How To Build A PC: A Visual Guide

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How To Build A PC: A Visual Guide

Here, I'll show you how to build a kick ass PC, while saving money and marveling at your accomplishment. Choose today's hottest parts while ensuring compatibility. Put it all together with this picture-filled guide, and enjoy your new computing experience!

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An Intro to "How To Build A PC" 

Welcome to my biggest tutorial yet! To start off, I've been building PCs since the 1990s. It's been a fun little hobby, and its rewards are apparent when you see that your end result will be a PC that is drastically LESS expensive and MORE powerful than the highest caliber pre-built PC, hands down!

Here, we'll go through all of the steps involved in building your own PC, at home, with your own two hands. In July 2008, my 5 year old PC started getting a CPU error. I immediately knew it was the ultimate excuse to build a new PC, and I cataloged and took pictures of each step of the process, for your information!

Why Should I Build My Own PC? 

All first-timers ask this question. Maybe they're scared of buying all of those parts and having something go wrong. Or, perhaps they would rather "play it safe," take the easy route, and buy a pre-built Dell or HP. Without going into too much dialogue, here are a few simple facts:

  • You'll save a LOT of money by building your own PC. It's so true, and I can't say it enough. If you're looking to build the dream PC, it doesn't get more cost-efficient than buying the parts and putting it together yourself. Dell's top-of-the-line XPS system retails at over $4100. My system topped off at almost exactly $2,100 less (and that's WITH a 21" LCD screen and a top-of-the-line scanner!)

  • Home built PCs are much, MUCH more powerful than pre-built systems. If you've chosen the right parts, your new PC will blow away any of those retail boxes, any day, hands-down, NO argument! Remember, you're choosing quality parts from the inside out. "Bargain bin" components are frequently seen elsewhere!

  • When you build your own PC, there are no restrictions! You're starting off with a clean slate - a formatted hard drive, parts that are all under their own warranties, and no restrictions if you tamper with your own system (in other words, you'll never lose your warranty, as you would if you had tampered with your pre-built system!) Oh, and you won't have to suffer through all of the Crapware that pre-built systems have pre-installed on them, that have clogged up your registry.

Step 1: Selecting PC Parts and Organizing Everything 

In this introductory step, I'll show you how to select the right parts for your means. Make sure they're compatible. Once they arrive, double-check that you have everything ready! You never know which tools you might have to run to the store for!
featured lens How To Build A PC: Selecting PC Parts

The first step in building your PC is buying the parts! This can be confusing and frustrating for the first-time home PC builder. Learn how to choose compatible parts and get things together.

Step 2: Install the Motherboard & Power Supply 

Secure your motherboard to the inside of your case. There are lots of things to look out for, too! Hook up (but don't plug in) your power supply.
featured lens How To Build A PC: Installing the Motherboard and Power Supply

Installing your motherboard is the first step in your journey to building a new PC. We'll review this, as well as installing a power supply!

Step 3: Install the Processor Chip and CPU Cooler Fan 

Feeling like Dr. Frankenstein yet? Install your computer's main event: the CPU chip. Grease it up. Then, attach the big bad heatsink fan to keep it cool! Be wary - those heatsink fans can be a little tricky to install. You might have to improvise.
featured lens How to Build A PC: Installing the Processor Chip and CPU Cooler Fan

Now that your motherboard is in, it's time to install your processor, and seal the deal with the cooling fan. Let's get started!

Step 4: Install the CD and DVD Drives 

Let's take a little deviation and put in those internal writer/reader drives! Today's PC cases make it easy with slide-out trays. SATA or IDE? We'll go over that stuff here.
featured lens How to Build A PC: Installing the CD and DVD Read/Write Drives

Installing your CD and DVD drives is super easy. Remove the drive bay from your PC case, and follow these instructions.

Step 5: Install the Hard Drives 

Remove that hard drive bay and get your HDD's ready! It's time to install hard drives. Grab your SATA cables and let's get plugging away!
featured lens How To Build A PC: Install the Hard Drives

Installing a hard drive is a piece of cake! This tutorial takes you from removing the hard drive bay to plugging in the secured hard drive.

Step 6: Install RAM 

Proceed with caution and disburse your bodily static electricity, because it's time to handle those RAM cards! Here, we'll insert RAM, and possibly a cooling device, as well.
featured lens How To Build A PC: Installing RAM

Installing RAM cards is perhaps the easiest step of all in building your new PC! We'll go through the basics.

Step 7: Install the Sound and Video Cards 

We're almost there as we insert the sound card and video (or graphics) card. It's a simple task, but we might as well make it its own step, anyway!
featured lens How To Build A PC: Install the Sound Card and Video Card

Install and fasten your sound card and video card in this final step of our PC building tutorial!

Conclusion: The Final Step! 

Will it be a raving success or will there be issues? This nail-biting step in the process could go well, or take a wrong turn. Let's take a closer look at the very first power-on! Then, we'll conclude with initial Windows setup, and a final farewell.
featured lens How To Build A PC: Powering On Your PC for the First Time

It's the moment of truth: turning on your just-built PC for the first time ever. Will it work, or fail? Let's try it out and review all of the scenarios!

 

On to the next step, Selecting the Right PC Parts >>

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  • Reply
    DragonAsh DragonAsh Jul 5, 2009 @ 9:08 am
    Hello, very nice lens and with the links to other lens must have taken you awhile, going to lensroll this with my "Build a Gaming PC Project" lens and 5* you.
  • Reply
    partybuzz partybuzz May 7, 2009 @ 8:08 pm
    This is a great tutorial! I especially like that the first thing you show is the tools you'll need! I've lensrolled and also added you to my No-Case Computer lens. 5*s!
  • Reply
    Rajays Rajays Apr 23, 2009 @ 2:00 pm
    Mark, this is a very good tutorial. I have been building my own pc's for years and actually enjoy doing it. Getting it to work just right with the hardware and software component is kind therapeutic for me. :) A hobby of sorts. This is a very useful and helpful lens! Blessed, faved and *****.
  • Reply
    MarekSurman MarekSurman Apr 1, 2009 @ 8:54 am
    Hi, nice lens. I build on myself many computers, it is really easy, everyone can do it. Check my lenses about computers if you want. 5* for you!
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