How to Build Computer Step by Step?

Installing the Power Supply Unit (PSU)

You now need to fit the power supply into the case, which is very simple to do. It fits into the large hole at the back end of the case which is usually at the top. Make sure that the power socket and fan outlet face outwards. Secure the PSU with the screws that came with it.

Quick-Guide on How to Install a Motherboard

Learn how to install a motherboard quickly and easily with the following simple steps. Motherboard installation is a very straightforward process these days, so assuming you have already read through the electricity precautions page, here are the steps to securing your motherboard inside your gaming rig:

1. Unpack Case - First things first, you should prepare your computer case. Remove the cover and place it on a desk or a carpet-less surface. Make sure you have enough lighting in the room.

2. Unpack Motherboard - Your motherboard should be contained in a special anti-static bag. If you're ready for the next install motherboard step, then remove it carefully from the bag and place it on top of the bag so its ready to be installed. Only remove it from its protective bag when you are ready to install it straight away.

3. Install Motherboard - Now you can place your motherboard into the case, which is fairly straightforward to do. The holes on your motherboard should line up with the mounting screw holes on the case. Make sure you've got it the right way around by checking that all the back panel connectors such as USB ports, mouse/keyboard ports, parallel ports are all facing out towards the back of the case.
Now carefully screw in the motherboard using the screws that came with the case. Never ever place the motherboard so that the back of it is touching the metal case. This can cause a short circuit and may cause damage to the board.

4. Connect Power - When the motherboard is secured to the case, and once you have your power supply connected as well, connect your power supply cable to the ATX power connector on the motherboard. You may need to come back to this step once you have installed your power supply unit later on in the PC building process.
That's all there is to motherboard installation, very simple to do and will only take you a minute or two.

Quick-Guide to Installing a CPU and Heatsink

One of the key parts of building your own computer is installing a CPU. The CPU is regarded as the brains of your PC and is one of the most delicate components so you must take care and have an idea of what you're doing when installing one. Although, I must admit these days it's very hard to screw up the installation of a processor since they are designed to install easily.

Find the CPU Socket
Locate the processor socket on your motherboard. The CPU socket is square and with many pinholes on it. Now, raise the brown lever on the socket so that you are able to install the CPU in it. Don't actually install the CPU yet though.
Before installing a CPU in the socket you need to match up the pinholes from the socket to the pins on the actual CPU. There is only one proper way to match them up, so hold your CPU by its sides and examine the pins, and then match them to the pinholes on the CPU socket.


Install CPU
Once you have the pins all matched up, slowly and carefully insert the CPU into the socket. It should fit in gently if you have the pins matched up correctly. Don't force it in too hard, although meeting a little resistance when fitting the CPU in is normal.
Some CPUs will make a slight snapping or clicking noise once it has been installed all the way, while some will not. Once you're sure it's fitted in properly, close the brown lever on the CPU socket to firmly secure the CPU in place.

Installing the Heatsink and Fan
The next step to installing a CPU is to attach the heatsink to the CPU. You need to install the heatsink correctly so that it does not come loose and let your CPU burn to death.
If your heatsink has a separate fan, then connect the fan to the heatsink first. Then you need to follow the instructions that came with the heatsink to install it to the CPU, as different manufacturers have different methods of installation. Don't worry it's very simple to do, just follow the instructions carefully and take it one step at a time.
Once the heatsink is fitted to the CPU correctly, you need to connect the heatsink's power leads to the headers on the motherboard.
You need to locate the correct header on the motherboard to connect to, as they have more than one. Once again follow the instructions that came with the heatsink to locate the proper header. Once you connect the power lead, make sure it is securely in place.
Also, if you are going to be applying thermal paste to your CPU and heatsink to help with cooling, learn how to apply thermal compound here.




Configure BIOS Settings
There we go, your CPU and heatsink is installed properly. Once you've built your computer you can configure the BIOS settings for the CPU, it needs to detect the type and speed of the CPU. Yet again, the best thing to do here is follow the instructions that came with your CPU as different manufacturers may vary with these settings.

How to Install RAM in your PC

In this article you will learn how to install RAM modules into your new PC. It's very easy to do and will take less than a couple of minutes. Make sure you have chosen RAM that is compatible with your computer.
If you're not building a new PC and are just adding RAM to an existing computer, make sure you check that doing so yourself won't void the warranty. Certain manufacturers have the computer case sealed and require you to have an authorized technician put the RAM in themselves.




Ok, firstly you need to locate the memory banks which are a series of slots on your motherboard where RAM modules are placed. When you have found the memory banks you can remove your RAM module/s from the anti-static bag and install them. To install the RAM you simple line it up with the memory bank and slide it in carefully until it is secure. Some memory banks will have little clamps on either side that you push down to fully secure the RAM in place.
Note that this is how you install DIMM RAM. If you're installing SIMM you will need to place the RAM into the memory bank slot at a slight 45 degree angle, and push it forward until it's perpendicular to your motherboard.
That's all there is to it. Now you have learned how to install RAM you will be able to add and remove RAM modules quickly and easily whenever you like. The most common type of upgrade to a PC to improve performance is to add some more RAM to it, and now you know how.


///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

How To Install a New Hard Drive

Now that you have installed your motherboard, CPU, and RAM, it's time for the next step in building your own PC - installing a new hard drive. Hard disk installation is fairly easy if you're following the right procedures and will only require a few minutes of your time.
Once again, make sure you have your antistatic measures in place before starting. Note that this article only covers the physical side of installing a primary hard drive.

IDE Hard Drive Preparation

To install an IDE hard drive you firstly need to locate the IDE configuration pins on the actual hard disk itself. They are usually found near the power and other connection ports on the hard drive.
The IDE configuration pins come in a small group of usually six or eight pins and have a little plastic jumper attached between two of the pins. If this hard drive will be the only hard drive in your computer, then set the jumper selector to 'Master'. Or, if this hard drive you are installing is an additional hard drive then set the jumper to 'Slave'.
If your hard drive is a SATA (Serial ATA) drive then no such configuration will be needed on your part, and you can just skip this step and proceed to installing your drive into your PC.

Install New Hard Drive Into Your PC

Now you are ready to actually install your hard disk into your computer case. Locate the drive bay in the case where your hard drive will live and carefully slide the hard drive into that bay. Make sure that the end with all the cable connections faces inwards.
Slide the hard drive in until the fixing holes match up and screw it into place with the coarse-threaded screws provided. Make sure the hard drive is securely fitted into the bay. Some PC cases have removable drive bays, which makes it a lot easier to screw the drive in.

Connecting Your Hard Drive

The next part is to connect the cables. Now that you have fitted your hard drive you need to actually connect it to the motherboard.




The IDE cable that you need to connect to the motherboard is typically color coded to make things easier. The actual colors depend on the manufacturer, but it's usually the blue connector to the motherboard, black to the master device, and grey to the slave device.
If you are installing the main or only hard drive in your computer, then make sure the IDE cable is connected to the primary IDE connector on the motherboard.
Connecting a SATA hard drive on the other hand is a little different, and the cables provided usually contain a much thinner ribbon. You should refer to your hard drive instructions from the box for exact details on connecting to your motherboard.
Either way, you also need to connect your PC's power supply to the back of your hard drive. When you have done that, your hard drive has been successfully fitted.




////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Step by Step Guide on Installing a Graphics Card

This guide on how to install a graphics card provides you with the knowledge on how to correctly install your new graphics card quickly, and safely. Before you begin, you need to be aware of some important safety considerations. You don’t want to go damaging your brand new graphics card!
Installing a graphics card in your computer is extremely easy to do. It should only take you a matter of minutes before you're all done and ready to experience your awesome new card.

Safety Precautions

Ok, assuming you have chosen and bought your graphics card, we will start off with some safety basics and the tools you will need. If you haven't decided on a graphics card yet, you may wish to read the gaming video card guide first.
This information was covered in the first step of building your computer if you've been reading this installation series of articles from the start, but it's crucial so we'll repeat it again here.
Installing a graphics card will only require a non-magnetic screwdriver, and an anti-static wrist band (optional). The screwdriver is used to screw your graphics card into place, and the anti-static wrist band you wear to protect your graphics card from static electricity.
Static electricity can cause damage to your graphics card. You don't want to skip on wearing the anti-static wrist band because even the slightest of shocks can completely ruin your new graphics card. You've been warned!

Steps to Installing Your Graphics Card

1. Turn off your computer and unplug all power cords. Remove the side panel to gain access to the inside of your computer. Don’t touch any of the components inside.
2. With the side panel off, lay your computer on its side. Locate either the PCI-Express slot on your motherboard.
3. If you’re building this computer for the first time, the IO plate covering the AGP/PCI-Express slot in the back of your computer should still be in place. Remove it, being careful not to touch any components. Some cases have their IO plates secured with screws or tabs, others simply require you to twist them off.
4. Carefully remove your graphics card from its box, and it should be in an anti-static bag. It’s a good idea to keep your graphics card in this bag until the very moment you’re going to install it. Open the bag and pick up your video card by its side edges (try to touch the card as little as possible too). If you're not using an anti-static wrist band, then make sure you're holding onto your computer case with one hand when picking up the video card in your other, so that you don't create static electricity that may damage your card.
5. Now you’re ready to plug your card into the PCI-Express slot. Do this gently, but make sure the card is firmly slotted in. When your graphics card is in place, some cards require you to screw it in. Check the documentation that you got with the card if you are unsure about this (or anything else for that matter).
6. Once the graphics card has been secured to the case, you can re-install the side panel of your case, connect your monitor to your graphics card, and turn your computer back on!

Installing the Graphics Card Drivers

Now that your graphics card has been installed, the only thing left to do is install the drivers. Your graphics card should come with its own drivers on CD, so once you’ve turned your PC on, simply insert the drivers CD and follow the instructions.
It’s important to note that the drivers that come with your graphics card are sometimes outdated. So you will need to visit your video card manufacturer’s website and download the latest drivers.




////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Install Sound Card - Step By Step Guide

In this article you will learn how to install sound cards with ease. The sound card installation process is very simple and will only require a few minutes of your time. As with installing any other PC component, make sure you are following the pc building safety guidelines at all times. Ok, here are the install sound card steps:

1. Power down your PC and unplug all power connections. This is a precaution you must follow when working on your PC.


2. Now open up your PC case. There are different methods of doing this depending on the type of your case, but most are opened by simply sliding off a cover of some sort.


3. If your PC already has a sound card installed, then you will need to remove it first. If there's no dedicated sound card installed already, just move onto step 4.
   Remove the old sound card by firstly unplugging all connections to the card such as speaker cable connections, and then pull the card straight out from its slot on the motherboard. Do this slowly and carefully. You may need to rock the card back and forth a bit so that you can pull it out.


4. Install the new sound card into the slot where the old one was, or into a spare PCI slot that you can find on the motherboard. Most sound cards these days are designed with the common PCI interface. The card should slide into its slot easily. Make sure it is firmly inserted before moving on.


5. Now connect the audio cable into the sound card's CD-IN socket. If you can't find the CD-IN socket on your card, refer to the card's documentation. After you've done that, connect the other end of the audio cable into your CD/DVD drive.


6. Replace the computer case's cover and you're all done. I told you that a sound card install was dead easy!

Once your sound card has been fitted you will need to install current drivers. The latest drivers for your sound card should have come with the card itself, otherwise you should be able to download them online from the manufacturer's website.




////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

How To Install a Monitor And Drivers

In this short and sweet article we explain how to install a monitor and drivers for your newly built PC. This has got to be one of the easiest steps out of all in building a computer, and I'm fairly sure that most of you will be able to do this without any help at all.


Connect the monitor to your PC
The first step to installing your new monitor is to plug it in to your PC. Monitors are usually connected via two cables, the first being the one that plugs into the video output port on the back of your video card.
If your PC has on-board graphics instead of a dedicated graphics card, then you will find the video port on the back of your motherboard. Either way, make sure the cable connector is screwed in nice and tightly to the video port.
Also, if you've got yourself a fancy new LCD TV instead of a normal LCD/CRT monitor then it plugs into either the HDMI port or S-Video port on your PC.
The second cable that the monitor comes with plugs into a power source. Instead of plugging the power cable straight into a wall socket, we recommend that you plug it into a good surge protector. Monitors can be sensitive to power surges and spikes, therefore it's a good idea to protect yourself and your equipment by doing this. It's not 100% necessary though.

Installing Monitor Drivers
Note: If you're following our PC Installation Guide step by step, then you won't be able to turn on your monitor and install monitor drivers just yet because you haven't even installed the operating system yet! Come back to this step after you have installed the operating system.
Once your monitor is plugged in for the first time and you turn on the PC, Windows will hopefully detect the new monitor and ask for your drivers installation disk that should have come with your monitor.
If you haven't got the disk for some reason, you should be able to download the latest drivers from the manufacturer's website. Otherwise, you can let Windows install the monitor as a generic Plug and Play Monitor. For most cases this is fine too.




////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

How To Install A DVD Drive Or CD Drive -
Step by Step Instructions

Here you will learn how to install a DVD drive or a CD drive quickly and easily. Installing one of these drives in your PC is very straightforward.


If you need help choosing a DVD drive for your PC, check out our tips to selecting the best dvd burner for your needs. Also, if you're confused about DVD drive terminology you can learn about them with our guide on different dvd formats.




Ok, let's get to installation. In the following steps we will refer to the process of how to install DVD drives, though take note that a CD drive install is pretty much the exact same procedure. Here are the steps:

1. The first step, which is the same for installing any computer components, is to turn off your PC and unplug all power cords.


2. Now open up your computer case and locate a spare drive bay. Your PC should have a few drive bays, and your DVD drive is going to live in one of these bays. Remove the front cover of the bay. This is done from either inside the PC case or on the outside, depending on your case.


3. Now you need to set the jumper settings for the drive. Most CD/DVD drives use what's called an IDE interface, where it is possible to have two devices running on the same cable. For each device on the cable, you need to set its mode as either 'master' or 'slave', depending on whether it is the primary drive or secondary. You can set these jumper settings on the back of your DVD drive.
   So if you're installing your DVD drive onto an existing cable, then set the jumper settings to slave. Or if it's going to use its own cable then set the jumper to master. Most people's setups will have the DVD drive as a slave to the hard drive.


4. The next part of how to install a dvd drive is simple, actually fit the drive into the bay. Usually you just have to slide the DVD drive into the drive bay of your PC case, and screw it into place with the holes. You will need a Phillips head screwdriver for this.


5. Now you need to connect the cables. If you have a regular setup of the hard drive being the master drive and your dvd drive being the slave drive, then find a free connection on the IDE ribbon cable that runs between the hard drive and the motherboard and connect it to the DVD drive.
   On the other hand, if your DVD drive will be the master drive then plug the IDE cable into the right slot on your motherboard, and then plug the other end of the IDE cable into your DVD drive.


6. All that is left to install a dvd drive is to plug in the power cords. Find a 4 pin Molex connector from your computer's power supply and connect it to the DVD drive's power connector. Now you can close your PC case and turn you PC on.

Now you know how to install a CD ROM drive or a DVD drive with ease. Very simple isn't it? You can learn how to install all your other computer parts at the PC installation guide of our site here.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

First Boot Up And BIOS Setup

Before attempting the first boot up for your computer, you should check over your new build. Make sure all your components are installed properly. Your monitor, PC case, and speakers should all by connected to a power source in the wall. Switch these on, and then press the On button which should be located at the front of your PC case.
The power light on the front of your PC should light up, you should also hear the whim of the CPU fan and any PSU fans, and also the hard drive spinning.
A few seconds later you should see some text being displayed on the monitor, and then eventually display something like "unable to load operating system". If this happens then the first boot up was a success and you can continue to the next step which is configuring your BIOS.

Install The Operating System

Once you have configured the BIOS for the first time, you can continue to install your operating system. Most of you will be installing Windows 7 or 8 and all you need to do is follow the basic steps on-screen after putting in the Windows disk.
It's as simple as that. Once you have installed the operating system, you are all done and ready to play. As you see, building your own custom PC is a very straightforward process these days.




////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


http://www.build-gaming-computers.com/how-to-build-a-pc.html