How to Build A Custom PC: The Complete n0ob's Guide to Building a Computer

This Instructable will take you through the basic steps of building a computer. What you will need for this is:

~Computer Case
~Power supply (if not included with case)
~Motherboard
~Processor
~Hard Drive
~CD Rom drive/DVD Rom drive/Floppy Drive
~Modem/Ethernet card/Wireless card
~Monitor
~RAM
~Extra Fans (if you would like)

Any input is welcome!

Please vote for me in the book contest if you enjoyed this Instructable! Thanks!

Step 1: Get Your Stuff

I usually get most of my stuff online at New Egg, but you can get them at Tiger Direct or any electronics place. (It's a topic for another instructable, so I won't get carried away.)

Another great site for cheap parts, courtesy of mas-retals:
Ebuyer

In general:
~Cases
~Power Supplies
~Motherboards
--->Make sure your motherboard is compatible with the processor you choose! (Socket AM2, etc.)
~AMD Processors
~Intel Processors
~Hard Drives
~CD / DVD Drives / Burners
--Make sure that your motherboard supports your drives' data interfaces (Serial ATA< Parallel ATA, or any other type, same with PCI and AGP devices)

Once you get your parts, make sure you also have:

~ Phillip's or flat head screw driver (The size of the screws on the outside of the case)
--This depends on the type of screws in your computer case

~Small head Phillip's/Flat head screw drivers
--For mounting the motherboard/hard drive/DVD rom/CD rom/Floppy drive

~Anti-static gloves
--May be unnecessary, but always be careful when handling delicate computer components, such as the processor.

Comments

[nmccloud]

No Standoffs? Most PSU's come set at the appropriate voltage.

[Goldtalon]

Really good information. I read this and I really considered building my own PC. I would've if I didn't find out about IronsideComputers.com. I priced the parts that I was going to get compared to what they had and it was only $70 more not including the $20 off promotion they have if you do an unboxing video and put it on YouTube. So for $50 I get a professionally built computer, 4 year warranty, and lifetime technical support.

There is nothing wrong with building your own PC, if you do then that's great for you, but for the money I wanted to put into the PC I honestly felt more comfortable having a professional build it.

[CharlieFrancis]

wow!!! that's really cool! :D
man, I'm new to all of this stuff and it was actually my math teacher who introduced the class to how much cheaper it is to make your own computer than to spend like $700+ for one that someone else probably spent like 79cents a piece! Could you give me some cool suggestions for places to buy these products?

[tinker234]

wow you know there was a article in pc world a wile ago i might use there pc and bulid one

[drresearch]

I built my own computer around two years ago (counting from 2010) and that's what I am still using. When I built it I had about the latest hardware at that time (Intel Core 2 Duo, 160 GB HDD, 2 GB Ram, etc.), now I discovered that my system is already outdated. This is the problem with computers, once I had to change my motherboard and I couldn't find the same model again. Luckily I found another one which was compatible with my processor, and I didn't have to re-install the os since I use linux (Ubuntu, for those of you who know more about linux). I didn't really build a custom computer since it was the first one I built.

[_Scratch_]

oops.. didnt mean to say "top of the line", meant to quote you saying you used the "latest hardware"

[_Scratch_]

Um... 2008, they had quad cores, most 400$ computers had 4gb of ram and at least 320GB hard drives.... Sorry, not top of the line, even for 2008

[Fox-san48]

Ubuntu rules :D. your comp was outdated, but worked as long as it works and is still reasonibly fast your ok lol, in my books anyway

[drresearch]

Well, Linux has the good thing that it doesn't have (almost) any driver problems, so I could change my motherboard with no problem, and the computer isn't really too old (2 years), but what I mean is that everything evolves really fast!

[hitachi8]

You have more Driver/Software problem with Linux than with windows . i repair computer all day long and i never had any problem with windows , the problem with linux is that some driver dont even exist for some hardware . ohh , and linux is useless if you want to play game , and no i never had any problem with virus and i am using windows since windows 3.0.

[octopuscabbage]

Incorrect on both facts: Linux has more drivers then windows, and with WINE and play on linux you can run any game you want.

[hitachi8]

Try to run GTA 4 on Wine .
see you later in 5years . Haha .

[octopuscabbage]

GTA 4 is a terribly written game, thats not linux's fault. I have a hard time running it on my gaming rig because it's so awfully coded.

[drresearch]

Exactly! And Linux has MUCH better plug and play support, when I bought my printer I just had to plug it in and it worked, no driver installation.

[hitachi8]

yeah , it is why i was never able to connect on the internet with my Wifi key , even with the help of all your "community".

[octopuscabbage]

It's not linux's fault you can't figure things out O.o

[drresearch]

Once I installed windows on my pc and I had to install audio and ethernet drivers before I could get those working, on Linux I just installed the OS and EVERY piece of hardware worked immediately. Then once I added a PCI ethernet card and I just had to plug it in, switch on the computer and configure the network, no driver installation. Also, try installing windows on a pc, then pull out the hard drive and put it in another computer with different hardware, it will not work as well or at all. With Linux I can practically install it on a USB drive and boot from it on any computer. Yeah, there are some pieces of hardware that don't have a driver for linux, that I have to admit. I don't say that you should have problems with windows, but you do have to install new drivers for almost every piece of hardware you add. It is true that linux is not good for playing games (even though some games DO run on linux), but after all windows sucks in security, not only regarding viruses. I don't know how you managed to never have problems with viruses, I did find some viruses once on my computer when I used windows. Anyway, Linux guys use Linux, Windows guys use Windows, and we can stop arguing about this.

[Fox-san48]

yeh really fast, i got my Compaq CQ60 when it was like top of the range, and its out of date already, its hard to keep up lol, but im not gonna upgrade until i need too, its a waste of money just keeping up just to have the best, i mean i love computers and all, but wasting money like that isnt my sort of thing really, but everyone is different

[drresearch]

I also wound not upgrade my computer when the old hardware still works, in this case the mainboard had stopped working, though (no choice!).

[_Scratch_]

I took my old Acer aspire, and added a nzxt guardian 921 RB case, about 5 new fans, a 575W PSU, a top of the line Spire aftermarket tower cpu heatsink, and a Nvidia GTS 450 GPU. It also has 4gb of ddr 2 ram, and a AMD athlon 64 x2 5000+ dual core CPU, which never gets above 23*C even under a max load

[Ebj8]

Wow this looks really cool! I just have a few questions. First off can I build this out of an old desktop (around the year 2000 or 2001) and two laptops (one is a 1995 and the other is a 1998.) They're all just taking up space, but I don't like to throw things away. thanks

[onlinemastering]

Excellent tutorial, my tip to add is that I would never underestimate how important a good quality PSU (power supply unit) is to the reliability and longevity of a PC build. (boring parts though they are) Brands I can recommend through experience are TAGAN and Seasonic.

I have a 5 y.o. machine with TAGAN PSU in it, still running today no problems.

cheers

online mastering

[killersquirel11]

This list is a fairly complete ranking of the good, the bad, and the ugly of PSUs

http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx

[knex_ftw]

This website has some decent graphics cards (and a LOT of other geeky stuff) for REALLY cheap. Very useful and very legit.

http://www.dealextreme.com/c/hardware-parts-313?search=graphics%20card

[Hayden102]

i want to overclock my intel celeron dual core but there are no options in the bios to even try it, i even tryed my AMD sempron single core which i can't overclock either, there must be somthing wrong, anyone have some tips>

[mesaynaysayer]

This is a very nice instructable, i do like people helping others with their computers, and great pictures and clear construction. I am a bit of a geek overlord myself. My most powerful self constructed computer has 2 quad core xeon processors, 8 gb memory, and 2 tb hardrive(s) 2gb video cache, 12 usb 2.0 ports, 4 dvd dual layer r/w and 2 floppy. It took me 3 years to complete it. LINUX RULES!!!!!!

[Muscelz]

what the hell!!?? 3 years to complete it! it takes 1hour 2 put a pc togetha including OS and etc, and your not to good on telling ur specs to aye, why the hell would we need to know how many USB ports u hav??? or a dvd drive? why? and 8gb of ram? what speed? ddr1 400 ir 266 , ddr2 533 or 667 or 800, ,ddr3 1.8 -6ghz? and 2gb of video cache? what the hell? its called a apature size, and what wher your cards? no single card has 2gb or ram? you would of had to hav cards with 1gig of ram on each, what wer you running? there would have to be 2cards in sli my setup Intel Core i7 965 @ 4ghz (45oC idle "liquid") ASUS Rampage II Extreme Motherboard (I7) Gainward Radeon 4870 X2 Rampage700 GS GLH Edition x2 OCZ DDR3 PC3-15000 Reaper 4x2gb 8gb total @2ghz Thermaltake Sword Aluminium Liquid Cooled Case Thermaltake Toughpower 1.2Kw Modular

[octopuscabbage]

It's called building a computer over time...obviously he didn't sit there staring at it for 3 years. And why would we need to know anything about his computer? and why are you questioning 8gb of ram, thats fairly straightforward. And because you just complained about him listing his usb ports why would you want him to list his ram speed? Both excessive things. And no, incorrect it is NOT called apature size, every store and every person ever will call it cache. And they do make 2gb cards. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121388 has 4gb.

[dungeon runner]

Calm down. He probably couldn't afford all of the parts at once (which is reasonable considering the impressive hardware lineup). So what if it took him a while to build it? What do you care?

[DELETED_evilfrogie]

(removed by author or community request)

[Muscelz]

that was my old system, i sold it not to long ago for about 7.5grand. i was using a industrial strength glycerin glycol additive which my father gets in bulk amounts

my new system will be..

EVGA X58 Classified E760 Motherboard
Intel Core i7 950
Corsair TR3X6G2000C8GTF 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 (x2=12gig)
EVGA GeForce GTX 295 CO-OP Edition (x2 for SLI)
Corsair P256 SSD(256gb) (For Games and OS)
Western Digital RE3 1TB WD1002FBYS (Media etc)
Corsair HX-1000W 1000W Power Supply
Lian Li TYR PC-X500
Xigmatek Thors Hammer Double Layer HDT CPU Cooler (CPU H.S.)
Corsair Dominator Airflow 2 Fans (RAM FAN)

just gota get the money together. nearly there, about next month i should be able to start ordering

[technick29]

Wow, that's ridiculous man.

[jeymeowmix]

:O

[yourcat]

How much did your's cost?

[James (pseudo-geek)]

my word thats a beast.

[whatsisface]

All that, then floppy drives? May I ask why?

[benjgvps]

One word: Doom

[jotism]

Like if you miss the power plug bit on the cd drive and it arcs between the power plug and the IDE plug on the drive, lol tats funny :). BOOM.

[technick29]

Thanks! Is a "+" in order? :D That's a pretty INSANE setup. Mind if I add it to the custom computers step? What kind of Linux do you run? I'm currently in between OS's because opensuse and fedora's xwindow system died on me (silly nvidia drivers...)

[Muscelz]

nvida drivers arnt hard to get your hands on, you can download pretty much any driver for any NVIDIA card out GO KDE 4.2!!!!! i run it sandboxed for my amusement