Mr. Mojo

I know most of us here on OCN have already learned the ins and outs of building our own rigs, but I see the question come up from time to time. My aim here is to provide a basic understanding of the tools, materials, and safety considerations involved in building your own so that even someone who has never done it before will have a general idea of what to expect.

This 2 part guide will be divided into 4 sections: Preparation, Purchasing, Assembling, and Testing. I will try to keep this guide as generic as possible so that it can be used for a wide variety of hardware choices. If anyone has something to add or change in my How To guide, please feel free to let me know either through PM or by posting in this thread. I will update the original post to reflect the changes.


Step 1: Preparation

Let me start by saying that building your own computer is not difficult. PC components are engineered to be easily replaceable with only a small selection of tools and a basic understanding of electronics. With that said, building your own is not for everyone. You will have to weigh the pro's and cons and decide if this is something you really want to do. To help with this decision, I will list some of the pro's for both home built and factory built computers.

DIY:

only the components you want, without any extras or unnecessary components/software
can be a more powerful system at a lower cost
can be customized to fit your style, user habits, and budget
the satisfaction of showing it to others and saying "I made this"

Pre-built

the components are guaranteed to work together
full warranty
basic system is cheaper than a DIY
less work

Keep in mind that you will need both time and a suitable work environment to build your own. If you can't devote at bare minimum several hours to this project, or if you do not have a clean, flat, large surface to build it on, this may not be the best project to take on.

As a first time builder, there are a few things you can do before you even get to the planning phase. Make sure you have a clean area to do the work. You don't need a fully equipped lab - a simple desk or kitchen table/counter top is fine. To protect your components during the assembly phase, you will need some form of static protection. Many PC shops sell anti static mats, which are a wise investment if you think you will be building PC's or changing components on a regular basis. At the very least, I strongly recommend purchasing an anti-static wrist strap. These items protect your sensitive components from static electricity.

You will need a few other simple tools. I recommend at the very least a #2 and #1 Phillips screwdriver of standard length, and a pair of needle nosed pliers. There are situations where short and long #2 Phillips screwdrivers can come in handy. It also helps to have tweezers, a flashlight, and a retractable magnetic tip "grabber" to pick up hard-to-reach dropped screws.

Make sure you can set aside at least 4-6 hours for assembly. I'd recommend a full day just to be safe. Try to make sure you won't have too many distractions such as frequent phone calls, children, or needy pets. I know these distractions aren't always avoidable, but a quiet, calm environment is beneficial.


Step 2: Purchasing

Once you've gone over the previous checklist, you will need to decide what components you want to use. This is a decision that no one can make for you. Research and recommendations are extremely important here, but the ultimate deciding factors will be your budget and what you plan to do with the rig.

Your budget and your expected usage go hand in hand, and both will need to be considered at the same time. You won't need a $1500+ beast for checking emails and browsing the web, and you can't build a high end gaming system for $250. Think about what you want to do with the computer. If you only want to browse the internet and check emails or do basic office work, you can get by with a much cheaper build. If you want to play all the latest games with the highest settings, you will be paying quite a bit more. If you want a HTPC (Home Theater Personal Computer), the price will fall somewhere in between. Here are a few examples of usage types/budgets to help you decide:

Ultra Budget:
This is a basic, no frills email/browser type build. You can get by just fine with a single core CPU, small amount of RAM, on-board video, and an open source OS. You won't be able to play games or watch high end video on this build.

General Use
To me, a general use computer falls into the "family" category. This build would be suitable for browsing/email, light gaming, media playback/HTPC, office/productivity, etc.

Budget Gamer
The next step up from a general use build. Able to play most games at decent framerates and acceptable eye candy settings. The budget gamer can double as a family/general use computer as well, but the added muscle will make everything move along faster.

High End Gamer
You want the best, and money is no object. Capable of playing every game on the market (except maybe Crysis ) with all the bells and whistles and framerates that border on the insane. Strong men will weep like babies, and women will fight for the chance to gaze upon your greatness when they see your system specs/benchmark results.


You can see a few examples of build ideas here.


All of these computers have a few components in common. These are the basic building blocks, and they are not optional.


CPU (Central Processing Unit): Also known as the processor - The CPU is the brain of the computer. This is where most of the calculations take place. CPU's can range from a low end single core to a high end quad core. This component will scale with the type of build you have planned. You will need to decide which manufacturer you want to side with. Intel is generally considered to have the fastest parts right now, but AMD has some nice parts in the budget/server category as well.

Motherboard: Also known as the mainboard - The choice of motherboard will be directly related to the choice of CPU, as AMD and Intel use different socket configurations which are not compatible with each other. You will need to decide if you want to overclock or not, how much/which type of RAM you will be using, which type of video adapter you will use, whether or not to go for SLI/Crossfire, which type of hard drive/disk drive and whether or not you want a RAID configuration. The motherboard is the backbone of the build, so most of the decisions you make will reflect on the choice of motherboard.

RAM: Most current builds will require DDR2 RAM. If you decide on a high end build, the new Intel and AMD CPU's are designed to use DDR3. Like the CPU, this component will scale with the type of build you decide on. For budget builds, you can use as little as 512KB (Kilobytes) without problems. If you plan to do anything more advanced than browsing the web or checking emails, you will need more. If you plan to run Vista or play any games or multimedia, I recommend at least 2GB (Gigabytes). With current RAM prices being so low, there is no real reason not to have at least 2GB, and even 4 or 8GB could be considered a decent amount.

PSU (Power Supply Unit): As the name suggests, this component supplies power to everything in the computer. PSU's get alot of attention, and for good reason. If this component fails, it has a tendency to take everything else with it. This is one component where I can not stress strongly enough that you must do your homework! Make sure you buy one with enough power to run your system, and stay away from the super cheap generic models. Even if you have to skimp on everything else, do not skimp here. Remember to look at the power requirements on each component (especially the graphics card) and make sure that the PSU you choose has all the plugs you will need. A very basic build will require either a 20 or 24 pin motherboard connector (and possibly another 4 pin connector), a molex connector for the disk drive, a molex or SATA connector for the hard drive, and possibly a 6 or 8 pin connector for the graphics card. Fans, extra drives, lights, water cooling pumps, and temperature sensors may also require connectors.

HDD (Hard Disk Drive): Hard drives are the main storage for the computer. There are several different types and currently sizes ranging from 80GB up to a terabyte or more. For a low end build, an 80GB 5400RPM IDE drive is sufficient. If you plan to run Vista, game, or store large amounts of data, a 160GB (or higher) 7200RPM SATA drive is recommended. High end builds can go with 10kRPM Raptors or solid state drives. Depending on the build, you may even want to try a RAID array, where multiple drives are chained together so that the OS sees it as a single drive. This can increase performance (sometimes dramatically) but it also introduces potential problems (if 1 drive of a RAID0 array dies, all the data on the array is lost).

Case: Also known as the tower - This is, of course, where you house all the components. The main considerations here are size and cooling capabilities. You won't need a full tower for a micro ATX build, and you won't have much luck water cooling a high end rig in a mini tower or HTPC case.

Monitor: This choice is completely personal preference. Simply choose a monitor with the size, resolution, and response time/refresh rate you want. I'm a big fan of LCD's because they don't cause eye strain like cheaper CRT's and they are usually far more power efficient.

Keyboard/Mouse: Again, this is completely up to personal preference. Gamers may prefer a programmable multiple button laser mouse and customizable keyboard, where a regular user may prefer a basic, cheap set.

OS (Operating System): This is the software that tells the computer how to work. For a custom built rig, your choices are basically either an open source OS like Linux, or Windows. Both have advantages and disadvantages, so the decision is again based on what you plan to do with the computer.

Linux:
free
many variations so you can find one that fits your needs
can modify it in any way you want
secure

Windows:
widely supported
easy to configure/use
has DirectX support for gaming


There are also a few semi optional components that are strongly recommended, but not absolutely required for the low end builds.


Optical Drive: Also known as CD or DVD ROM/burner/writer - It is technically possible to go without one, but it is more trouble than it is worth. A new, high quality DVD burner will only cost about $20-$30 so there is no real reason not to buy one.

GPU (Graphics Processing Unit): Also known as graphics/video card - Many motherboards come with IGP's (Integrated Graphics Processors). This is generally enough for basic 2d work (browsing, email, light office work, etc), but if you plan to play even light 3d games, watch DVD's or other relatively high end video, use a high resolution monitor, or run Windows Vista, a discrete (stand alone) GPU is strongly recommended. One of the best reasons to build your own computer as opposed to buying a pre-built one is the fact that you can easily add a discrete video card. Most pre-built computers from the big name retailers like Dell and HP only provide IGP's. Many of them also come with smaller PSU's which are incapable of powering a discrete video card, and some of them don't even provide a PCIe (Peripheral Component Interconnect express) slot. Take advantage of the fact that you can easily add a real video card to your build. Even a cheap PCIe card is lightyears ahead of integrated when it comes to performance.

Speakers: Computer speakers can range from a basic, un-amplified 2 speaker configuration or headphones, up to a high end audiophile quality 7.1 set. Choose the set that fits your needs and budget.


There are, of course, endless variations in computer configurations. Multi-card readers, countless air/water cooling options, sound cards, network adapters, lights, fan controllers, the list is endless. Take some time looking through the build logs here and here or simply spend some time looking at other OCN members sig rigs to get a general idea of what's available.

The choices of where to buy are as limitless as the choice of components. I prefer to buy most of my components new from a reputable on-line retailer, but the choice is entirely up to you.

__________________

Mr. Mojo

In part 1 of this guide, I discussed the planning and purchasing stages of a new computer build. In part 2, I will discuss the assembly and testing of this computer.


Step 3: Assembly

So, the big day has arrived. Now what?


Check List:
First, you should unpack the components and make sure you received everything you ordered. There are few things in life more annoying than ordering all the parts and waiting for shipping, only to find that one of the primary components wasn't included. Do not remove the components from the anti static bags until you are ready to install them! All you need to do right now is compare the items with your packing list to make sure everything arrived. You should also look for obvious signs of damage during shipping.

Case:
Now that you're sure everything arrived safely, you can start the assembly process. I like to start by prepping the case. Remove all the packing materials (Styrofoam inserts, plastic overlays, etc.). Many cases will require you to mount the feet yourself. You can knock out the generic backplate and replace it with the one made for your motherboard, as many blank 5 1/4 bay plates as you need to remove, and any card blanks you won't need. It may be better to wait to remove the card blanks so you can make sure to remove the proper ones. Don't remove any blanks you don't have to, as these will help stabilize the case and help keep it sealed against bugs, dust, etc. At this point, I also like to clip on my anti-static wrist strap and install the PSU, fans, and HDD/optical drive. Installing these components now can save some trouble later on, as the case can get crowded when the motherboard is installed. If your case has the motherboard mounting holes marked, you can install the studs now too. Make sure the studs are placed where they need to be for your particular motherboard, as an improperly placed one can short out the motherboard.

Motherboard (prep):
Once the case is prepped, you can move on to the motherboard. It is usually easier to install the CPU/cooler and RAM with the motherboard outside the case. Do not lay the motherboard on its anti-static bag! The bag is electrically conductive, and you can short out the motherboard just by touching the bag. Some motherboards (Gigabyte and Asus for example) are shipped with a non conductive piece of foam laying under the board itself. This is an ideal material to lay the motherboard on during assembly. If no foam was provided, lay the motherboard on a semi-soft, non-conductive material such as a piece of plywood or a cutting board. At this point, it is safe to remove any protective items such as pin guards in the CPU socket. Last but not least, I like to clear the CMOS using the jumper if available, or whichever method your manual recommends. This way you won't run into problems if your particular motherboard was picked for testing.

CPU:
Follow the installation instructions for your CPU, and remember, this isn't a race. Take your time here, as CPU's and/or motherboards (depending on configuration) have many small pins that are easily bent. CPU's are designed to drop into place, so do not force anything. The CPU is keyed so that it only fits one way, so if it isn't fitting, make sure you have it situated properly. Try not to touch the top of the CPU, as oils in your skin can interfere with heat transfer. Once the CPU is in place, you can use rubbing alcohol and a Q-Tip/lint-free cloth to clean the top.

RAM:
Sometimes, especially if you are using an aftermarket CPU cooler, it is easier to install the RAM before you install the CPU cooler. Many CPU coolers are bulky and they can hang over the RAM slots on some motherboards. To install the RAM, first consult your motherboard manual. If you purchased 2 sticks of RAM, you can usually run it in dual-channel mode, which will provide a substantial performance boost. Check with the manual to make sure you use the correct RAM slots. Once you have identified the proper RAM slots, make sure the stays at either end of the slot are open (pointing away from the slot). Next, you will need to line the RAM up properly (it is keyed like the CPU). Set it on top of the RAM slot, and press down firmly until the stays on either end snap into place. Do this for each stick of RAM.

CPU Cooler:
Once the CPU and RAM are in place, you can install the CPU cooler. There are many different mounting configurations, so my only advice here is to follow the mounting instructions provided with the cooler. If you want to use an aftermarket thermal paste, now is the time to prep the CPU/cooler and apply it.

Motherboard (installation):
Now that the motherboard and case are both prepped, you can combine the two. First, lay the case on it's side. Make sure the case is on a flat, stable surface. Also make sure there are no cables or extra studs/screws in the motherboard mounting area. Carefully pick up the motherboard by the corners (not the CPU cooler) and place it inside the case, making sure that all the studs line up properly. Be careful not to scrape the motherboard against the case as you could damage it very easily in this step. Once the motherboard is in place, screw it down onto the studs. You don't have to crank down on the screws, just snug them down until they bottom out.

Wiring:
When all the screws are in place, you can begin connecting the wires. I usually start with the front panel wires since they can be hard to reach later on. Once again, it is a good idea to consult the motherboard manual to make sure you connect everything properly since the motherboard itself isn't always labeled clearly. Pay special attention to the orientation of the power/HDD activity LED's on the front panel. If they are backwards, they will not work at all. If you look closely, you can usually find either a + (positive marker) or a small arrow to denote the positive wire on the LED cables. If you will be installing cards (graphics, sound, network, etc.) make sure you route the wires around the slots.

Cards:
If you decided on a discrete graphics card, sound card, etc, now is the time to install them. PCIe and AGP graphics card slots will usually have some form of lock, but the lock should not hamper the installation process. As you did with the RAM, line the card up on top of the socket and press in firmly. Once the cards are in place, it is safe to screw them down.

Once all the components are in place and properly secured and connected, you can remove the wrist strap and install the side panel. Close it all up, you're done with the hardware part.

Connection/First Boot:
Now you are ready to hook it up and hit the power button. Right now it won't do much since there is no software installed. Mostly you just want to make sure that everything is working, you're getting a signal to the monitor, and you don't hear any beep codes. When you're sure everything is working properly, you can enter the BIOS (Basic Input Output System). BIOS is usually entered by pressing the Delete key but consult your manual if it doesn't work. Change any settings you need, such as RAM voltage, boot sequence, etc. The main thing you need to do right now is make sure the computer is set to boot off the optical drive first. Again, consult your motherboard manual to see how this is done.

OS Installation:
Both Windows and Linux offer the ability to boot/install directly off the installation disk. This step is pretty straightforward, just insert the disk and follow the on-screen instructions.

Drivers:
If everything went properly, you should now be up and running. Congratulations! Now you need to install the drivers so that your OS knows what to do with all those shiny new parts.

For Windows, I usually start by seeing if I have an active internet connection. Sometimes Windows has default drivers that work with your NIC (Network Interface Card), sometimes it doesn't. If you are able to connect to the internet, go to the device manufacturer's website for each of the following components: motherboard, NIC (if not integrated), GPU, and sound card. Download the latest drivers for each of these components, and install them in that order. You will more than likely have to reboot between each driver installation, so it may be easier to download them one at a time. If you aren't able to connect to the internet, insert the driver disk that came with your motherboard (if you are using an integrated NIC) or network adapter and install the proper network drivers. I prefer to download the latest drivers instead of installing them off the disk, but either way works.

For Linux, most components should have suitable drivers installed by default. If not, you may get lucky and find a working driver at the manufacturer's website, or you may have to ask around on Linux support forums to see if one is available.

Once you have the latest drivers for your components, update the OS. With Windows, you can either wait until you see an update notification (not recommended) or you can just run Windows Update. For Linux, you should get an update notification as soon as your internet connection is active.

Step 4: Testing

Now it's time to test it all out. There are countless programs for testing stability, and each has pros and cons, so I will just mention a few of my favorites.

RAM: I use Memtest 86. Burn it to disk, and reboot with the disk in the drive. I prefer to let this run overnight.

CPU: I use Orthos. Set it to run Small FFT's and let it run for a couple of hours.

GPU: I use ATITool. Don't let the name fool you, the artifact scan works perfectly fine on Nvidia GPU's as well as ATI. Run it for at least an hour.

You can also get a general idea of how stable the system is by running something like 3DMark 06 or loading up your favorite game for a few hours.



Congratulations, you've just built your own computer from start to finish. Now that you are confident in your abilities, it's time to start looking into some other hobbies, like Folding, water cooling, overclocking, or case modding.







Followup: Misc. Info

I thought it might be helpful to go into a bit more detail on some of the components mentioned earlier in this guide. Hopefully this will answer any potential questions.

1. Multiple GPU Configurations

For the ultimate in performance (at the cost of some extra effort), multiple graphics cards can be chained together. This allows you to get massive performance from less expensive cards, or it allows you to have the absolute best possible graphics performance by using multiple high end cards. There are several ways to do this.

ATI offers an option called Crossfire. Crossfire setups can be configured in 1 of 2 ways. The first method is to install multiple ATI video cards in a Crossfire capable motherboard. The second method is to use one of ATI's "x2" cards, where dual GPU's are mounted on a single card. Crossfire can currently be configured to run 2, 3, or 4 GPU's.

Nvidia offers an option called SLI (Scalable Link Interface). Like Crossfire, SLI can be configured by using an SLI compatible motherboard and multiple Nvidia GPU's, or a graphics card with dual GPU's (Nvidia's "GX2" cards). Sli, like Crossfire, can also be configured to run 2, 3, or 4 GPU's.

The third option is to buy a motherboard with the x58 chipset, which is the only chipset currently capable of supporting both SLI and Crossfire.

SLI and Crossfire can both provide substantial performance gains, but they can also introduce new problems. Not all software is written to take advantage of multiple GPU configurations (although most of the newer games do have support) and you are at the mercy of either ATI or Nvidia to provide proper driver support and/or bug fixes.


2. Hard Drive Configrations

Currently, the 2 most common options for hard drive connections are IDE and SATA. IDE is a legacy connection, and it does not provide enough bandwidth for today's high end hard drives, although optical drives are able to run on the IDE bus without issue (except for Blu-Ray drives).

SATA can be configured in several types of RAID arrays, where multiple hard drives are chained together. The most common methods are RAID0, RAID1, and RAID0+1.

In RAID0, the drives are combined so that the OS sees only 1 large drive. This provides a performance boost, as data can be read from and written to the different drives simultaneously. As I mentioned earlier, RAID0 adds extra risk, since 1 drive failing can make all the data on the RAID0 array inaccessible.

RAID1 is a simple real-time backup solution. In RAID1, multiple drives are cloned. This provides a full backup of the primary drive in real-time, but it should not be considered a completely secure backup solution since a virus, malware, or any other software problem with the drive will also be copied.

RAID0+1 is of course a combination of RAID0 and RAID1. You get the performance boost, and also the redundancy. The main drawback to this method is that you will be running 4 or more drives, but only have half the total capacity at best.


3. RAM

Most modern computers use 2, 4, or 8GB of RAM, although some motherboards offer support for much more. Since the days of Windows XP, Microsoft has provided both 32bit and 64bit versions of their OS. 32bit versions are limited to a maximum of 4GB, and this includes system RAM and graphics card memory. To use more than approximately 3.2 gigs of system RAM (varies due to different RAM amounts and GPU configurations), you will need a 64bit OS.


Followup 2: Useful Links


CPU Overclocking

G-Byte's AMD OC links - links to system specific AMD overclocking guides (AM2, 939, etc.)

NoAffinity's Intel OC Guide - General Intel overclocking guide

Pauldovi's Intel OC Guide - more in-depth guide for Intel systems


GPU Overclocking

Mootsfox's ATI Essentials - Everything you ever wanted to know about ATI

J.D's Nvidia OC Guide - step-by-step instructions for configuring RivaTuner to OC your Nvidia GPU


Cable Management

Burn's Cable Management Guide - Useful info and links to other helpful guides

__________________

Aeloi

Nice work so far!

__________________
Portables: Cowon D2 4GB + 16GB SDHC A-Data w/ Sennheiser HD 555, Asus EEE 1000HE w/ 2GB RAM #!
If your going to eat your hard drive like a sandwich, how far would you have to open your mouth?

rmvvwls

Awesome. Wish I found a guide like this when I started.
Rep+

__________________

GivingHope

Seems pretty well written... just need to expand more... Too bad like 90% of the people here already know how to build their own

__________________

BobbyChicken

It should come up through google still though. I imagine google is where you first found out about this forum.

G|F.E.A.D|Killa

actually i was on a fear server and someone told me about it.

__________________
Intel Core i7 9 series batch info and submission thread.

noahmateen1234

awesome guide +rep. hopefully lots of people see this and are able to show the newbies this when they join the forum. thanks for the guide (even though i dont need it lol)

__________________
How to share files between Windows and Mac
Interior Case Painting Guide

KoolMan

i think you guys might of killed it he could have needed the first couple of replys spaces to add the rest of the guide

but nice work so far
*sticky*?

__________________
iPhone Club

Selling my Gaming Rig

Gaming Rigl

Mr. Mojo

Thanks guys. I'm hoping this will be helpful for those occasional "how do I build a PC" posts.

I learned how to build them back in the early Socket7 days (first build was a P1 90Mhz). My father-in-law taught me some, but he didn't know all that much about it either. Mostly I learned from trial and error and picking up the occasional tip from a friend or on tech sites. I thought it would be nice to have the basics all in 1 easy to find place.

__________________