Building a Computer

How hard is it? I know literally nothing about building a computer, but the amount of money that I save really makes it seem appealing. That and the fact that I can't find a decent computer that's premade lol.

I'm probably going to be building one from this guide here: http://media.photobucket.com/image/recent/The_FalconO6/CurrentLogicalPCBuyingGuide/Guide.png

 

It's not overly hard.

Look up a youtube guide(on my iPod so I can't, neweggs youtube channel has one I believe). The first time building is only really hard because you're scared of breaking something.

 

The only thing you need to be wary about is making sure your RAM and processor are compatible with your motherboard. Also, buy a grounding bracelet before you start working, and do all of your building on a hard surface so you eliminate the risk of fucking up your parts with static.

To be honest, the hardest part is finding your parts. The assembly is easy

 

You don't need a wrist strap.
Just ground yourself on the case first...

 

Make sure to buy compatible parts.

 

If you know what your doing and the parts will work with each other, then you could easily put together a computer and have it installing an OS within an hour. You are correct in that building one is cheaper than buying a pre-made one. You can choose exactly what parts you want and how much RAM you want to have eg;. If your unsure of what parts will work with what then feel free to post again and I'll do my best to help you.

At the end of the day, you can build a PC with a cross-head screwdriver, that's all you need most of the time.

 

How do you know that parts are compatible with one another? Do I need to stick with a particular brand?

 

No, look for things like DDR3 slots and DDR3 RAM to go in the slots, etc... I had someone look through the parts I was going to bye before I did, just to be sure they're matching, so I'd suggest doing that if you're not sure. It usually takes them about 3-4 minutes

 

If you need help with compatibility and such just post a thread here asking or you can PM me.

 

http://sythe.org/showthread.php?t=1226779

That's my guide on how to build a computer. Not finished yet, but all of the compatibility parts are pretty much done. This coming weekend I'm going to be rebuilding my PC and taking pictures step by step along with doing diagrams of key areas.

Also, if you need me to compile a full build with links and everything, just tell me what you what to do with the computer, your budget, and your preferred PC parts store (since you live in the US, I would highly recommend using Newegg). Any questions you're always welcome to PM me and I'll do my best

 

-You should only buy RAM that the motherboard supports, eg. DDR3 RAM for DDR3 motherboards like Mohtasa said.

-The processor that you're going to buy should match the motherboard socket, eg. LGA1155 processors for LGA1155 motherboards, AM3 processors for AM3 sockets etc. NOTE: AMD's AM# processors should be backwards compatible with older sockets, that is, you can fit a AM2, AM2+ or AM3 processor into a AM2 socket, but only AM3 fits in AM3 sockets. But, you shouldn't count on it.

-If you're getting a dedicated graphics card, go to the manufacturer's site and find out how many and what sort of PCI-E power connectors the card requires. Then, make sure your PSU has the required connectors, e.g my Radeon HD 6950 requires two 75W 6-pin PCI-E connectors, so I bought a PSU with a 6-pin and a 4+2-pin PCI-E connectors. (4+2-pin connector means that it has 4 pins and additional 2 pins separately, so you can use it both as a 4-pin and a 6-pin connector)

So, matching RAMs and CPU sockets, enough power connectors. You'll still probably want to post your part choices somewhere so other people can check them out just in case.

 

Pretty much all quality 550W+ powersupplies have the power connectors, ALL modern motherboards use DDR3 aswell.
It's mainly the CPU & Mobo that you have to be concerned about.

 

Don't forget that sometimes it's challenging to find a heatsink that will fit the MOBO. Especially with the bulky ones that get in the way of components on certain motherboardds.

 

Eh usually it's not problem, the ram heatsinks are the main problem when doing heatsinks.
Unless you're say trying to fit a D14 on an ITX MOBO lol...

 

Or if you're trying to fit a really tall heatsink into a small case. Always make sure to measure everything out