easygoer said:
Does anybody have a site that shows you how to build a computer? I have the parts on the way but I've never built one before. I have a general idea but I want to make sure I don't mess anything up. My last resort is going to buy How to build a PC for dummies. Thanks
Go to google and type "build computer".
Just that, should give you a bunch of hits. For a basic system you need (in order of most to least important).
1. CPU (main "chip" that does almost everything, computer is useless without one. Also the major speed determiner of the system, the rest of the system is designed to flow data to and from the CPU as quickly as is possible and affordable.)
2. Motherboard (aka board, main board, mobo etc. Absolutely everything connects to it in some way, also controls how the CPU connects to other hardware, computer is useless without one).
3. Video card or onboard video (deals with 2D and 3D work, sends signals to the monitor to display. You can technically run a computer without one, but good luck knowing what the computer is doing).
4. RAM (aka memory. Works as a "work area" for the CPU. The CPU processes stuff from the RAM, then sends the result back to the RAM. If you need to save something, that is the hard drive's job. Computer is useless without RAM. I recommend at the very least, 512MB).
5. Hard drive (aka HDD, hard disk. Holds the OS*, holds all your files. Again, computer can run and work without one, but since about 1985, it's been impossible to not have a hard drive)
*OS=operating system (You will be using Windows XP).
6. Power supply (aka PSU, PS. 100% essential part of the computer. Without one you have a box with useless circuit boards and metal. It's listed down here because, although important, a more powerful power supply doesn't make the computer "faster", you just are allowed to run a more powerful CPU, motherboard, more drives etc).
7. Optical drives (CDROM, CDRW, DVDROM, DVDRW as well as some others. This is the primary way to get major software onto the hard drive. Such as the OS, major programs.
8. Other small PCI things, most of these are integrated on the motherboard. Most motherboards have decent integrated sound, they usually have integrated ethernet (for high speed internet or networking), and don't worry about USB, you will not find a motherboard now without at least several of these connectors. One thing I will say, unless you are going for the absolute CHEAPEST you can go, do NOT get integrated video. Working with video (especially any shadowing or 3D) is very intensive and should not be integrated (integrated video usually steals time from the CPU and is generally a lot crappier than even a low end dedicated video card.)
I guess since you ordered the parts, you probably knew most of the babble I just typed
What kind of system did you order?
Hopefully I didn't make this too obvious, if you already knew most of it, well