How To Build A Computer

Why would you want to build your own computer? Not to save money. With a decent manufactured computer costing less than $500.00, it will cost you more to buy the parts to build your own. There are five advantages to building rather than buying.

1. Most manufactured computers are built using proprietary components. When (not if) your computer breaks down, you can’t use off-the-shelf replacement parts. You have to pay a lot more for the manufacturer's proprietary replacement parts.

2. Low cost manufactured computers use the cheapest components. These components are marginal or below specifications. When you build your own computer, you select the quality of each component.

3. When you have built your own computer, you are more knowledgeable and capable of performing your own troubleshooting. You don’t have to pay $45.00 per hour for a service technician.

4. When your computer becomes outdated, you can easily upgrade it yourself. You will be a better judge of when it’s more logical to build a new computer from scratch, or to update the old one.

5. You will feel the pride and confidence of having built your own computer. And, you will have proof that you really are smarter than your friends!

Yes, you can build your own computer. Today’s plug-and-play mother boards with on-board video, sound, and network circuitry make it easy. You can build your own computer in 90 minutes. 30 minutes to build the computer plus an hour of waiting while installing the operating system.

When I build a computer, the first component that I consider is the case. Here is what to look for in a case:

* The form factor

Make sure your case style matches the form factor of available motherboards. Most motherboards today are the ATX form factor. You should buy an ATX style case. Do not buy an AT style case. The AT style case has been obsolete for years. Some computer component providers are trying to unload their obsolete AT style cases to inexperienced computer hobbyists.

* The power supply

Don’t buy a case with only a 200 or 250 watt power supply. A 300 watt power supply should be sufficient, but if you plan to install a lot of expansion cards like 3D graphics accelerators, multiple hard drives, CD burners, etc. then you need to consider a case with a more powerful power supply.

A Pentium 4 motherboard uses an extra four pin connector to provide extra 12 volt power required for the CPU. If you plan to build a Pentium 4 based computer, make sure the case has a "Pentium 4 ready" power supply.

* Drive bays

The minimum drive bay requirement is; one 5.25 inch external bay, one 3.5 inch external bay; and one 3.5 inch internal bay. This allows you install a CD-ROM drive, a floppy drive, and a hard disk drive.

However, I would recommend purchasing a case with; two 5.25 inch external bays, one 3.5 inch external bay; and two 3.5 inch internal bays. This gives you a little extra expansion capacity.

* Side Panel

Get a case with a removable side panel. This gives you easy access to the inside of the case. Some cases come with a one piece inverted U shaped cover. It’s a real pain to wrestle this type of cover into place.

* Floppy disk slot

I prefer to avoid cases with a built-in floppy disk slot. With RW-CD’s becoming more common, the floppy disks days could be numbered. When they become obsolete you will be stuck with a funny slot on the front of your computer.

* Beige case

Avoid cases that are not the standard beige colour. Off the shelf floppy drives and CD Drives only come in beige, and it looks nicer if they match the case.

* Desktop or tower case

I don’t think you can find a desk-top style case today. If you do find one, consider the amount of desk area the case will cover. You will most likely have to place your monitor on top of the case. If you have a heavy 19 inch CRT monitor, make sure the case is constructed solidly enough to support the monitor.

Although you can’t save money, there are many other advantages to building your own computer. This article points out some important things to look for when selecting a case for your computer.