Computers have become an integral part of our daily lives. Not only do they provide access to our family and friends, but they provide great entertainment through gaming and the internet. They also act as the primary work platform for many different jobs and industries. So learning how to build and upgrade a computer is a pretty noteworthy skill.
What Does it Take to Build a Computer?
A computer is made up of several different components that come in a wide variety of options. Computers are extremely versatile machines, so before building your own computer you will want to ask yourself how you plan on using it. If it’s really just going to be used for work documents, emails, and the internet, then it really shouldn’t need high-end components.
However, if you plan on gaming and/or streaming on the computer then you will need to take a look at more expensive hardware that will provide the performance you need.
Computer Case ($50-$200)
The first thing you will need is a computer case. These cases or “towers” come in all sorts of designs and sizes. If you want something with a small form factor, look at microATX cases, these are much smaller than your average computer case, but they do require a special mATX motherboard as the regular-sized boards won’t fit.
CPU/Motherboard (Motherboards – $75-$200) (CPU – $200-$1,000)
The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is like the brain of the machine, it takes all of the data and programs and processes it at insanely high speeds. The motherboard is like the central nervous system, all of the other components attach to it either directly or through cables.
The CPU sits directly onto the motherboard, which means that they need to be made for each other. Manufacturers have made it pretty simple by assigning CPUs a socket type, match the socket type of a CPU with a motherboard of the same type and you are good to go.
RAM (Short term memory) ($40-$200)
The computer uses RAM as short term memory storage, so while the CPU is processing the data, the RAM is storing preferences and other settings for the programs. RAM comes in sizes 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, etc, as well as specific speeds like 3200MHz. The speed isn’t too important, just make sure the motherboard you have chosen can handle that specific speed. The RAM size is what really matters, and you will want to have between 8GB and 16GB in total (it can be split between multiple sticks).
Hard Drive (Long term memory) ($75-$200)
Hard drives come in two primary styles, HDD and SSD. HDD is the older type of technology that utilizes moving parts and disks to store all of your data. SSDs are much more similar to the SD cards and flash memory we use in cameras and smartphones. SSDs are much faster than their predecessor and are about the same price, so I highly recommend purchasing one with a decent amount of storage.
If you have a lot of media files you’d like to store on the hard drive then it might be a good idea to purchase an HDD as well. They can be more price-conscious as storage capacity gets higher, and simply storing media doesn’t require the performance of an SSD.
Graphics Card ($100-$500)
Most CPUs come with some sort of graphics card built into them, however, these are generally pretty weak and won’t provide you with a lot of performance. If you are planning on using the computer for basic tasks then the integrated graphics card should be just fine. But if you plan on doing some gaming, graphics design, or running more resource-intensive tasks then I’d highly recommend grabbing yourself a dedicated graphics card.
Power Supply ($50-$200)
The power supply is a pretty straightforward component. They are categorized by the amount of power they provide in Watts. The motherboard and graphics card are the two power-hungry components and they should come with a recommended minimum power requirement. Simply check those components and match them to a power supply that will cover it. Typically a 500W power supply is more than enough for basic applications.
Putting it all Together
There is a lot that goes into building your computer, but this should provide a good view of the basics. When you begin building the computer and putting the parts together, check out youtube for videos that show best practices on how to set your rig up. These videos can give you some great pointers and simplify the process considerably.