Guide to Building Your Own PC - May 2005
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Transcript of Guide to Building Your Own PC - May 2005
Guide to Building Your Own Personal Computer
May 2005
Brian Wells, MPH
Overview
• Types of PCs and basic components
• How and where to get the right components
• Sample systems
• Putting it all together
About Me
• Have built many single and dual processor personal PCs
• Have built sever-class systems
• Have done some custom mod work
• Extensive experience with Windows-server based network administration
Types of PCs
• Intel-based (Pentium 4, Pentium 4 EE, Xeon)
• AMD-based (Athlon XP, Athlon MP, Athlon 64, Athlon 64 FX, Opteron)
• Single Processor
• Dual Processor
What Makes A PC?
• Basic Parts to a PC– Case - CD/DVD Drive– Motherboard - Power Supply– Processor - Floppy drive– RAM– Video card– Sound card– Hard Drive
Where To Go For Components
• Newegg, Newegg, Newegg!!!
• Other good stores – Mwave, Xoxide, FrozenCPU, CrazyPC, etc.
• Pricewatch.com
• If you’re unsure, check ResellerRatings.com
• Did I mention Newegg.com?
Choosing Your Components
• Decide if you want AMD or Intel• Decide what you’re going to use the PC for
– Gaming, web browsing, writing papers, Tivo? Go with a single processor
– Heavy multitasking, graphic design, video encoding? Look into a dual processor
• Decide how much you’re willing to spend• Go shopping!
Sample Configuration
• Budget Box ($530)– Intel Celeron 2.53GHz – 512MB PC3200– 8X DVD+/-RW– 80GB Hard drive– Onboard Sound, Video, and LAN– Windows XP Home SP1a
Sample Configuration
• Midrange Box ($1100)– Athlon 64 3000+– Albatron K8X800 Pro II– 1GB PC3200 – 200GB Hard drive– Radeon 9800 Pro– 8x Dual Layer DVD+/-RW– Windows XP Home SP1a
Sample Configuration
• High-End Box ($2300)– Pentium 4 3.4GHz– Radeon X800 Pro– 1GB DDR2 PC4200– Abit AA-DuraMAX i925X– CL Audigy 2 ZS– 8X Dual Layer DVD+/RW– WD 74GB Raptor– WD 250GB SATA– Antec P160 w/ 550W PS– Windows XP Professional SP1a
Putting It All Together
• Confirm you have all the pieces
Component Installation
• Install the motherboard and power supply into the case
• Install the processor and RAM• Hook up the case connections to the
motherboard• Install all hard drives and CD/DVD drives• Hook up power connections, PATA, and
SATA cables• Try to boot up
Final Steps
• Configure the BIOS settings
• Install your OS
• Enjoy!
• You can add lights, water cooling, etc. – Use your imagination!
In a Nutshell
• Decide what you want to do with your PC
• Decide how much you want to spend
• Shop around to get the best deal
Additional Resources
• HardOCP.com• MaximumPC Forums• AMDMB.com• Tom’s Hardware• Bit-Tech.net• Your equipment manufacturer• Microsoft Knowledgebase
Thank You!
Any Questions?
This presentation is available for download at:
http://www.destination-web.com/howto/buildpc.pdf