Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
1
Fundamentals
In ThIs chaPTEr
The idea of building their first PC intimidates many people, but there's really
nothing to worry about. Building a PC is no more technically challenging than
changing the oil in your car or hooking up a DVD player. Compared to assem-
bling one of those “connect tab A to slot B” toys for the kids, it's a breeze.
Why Build a PC?
Designing the Perfect PC
Things to Know and Do Before You Start
Things You Need to Have
Troubleshooting
PC components connect like building blocks. Component sizes, screw threads,
mounting hole positions, cable connectors, and so on are mostly standard-
ized, so you needn't worry about whether something will fit. There are minor
exceptions, of course. For example, some small cases accept only microATX
motherboards and half-height or half-length expansion cards. There are also
some important details to pay attention to. You must verify, for example, that
the motherboard you intend to use supports the processor you plan to use.
But overall, there are few “gotchas” involved in building a PC. If you follow our
advice in the project system chapters, everything will fit and everything will
work together.
Nor do you need to worry much about damaging the PC—or it damaging
you. Simple precautions such as handling components with reasonable care,
grounding yourself before touching static-sensitive components, and verify-
ing cable connections before you apply power are sufficient to prevent dam-
age to all those expensive parts you bought. Other than inside the power
supply—which you should
never
open—the highest voltage used inside a
modern PC is 12V, which presents no shock hazard.
Mixing Old and New
Most compatibility issues arise when
you mix new components with
older ones. For example, an older
video card may not fit the video slot
in a new motherboard, and a new
processor may not be compatible
with an older motherboard. If you
build a PC from all new components,
you are likely to encounter few such
issues. Still, it's a good idea to verify
compatibility between the mother-
board and other major components,
particularly the CPU, video adapters,
and memory. The configurations
in this topic have been tested for
compatibility.
This chapter doesn't cover the nuts-and-bolts details of assembling a PC, be-
cause that's covered exhaustively in text and images in the project system
chapters. Instead, this chapter explains the fundamentals—everything you
need to prepare yourself properly. It examines the advantages of building
your own PC and explains how to design a PC that is perfect for your needs.
It tells you what you need to know and do before you start the project, and
lists the components, hand tools, and software tools you'll need to build your
system. Finally, because the best way to troubleshoot is to avoid problems in
the first place, it includes a detailed troubleshooting section.
Let's get started.
