 GB
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12.  Corsair, Kingston, G.Skill and ADATA rams are
preferred.
 Amount of ram depends upon the nature of usage.
 Always buy RAMs of same speed, size and brand.
 Check compatibility with motherboard.
 Don’t overkill.
 Gaming and high end video editing require lots of
ram.
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13. VIDEO CARD
 A video card enhances the performance of a pc, especially in
gaming.
 Factors to keep in mind before choosing one:
 Amount and Type of Video RAM (1,2 GB and ddr3 or ddr5)
 Cooling- Type of cooling (active or passive)
 Outputs ( DVI, VGA, HDMI, etc.,)
 Bandwidth ( in GBs per second), Pixel rate, Texel rate, no. of
cuda cores or shader processor units and many other factors.
Visit http://www.game-debate.com/ for further guidance.
 For all the above higher the better! (except amount of vram) 13

14.  More amount of vram
doesn’t make it a good card.
Only resolutions above
1920x1080 need more than
2 GB.
 Always check online before
buying from retailers.
 ddr5 is better than ddr3.
 It must fit in your cabinet.
 Check compatibility with
motherboard.
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15. OTHER COMPONENTS
 Choosing other components such as monitors,
keyboard and mouse, optical drives, hard disks,
speakers, etc, depends upon one’s comfort.
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16. SUGGESTIONS
 A standard Corsair/Antec ATX cabinet.(750 W psu)
 4th gen i5-4440s processor @3.3 GHz.
 MSI 970A/Gigabyte GA-970A Motherboard.
 4x4 GB Corsair vengeance/Kingston Hyper @1600
MHz ram
 AMD R9 270X 2 GB DDR5 graphic card
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17.  A 21” LED monitor is preferred.
 Wireless mouse and keyboard.
 2 TB internal drive @ 7200 rpm. (preferably
Seagate barracuda)
 A standard LG or Samsung blu ray optical drive.
 A 5.1 Creative surround speaker with sub - woofer.
 Total cost- Rs.55000-60000 ($900-1000)
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18. ASSEMBLY-SAFETY & ANTI-STATIC PRECAUTIONS
 A static shock that is much too small for a human to feel
can still be enough to fry sensitive computer
components.
 Another option is to use anti-static gloves when handling
delicate electronic components.
 Always grasp a metal part of the computer chassis with
your bare hand before you touch anything inside.
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19. MOTHERBOARD
 Once you have the correct standoffs inserted, lay the
motherboard into the case, line up the mounting holes and the
rear-panel connectors, and screw it down.
 Don't over tighten-the screws! You will crack the motherboard
if you do so!
 After installing the motherboard, attach the power connectors
from the power supply unit to the motherboard. 19

20. PROCESSOR AND ITS COOLING FAN
 Modern processor sockets have a ZIF (Zero Insertion Force)
design. If the processor is aligned properly with the socket,
gravity alone should cause it to drop right into the socket.
 You should never use a force greater than a gentle nudge
with a single finger to insert a modern processor.
 The CPU cooler assembly is positioned over the processor
and is usually secured to the motherboard by metal clips 20

21. RAM
 RAM modules are keyed with little notches that fit over
corresponding tabs in the RAM slots.
 Before inserting the RAM module, make sure that the
notches and tabs are correctly lined up.
 To actually insert it, simply push it firmly, straight down
into the slot, and push the retainer clips inward. 21

22. HARD DRIVES
 The detachable cage is first removed from the case, the drives are
mounted into the cage, and the cage is reattached to the case.
 The first drive on the primary SATA controller should be connected to
the system hard drive.
 SATA connectors are keyed to prevent improper insertion, so if it
doesn't fit easily, you're probably trying to attach it backwards.
 Finally, attach the power connectors to the drives. Make sure that the
power connectors are attached using the correct polarity. 22

23. CD/DVD DRIVES
 You'll have to remove both a plastic cover and a metal
plate from the drive bay where you will be installing the
drive.
 The next step is to insert the drive in the case. Gently
slide the drive back until it's faceplate is flush with the
front of the case.
 Finally, secure the drive into place with the mounting
screws, and connect the data and power cables.
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24. VIDEO CARD
 Like RAM, expansion cards and slots are keyed. They have little
notches with corresponding tabs in the slot that are designed to
prevent you from installing the wrong card.
 So if the card doesn't seem to fit, check those notches and tabs.
Don't break out a hammer and try to pound it in.
 If the card doesn't seat itself using fingertip pressure, place your
palm over the card and push down firmly and evenly until you feel
the card pop into place.
 Finally, secure the card into place by screwing the card's metal
bracket into the screw hole over the expansion slot.
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25. FRONT PANEL CONNECTORS
 Connect all those little wires for the front-panel switches and
LED's from the case to the motherboard.
 Each switch and LED on the front panel has a connector
attached to it that must be connected to the appropriate pins
on the motherboard.
 Some of the connectors (especially the LED's) are polarized,
meaning that they have to be connected in the correct polarity.
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26. CHECK IT!
 Check all the fans to make sure they are properly
connected.
 Make sure that all wires and cables are safely tied away
from the fans.
 Check that all of the power and data cables are securely
connected.
 Make sure that there are no tools, screws, or jumpers
floating around in the case.
 Check that all expansion cards and RAM modules are
securely seated.
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27. FINALLY!!
 Plugging the monitor and speakers wont be a problem!
 Just connect the VGA/DVI/HDMI port from your monitor to the
hub in the graphic card and connect the wires from the
speakers to their respective ports in the back panel.
 Connect the keyboard and mouse to the usb ports in the back
panel (incase if they are wired) or configure them in the
system after first boot up (incase wireless).
 Start the pc, open the BIOS and configure the hardware.
 Install the operating system and all the drivers of your
hardware, enjoy!
THANK YOU!
Credits: http://www.kitchentablecomputers.com/
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