How to Build Your Own PC from Scratch

For many building your own computer from scratch can be daunting, but stay cool, it's really easy even for the inexperienced. It requires little patience, and common sense but not really great experience building computers. So, if you want to build your first PC from scratch, read on.

In this article I'll walk you through the process of building your own computer from scratch, and in my opinion there's no better way to learn how to do it but to actually build your computer. So, if you've got your computer parts and some spare time, let's begin.

Required items
A standard computer configuration requires the following computer parts:

• Computer Case
• Power Supply Unit
• Mainboard
• RAM Memory Sticks
• CPU
• Graphics Card
• DVD Drive
• SATA Hard Drive
• CPU Heatsink
• IDE Cable
• SATA Cable
• Sound Card
• LAN Ethernet Adapter

What you'll need is also a screwdriver, screws that are usually included in your computer case or mainboard carton, and preferably thin nosed pliers to operate in less accessible parts of the system.

Before you begin, always remember to earth yourself by either touching the metal chassis or home radiator to avoid ESD (electrostatic discharge) that can cause damage to the most fragile parts including RAM memory sticks and other components.

Assembly – let's begin
First things first, unpack all your parts and unwrap every component you'll be using to assembly your new PC.

If your power supply isn't built-in, you need to open the computer case and find the appropriate slot on the back to mount it. It's easy to find because it's always at the case's top with a round hole that will be used to transfer heat out of the power supply unit.

Once power supply is in place, begin installing any floppy drives and DVD / Blue-ray drives. It's always the best order to do it – mount your drives first and you'll safe yourself lots of trouble mounting your motherboard which dimensions can be quite substantial.

Standard desktop computer case comes with a few slots that you can use to mount your drives. These are located on the front side of the case so that drives are easily accessible for you during normal work. So pick the one you feel will be the most comfortable use for you and mount your drive(s). Nowadays floppy disk drive is a rarity and in most cases you can get out with DVD RW / RAM and forget about floppies. They are obsolete anyway.

Having mounted the DVD drive, you'll want to mount your new, shining motherboard into the case. To do so, locate small screw spots in the inside of the computer case and install small risers (usually four to five) in those spots. Risers are standard motherboard equipment and should be shipped with your motherboard. If they are missing – ask your supplier. Risers are important because they make sure there's no physical contact between the case and motherboard's components to avoid short circuit.

Once raisers are in place, mount the motherboard in the computer case and mount it firmly using the mini screws included in the package.

Now it's time to stick all the remaining components into your motherboard. Remember to earth yourself every couple of minutes by touching home radiator. You are highly likely to generate electrostatic field while you rub your trousers or sit into your chair.

Don't be nervous about putting parts in the wrong way, they are constructed to fit only one way.

Now, take out your CPU and lift up the little locking lever. The lever is used to mount the CPU firmly into the socket. Locate the CPU socket on your mainboard. It is usually a big white slot with lots of little holes. Now locate the pin 1 on the CPU (it should be near the little triangle) and line it up with the socket that comes with a very similar small triangle on it.

If the socket and the CPU are lined up the way they should, you'll see the processor falling gently into place a few millimeters towards bottom. How the CPU sits in it's normal working position, you should push the CPU lever back into position making sure it sits firmly in the socket.

Not it's time to put the heatsink provided. To do this, gently remove any packaging, wrapping and other plastic used for security during transportation. Make sure your heatsink is clean and has no scratches on the surface that touches the CPU core. Also make sure the heatsink is clean by wiping it off with acetone or isopropylene alcohol. For better heat transport, heat sink compound (or paste) is used.

Using the heat sink paste is very important because it contributes to better conducting of heat from the processor to the heat sink. Making sure the transfer of heat between the surface of the CPU and the heat sink is crucial, especially when you are planning to use your PC for gaming and video processing where much resources are used and much heat is generated by the processor.

Now lay gently the heatsink on the top of the processor. No brute force, just put it gently on the socket, and it should slide in. Push the mounting clips for the CPU gently downwards and when you feel they clipped in, you're done.

Next you can install the RAM. As I mentioned earlier, no mistake can be done here, because all parts are made to only fit the right way. Find the memory slots on the mainboard, release the clips on each side of the DDR slot and push the memory sticks gently in it. Again, no brute force is allowed here, you should find the right way to do it without using too much force.
When the memory sticks are inserted, the DDR clips should automatically close and your memory is ready to go. Do that again with every RAM stick you've got and remember to fill the slots starting from the one called “0” upwards. You should find the appropriate description which one is the “0”, “1” and so on right beside them on the mainboard. If there's no description, refer to the manual.

When you're done, you can stick the graphics card in in the PCI Express slot. The Gainward Geforce GTX 285 is shown on the picture above which is quite a big card. Make sure to find the right slot on the mainboard to put the graphics card in. There is usually only one PCI Express slot available, unless you are using SLI or CrossFire mainboard that supports multiple graphics cards for better performance in video games. When you've found your slot, remember to remove the cover on the computer case held with a small screw. If you have a bigger graphics card like the one pictured above, you need to remove two covers in order to put the card in.

Now stick the card gently into the PCI Express slot and screw it into place.

Repeat this step with every other PCI card you've purchased (LAN or Audio card) and you're almost done.

The last thing to do is to mount and connect the HDD drive. Find a free slot in the computer case and insert your hard disk. Remember to screw it each side so that it doesn't move inside the case.

Now plug the IDE cable to the appropriate channel slot on the mainboard (usually channel #1) and then plug the connector on the other side of that cable in the DVD drive you mounted previously.

Now find the SATA slot on the mainboard, connecting red cable (as shown on the picture) there. The connector you can find on the other end of that cable. Plug it into the SATA hard disk and you're done.

The last thing to do is to connect power supply cables that come out of the power supply unit. These are usually 4 or 6 pin connectors and a large connector that belongs to a big slot right next to the CPU socket.

If you have a modern graphics card like the one used in our example, you'll also need two spare 6-pin cables to supply your graphics unit with enough power. Having such a card will require more power from your power supply, but usually 550W would suffice.

That's it. You can now turn on your newly built computer and install your favorite operating system.