How to Assemble/Build a Computer

Personal computer Basic hardware components of a modern personal computer, including a monitor, a motherboard, a CPU, a RAM, two expansion cards, a power supply, an optical disc drive, a hard disk drive, a keyboard and a mouse. Inside a custom-built computer: power supply at the bottom has its own cooling fan. The personal computer, also known as the PC, is one of the most common types of computer due to its versatility and relatively low price. Laptops are generally very similar, although may use lower-power or reduced size components. Case Main article: Computer case The computer case is a plastic or metal enclosure that houses most of the components. Those found on desktop computers are usually small enough to fit under a desk, however in recent years more compact designs have become more common place, such as the all-in-one style designs from Apple, namely the iMac. Though a case can basically be big or small, what matters more is which form factor of motherboard it’s designed for.[6] Laptops are computers that usually come in a clamshell form factor, again however in more recent years deviations from this form factor have started to emerge such as laptops that have a detachable screen that become tablet computers in their own right. Power supply Main article: Power supply unit (computer) A power supply unit (PSU) converts alternating current (AC) electric power to low-voltage DC power for the internal components of the computer. Laptops are capable of running from a built-in battery, normally for a period of hours.[7] Mainboard Main article: Motherboard The motherboard is the main component of a computer. It is a large rectangular board with integrated circuitry that connects the other parts of the computer including the CPU, the RAM, the disk drives (CD, DVD, hard disk, or any others) as well as any peripherals connected via the ports or the expansion slots. Components directly attached to or part of the motherboard include: The CPU (Central Processing Unit) performs most of the calculations which enable a computer to function, and is sometimes referred to as the "brain" of the computer. It is usually cooled by a heat sink and fan, it can also be cooled by water(A water cooling system). Most newer CPUs include an on-die Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). CPUs and GPUs are measured in GHz. Usually a computer is anything between 1 GHz and 5 GHz. With most modern Computer you may have the option to 'Overclock' the CPU or GPU, this will mean that you can change how hard the CPU or GPU is working, the harder it is working the hotter it will get but the performance with drastically improve. It is not recommended that you leave a computer overclocked for to long as you will damage the CPU or GPU. The Chipset, which includes the north bridge, mediates communication between the CPU and the other components of the system, including main memory. The Random-Access Memory.(RAM) stores the code and data that are being actively accessed by the CPU. RAM usually comes in the sizes 2GB, 4GB, 8GB and then it goes on all the way up to 32GB. The higher the GB of RAM you have the more programs you can have running on a Computer at a time. The Read-Only Memory (ROM) stores the BIOS that runs when the computer is powered on or otherwise begins execution, a process known as Bootstrapping, or "booting" or "booting up". The BIOS (Basic Input Output System) includes boot firmware and power management firmware. Newer motherboards use Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) instead of BIOS. Buses connect the CPU to various internal components and to expand cards for graphics and sound. The CMOS battery is also attached to the motherboard. This battery is the same as a watch battery or a battery for a remote to a car's central locking system. Most batteries are CR2032, which powers the memory for date and time in the BIOS chip. The Video card (also known as the graphics card) is the main brawn behind the computer graphics and how fast the computer is. This is also measured in GB, the most common is 1GB but it can go anywhere up to 10GB. The higher the GB of the Video Card the better it will handle strenuous tasks such as play Big Video Games and watching Full HD Videos. Expansion cards Main article: Expansion card An expansion card in computing is a printed circuit board that can be inserted into an expansion slot of a computer motherboard or backplane to add functionality to a computer system via the expansion bus. Expansions cards can be used to obtain or expand on features not offered by the motherboard. Storage devices Main article: Computer data storage Computer data storage, often called storage or memory, refers to computer components and recording media that retain digital data. Data storage is a core function and fundamental component of computers. The price of solid-state drives (SSD), which store data on flash memory, has dropped a lot in recent years, making them a better choice than ever to add to a computer to make booting up and accessing files faster.[8] Fixed media Data is stored by a computer using a variety of media. Hard disk drives are found in virtually all older computers, due to their high capacity and low cost, but solid-state drives are faster and more power efficient, although currently more expensive than hard drives, so are often found in more expensive computers. Some systems may use a disk array controller for greater performance or reliability. Removable media To transfer data between computers, a USB flash drive or Optical disc may be used. Their usefulness depends on being readable by other systems; the majority of machines have an optical disk drive, and virtually all have a USB port. Input and output peripherals[edit] Main article: Peripheral Input and output devices are typically housed externally to the main computer chassis. The following are either standard or very common to many computer systems. Input Input devices allow the user to enter information into the system, or control its operation. Most personal computers have a mouse and keyboard, but laptop systems typically use a touchpad instead of a mouse. Other input devices include webcams, microphones, joysticks, and image scanners. Output device Output devices display information in a human readable form. 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