How to Build a Computer Step by Step
The following pages listed here are the how to build a computer step by step guides with
pictures of me installing the hardware for a gaming pc. These pages focus on each specific step. That's
intentional, it makes it easier on you if you only have questions regarding how to do a certain step. Plus, there
are tips along with the installation instructions.
If you only need to build a basic computer and not a gaming computer, odds are you are using integrated graphics
either on your motherboard or CPU (depending if the CPU has integrated graphics). If that is case, you'll skip the
portion on installing the graphics card (aka video card). That will not apply to your computer build.
Computers using integrated graphics do not require the add in graphics card installation step. The graphics
card is how gaming pcs take a load off the CPU. The GPU processes the graphics instead. So if you are not
installing a graphics card skip that step. The rest of the steps still apply for installing the computer
components in a non-gaming pc.
The page installing the parts is the birds-eye view of the entire
process of how to build a computer. I highly recommend giving that page a once over before diving into the build
instructions. I've included quite a number of tips and pictures throughout the whole installation process.
Gaming PC Hardware Installation Guides:
- installing the parts
Sooner or later when you're building a computer, it's time for installing the parts.
You've done your research, used your build list and purchased your parts. This page is your check list of what to do in what order. Time to build your gamer. If you've never built a computer before,...
- cpu installation
CPU Installation CPU installation is the first step taken in populating your motherboard. It's much easier and frankly usually necessary to populate your motherboard before installing the motherboard...
- applying thermal paste
Applying Thermal Paste Step by Step Applying Thermal Paste to your CPU is a must. It's also referred to as thermal compound, thermal grease, and compound. It comes in a syringe or a packet. There are...
- installing cpu cooler
Installing CPU Cooler Before you install a CPU cooler (HSF - heatsink and fan), be sure these steps have been done: CPU installed Thermal paste applied to CPU The pictures in the examples below are the...
- installing ram
Installing RAM (Memory) Previous steps before installing ram: Install your CPU Applying thermal grease/paste on CPU, OEMs will not come with thermal grease or you might prefer a brand over the stock, Install heat sink fan (CPU Cooler) on your CPU, In the example I'm using for installing RAM, we're installing (seating) 24 GB of triple channel RAM into 6 DIMM slots.
- psu install
How To Install Your PSU Before you do your PSU install check out the previous steps: Install your CPU Applying thermal grease/paste on CPU, OEMs will not come with thermal grease or you might prefer...
- installing motherboard
Installing Motherboard Before we get to the nitty gritty of the steps for installing motherboards, make sure you've prepped and are ready. Previous Steps: Populate Motherboard Install CPU And support...
- front panel
Front Panel Connectors Connecting the front panel (ports, switches and LED indicators/lights)is a bit time consuming but fairly simple to do. Previous steps before connecting front panel: Install...
- install video card
Install Video Card Pre install video card steps: Install your CPU Applying thermal grease/paste on CPU, OEMs will not come with thermal grease or you might prefer a brand over the stock grade Install...
- installing hard drive
Installing Hard Drive Steps Before Installing Hard Drive Steps: Install your CPU Applying thermal grease/paste on CPU, OEMs will not come with thermal grease or you might prefer a brand over the...
- installing optical drive
Installing Optical Drive Steps Before installing optical drive steps: Install your CPU Applying thermal grease/paste on CPU, OEMs will not come with thermal grease or you might prefer a brand over...
- after clean install
In a Nutshell The clean install is the freshly loaded operating system Drivers from motherboard CD/DVD Update OS, keep patching it until totally patched applications (anti-virus, anti-malware, games, office etc)
The answers to the question: ‘what do I need to build a computer?’ are pretty basic.
To build a computer you need:
- build list of all the parts needed to build a computer
-
- purchased all the parts listed on your build and have them in your possession
- tools
- work space
- most likely a couple of hours
- working internet connect with a firewall- for the software portion
Yeah, I’ve built computers in 20-30 minutes for the hardware installation portion only, software is installation
is another story. Software always, always takes a lot more time then you ever dreamed it would.
If it’s your first time to build your own computer, or the last time you built a computer was 3 years ago, it
will take 45 minutes to a couple of hours just to install all the parts.
Then you will need to do your software installations, updates (patching) and configurations.
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