By James Bernstein

Copyright © 2019 by James Bernstein. All rights reserved.

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever
without the express written permission of the publisher
except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Printed in the United States of America
Bernstein, James
Building Your Own Computer Made Easy
Book 6 in the Computers Made Easy series
For more information on reproducing sections of this book or sales of this book, go to
www.onlinecomputertips.com

Contents
Introduction

Chapter 1 – Why Build Your Own Computer?

The Experience
Get The Parts You Want
Save Money
Downsides to Building Your Own Computer

Chapter 2 – Choosing Components

The Parts You Will Need
What You Should Look for
Where to get your parts
Chapter 3 – Planning Your Build
Getting Organized
Required Tools
Getting Help If Needed

Chapter 4 – Putting the Pieces Together

Assembly Order
Installing Components on the Motherboard
Installing Components in the Case
Case\Power Supply Connections and Standalone Cards

Chapter 5 – Initial Power Up

What to Expect
Accessing the BIOS\UEFI Settings
Troubleshooting a Blank Screen

Chapter 6 – Installing Your Operating System

Changing the Boot Order
Making a Bootable Flash Drive
Installing Windows
Installing Linux

What’s Next?

About the Author

Introduction
Even though computers have lost some of their popularity thanks to
smartphones and tablets, they are still an invaluable tool to have both at home
and in the office. There are things you can do with computers that you can’t
do with your mobile devices and, let’s face it, who wants to look at a six inch
screen all day?
There are many computer manufacturers that make many different models of
computers with various specifications, which gives you a lot of choices, but
still may not give you everything you want. It’s like buying a car that has all
the options you want but is missing one feature (such as heated seats) which
might make it a deal breaker.
This is where building your own computer comes into play. When you are
able to select the exact components you want inside your computer, then you
end up with a computer that has everything you want. The only problem is
that you can’t just go to the store and pick it up and bring it home and plug it
in. It will most likely involve several hours of work and a little bit of
aggravation along the way.
This book was written to give you a hand in building your new computer by
guiding you through the process of selecting the parts, assembling the
computer, and then making sure everything works properly after all the
pieces are in place. The build process for computers will not be exactly the
same for everyone, so keep that in mind when going through this book if
something doesn’t make sense. You may still need to do a little research on
your own for issues related to your specific build.
Once you have everything assembled and get your operating system in place,
you can sit back and do all of your customizations and be proud of the
monster that you have just created. On that note, let’s get building!
 Chapter 1 - Why Build Your Own Computer?
Before deciding to build your own computer you may have asked yourself
why you wanted to take on the task, or maybe if you really even wanted to at
all. Sure it can be intimidating at first (or even after you have built a few), but
that doesn’t mean it’s something you shouldn’t try at least once if you are the
techy type who likes to have the hands-on experience with their electronics.
The Experience
If you plan to maybe work in the computer\IT field or are into electronics as a
hobby, then building your own computer is a great way to get some
experience with how computers are built and the components that work
together to make everything function.
Once you have an understanding of how computers work and what pieces do
what, it will help you to troubleshoot and solve computer-related problems
that arise. Plus, it will give you the knowledge and confidence to dig into
your computer to do things such as replace faulty parts or do upgrades in the
future. You will also be a hero to all your friends and family once you start
fixing their computer problems.
Many beginning computer classes will require you to have an understanding
of how computers work and how to diagnose issues. If you plan on taking a
certification test such as the CompTIA A+ exam, then having this experience
will definitely be useful to help you pass and get your certification.

Get The Parts You Want

Like I just mentioned, when you buy a computer off the shelf you are stuck
with the components that it comes with, and it might not be your ideal
computer. Sure, you should be able to find something that is close enough,
but why settle if you don’t have to?
Also keep in mind that even though the computer specs sound good, it
doesn’t mean they are the greatest quality parts. If a computer at the store
boasts 32GB (gigabytes) of RAM (Random Access Memory) that might
sound great, but if it’s some cheap no name brand of memory then that might
make it not so great. Most computers off the shelf will only give you
information about the make and model of the processor and maybe the video
card.
If you are building a computer for a specific purpose (such as gaming or
video editing), then you might need some higher end or more powerful
components such as a better video card or a larger amount of RAM. When
you choose your own parts then you can get exactly what you need so your
new computer will be able to handle whatever you throw at it.

Save Money
Many years ago, building your own computer was a way to save yourself
some money since new computers were much more expensive than they are
now. So, if you are thinking that building your own computer will be cheaper
than buying a new one, this may or may not be the case depending on how
you go about it.
If you are just building a computer to be used for the basics such browsing
the Internet and sending emails, then you might be better off just buying
something from your local electronics store or online since you can probably
get it cheaper than buying all of the parts separately yourself.
But, if you are building a computer with the latest and greatest parts, then it
will last you much longer than a cheap one off the shelf because it will stay
“up to date” longer than a generic one from the store. I went all out on a
computer build and it lasted me over eight years before I replaced it, and was
a better performing computer than most of the models you could buy new in
the store. The only reason I replaced it was that the power supply went out
and I figured why not take the opportunity to start over with something even
faster.
When you use quality parts then there is less of a chance of something going
out on you requiring that part to be replaced, or even the whole computer
needing to be replaced. Certain models also have custom components that
might be an odd size to fit in the case, which can limit your options for
replacement parts, or you might have to track down an OEM (original
equipment manufacturer) part at an increased cost.
So, the bottom line is that building your own computer might not save you
money in the short term, but should save you money in the long run
compared to buying something with no name generic parts from your local
electronics store.

Downsides to Building Your Own Computer

Just like with most things, there are downsides to building your own
computer, and trying to do so will not be the right choice for everyone. You
should really give the process some thought before trying to take on the
expensive, time consuming, and even many time frustrating task of building
your own computer, especially if you have never done it before and don’t
have anyone to help you if you get in a jam.
One of the biggest downsides to building your own computer is that you will
not have a warranty for the entire thing. Sure you will have a warranty on the
parts you use for a limited amount of time, but when something goes wrong,
you will be responsible for determining which component is to blame. If you
buy a computer off the shelf and it dies then you can simply contact the
manufacturer and they will fix it or replace it if it’s still in the warranty time
period. Depending on where you got the parts to build your computer, it
might be harder to get things replaced when they go bad, especially if you got
them online.

Tip
You might find that you will have a longer warranty on many of your parts than you will have on an
entire computer if you were to buy one off the shelf. For example, many processors will have a three
year warranty where many computers will have a one year warranty for the entire thing
Another thing to keep in mind is that if you are having problems with
something not working (such as a blank screen when you turn your new
computer on), it will be up to you to figure out what the problem might be. (I
will be going over some steps to troubleshoot this kind of problem in Chapter
5 just in case it happens to you!)
I mentioned saving money earlier in this chapter, but there is a very good
chance that building your own computer will cost you more than you really
wanted to spend. Once you start pricing out parts and deciding that you want
the “good stuff”, then the total cost of you build can start to skyrocket. But if
money is not an object and you want the best you can get, then I suppose
there is nothing to worry about.
One other downside to building your own computer I want to mention is that
when your operating system decides to call it quits and gets to a point where
you can’t get your computer running again, then you will be looking at
starting from scratch.
Most new computers come with a recovery partition or recover disk that lets
you restore the computer back to the way it was when you bought it with all
the drivers and any software that came with it intact. If you install your own
OS and can’t get your computer going again, then will be forced to start from
scratch. One way around this is to get your computer to the way you want it
and then make an image of the entire OS and programs that can be restored in
case something goes wrong. Keep in mind that if you do have to restore your
image, it will only bring you as current as the date it was created on. Many
operating systems (such as Windows) have built-in recovery features that will
allow you to do this.
As you can see, building your own computer has its pros and cons, so before
deciding to take on the challenge, you should make sure you are up to it and
come up with a game plan so the process will go as smoothly as possible. I
will say that once you build your first computer it’s way easier the second
time, and even more so the time after that.
 Chapter 2 - Choosing Components
Like I mentioned in the last chapter, being able to choose the components
you want for your computer rather that assuming they are something decent
when you buy one already built is one of the benefits to building your own
computer. But if this is your first build, and you are not familiar with what
components are better than the next and are not sure what you want, then
there will be some research involved on your end.
The first thing you need to do when choosing components is to figure out
what you will be doing with your new computer, and which of these things
will require the most “horsepower” to run smoothly. For example, if you are
intending to play video games with detailed graphics, you will want to get a
higher end video card that can handle it, otherwise you might be dealing with
performance issues or having to turn the graphics quality down to have the
game play smoothly.

The Parts You Will Need

All computers will pretty much contain the same components, but there are
some that are optional, such as a floppy disk drive (kidding!). Like I
mentioned before, what you plan on doing with the computer will determine
what parts go into the computer, so you should make a list, decide what you
want, and put a price next to it so you can add everything up and see what
kind of cost you will be looking at.
Here is a rundown of the parts you will need and a brief description of what
they each do:
Case
The case is what you will be putting all of the components into, and don’t go
thinking that all cases are the same. You will need to plan out what type of
motherboard you are going to be using and get a case that will allow you to
mount that particular type of motherboard. For example, there are ATX
desktop, ATX full tower, ATX mid tower, ATX mini tower, mini ITX cases,
and so on. (ATX stands for Advanced Technology eXtended, in case you were
wondering.) There are other types as well, but for the typical home user, you
will be sticking with one of the ATX class of cases.
Figure 2.1

Other things you need to look for in a case is if it will have the room to house
all of your components that are not being installed on the motherboard, such
as your hard drive(s) and DVD drives. There is nothing worse than getting
your motherboard installed and then realizing you don’t have enough room
for a particular component and having to figure out a workaround.
Also make sure the power supply mounting location will not affect mounting
the motherboard or make it difficult to install your hard drives etc. Some
cases will come with a power supply already installed, and if you plan on
adding additional fans to the case, make sure there is a place to mount those
as well. Most cases will also come with a fan or fans installed, but many
people like to add additional fans to increase the air flow inside the case.
Speaking of air flow, make sure the case has adequate ventilation as well.
Your case buttons and lights will connect to the motherboard via wires in
order to do things like turn the power on and show hard drive activity and the
power light etc. Most of the time the connections will all work okay, but you
might want to make sure that all the case wires have a place to go on the
motherboard. (I will discuss how these wires connect when I discuss
assembling the components inside the case.)
Most cases will come with multiple hard drive and DVD drive bays. For the
most part, your DVD drive will be put in a 5.25 inch slot. Hard drives will
take a 3.5 inch slot or go in a 5.25 inch slot with an adapter. SSD (solid state)
hard drives tend to be smaller, and will go in a 2.5 inch slot or larger slot with
an adapter. Always make sure that you have enough of the right type of slots
(or adapters) to hold the drives that you will be installing.
You can tell a cheap case from a quality case by the way it is built and the
materials used in its construction. Getting a nicer case will make installing
your parts easier and give you an overall better build. Things will also tend to
fit better in a nicely built case. A nice case will cost you around $75 or more,
and some of them can be over $200! If you plan on using your own power
supply, then you can save some money and get one without the power supply
installed.

Tip
I prefer larger cases since they give you more options as to where you can install your components and
they also leave room for expansion. Plus, if you plan on working on your computer in the future, you
will be glad you have the extra room when you need to get your hands in there!

Power Supply
The power supply is what gives the computer and all of its components the
power to operate. These power supplies are installed inside of the case and
will have a variety of wired connections with different types of connectors for
things like hard drives, DVD drives, motherboard power, and so on.
Figure 2.2

It’s important to get the right types of connections on your power supply to
fit your motherboard and other components. A few years back you had to
worry about IDE and SATA hard drive and DVD drive power connections,
so you had to choose your power supply based on what types of drives you
had. For the most part, you won’t be using any old school IDE drives unless
you happen to have one laying around you plan on using. If that’s the case,
then there are IDE to SATA conversion adapters you can use. Figure 2.3
shows some of the various types of power connectors you will see with
today’s power supplies.
Figure 2.3

Higher end power supplies will have removable cables so you can attach only
the types you need and not have a lot of extra power connections that are not
being used sitting around inside your case and getting in the way. Cheaper
power supplies will have the cables hard wired to the power supply, and you
pretty much get what they give you and hope that you have enough of the
connection types you need.
Some motherboards will have a four pin CPU power connector, and some
will have an eight pin connector. It’s a good idea to get a power supply with a
4+4 connector, which will allow you to use either one since there will be two
4 pin connectors, which will allow you to use one or both of them.
Figure 2.4

Figure 2.5

ATX power supplies use a single 20-pin connector as the main power
connector and a 4-pin +12V connector to deliver power specifically to the
processor (as shown in figure 2.5). I have seen people (including myself)
forget to plug in the 4 pin connector and wonder why their computer won’t
power up, so be sure to make a note of this!

Figure 2.6

Deciding how much power your power supply needs to put out is another
factor that you will need to determine based on your hardware. If you plan on
having a high end video card and multiple hard drives and fans, then you will
need a power supply that can handle the load. It’s always better to go
overboard compared to not getting one powerful enough.
Fortunately there are websites that can help you determine the correct output
needed for your power supply. Back in the old days you just had to guess or
do a bunch of math to try and figure it out. PC power supply ratings are based
on wattage, so that’s what most people go by when choosing how “big” of a
power supply to use for their computer. Some computers with basic hardware
can have a power supply that is only rated at 200W, while higher end
computers such as gaming computers can have a power supply closer to
1000W (and even higher). A gaming video card can require 200W of power
just for itself. Of course, the higher wattage power supplies will cost more
money, so once you determine what hardware is going into your computer,
look online for a power supply calculator to get an idea of how powerful of a
power supply you will need.
Motherboard
Think of the motherboard as the brain of the computer because it ties into and
controls all of the other components (or organs, if you will) and allows all of
the parts to communicate with each other. Like I mentioned in my discussion
of cases, there are various motherboard size specifications, so, once again,
make sure to match up your motherboard with your case.
The motherboard will have various slots and sockets that you will connect
things like your processor, RAM, and video card to. It’s important to get a
motherboard that will work with the type of processor and RAM you will be
using. For example, there are Intel and AMD processors and a wide variety of
models from each one, so if your motherboard doesn’t support the one you
are using, then you will be going nowhere fast. There are also different types
of RAM running at different speeds, so you should check that out as well to
make sure your motherboard will support the RAM you intend to use.

Figure 2.7

Also be sure to check the expansion slot and port types to be sure it has
enough of the type you need. There will be RAM slots, PCIe (express) slots,
SATA ports, fan power ports, and so on. A while back there used to be many
additional types of ports such as AGP and ISA slots, but now, for the most
part, your components will use a PCIe slot.
There are generally two types of PCIe slots in use today: x16 and x1 (even
though there are x4 and x8 slots out there, too). These numbers refer to the
bandwidth capabilities of the slots. As a rule of thumb, your video card
should go into the first PCI Express x16 slot. That doesn’t mean it won’t
work if you put it in a different one, but it might run a little slower based on
your motherboard configuration. The slots are usually numbered on the
motherboard starting with either a 0 or a 1. If you plan on making a serious
gaming computer, keep in mind that some of the gaming video cards are
huge, and will block off the slot next to the one its uses, taking away one of
your available slots.

Figure 2.8

Another thing you will need to take into account is how many drives you will
be installing in your computer. By drives I mean hard drives (SSD and
SATA) or DVD drives. The motherboard will have SATA (Serial ATA) ports
on it that are used to connect these types of drives, so make sure you have
enough for your build.
You should have at least four SATA ports on your motherboard (or possibly
more), and you might notice that they are not all the same color (as in figure
2.9). They will most likely be a combination of black, blue, or red.

Figure 2.9

This is usually because the ports are used for different types of connections
and they may be one of the following:
Primary SATA controller ports
Secondary SATA controller ports
RAID capable SATA controller ports

You will need to check your motherboard manual to see what ports are used
for what functionality since the color schemes aren’t universal between
motherboard manufacturers.

Tip
Always check the upgrade capabilities of the motherboard before you buy it. Make sure it has enough
RAM slots if you want to expand later and find out the maximum amount of RAM it can use. Also be
sure that it has enough expansion slots for any cards you might add in the future

I’m sure you have noticed all of the connections on the back of your
computer, but might not have realized that most of them are integrated into
the motherboard. This makes things simple because everything you need can
be included with the motherboard. On the other hand, if one or more of these
connections\ports goes bad, then it’s not something you can replace without
maybe adding a secondary card with more of those connections on it. For
example, if the onboard video port goes out, then you will be forced to get a
standalone video card that you will have to install in the computer to get your
video output back.
Figure 2.10 shows many of the typical connections\ports that you will find
included with a motherboard. This doesn’t mean they are all the same and
some might have different types of connections or more of a certain type of
port etc.

Figure 2.10

Here is a listing of the most common connections and ports you will find
built into a motherboard.
USB – Universal Serial Bus ports are the current king of
connectivity for devices that you connect to your computer (such
as printers, keyboards, mice, smartphones, and so on). Currently
there are three standards of USB ports, which include 1.x, 2.0,
and the current 3.x. As USB technology progressed, the data
transfer speeds kept increasing. You generally won’t see any USB
1.x ports on current motherboards, but you will still see 2.0 ports
(for now) and 3.x ports, which are usually colored blue or red.
The newer ports are backwards compatible with older USB
devices so you can use any port you want for any device.

PS2 – Its rare if you will still see any PS2 ports on newer
computers. These were generally used for connecting mice and
keyboards to the computer—which had PS2 connections on them.
So, if you see one on a new motherboard, it’s most likely for
backwards compatibility.

VGA – Video Graphics Array connections are used to connect a

monitor to a computer to transfer video signals from the computer
back to the monitor. VGA ports are starting to get phased out for
more advanced connection types that offer a digital connection
rather than an analog one.

DVI – Digital Visual Interface connections are also used to

connect a monitor to a computer to transfer video signals, but in
the case of DVI they use a digital signal rather than an analog
signal. There is a standard called DVI-A that is actually analog,
but you won’t be using that type. Even DVI connections are
starting to be phased out for newer technology such as HDMI and
DisplayPort.

HDMI – High Definition Multimedia Interface is another type of

video connection that you might be familiar with because it’s
commonly used with TVs to connect to cable boxes and DVD\Blu
Ray players. Many newer monitors will use an HDMI port to
connect it to the computer.

DisplayPort – This is yet another video connection type that can

also carry audio, USB, and other forms of data (figure 2.11). It’s
not as common as the other video connection types, but you still
might see it integrated with your motherboard. You will need a
DisplayPort connection on your monitor to use it, though.
 Figure 2.11

RJ45 – An RJ45 port is used for connecting a network cable,

allowing your computer to communicate with other computers
and devices on a network. It’s also used to connect to your
broadband modem for your Internet connection. If you don’t plan
on connecting to the Internet wirelessly, then you will need to use
the RJ45 port to do so.

Digital\Optical Audio – This port uses fiber optic audio cables

and laser light to transmit digital audio signals between devices
such as your computer and sound system. It’s not very common
these days since HDMI can carry audio signals as well as your
video signal.

Sound Card Ports – Motherboards come with integrated sound

cards that offer most of the functionality of a standalone sound
card (unless you get into the higher level sound cards). There will
be various port for things such as your speakers, a microphone,
headphones, and other outputs.

Choosing a motherboard will require some research on your end, and reading
reviews from reputable websites and forums always helps. Just like with
anything, some brands are better than others, but at the same time one brand
can make a great motherboard model and still make a bad one as well.

Processor\CPU & Heatsink

If the motherboard is the brain of the computer, then the processor would be
the heart since it powers the whole operation (not like the way a power
supply does, but in terms of processing power). Processors are also referred
to CPUs (Central Processing Unit), so if you hear it both ways, just know it’s
referring to the same thing.
There are many processors to choose from, providing different levels of
performance and, of course, price points. For the most part, you will be
choosing between a processor made by Intel or by AMD (Advanced Micro
Devices). Generally, Intel processors are more expensive, and are used for
more higher end applications such as the servers in your datacenter at work.
However, this doesn’t mean that AMD processors are no good, and your
choice should be based on what you plan to do with your computer and your
budget.
Figure 2.12

Clock Speeds
Processor performance is measured in a speed called clock speed. This is
measured in Gigahertz (or GHz). It is the speed at which a microprocessor
executes instructions. Back in the day of single core processors, you could
easily compare performance by clock speed, but with today’s multi core
processors (discussed next), things are a little more complicated. Plus, the
clock speed of one model of processor compared to another model is not
necessarily an exact measurement of how fast they are in relation to each
other.
Normally you will see CPU speed displayed in numbers, such as 3.7GHz and
so on. This is a good starting point to know what type of performance you
will be getting, but there are other factors to consider. Plus modern
processors can vary their speeds based on how much load is placed on them.
Some of these processors can be what they call “overclocked”, which
increases the clock rate of the processor. It can also make it run hot or
malfunction if overdone or done incorrectly.
Once you decide on what manufacturer and family of processor you want to
use, then you can read up on the specs for each processor and compare all
their differences. Just keep in mind that the clock speed is not the only thing
you should be looking at.

Tip
Be aware that there are various versions (or generations, as they are called) of processors. For example,
Intel has been making their i7 processor for over ten years, so be sure you are getting a current
generation. If the price is too good to be true, then it might be an older one.

Processor Cores
If you have been checking out processors, you will most likely have read
about references to the number of cores a processor has. Originally
processors only had one core, which had to do all of the work. A core is a
processing unit that reads in instructions to perform specific actions or tasks.
So, when you have more than one core, the computer can run different
actions on different cores at the same time rather than having to wait for the
single core to be free.
Think of cores as processors within a processor. If you have a four core
processor, there are technically four processors within that one chip. There
are also physical cores and virtual\logical cores. A logical core is a physical
core that is logically split up into multiple virtual cores. Think of a virtual
core as how many threads the physical core can process at the same time
where a thread is a sequence of instructions.
You generally don’t need a bunch of cores within your processor since many
programs won’t make use of all of them unless you are running processor
intensive applications such as video editing or modeling apps. Today’s CPUs
are now offering huge numbers such as eighteen cores on one processor,
which is overkill for most users. Usually something like a four or eight core
processor will do the trick for running your typical applications.

Hyper-threading
Hyper-threading is a technique that has been around for years, and is used to
get more performance out of a CPU core. By using hyper-threading, you can
make one physical processor appear as two logical processors. This is not as
effective as having actual additional cores, but hyper-threading aware
applications can still benefit from it.
Hyper-threading is used only on Intel chips, and is their version of
simultaneous multithreading (SMT), which is what AMD calls their version.
So, if you have a four core processor with hyper-threading technology, it will
act like an eight core processor. This allows the two logical processor cores
to share physical execution resources. This can increase performance because
if one logical CPU is stalled and waiting, the other logical CPU can borrow
its execution resources. However, your operating system and
BIOS\motherboard must support hyper-threading in order to use the feature.

Cache
Processors have a built-in hardware cache to help reduce waiting time for
accessing data from the processors main memory and also RAM. This cache
is a faster type of memory, and data in this cache is information that is more
frequently used. By keeping it in the cache, it can be accessed more quickly.
The processor will check its cache for the data it needs before going to RAM
since the CPU cache is much faster (and more expensive) than RAM.
Processors will have multiple levels of cache memory which are usually
labeled L1, L2, and L3, with L1 cache being the fastest (and usually the
smallest). L2 is a secondary larger cache which may or may not be on a
separate chip. L3 cache is designed to improve the performance of the L1 and
L2 cache. Don’t focus too much on cache sizes when it comes to selecting a
processor because it’s not as much of a factor when it comes to performance
as it used to be.

RAM (Random Access Memory)

RAM is used as the computer’s main memory to store running programs that
are being used by the computer. Since RAM is a fast type of memory, the
computer can access this data as quickly as needed when that data is store in
its RAM. Don’t get RAM numbers confused with hard drive storage numbers
because they are not the same thing. You might have 16GB (gigabytes) of
RAM and 800GB of storage memory, but they are completely different
things.

Figure 2.13

Today’s computers use DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), or,

more specifically, synchronous DRAM (or SDRAM). You will usually see
the acronym DDR being used when shopping for RAM, which stands for
double data rate and refers to how much data the memory can transfer in one
clock cycle. Currently DDR4 is the latest and greatest version of this
memory.
RAM comes in various size DIMMS (or sticks, as they are often called), and
you can only have as much RAM as you have RAM slots for on your
motherboard. Most motherboards will come with at least four slots. So, if you
want 16GB of RAM in your computer, you can get one 16GB stick, two 8GB
sticks, or four 4GB sticks, depending on what works best for your budget.
Just keep in mind that if you use all of your RAM slots with smaller sticks,
then if you want to upgrade you will not be able to add more sticks, but
instead will have to replace the ones you have with larger ones. I recommend
starting out with a minimum of 8GB of RAM. If you are building a gaming
computer, then go for at least 16GB.
Many motherboards have dual channel slots, so it’s a good idea to install
your RAM in pairs on the motherboard. The slots will usually be color coded
to tell you which pair go together. Be sure to use identical speed RAM when
pairing your memory. (Things will still work fine if you use one chip rather
than two.)

Figure 2.14

RAM speed (its data transfer rate) is measured in megahertz (MHz), or

millions of cycles per second (which is a similar measurement to your
processor's clock speed which is measured in gigahertz (GHz), which is
billions of cycles per second). You might see speeds shown as 2133MHz, and
you might also see it displayed like PC4-19200 or DDR4 2400, which can
make things a little confusing when shopping for RAM. The bottom line is
that faster is always better, but having more RAM will help you out more
than having faster RAM. Just remember to make sure you get RAM that
works with your motherboard because it’s not all plug and play. Also try to
match the speed of each of your RAM sticks, otherwise it will run at the
speed of the slowest one.
The speed of your processor and the bus speed of the system motherboard
both play a part when it comes to the speed of RAM installed in your system.
If all the parts that need to talk to each other can’t communicate at the same
speed, then the slowest component will determine the overall speed of the
system. This is often referred to as a bottleneck.

Hard Drive
As I am sure you know, when you use a computer you will need a place to
store files and install programs, so that is where the hard drive comes into
play. The hard drive is a device that is installed inside the computer and is
attached to the motherboard, then accessed by the system to open files and
run programs. These hard drives come in more than one type, and have a
variety of storage capabilities.
You will find that you can get either a SSD (solid state disk) hard drive or a
SATA (serial attached SCSI) hard drive for your computer. There are other
types such as SAS and SCSI hard drives, but those are used mostly in
datacenters for servers etc. SSD drives will be more expensive than SATA
drives, so the choice is up to you and your budget as to which type you want
to use.
Figure 2.15

SSD drives use flash memory for storage (like a USB drive) and don’t have
any moving parts, making them much faster than other drives. Therefore,
data transfer rates for SSD drives are faster than other types. They also use
less power than drives with moving parts. The information on SSD drives is
stored in microchips, and has its own processor to perform the operations
related to reading and writing data.
As of this writing, the storage capacities of SSD drives are not as large as that
of SATA drives (unless you want to mortgage your house to get one), but
they keep increasing as technology improves. The price per terabyte of SSD
drives is much higher than that of SATA drives.
SATA drives use a high speed serial cable to attach to the motherboard and
are much faster than the older IDE hard drives that are now pretty much
obsolete. SATA drives do have moving parts (like the older IDE drives)
which consist of several platters that store the data and a moving head that
reads and writes data to and from these platters.

Figure 2.16

Both of these types of hard drives use SATA connectors to connect to the
motherboard, so your motherboard will be able to use either type of drive.
SATA drives are usually 3.5” in size, but they can also come in the smaller
2.5” size. SSD drives are usually 2.5” in size, but you can find some that are
3.5”.

Tip
If you want to see fast boot up times then go for a SSD drive for your operating system. On my
computer it only takes five seconds from when I press the power button to when I see the Windows 10
login screen, which is way faster than things used to be!

As for capacity, you need to determine what kinds of files you will be storing
and how large your programs will be. What I like to do is use a SSD drive to
install Windows and my programs on, and then have a separate and larger
SATA drive to keep my files on. This way if Windows (or another operating
system) crashes, all of your files will not be affected. Plus, having the
operating system and programs on a faster drive improves their performance
and startup speed. I would get at least a 512GB SSD drive for the OS and
programs and 2TB drive for your files. If you can afford to go bigger, than
you should, since you most likely will need it in the future.

DVD Drive
If you plan on installing software from CDs or DVDs and also plan on
watching movies or making music CDs, then you will need a DVD drive.
Many computers are being shipped without DVD drives, but I still feel they
are not ready to be obsolete just quite yet.

Figure 2.17

Nowadays people download their music and software from the Internet, but
there will still be times when having a DVD drive will come in handy. If you
want to burn music CDs, make a wedding video DVD, or just watch a movie,
then having a DVD drive is important. Plus, they are very cheap (at around
$40 or so), and these DVD drives will also support playing and writing to
regular CDs.
Installing a DVD drive will take up one of your SATA ports on the
motherboard, so keep that in mind if you are planning on having multiple
hard drives. For most people there will be enough SATA ports to be able to
use one for your DVD drive.
Video Card (optional)
Like I mentioned earlier, your motherboard will have a built-in video card
allowing you to send video signals from your computer to the monitor. The
only problem with using the onboard video is that it’s really only meant to be
used for general purpose tasks like working on spreadsheets and checking
email (etc.).
If you plan on playing graphic intensive video games or editing high
resolution videos, then you might want to think about getting a standalone
video card that you will insert into one of your PCIe slots on the
motherboard.
Figure 2.18

These high-end video cards have their own processors and memory dedicated
to video performance, and often times have their own fans to keep all that
horsepower cool. Plus, most of the time they will need their own dedicated
power connection from the power supply, which means you need a power
supply that can handle the extra load.

Sound Card (optional)

Another optional component you can add to your computer is a sound card.
The sound card transfers the sounds from your computer to your speakers.
All motherboards should have a built-in sound card with various audio ports,
but there are some people who like to go all out and get a higher end
standalone sound card to optimize their audio experience.
Figure 2.19

Speakers will make more of a difference in audio quality than the sound card,
so if you have a top of the line sound card and low quality speakers, then you
are just wasting your money. Many onboard soundcards won’t offer as many
channels as standalone cards, so if you have a 7.1 surround sound speaker
system and your onboard soundcard doesn’t support 7.1, then that would be
a reason for an upgrade. I have never had an onboard soundcard that doesn’t
do a good enough job for playing movies and music, but then again I have
some nice speakers, which make all the difference.
If you need a specific connection type in addition to the standard ports on a
typical sound card, then you might be forced into getting a standalone sound
card.
Figure 2.20

Network Card (optional)

Connecting to the Internet is one of the main reasons that people get a
computer, and having a fast connection is a top priority for most people who
spend a lot of time online. In this case, it’s a must to have a fast network
connection since when you connect to the Internet you are connecting to the
largest network of them all.
There are two main ways that people connect to the Internet and also to
networks, and they are through their RJ45 network port or via a wireless
connection. Back in the earlier days of computers you would have to install a
standalone network card if you wanted to get on the Internet, and Wi-Fi
wasn’t even really a thing yet.
Figure 2.21

All modern motherboards will have a network port built in, even though I can
actually see them being phased out to some degree since electronics
manufacturers are making everything wireless these days. These network
ports have various speed capabilities which determine how fast they can
transfer data over a network or the Internet.
All modern network cards should support a data transfer rate of 1 Gbps
(gigabyte per second), so if you see anything slower like 10/100 Mbps
(megabyte per second), you will know it’s an outdated model.
All you should need is one of these network ports on your computer, and the
only reason to have additional ports is if you were doing some type of dual
homed server configuration where you need to connect to two different
networks at the same time.

Wireless Adapter (optional)

Like I just mentioned before, everything seems to be wireless these days, and
now desktop computer manufacturers are making built-in wireless
capabilities standard practice now. Just a few years ago, built-in wireless was
only standard on laptop computers.
When you build your own computer you may or may not choose one with
built-in Wi-Fi capabilities, and even if you do then it might not be up to the
performance that you desire. This is where adding a standalone wireless
adapter can help you out.

Figure 2.22

I have noticed that desktop computers with built-in wireless can suffer a little
when it comes to signal strength, and that might be because the wireless
adapter is on the motherboard and therefore inside the case, so you might
want to try the built in Wi-Fi before spending the money on a wireless card.
An easier way to go is to just use an external USB wireless adapter rather
than having to plug a card into your motherboard. These can connect to any
USB port, and then you simply install a driver for them and configure your
network\Internet access.

Tip
One thing to keep in mind for wireless cards is line of sight to your wireless router. If you have your
computer under a desk with the antenna sticking out the back, it might not get as good of a signal
compared to having a USB adapter with a cable that allows you to put in on your desk.
Figure 2.23

There is not a whole lot of difference between using a wireless card vs. a
wireless USB adapter (assuming they are of the same quality). Many wireless
cards (and some USB adapters) have detachable antennas so you can install a
larger or more powerful one if needed. You will usually have more antenna
options with the standalone card than you will with the USB adapter, as well
as the ability to use multiple antennas.
One thing to remember is that using a wireless card will take up a PCI slot on
your motherboard, which you might or might not be able to spare. On the
other hand, a USB wireless adapter will take up a USB port on your
computer, which you might or might not be able to spare.

What You Should Look for

When shopping for parts, reviews are your friends, and so are name brand
components. And when I say reviews I just don’t mean Amazon customer
reviews, but rather when real computer sites do reviews and actual testing of
a product.
Once you start looking around enough, you will start to become familiar with
which companies are known for making which components. You will also
see the same companies making different parts, but that doesn’t mean they
are good at everything. It’s like buying a car from the same manufacturer that
makes your refrigerator. Sure, they might make a great refrigerator, but that
doesn’t mean they make good cars, too.
When you see a part that is super cheap, there is usually a reason for it. If you
want your computer to last and to perform well, you should be prepared to
spend the money to do it right. If you don’t mind last year’s components, you
can usually get the models that they are phasing out at a discount and it will
still be quality stuff.
Be sure to always look at all the specifications so that all of your components
will be guaranteed to work together properly. Many websites will allow you
to do a side by side comparison of two or more brands or models to see how
they stack up to each other feature wise.
You might want to take the time and do something like a spreadsheet and
create different combinations of parts to see how they will add up price wise
so you can see how good of a computer you can afford to build. Then you can
mix and match parts to get the best components you can get while staying
within your budget.

Where to get your parts

With online shopping the way it is now, you might be tempted to buy
everything online, which can be a good way to save money. But, at the same
time, it makes things more difficult when it comes to returns and exchanges.
It’s fairly common to have to exchange a part or two when building a
computer, mostly when something doesn’t work properly. The most
commonly exchanged parts (in my experience) are motherboards and RAM.
It’s very frustrating turning on your newly built computer and having a black
screen or not even getting it to power up at all!
There are many online retailers that sell computer parts such as Amazon,
NewEgg, TigerDirect, Fry’s Electronics, Best Buy, and even eBay. Some of
these retailers even have actual stores, such as Fry’s and Best Buy, so if you
need to do a return or exchange, you can do so at the store rather than having
to ship it back. Just keep in mind that they might not have the same part to
exchange in stock.
I prefer to buy some of the more sensitive parts—like the motherboard,
RAM, and processor—locally in case I have an issue and need to return it.
Plus, you can talk to people in the store if you have any questions on any
components or need any advice. Some stores have more informed employees
than others, though. The Fry’s computer parts department seem to have a
pretty good idea of what they are doing (at least at my local Fry’s).
I have also seen prepackaged bundles where the parts have been selected for
you and you can get a parts package based on what type of computer you are
trying to build. When you do it this way, you are guaranteed that all of the
parts will work with each other.
 Chapter 3 – Planning Your Build
Now that you have all of your components selected and hopefully in your
possession and not in a box on a truck somewhere, it’s time to start planning
your build. It’s not a good idea to just start throwing parts together without a
game plan, so having one helps to make sure you do things right and don’t
forget anything important that might be hard to figure out later on.
Like I mentioned before, after you build your first computer things will be
much easier the next time around, and if you do it enough times you can do it
blindfolded (not really). I know it can be intimidating when you have a bunch
of expensive parts lying on a table and you’re afraid of handling something
the wrong way (or, even worse, breaking something), but as long as you are
careful and follow some basic guidelines, everything should work out just
fine—assuming you don’t have any faulty components!

Getting Organized
The first thing you want to do is get yourself organized and make sure you
are really ready to start your build. First of all, you should make sure that you
are not missing any parts, and by that I mean open up all of your boxes and
make sure nothing was forgotten. For example, make sure your processor
came with a heatsink and fan etc. I didn’t mention heatsinks in the last
chapter, but if you don’t know what is, then take a look at figure 3.1.
Figure 3.1

The fan mounts on top of the heatsink, and then the whole unit is mounted on
top of the processor on the motherboard. The heatsink is designed to dissipate
heat from the processor and keep it cool. Without a heatsink and fan, your
processor would overheat and die within minutes.
Other things to look for include any cables that you might need such as
SATA cables (figure 3.2) to connect your hard drive and DVD drive as well
as having enough and the right type of power cables coming off of your
power supply for all of your components. You can get these cables with
straight ends or 45 degree angled ends for those hard to reach places.
Figure 3.2

Your motherboard and\or case should come with motherboard standoffs

(figure 3.2) and screws that are used to mount your motherboard to the case.
The standoffs are screwed into the case, and then the motherboard is screwed
into the top of the standoffs so the board and circuitry doesn’t physically
touch the case.
Figure 3.3

Also be sure that your hard drive and DVD drive have screws with them
since they are a specific size made to fit with the drive. If you are using a
drive adapter to make the drive fit into the case, then be sure those are either
included with the case, or you got some separately. Also make sure they are
the right size and that everything lines up.

Figure 3.4

If you decided to go with any standalone cards (such as a video or sound

card), make sure you got the right type that will work with your motherboard
expansion slots and that they will fit on the motherboard and in the case
without getting in the way or anything. Some of those video cards can be
huge and might block off things like RAM access etc.
One thing that is very important to figure out is where you are going to
assemble your computer. You should find a table with lots of extra room so
you can spread things out without having to stack parts boxes on top of each
other. This will give you a nice overview of what you have and what needs to
be done.
Find a couple of bowls or Tupperware containers for screws so you don’t
have to put them on the table and risk having them roll off onto the floor. Try
not to mix up screws from different parts if you can, otherwise you will be
doing some trial and error trying to find the right screw for the right
component.

Required Tools
In order to build a computer, you don’t need sophisticated tools. Just some
basic hand tools will do. There are five basic tools you will need to get the
job done, and having some extra types of tools laying around may come in
handy.
Flathead Screwdriver
Phillips Head Screwdriver
Needle Nose Pliers
¼ Inch Nut Driver
Zip Ties

Figure 3.5
You might be able to get away with not using the nut driver, but it can be
easier to use when tightening screws than using a screwdriver since many of
the screws will let you use either tool on them.

Figure 3.6

Zip ties are used to wrap up cables to get them out of the way of other parts
and fans and also to make the inside of the case look cleaner and more
organized. Just be sure not to make them super tight, or you might run into
some trouble trying to cut them off without damaging a wire if you need to
remove them.
One other tool you might want to get is an anti-static wrist strap to avoid any
issues with static electricity damaging your new components. You don’t want
to transfer any jolts of electricity through your expensive parts by shocking
them with your hands.
Figure 3.7

As you can see in figure 3.7, there is a strap that you wrap around your wrist
with the metal part touching your skin. This strap is then connected to a cord
with an alligator clip on the end. You connect the alligator clip to something
that is unpainted metal on your case. (Many people like to attach it to a screw
on the power supply.) Before attaching it, make sure to turn your power
supply off and plug the power cord to the outlet. There will be a power on
and off switch on the back of the power supply.
I personally don’t use anti-static wrist straps, but make sure to touch
something metal that is not related to the computer or the parts before
touching anything to discharge any static electricity. You might want to avoid
standing on carpet when building your computer, and to not do it on windy
days where there is a higher chance of static electricity.
Getting Help If Needed
Before starting your build, you might want to see if you can have a friend
with computer building experience on hand if you run into any problems. Or,
better yet, have your friend there to help you out!
Another good idea is to get yourself familiar with computer related forums
online and maybe sign up for a couple of them. That way if you have a
question, you can post it on the forum and see if you can get a helpful
response. The only problem with this is sometimes you will have to wait
awhile before somebody responds and then the advice they give you might
not be what you are looking for.
If you have a local computer shop in your area you can always take your
computer there and have them try and figure out the problem for you. They
may give you some free advice or they may want to charge you to diagnose
it, so be sure to find out first.
If you are having issues with a particular component, then you can try to
contact the support department for that product. Many times they will be able
to give you some ideas of why the part is not working since they should be
very familiar with it and have most likely had to deal with the same problem
before. If you can’t get through on the phone, see if they have an online chat
option.

Tip
It might be a good idea to see what kind of support is offered with your components from the
manufacturer before buying them. If they have free phone support, that is the way to go, because email
support doesn’t help you when you’re in a pinch.
 Chapter 4 – Putting the Pieces Together
Finally, the time has come to start building your new computer, and
hopefully you are excited rather than nervous. It’s pretty hard to do any
permanent damage unless you get too rough installing components on the
motherboard or break off a resistor or capacitor on the motherboard. Just
remember to handle things carefully and watch out for that static electricity.
You can build your computer any way you desire to make it easier on
yourself, but there are certain steps that I feel should be done in a specific
order that will help avoid any unnecessary headaches. If you take things one
step at a time rather than trying to do multiple things at once, there will be
less chances for mistakes.

Assembly Order
Like I just mentioned before, it’s up to you to decide how you want to build
your computer, but I like to do things in a certain order, and it usually works
out well for me when I stick to my game plan.
Figure 4.1

First I will give you a brief rundown on how the components should be
installed and then get into more detail in the following sections. Here is the
way I like to assemble a computer when building one from scratch:
Install the processor, heatsink, and fan on the motherboard.
Connect the processor fan power cable to the motherboard.
Install the RAM on the motherboard.
Install the power supply in the case.
Mount any extra fans in the case.
Mount the hard drive to its case adapter if required.
Mount the hard drive and DVD drive in the case.
Mount the motherboard in the case.
Connect the case wires to the motherboard.
Connect any case fan power cables to the motherboard or power
supply depending on their connection type.
Connect the SATA cables to the hard drive and DVD drive and
then to the motherboard.
 Install any standalone cards on the motherboard.
Connect the power cables from the power supply to the
motherboard, hard drive, and DVD drive (and
standalone\expansion cards if needed).

Installing Components on the Motherboard

I always like to install the processor and RAM on the motherboard before
mounting the motherboard in the case. This way I have more room to work in
case it’s a tight fit, or if I need to look at the bottom of the motherboard to
make sure the processor mounts are all the way in.
Installing the Processor\CPU
The process for installing the CPU on the motherboard might vary a little
between models and motherboards, but it’s the same idea either way. On the
motherboard there will be a lever you pull up to open the socket so it will
allow you to insert the processor into the socket. If there is a plastic protector
plate in there, then you will need to remove that before installing the
processor.
Figure 4.2
Then you will insert the processor where the socket protector was, but make
sure you put it in the correct way. It will be keyed so it will only go in one
way. It’s easy to bend the pins if you push down on it if it’s not turned the
right way, so if it’s not just dropping in, then you need to take a closer look at
it. Figure 4.3 shows a LGA-1155 processor socket and figure 4.4 shows the
bottom of an Intel i7 processor that fits in that socket.

Figure 4.3
Figure 4.4

Once you have the processor resting in the socket, then you will pull the lever
back down to secure it in place. It will take a bit of pressure to secure it, but if
it’s not going down smoothly, then make sure you have everything seated
right and try it again.
The fan and heatsink will go on top of the computer and then mount to the
motherboard to secure it. Most of the time the fan and heatsink will be one
unit, so there will be no assembly required there.
Before mounting the fan\heatsink on top of the processor you will need to
apply some thermal paste to the top of the processor. You apply it to the top
of the processor and spread it around so it makes a thin layer that covers the
entire surface area. This paste is a very high heat conductive material that is
used between the processor and heatsink to get better heat conduction and
keep the processor cool.
Figure 4.5
Many heatsinks will come with the thermal paste already applied to the
bottom of the heatsink (figure 4.6) so you don’t have to do this step, so check
yours out before going out to get your own paste.

Figure 4.6
Some people don’t think the preinstalled paste is good enough, so they will
add their own to the top of the processor. I have had good luck with the pre-
pasted heatsinks, so it’s up to you if you want to take the extra step and add
your own.
Next you will need to mount the fan and heatsink to the motherboard on top
of the processor. This process will vary depending on what socket
type\processor you are using. Some might have twist lock mounting pins (as
seen in figure 4.6), while others might have clips to connect to the
motherboard, so you will need to follow the instructions that came with your
processor to do this part.
Finally, you will connect the processor fan power wire to the appropriate port
on the motherboard. There should be a four pin connector on the motherboard
that is labeled CPU Fan or something similar. Don’t mistake it for one that
says SYS Fan, because those are used for case fans etc.
Figure 4.7

Installing RAM
Installing RAM is a very easy step in the computer building process, but you
still need to be careful since you can damage the RAM if you try and insert it
the wrong way or force it in.
RAM sticks are notched so they only go in one way. If you take a look at
figure 4.8, you will see that the notch is not centered, so one side is longer
than the other. Figure 4.8 shows that the two sticks are facing the opposite of
each other since the notches don’t line up.
Another thing to make a note of is that some RAM sticks will come with
exposed circuitry and some will have a cover on it. When handling RAM, be
careful where you grab and keep your fingers off the gold pins at the bottom
that actually go into the RAM slot on the motherboard.

Figure 4.8

Figure 4.9

Notice the different colored RAM slots in figure 4.9. I mentioned this earlier
when talking about dual channel memory, so make sure you use the right
slots. They should be numbered starting with 0 or 1. Check your motherboard
manual for their recommendations.
To install the RAM you need to pull back on the retention clips to open them
and then insert the stick into the slot at an angle, making sure you have the
longer side of the RAM matched up with the longer part of the slot.

Figure 4.10

Then press down on the stick and it should snap into place and close the
retention clip at the same time. It will be pretty obvious if you don’t have it
inserted all the way because the clip won’t be all the way closed.
Installing Components in the Case
Now that you have your motherboard ready to go, it’s time to start mounting
your components inside the case. If you haven’t done so yet, remove the
screws that are holding the side of the case in place and then remove the side
of the case. Then place the case down on a table so you can see into the open
part of the case. Look it over and plan out where you want to install your hard
drive and DVD drive since those are pretty much the only parts you will be
able to install in more than one place. The inside of your case won’t
necessarily look like figure 4.11, but you get the basic idea.
Figure 4.11

Power Supply
I usually start by mounting the power supply first (unless it looks like it will
get in the way of mounting the motherboard, then you can do it afterwards).
By the way, some power supplies will mount in the bottom of the case rather
than the top, so don’t get confused by figure 4.11 if yours doesn’t look the
same.
To mount the power supply in the case, slide it in from the inside so the
power supply mounting holes line up with the mounting holes in the case. It
should only go one way so you can’t accidentally mount it upside down.
Figure 4.12

Then screw in the four mounting screws to secure the power supply in place.
If you have the type of power supply that has removable power cables, don’t
connect them yet.
Extra Fans
If you plan on installing any extra case fans in your computer, now is the
time to mount them. Make sure they are mounted correctly and facing the
right direction so they blow air out of the computer and not suck it in.
You will connect the power for your fan(s) later, so don’t worry about it for
now. Also make sure that they will not be blocking access to any other
devices or where you’ll be mounting the motherboard, or else you will have
to install them later.

Hard Drive & DVD Drive Installation

Now it’s time to figure out where you want your hard drive to go in the case.
Since you won’t be accessing the hard drive from the outside of the case like
you will with the DVD drive, you should mount it where it is out of the way
of other devices and the power and SATA connections will be easily
accessible. You may have to move it around once you install the rest of the
components if something ends up being in the way.
To mount the hard drive you will need to remove the other side of the case
so you can use the screws to attach the drive to both sides of the case. Some
nicer cases come with hard drive caddies where you mount the hard drive
into the caddy and then slide it into the hard drive slot and it locks into place
with no screws required to hold it in.
If it’s a 3.5 inch hard drive, you should be able to mount it directly in the
case. If it’s a 2.5 inch drive, you will probably have to use a hard drive
adapter (figure 4.14).
Figure 4.13
Figure 4.14

You only need to use two of the three mounting holes on each side for the
hard drive. Simply position the hard drive in the case so the holes line up and
use the screws provided with the hard drive to mount it into the case.
Figure 4.15

Just make sure the SATA and power connection are facing the back of the
case so you can get to them to connect them when the time comes. (We will
worry about installing the cables once the motherboard is in place.) If it looks
like it might be difficult to reach these hard drive connections, then you can
connect the cables to the back of the drive before mounting it in place to
make things easier.
One exception to this rule is if your case has a removable hard drive
mounting bracket, which allows you to mount the hard drive(s) in this bracket
outside of the case and then just mount the bracket back in the case
afterwards (figure 4.16).
Figure 4.16

The DVD drive mounts in a similar fashion as the hard drive, but is larger in
size (at 5.25 inches). It will go through the front of the case, and you might
have to remove the front case cover to be able to install it. There should be
some removable plastic plates on the front of the case, and you will need to
pop out the one where you want your DVD drive to go. Most people put the
DVD drive near the top of the case.
Figure 4.17

Then you will secure the DVD drive with two screws on each side like you
did with the hard drive. The same thing applies with the SATA and power
cable where you can attach them later, or attach them before inserting the
drive if you don’t think you will be able to attach them after they are
mounted.
Mounting the Motherboard
Now comes the moment of truth—when you finally get to install your shiny
new motherboard into its shiny new case. This is when things are finally
starting to come together and your parts are starting to look like a computer,
but don’t rush things! The motherboard has a lot of sensitive components on
it that can be easily damaged.
The first thing you want to do is make sure that the holes in the motherboard
line up with the holes in the bottom of the case. It’s rare that the hole pattern
in the case will exactly match the holes in the motherboard, but you should
make sure you get enough of them matching up for a secure hold.
Rather than installing a standoff in every hole of the case, I like to see which
ones line up and only use those so you don’t end up with a standoff pressing
against the back of your motherboard.

Figure 4.18

Some cases will actually have built in threaded standoffs (figure 4.19) so you
don’t need to install any at all. The motherboard rests on top of them and you
just use the motherboard mounting screws to attach it directly to the case.
Figure 4.19

Motherboard screws will often come with washers made out of a plastic or a
felt-like material that go between the top of the motherboard and the bottom
of the screw head.
Figure 4.20

Once you get the standoffs in place and the holes lined up, then simply screw
in your motherboard using the appropriate screws to secure the motherboard
to the case. Tighten them until they are snug, but be sure not to overtighten
them and break or strip anything.

Tip
When you are getting all of your parts together it might be a good idea to get a computer screw kit. This
way if you lose any screws or don’t have enough of a certain type, you can get a replacement from your
kit. They should only run you around $10.

Case\Power Supply Connections and Standalone Cards

Now it’s time to get all of your components wired up for connectivity and
power. Take your time when doing this so you can have everything neat and
organized and don’t end up with a rats nest of tangled up wires and cables.
When you are done, you can use your zip ties to make everything look tidy. If
you are using any standalone cards such as a PCIe video card, this is the time
to install those as well.
Connect the Case Wires to the Motherboard
Your case will have wires connected to it that are used for things such as the
power switch, reset button, power LED light, and so on, and these wires need
to be connected to their respective place on the motherboard so that you can
do things like turn the computer on and see the power and hard drive lights
etc.
On the motherboard, look for a group of pins that have labels similar to figure
4.21. Your motherboard manual will tell you where to connect these wires,
and the names may or may not match up with my example. Make a note of
the + and – signs as well when attaching these wires so you connect them the
right way. There is a good chance that you will not have a wire for every
connection on the motherboard since some cases are different than others.
For example, your case might not have a reset button, yet you might have a
place for a reset button connection on your motherboard.
Figure 4.21

There will also be some connections for the front and rear USB connections
(assuming you have both), and they will have a spot on the motherboard as
well. As you can see from figure 4.22, the USB 2 and USB 3 connections are
different, so depending on what type of ports your case has will determine
where you make the connections.
Figure 4.22

There will also be labels for the front and rear USB ports, and how they are
labeled will vary depending on your motherboard model. If you look at the
USB 3 header in figure 4.22, you will see how it says F_SUSB3 (the F stands
for front). Once again, check your motherboard manual to see what
connections you should use for what.
Most cases will come with front audio ports for headphones and a
microphone, so you will need to connect the wires from these ports to your
motherboard. Most likely the port on the motherboard will says something
similar to F_AUDIO like shown in figure 4.23
Figure 4.23

Don’t forget to attach the power for your case fan(s), otherwise things will be
getting hot in a hurry. There are a couple of ways your fan can connect to get
its power. It may connect to a port on the motherboard or attach to a power
cable coming off of the power supply, so you will need to look at the end and
see which type it is. The motherboard connection type will have a three or
four female pin connection while the power supply connection will have what
is called a Molex connector that plugs into a power cable from the power
supply.
Figure 4.24

The connection on the motherboard will have four pins, and may be labeled
something like SYS_FAN (for system fan) or CHA_FAN (for chassis fan)
depending on your motherboard.

Figure 4.25
The three pin fan connector will work with the four pin motherboard
connector, but it will only provide power where the four pin fan connectors
have the ability to allow the motherboard to control fan speed as needed.

If your case came with any additional features (such as SD card reader slots),
then you will need to connect that cable to the appropriate port on the
motherboard. There is a good chance it will just be a USB 2 or 3 connection.
If your case didn’t come with one of these, then you can easily add one
(figure 4.26), and it will install in the case just like your DVD drive does. Just
make sure you have a free USB port on the motherboard before adding one of
these devices.

Figure 4.26

Connect the SATA Cables to the Motherboard

In order for your hard drive(s) and DVD drive to transfer data (files), you will
need to attach them to the motherboard so they can communicate with the
computer. This is done via the SATA cables that should have come with your
drives or motherboard. If you didn’t get these for some reason, you will need
to go out and get some.
Figure 4.27

Before going any further I just want to quickly go over the SATA versions so
you know how things have changed throughout the years. There are currently
three versions of SATA called SATA1, SATA2, and SATA3, with SATA3
currently being used by modern SATA devices. There are several revisions
within each one, but I will only list the ones that pertain to speed.
SATA1 – The first generation of SATA that transfers data at a
speed of 1.5Gbps.

SATA2 – The second generation of SATA that transfers data at a

speed of 3Gbps.

SATA3 – The third generation of SATA that transfers data at a

speed of 6Gbps. Revision 3.2, which is known as SATAe (for
express), offers speeds of 16Gbps.

Most likely your new devices will be SATA3 rated, but double check to
make sure you aren’t getting some old leftover hardware. As for the cables,
you should be able to use SATA2 or SATA3 cables interchangeably and the
speed will be the same. The only difference in the two cables is the SATA3
cable will have locking clips on them (figure 4.28).
Figure 4.28

Now you can connect one end of your SATA cable to your hard drive and the
other to a SATA port on the motherboard. Just remember what I mentioned
back in Chapter 2 about finding out which port is the primary SATA port and
use that for the hard drive you will be using for your operating system. They
should be different colors and also labeled on the motherboard, so you can
then check the motherboard manual to see which port is used for what.

Tip
Before you start making your motherboard connections, it a good idea to look at the diagram that
should be in your motherboard manual. This way you can get an idea of where all the connections are
on the motherboard so you are not hunting for them while trying to make the connections.
Figure 4.29

Standalone\Expansion Card Installation

I’ve talked about how motherboards will have built in video, audio, and
network, so there is no need to have a standalone version of any of these
devices unless you need additional capabilities that the built in version can’t
provide. The most common standalone card to buy is a video card, especially
for gamers.
To install your standalone card, choose the appropriate slot (most likely a
PCIe slot) and carefully insert the card into the slot, making sure you are
doing it in the right direction. There are removable panels on the back of the
case and you’ll need to remove the one that lines up with the slot on the
motherboard you are planning to use for your card. This way the back of the
card will be accessible from the back of the case.
There will be some screws on the inside of the case that you can remove to
take out the expansion card cover panel so it will fit though the back of the
case (figure 4.30). Some cases might not have screws, and have some kind of
clip that you will undo instead.

Figure 4.30

Once you have everything ready to go, simply install the expansion card in
the slot like you did when installing your RAM, making sure the slots in the
card line up with the slot you are inserting the card into. Some cards will go
in easier at an angle while others will go in easier straight down. You will
also notice that there is a clip on the expansion slot that helps to keep the card
in place.
Figure 4.31

After the card is properly inserted, use the screw from the expansion card
case cover to secure the top of the card to the case (figure 4.32). It will screw
into the same hole that the cover used.
Figure 4.32

Connect the Power Cables

The final step in the assembly process is to attach all of the power
connections from the power supply to the motherboard, drives, and anything
else that needs power. Be sure to make sure the switch on the back of the
power supply is turned off before connecting any power. (It should have been
off for the entire build, of course.)
The order that you connect your components is up to you, but I will now go
over the things that need to be connected to the power supply.
Connect the 24 pin motherboard power connector to the motherboard. It will
only go in one direction, so you can’t get it wrong.

Figure 4.33
Figure 4.34
There will also be a four pin or eight pin CPU power connection on the
motherboard depending on your motherboard model (as I discussed back in
Chapter 2 when I talked about power supplies). You will need to connect this
to the motherboard as well. Your manual should have a diagram of where all
the specific connections are located on the motherboard.

To connect the power to your SATA hard drive and DVD drive, locate a
SATA power cable (like shown in figure 4.35) and attach it to the SATA
power connector on the hard drive or DVD drive (like shown in figure 4.36).
Figure 4.35
Figure 4.36

The connector is keyed like an L shape and will only go on in one direction
so you can’t get it backwards. If you notice an area with eight pins showing,
that is for setting jumpers, which is not something you will generally need to
worry about.

High end video cards will have their own power connection since they need
more power than the PCIe slot can provide them with to run properly. Figure
4.37 shows a video card with two 8 pin power connections and one 6 pin
power connection. Check with the video card documentation to see which
power cables they recommend you connect.
Figure 4.37

The 6 pin connector can provide up to 75 watts while the 8 pin connector can
provide up to 150 watts, but not all video cards require the same amount of
power. High end video cards are another reason why you need to have a
power supply with a higher output so you can properly power them.
 Chapter 5 – Initial Power Up
With all of the components in place and everything wired and cabled up
correctly, it’s time to press the power button and hopefully watch the
computer come to life. Of course, first you should double check all of your
connections to make sure everything is where it is supposed to be, and now is
the time to turn the switch on the back of the power supply from off to on,
otherwise you won’t be getting too far at all.
Make sure to connect your monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the computer
before powering it up, otherwise you won’t be able to see or do anything. If
you have a wireless mouse and keyboard, then there will be a chance it won’t
work, so I always like to use a USB mouse and keyboard for the first power
up and also to install the operating system.
This chapter will focus on what happens when you first power up your
computer and what you should be looking for and adjusting before you go on
to the next step, which is installing your operating system. If everything
works out okay, then this should be a pretty quick process.

What to Expect
The first thing to expect when you press the power button is that the
computer itself turns on. You should hear the power supply fan spinning and
also see the CPU and case fans spinning if you still have the cover off (which
I recommend doing so you can spot any problems such as wires getting
caught in a fan etc.). Now is the time to make sure you mounted your extra
case fans the right way, too.
Depending on the type of hard drive you have, you might hear it spin up as
well if it’s a SATA drive with moving parts. Some SATA drives are super
quiet and hard to hear. Since there are no moving parts in a SSD drive, then
you most likely won’t hear a peep from it. If you take a look at the HDD light
on the front of the case, you might see it flashing randomly. You should also
see your power LED light on the front of the case come on.
You should see something appear on your monitor pretty quickly after
powering up your computer. Depending on the make and model of your
motherboard, you might see something similar to figure 5.1.
Figure 5.1

This is called a POST screen, which stands for Power On Self Test. During
this process, the motherboard goes through its configuration and checks
things such as the amount of installed memory, select and initialize bootable
devices, check for an attached keyboard, and so on. If something is not right,
then it will stop the boot process and give you an error message or a series of
beeps indicating what the problem is.
If everything is okay, then it will try and find a device to boot from and fail
because you don’t have an operating system setup yet. You will get a
message similar to figure 5.2, and the computer won’t go any further than
that until you install your operating system, which I will cover in the next
chapter.

Tip
Some motherboards have the POST screen hidden on startup so you don’t see the status as the
computer is booting up. Often it will show the manufacturers “splash screen” logo instead. There may
or may not be an option in the settings to enable the POST screen to display on startup.
Figure 5.2

Accessing the BIOS\UEFI Settings

All motherboards will have a built-in BIOS (Basic Input Output System) or
the newer UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), and both of these
are used as a software interface between an operating system and the platform
firmware. Yours should come with a UEFI since using a BIOS went out a
few years ago, but keep in mind that if you are working on an older
computer, you will be accessing the BIOS rather than UEFI to check settings
and change system configurations. Figure 5.3 shows a typical BIOS screen
while figure 5.4 shows a UEFI screen, which you can see looks much more
modern than the older version.
Figure 5.3

Figure 5.4
Most UEFI interfaces will also allow you to use the mouse where the older
BIOS screens are menu driven (using the arrow keys and Enter button on the
keyboard). There are other benefits of UEFI over BIOS, but you can check
that out yourself if you are interested in learning more.
The main reason you would go into either of these interfaces is to make sure
that your hardware is being recognized accurately by the computer. You can
check things like your RAM capacity and hard drive configuration, as well as
change the boot order of your computer if needed. You can also check and set
the system time from here.
To get to these settings, look for a message on the screen during startup that
says press “x” to enter setup or configuration etc. It may be something like
the delete or escape key, or maybe one of the F keys like F2. Your
motherboard manual should tell you how to get into these settings or you can
look up your motherboard online and see if you can find it.
Once you are in there, you can browse around and look at all the specific
settings. I wouldn’t recommend changing any of them unless you know what
you are doing or if there is a real need to do so. In most cases when you exit
the BIOS or UEFI, it will ask you if you want to save your changes, so if you
did do something on accident simply say no to saving any changes. Once you
exit, it will most likely go back to the no operating system found screen, and
there is not much you can do except install an operating system (which is
covered in the next chapter).

Troubleshooting a Blank Screen or No Power

Hopefully you will never have to deal with this problem, but sometimes when
you turn on your computer for the first time you will get a blank screen. This
can be frustrating because you will not get any error message, and probably
not any error beep codes either.
No Power
If you press the power button on your new computer and nothing happens at
all, then there are some things you can do to try and troubleshoot the
problem. Sometimes it’s an easy fix, and other times it can be frustrating and
require some serious troubleshooting.
The obvious things to check, of course, is that the computer is plugged into
the wall and that the power cord is securely plugged into the back of the
power supply. If you have another power cable, you can replace it to rule out
a faulty cable. Many monitor power cables are the same type, so you can try
that if that’s the case with your monitor. Also be sure that the on\off switch
on the back of the power supply is switched to on. Sometimes it’s hard to tell
which way is on and which way is off.
Next you can check the power connection from the power supply to the
motherboard. Make sure it’s plugged in correctly and securely (unplug the
computer from the wall first). If you have the type of power supply that has
removable power cables, then you can try a different cable or a different
connection on the motherboard.
Also take a look at where the power switch wire from the case connects to the
motherboard and make sure it’s in the right place and connected the right
way. The wire should say something like PWR or even POWER on it so you
know you are using the right one. There is a way to bypass the power button
on the case by taking a small flathead screwdriver and “shorting” the
connection between the two pins where the wire connects. In other words,
touch both of the pins at the same time with the screwdriver while the
computer is plugged in to see if it turns on. If that’s the case, you have a bad
power button or power wire in your case.
Figure 5.5

If you still can’t get it to power up, then you might be looking at a bad power
supply or even a dead motherboard. I have had to exchange the motherboard
a few times on computer builds because they were simply no good. The
power supply would be easier to replace first as a test. You can also take the
computer down to a shop and have the power tested (unless you have your
own test equipment on hand).

Blank Screen
So let’s say your new computer actually turns on and you can hear the fans
moving, but you don’t see anything on the screen. There are some basic
things you can check to troubleshoot this type of problem.
The first thing is to check the obvious, like checking to see if the video cable
is securely attached to the computer and monitor at both ends. Also check for
any bent pins on the video cable or try another one if you happen to have one.
If your video card has different types of outputs (such as a VGA and HDMI
connection) then try a different connection to see if that does anything. Of
course, your monitor will have to support the other type of connection as
well. You can always use your TV as a monitor if needed.
What you can do next is make sure everything is connected properly and
securely. Just be sure to turn off the computer and unplug it first. You don’t
want to ruin your new computer before you even figure out what the problem
is!
If you have a standalone video card, make sure it is seated properly in the slot
or even take it out and reinstall it. You can also try a different PCIe slot as a
test. If that doesn’t work, then try to use one of the video ports on the built-in
video card. It may be a case that you need to make a change in your
BIOS\UEFI settings so the motherboard knows to use the standalone video
card.
Also try to reseat your RAM since that can cause the same problem. If you
have more than one stick, you can try removing one and try to turn on your
computer with only one installed. If you still don’t see anything on the
screen, then try the same thing with the other stick or try different RAM slots
altogether.
If your processor is not working correctly, then it will also cause the
computer not to display any video. It’s kind of a pain, but you might want to
remove the processor and check for any bent pins on the bottom of the
processor or on the socket (depending on what processor you are using). If
you do see a bent pin, it is possible to straighten it out if you do it very
carefully with some small needle nose pliers or a tweezer.
If nothing seems to work, then it might be a case of a faulty motherboard. I
would then call the support number for your motherboard manufacturer and
see if they have some other tests they can have you run, or they might just
have to replace it for you unless you would rather just take it back to the store
where you bought it and exchange it.
 Chapter 6 – Installing Your Operating System
Now that you have your new computer assembled and everything is working
as it should (hopefully), it’s time to make some use of all of those expensive
parts. A computer needs to have an operating system (OS) in order to really
be used for anything productive. The operating system allows you to install
your software and also works with your hardware, allowing it to interface
with that software.
Operating systems can be installed using media such as a CD, DVD, or flash
drive, and can also be installed over a network. For a home user, you will
most likely use one of the first three options, and typically won’t be installing
your OS over a network. To use a CD, DVD, or flash drive, you simply insert
it in the drive, power up the computer, and follow the prompts. In order to do
that, the computer will need to know to check your CD\DVD drive or USB
ports for OS installation media. By default, the computer will usually read
from the hard drive first and will give you an error such as no operating
system found since you haven’t installed one yet.

Changing the Boot Order

Like I mentioned in Chapter 5, you can access the BIOS\UEFI Settings when
booting your computer and change the boot order so it uses a different device
to boot from, or to try to boot from first. Some computers will try the other
devices in the computer to boot from if they can’t boot from the hard drive
while others will just stop after checking the first one in the list.
If your computer is not reading your CD\DVD or USB drives, then you might
need to go into the BIOS\UEFI settings and change the boot order. To get to
your BIOS\UEFI settings, start your computer and look for what it says you
need to do to enter setup. You may have to press something like the delete,
esc, or F2 key to get into your BIOS\UEFI. Not all systems are the same, but
your computer should tell you what key to press to enter setup when booting
your computer. If not, then many times you can press one or more of these
keys over and over as the computer is booting and see if you get lucky. Or
you can look up your make and model online and see if you can find the right
key to press.
Once you get into the BIOS\UEFI, there will most likely be a section named
Boot. From there you can change which drive the system looks at first to boot
from. Figure 6.1 and 6.2 show a couple of examples of boot order screens
from different BIOS\UEFI manufacturers, with figure 6.2 showing the older
style that is not really used on newer computers anymore.

Figure 6.1
Figure 6.2
Once you set the boot order to the way you want it, make sure to save before
you exit. Most of the time there is a save and exit option where you can do
both at once. Then the computer will reboot and read from the new boot
device that you chose in the BIOS\UEFI settings. (Keep in mind that this new
device will continue to be the boot device until you go back into the
BIOS\UEFI and change it back to the way it originally was.)
Another thing to look for is that some computers will show a message saying
something like press F12 to choose boot device, and if that’s the case, you
won’t need to go into the BIOS\UEFI and change the settings. Then the next
time you reboot the computer, it will use its default boot device which should
be the hard drive.

Making a Bootable Flash Drive

For the longest time it has been the norm to install operating systems and
other software from CDs and DVDs. Now everything is online, and
eventually the CD\DVD drive will go the way of the floppy disk drive—if
you even remember those!
While there are several ways to install an operating system on your computer,
one way that many people like to use is to install the OS from a bootable
USB flash drive. This way they don’t need the actual installation CD or
DVD, and if they don’t have a CD\DVD drive then they can still install the
OS.
When you download an operating system image from the Internet it will most
likely come in the form of an ISO file. Think of an ISO file kind of like a zip
file where you have many files contained within one file. ISO files can be
converted into bootable CDs, DVDs, or even flash drives that can be used to
start your computer with.
But what if you want to create a bootable flash drive but only have the
CD\DVD version of the operating system? Well, one thing you can do is
convert the contents of that CD or DVD to an ISO file which can then be
used to make a bootable USB flash drive. There are many ways to do this, but
I will go over one program that I like to use called ImgBurn. It’s a free
download and very easy to use.
http://www.imgburn.com/
Once you install ImgBurn and run it, you will see the main menu like shown
in figure 6.3. From there you will insert your CD or DVD into your drive and
click on Create image file from disk.
Figure 6.3

Next you will need to make a couple of selections before creating your ISO
file. One thing you need to do is select the source of the files that will be used
to create the ISO file, which will be your CD\DVD drive. The other thing you
need to do is decide what you want the ISO file to be named and where you
want it created. Then, when you are ready to go, simply click on the CD to
file button on the bottom of the window.
Figure 6.4

ImgBurn will go through the conversion procedure and show you a status bar
letting you know how far the process has completed.
Figure 6.5

When it’s complete, it will pop up a message saying Operation Successfully

Completed, and you can then click OK and close the program.
Figure 6.6

Now if you browse to where you told ImgBurn to create the ISO file, you
will find it there. You are now ready to create your bootable USB flash drive.

For the creation of the bootable USB flash drive I will show you two methods
using two free programs that are available to download from the Internet. I
will also be using Windows 10 for my ISO image for the bootable flash drive.
Rufus Bootable USB Flash Drive Utility
Rufus is a free utility that will make a USB flash drive bootable, allowing
you to boot your computer off of that flash drive like it was a bootable CD or
DVD. Rufus can be used with Windows, Linux, and other operating systems
that can boot off of an ISO file. All you need to do to get things going is have
your USB drive in your computer and have your ISO file on your computer
where you can get to it. Then you will run the Rufus executable file that you
downloaded, and then you will be able to customize your settings depending
on what type of computer you are attempting to boot if needed.
If you take a look at figure 6.7, you will see that I am using a flash drive that
is currently the S: drive on my computer. It’s 32GB in size and doesn’t have
a drive label. If you have more than one flash drive connected to your
computer, make sure you select the one you actually want to use to avoid data
loss on the one you don’t want to use. Or, better yet, remove any other flash
drives to avoid any potential confusion.
The ISO file I have selected to use to create the bootable flash drive is called
Windows10Pro.iso and is stored on my local hard drive. For the volume label
name to be used after the bootable flash drive is created I will use
Windows10. The rest of the options will be selected for you depending on the
type of flash drive you are using and the ISO file you will be creating the
drive from, even though you can customize them to suit your needs. There
are also advanced options for the Drive Properties and Format Options
sections that you can change if needed.
Figure 6.7

When you have everything set, click on the Start button and you will get a
warning telling you that everything on the flash drive will be destroyed
before creating the new bootable flash drive. So, if you are sure you don’t
need any data off of the flash drive, click the OK button.
Figure 6.8

Then Rufus will do its thing and you will see what is happening on the status
bar at the bottom of the window.
Figure 6.9

When the process is complete it will say READY in the status bar, which can
be a little confusing because it doesn’t say complete or finished, but it’s
actually done. Simply click on CLOSE and remove the USB drive from the
computer.
Figure 6.10

Now you will have your bootable flash drive ready to go for your operating
system installation. Rufus can be downloaded for free from their website.
https://rufus.ie

Windows USB/DVD Download Tool

Another free and easy to use tool for making a bootable USB flash drive is
the Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool. Since it has Windows 7 in the
name, there is no guarantee how long it will be around for, but as of this
writing it’s still available for download on the Microsoft website.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=56485
Once you install the tool simply run it and it will ask you to choose the ISO
file you wish to use for your flash drive. Once again, I am using my
Windows10Pro.iso file. Then click the Next button.

Figure 6.11

Next you will need to decide if you want to make a bootable USB flash drive
or DVD, so in this case you will click the USB device button.
Figure 6.12

For the next step simply plug in your flash drive if it’s not already connected
and choose the right one from the list. If it’s not displayed, then click on the
refresh button to have the tool search for it. Once again, make sure you pick
the right one so you don’t wipe out any data you want to keep on a different
flash drive. When you have everything set, click on the Begin copying button
to start the process.

Figure 6.13
You might get a warning saying there is not enough free space on the drive if
you have data on there already and that the drive needs to be erased. As long
as you are sure there is no important data on the drive you need, click the
Erase USB Device button.

Figure 6.14

Now the tool will go through the process of creating a bootable USB drive
that you can use to install your operating system with on your computer.

Figure 6.15

When the status bar reaches 100%, then the process is complete and you can
close the program and remove the USB drive from your computer.
Figure 6.16

Installing Windows
If you plan on running Microsoft Windows on your computer, then
fortunately the process for installing Windows is pretty simple, and I will
now go over the steps to perform a clean installation of Windows 10. To
perform a clean installation of Windows you will want to boot from the
Windows DVD or bootable flash drive to start the installation process. Of
course, you need to make sure your computer is not set to read from your
CD\DVD drive or USB ports first, or look for the key that needs to be
pressed on startup that will let you choose the first boot device for this boot
up only. Some computers make it obvious while others don’t give you that
information. (Many times it’s the F12 key.)
Once you have booted to the Windows DVD or flash drive, you will be asked
to choose your language, time and currency format, and keyboard input
(figure 6.17). Normally the defaults will be correct and you can then click on
Next and then on the Install now button.
Figure 6.17

On the next screen you will be asked to type in your Windows product key,
which will be included with the Windows 10 DVD (figure 6.18). If you are
using a DVD that you borrowed from someone and your computer originally
came with Windows 10, then you can enter the product key from the sticker
that should be someplace on your computer’s case. If you don’t have a key,
you can still install Windows and then enter one later or use it in trail mode
for a limited period of time.
Figure 6.18

Next you will be able to choose which edition of Windows you want to
install. The choices you see here will vary depending on your installation
media (figure 6.19). Just make sure to choose the one that matches your
product key. If you entered the product key, then you might not see this
screen because it will choose the edition for you based on that key.
Figure 6.19

Next you will check the box that says you accept the license terms that are
listed. (Most people don’t read them, but you can if you are feeling up to it!)
The next window is where you will have to make a choice based on what
type of installation you are doing (figure 6.20). Since we are doing a clean
installation, we will pick the second option that says Custom: Install
Windows only (advanced). You will notice in the description that it says that
your files, settings, and applications will not be moved to Windows with this
option, so make sure you back up your files!

Tip
When installing a clean version of Windows on your existing computer another thing to remember is
that you will need to reinstall any programs that don’t come with Windows, so make sure you have
your installation media for your software.
Figure 6.20

The next section is where you will need to choose what hard drive you are
going to install Windows 10 on, as well as how much of the hard drive you
are going to use (figure 6.21). If you click on Next, it will use the selected
hard drive and create a partition using all of the space on the drive. Then it
will format the drive to get it ready to install Windows on.
If you click on New, then you can decide how much of the total drive
capacity will be used for Windows. Then the rest will be listed as “unused”
and you can create additional drives with it after Windows is installed.
Figure 6.21

You can see now in figure 6.22 that the installation is running. This process
will take a bit of time depending on the performance of the hardware of your
computer such as processor speed, hard drive type, and the amount of RAM
installed.
Figure 6.22

After the installation is complete, Windows will restart the computer and
prepare your hardware for use with Windows. Then Windows will start up
and begin its basic configuration, where it will ask you to specify your
region, keyboard layout, network (Internet) connection settings, and at the
end will ask you to create a username and password for Windows. You will
also be prompted to enable Cortana, which is the built in “personal assistant”
for Windows 10, and is similar to Siri used on Apple devices.
Next you will be presented with a bunch of privacy settings that you can
disable if you are the type that wants to stay under the radar and doesn’t want
everything you do shared with Microsoft (figure 6.23). I usually turn all of
these settings off because it doesn’t really help you to have them enabled.
There are even more of these privacy settings that you can customize after
Windows is installed.
Figure 6.23

After a few more minutes of waiting for Windows to finish configuring itself,
you will be presented with a login screen where you will login with the
username and password you created during the installation, and now you are
ready to go!

Windows Update
One last thing I want to mention in this chapter is Windows Update, and what
these updates do to your computer. Windows Updates consist of fixes,
patches, and upgrades that are applied to your computer to fix bugs, patch
security holes, and add new features to Windows. If your computer is
connected to the Internet, then these updates are downloaded and installed
automatically.
One downside to the way Windows 10 does its updates is that you can’t stop
them from being installed like you could with previous versions of Windows.
Also, if you are not in front of your computer to stop the reboots that are
required after many of these updates, then you might lose any unsaved
documents that you have open during the reboot. (It’s always a good idea to
save your work before walking away from your computer for any extended
period of time.)
You can view the Windows Update settings and update history from the
Windows settings, then Update & Security, and then Windows Update. You
can click on Change active hours to tell Windows what time period you are
active on your computer so it won’t automatically restart it during that time
period (figure 6.24). You can choose a time span of up to 18 hours.

Figure 6.24

Installing Linux
For you non-conformists who want to stay away from Windows and tend to
be more on the “techy” side, you can install Linux on your new computer
instead. Linux is a free (for the most part), open source operating system that
can be downloaded and then installed on your computer.
There are many flavors (versions) of Linux developed by different people
that you can choose from. Some are more popular than others, and some will
have advantages over the others depending on what you plan to use your
computer for. So, if you want to give Linux a try, you should check out some
of the flavors and decide what version you want to install.
For my demonstration I am going to use Ubuntu Linux Desktop since it is
very popular and is easier to use for beginners. You can download it for free
from their website as a 2GB ISO file. They also offer server, developer, and
cloud versions of the operating system. Here are the requirements for Ubuntu
Linux as of the writing of this book:
(https://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop).
2 GHz dual core processor or better
2 GB system memory
25 GB of free hard drive space
Either a DVD drive or a USB port for the installer media

Once you boot your computer with the Ubuntu DVD or flash drive, you will
see a screen similar to the figure 6.25 asking you to choose your default
language. You will have to use the arrow keys on the keyboard to make your
selection since the mouse will not be working at this point. Press the enter
key after you choose the correct language.
Figure 6.25

Next you will have the option to either install Ubuntu or to try it out without
installing it. If you choose the try without installing option, it will load the
operating system into RAM and run it from there. When you shut down your
computer everything will be lost with it. I will choose the Install Ubuntu
option.
Figure 6.26

After some lines of text flash on the screen you will be taken into the GUI
(Graphical User Interface), where you will be asked to choose your language
once again. The mouse will now be working at this point in the installation.
Figure 6.27

Next you will choose your keyboard layout.

Figure 6.28
As you can see in figure 6.29, you will now need to make some important
decisions for what type of installation you would like to do. There is the
normal installation, which will give you the OS plus additional software and
games, or you can choose the minimal installation, which will just give you a
web browser and some basic utilities that you can use with your new OS.

Figure 6.29

Linux has updates to the operating system just like Windows does, so if you
are connected to the Internet, then you can have these updates installed while
Ubuntu is being installed itself. The install third-party software for graphics
and Wi-Fi hardware and additional media formats option will install extras
like Adobe Flash and Java support, plus any wireless adapter drivers that can
be installed. (I am going to leave that unchecked for my installation.)
The next section, as shown in figure 6.30, is where you need to make an
important decision, and what you choose will vary on what you are trying to
accomplish with your Linux installation.
Figure 6.30

Here is what each choice will do for the installation:

Erase disk and install Ubuntu – If you are using a new or blank
hard drive and want the installer to create all of your partitions
and configure the operating system for you, then you should
choose this option. It’s the easiest for users who are new to Linux.

Encrypt the new Ubuntu installation for security – This will

encrypt your Linux partition on your hard drive and every time
you start your computer you will need to put in a password to
access that partition. This password is different than the login
password that you will also have to enter.

Use LVM with the new Ubuntu installation – LVM, or Logical

Volume Management, is used to manage your drives so that you
can resize them and take snapshots of them if needed. You can
also do things such as create one logical volume out of two
physical hard drives. This is mostly used in server installations
and ads a little more complexity to Ubuntu, so it’s up to you if
you would like to play around with it. Just be careful when doing
 so, since you might not like the results if you don’t know exactly
what you are doing.

Something else – If you are the type who likes to do manual

partitioning when installing your OS, then you can choose this
option to create drive partitions to your exact specifications.

For my installation I will just stick with the default Erase disk and install
Ubuntu option and then click the Install Now button. I will then be given a
warning telling me exactly what will happen to my hard drive if I click on
Continue, which I will now do.

Figure 6.31

Next you will be asked where you are for time zone purposes.
Figure 6.32

Then you will need to create a user name that you will log into the computer
with, as well as a password to use with this new user. You will also need to
enter a name for your computer that will be used on the network if you
happen to be on one. I chose the username James and the computer name
Ubuntu.
Figure 6.33

You might have noticed the options to log in automatically or to require a

password to log in. You can choose either option based on what your security
requirements are, and if you care if anyone else can easily access your
computer or not. I will choose the Require my password to log in option.
Next you will see the Ubuntu installation progress, and it will tell you what it
is doing on each step.
Figure 6.34

Finally you will be prompted to restart your computer after it finishes the
installation. Click the Restart Now button to do so. Be sure to remove your
installation media before rebooting so it doesn’t start the installation
procedure again.

Figure 6.35

After your computer reboots, you will click on your username and enter your
password (unless you chose the option to have it log you in automatically).
Figure 6.36

Finally you will have your new Ubuntu Linux desktop ready to use. Now all
you need to do is learn how to use Linux! Simple, right?
Figure 6.37
What’s Next?
Now that you have read through this book and are now an expert computer
builder, you might be wondering what you should do next. Well, that depends
on where you want to go. Are you happy with what you have learned, or do
you want to further your knowledge or maybe get into a career in the IT
(information technology) field?
If you do want to expand your knowledge, you should look at subject-specific
books such as networking, storage, Windows, etc. Focus on one subject at a
time, then apply what you have learned to the next subject.
There are many great video resources as well, such as Pluralsight or CBT
Nuggets, which offer online subscriptions to training videos of every type
imaginable. YouTube is also a great source for training videos if you know
what to search for.
Once you have increased your knowledge a bit and want to get into the
money-making side of computers, think about getting yourself some
certifications on a couple of different subjects. For the basic computer repair
area, you can go for the CompTIA A+ certification. For basic networking,
you can take their Network+ exam, and for servers they offer a Server+
exam. If you want a general type certification, you can go for their IT
Fundamentals certification. CompTIA used to have an exam for storage
certification called Storage+, but that has since been retired. However, you
can still take the SNIA Certified Storage Professional (SCSP) exam, which
covers the same material.
If networking is more your thing, then think about some of the Cisco
certifications. The most basic one you can take is the CCENT, and then you
can consider moving your way up to the CCNA to prove you have what it
takes to do the job. High level Cisco techs can make a lot of money, so if you
enjoy working on switches and routers, this may be the path to take.
Of course, Microsoft offers a variety of certifications for various
technologies, too. The most common certifications are for their server and
domain platforms, such as the MCSE (Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert)
and MCSA (Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate) certifications. They
also offer lower level certifications such as the MTP (Microsoft Technology
Associate) and MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) certifications for
subjects such as Windows 10.
Keep in mind that in the real world, experience matters more than
certification. If you have a piece of paper saying you know something but
you can’t do it on the job, then it doesn’t really help you out. Don’t expect to
start out at a high level, because it will take several years of practice to work
your way up to the higher paying jobs.
If you are content in being a standalone computer geek that knows more than
your friends, then just keep on reading up on the technologies you want to
learn, and you will soon become your friends and families go-to computer
person
(which may or may not be something you want!).
Thanks for reading Building Your Own Computer Made Easy. If you like this
title, please leave a review. Reviews help authors build exposure. Plus, I love
hearing from my readers! You can also check out the other books in the
Made Easy series for additional computer related information and training.
Computers Made Easy: From Dummy To Geek
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DP9CH6K
Windows 10 Made Easy: Take Control of Your PC
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GJXVHXY
Networking Made Easy: Get Yourself Connected
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HD7K6WT
Office Made Easy: Increase Your Productivity
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JC7X5JP
Cloud Storage Made Easy: Securely Backup and Share Your Files
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K5L4GB6
You should also check out our website at www.onlinecomputertips.com, as
well as follow us on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/OnlineComputerTips/ to find more
information on all kinds of computer topics.
About the Author
James Bernstein has been working with various companies in the IT field
since 2000, managing technologies such as SAN and NAS storage, VMware,
backups, Windows Servers, Active Directory, DNS, DHCP, Networking,
Microsoft Office, Exchange, and more.
He has obtained certifications from Microsoft, VMware, CompTIA,
ShoreTel, and SNIA, and continues to strive to learn new technologies to
further his knowledge on a variety of subjects.
He is also the founder of the website onlinecomputertips.com, which offers
its readers valuable information on topics such as Windows, networking,
hardware, software, and troubleshooting. James writes much of the content
himself, and adds new content on a regular basis. The site was started in 2005
and is still going strong today.