Building your PC, Part 1

Once you get all the parts together, you'll want to start building. There's a few things to note before the building commences. First, make sure you are somewhere that static electricity can't form. I built mine on a wooden desk on a hardwood floor. Second, make sure there is some metal piece without electronics on it. This will be what you touch to get rid of any potential static. Computer parts don't like static and won't work after being exposed to it. The metal piece could be the computer case itself if you'd like. Once you have those things, make sure you have a screwdriver on hand and then you'll be ready to begin!

The first thing you'll want to do is carefully unpack the motherboard. This is the part that is like your central nervous system, it makes sure everything runs right. Set this piece on the work surface so the metal parts are facing up to the ceiling. The next thing you'll want to carefully remove from the packaging is the CPU, or Central Processing Unit. This small part is like your brain, it tells everything else what needs to be done. The CPU fits on the motherboard usually near the middle. There should be a square of black plastic or something similar with a metal arm attached. Lift this metal arm out of it's holder and gently lift up. The black piece may come out, that's fine, it would be in the way of the CPU anyway. After that's done, the CPU should fit nicely into the spot that is left as long as it's aligned properly. There is a small arrow in a corner of the CPU that matches a similar arrow on the motherboard. The metal arm then returns to where it was. This may require some pressure, don't worry, it's normal. You won't break the CPU that easily.

The next part you need to unpack is the RAM, or Random Access Memory. This keeps things you need over and over very quickly. For example, if you're playing a game, the textures of things will be stored here when they aren't directly in use. There are 2-4 slots where these fit, typically close to the CPU slot. You should be able to tell by looking at the bottom of the sticks at the part that looks like an old cartridge game. They should go in slots 2 and 4 or slots 1 and 3. NEVER mix RAM in slots 2 and 3 or any other combo besides 2 and 4 or 1 and 3, it won't work properly.

In the next post, I will cover what happens after affixing these things to the motherboard. We're only a small portion of the way through a whole build.

Recommended Resourses

When I was first looking into what parts I should get, I was just looking at the parts I needed. I didn't even bother to see if they would work together. Then I was directed to a website that tells you if parts work together or not. That website is PCPartPicker.

This website tells you if the parts you select work together and it lists the parts you need in an order that makes sense. All you have to do is click "Choose A ____" and it'll take you to a screen where you choose the part you like best. It lets you sort by price and a large selection of different options. Once you choose the first part, the website automatically makes it so that you only see other parts that work with it. This is what makes it a great resource.

Once you have your list of parts, PCPartPicker will show you where you can find the lowest price of each part. It's ultimately up to you but I don't personally buy from those options since that's a lot of different places and I like consistency. The place I always buy from is Newegg.

I buy from Newegg because they're known for computer parts and it was recommended to me by many people. They also have deals going on almost all the time. Their website also has more than just computer parts for sale. They have things from drones to clothing and everything in between. Their main focus is definitely electronics though.

Another place you can buy from is Amazon. I'm not providing a link because Amazon is so well known. I don't personally buy from them for parts, but my family gets parts for me from there since they have Amazon Prime. So, if you have Prime, I would recommend Amazon since you'll save some money.

If you need more personalized help with anything, feel free to contact me. Additionally, you can find PC groups all over Facebook with people who have more experience than me. 

Welcome to the Wild World of Desktop Computers!

Way back in my senior year of high school (2016), I had a MacBook Air that was given to me by the school. Every student had them for productivity. I realized that I would soon be without said computer and I wanted one for college the following year. I started looking into desktop computers to see how much it would be to buy one that was already built. For a decent PC then, it was about $5,000 USD. That was far too much for me.

That's when I looked into that world a little more and discovered it was possible to build your own computer for a fraction of the price. I got to work putting together the cheapest stable computer I could. The total amount I spent on the various parts was about $550. I bought all the parts at once.

When they came, it was a Friday and I decided that the computer would be my weekend project. Previous to this endeavor, I had watched a video on YouTube that guided me through the process. When it was finally the weekend, I sat down with my dad's iPad, pulled up the video and got to work.

I built an entire computer by hand in about an hour. Some parts were incredibly frustrating and took longer than others, but I eventually got it all together. I was so happy that I had a computer besides the MacBook Air which really sucked for gaming.

In the next series of posts, I will be going through both the process of building a starter computer with explanation behind certain terms, and the upgrading process which is key in keeping up with technology changes.