A DIY Computer may seem to be overwhelming, but putting your own PC together is not as hard as you might think, and there are not as many components to put together as one might imagine. There are many benefits to doing this such as saving money, getting exactly what you want out of your PC and none of the things that you do not need. If you don’t feel like picking out the parts yourself, but still want to build your own computer, you can get a barebones diy computer kit at many places online.
The key elements include: Power supply, mother board, CPU processor (Central Processing Unit), heat sink, memory/RAM, hard drive and CD/DVD drives. For some people the excess drives are not needed and you do not have to include them. If you change your mind, you can either add them later or use an external drive that is usually connected to your computer by a USB cable.
The first thing you will need is a case to hold all the elements together, and for this it is just a matter of taste and desk space. There is a desktop version that sits under the monitor, and the tower version sits upright either on or under the desk. Of course, there are many color options to choose from; the only important thing is proper ventilation for the components inside.
The mother board is the most important part of the computer. It connects everything together from the processor to the drives. You can purchase them with built in video and graphics cards, or you can find some with slots to add your own. For some people the graphics and video is more important, and for others, they want to edit audio and might want additional cards for that.
Without electricity, your computer will not run; therefore, a power supply is needed. This connects the mother board to the outlet and comes with an on/off switch and a fan to keep it from over heating. Even with this cooling system in place, you will still want to get a heat sink that will keep the processor cool. There are so many circuits and so much power running through the system, that getting too hot is a real issue if you do not take care of it.
The processor or CPU is the brains behind the computer. It will say on the packaging whether it is a dual core or a quad core. All this means is the number of micro chips inside of it. The more chips it has, the faster it will run.
The CPU works together with the RAM (random access memory), which you will also need to buy. It differs from a hard drive in that it makes the information in the hard drive that you are using at the moment easily accessible for the processor. It is kind of like your short-term memory in your brain as opposed to the long-term memory you have. By looking at the types of programs you will be using on your computer, it should be a good gauge as to how much RAM you need to get.
The hard drive is something you definitely will need (CD/DVD drives are optional). Different drives come with different amounts of memory, so gauging how much you will need so that you do not overspend is completely up to you. Once the computer is together, you will load your operating system that allows you to connect with the files and programs that you will be using.
For additional drive space, you can also use a flash drive or a Secure Digital (SD) card. This stores lots of information in a very small space and can make it portable to go from one computer to the next. More often people are option for a micro SD card, which is even smaller than the original, and for some brands of computers you might need to get a micro SD adaptor so that it can be read.
Fit these elements together, inside the case or tower. You should be able to see where these pieces connect and fit together. A modem (which allows your computer to connect to the web is also optional, though these days it is probably a necessity.
By knowing how to build a computer, now DIY computer repairs are much easier too. Since you know how the components fit together, you can understand more easily what is not working and what you might need to fix or replace.