The Board

Choosing the main board or motherboard for your new computer is vital.  There are different types of boards and the come in different sizes.  There are some that come with HDMI output to plug in to your flat screen TV and some incredibly small motherboards that could fit in a shoe box.  The board you pick will have to match up with your CPU.  If you decide you want an Intel processor then you will have to go with a board designed for an Intel processor. 

Board Size and Power

Motherboards come in a variety of sizes.  There are the full ATX boards which offer the most expansion ports, the micro-ATX boards which still allow you expandability yet allow you to use a smaller case and the diminutive ITX which are close the size of a DVD movie case.  For the most part, the micro-ATX boards are a popular choice.  They offer expansion PCI-Express slots and can be used in most computer cases.  There are some that come with built in optical audio outputs as well as an HDMI connector for your television.  With a full ATX board you will need to move to a full tower case.  The advantage with these boards is expandability.  You could have 2 video cards, a high end audio card and perhaps to network cards.  If you choose the ITX form factor you will find your self building a PC that can easily fit on top of your desk with out taking up much space.  One major drawback to these small boards is that the cases they fit in can have issues dissipating heat.  Power consumption is another factor.  The ITX boards will utilize the least amount of energy.  As for the micro-ATX and the ATX boards, power consumption will vary depending on the peripherals and cards installed.

Building Your Own PC

Introduction

Today building a personal computer (PC) is a task that most of us, with a little patience, can do ourselves.  If you can put together a puzzle or build a piece of Sauder furniture you can build your own PC.  Some years ago one of my wives friends decided that she wanted to build a PC.  We sat down for a short bit and determined what she wanted her new PC to do.  With that information we built a shopping list and she ordered the parts needed to build her new computer.  With a little guidance you too can build your first PC.

What will the PC do?

This is an important question.  Not all PC’s are meant to do the same the same thing.  Take for instance my wife’s computer.  In our office, she has the fastest, most powerful PC.  Shelly, my wife, will typically open multiple programs at a time.  Some of the applications that she works with are Adobe’s Photoshop, InDesign and Outlook.  During some projects she will push her system to the limit, often using up all the memory her PC has.  On the other hand some people will open up Outlook for their email, work on some Excel spreadsheets and use the Internet to procure supplies.  These users do not require the computing power needed by graphic artists or video editors.  So what will you use your PC for?

The Basics

The Brains

The processor or CPU (central processing unit) of a PC handles the task of working with different threads of information and performing the mathematical calculations needed to draw the pictures on your screen or crunch the numbers in a spreadsheet.  Depending on what you do need you can choose the right CPU for your new PC. 

At this time, dual core processors have become a mainstream, affordable option. Unless you are looking to build a PC to just surf the internet or type a few letters you should concentrate on using a dual core CPU in your PC.  If you where to want to go with an Intel Celeron or AMD single core processor you are probably not going to see a dramatic price change between what you can buy at Best Buy or the internet to what you will build yourself, once you add all the parts and the license for Windows.

Choosing the processor is pretty straight forward.  The number associated with a CPU refers to the speed of which the processor is able to process (hence processor) information.  Processor speed measures (in megahertz or gigahertz; MHz or GHz) the number of instructions per second the computer executes.  In other words, the higher the number or clock speed the faster it will draw a picture on the LCD or load a program on your PC.

Pick a budget then pick your processor.  With technology you will always pay a premium to be on the bleeding edge.  It is better to buy a few or a couple a speeds lower than the newest chip.  You will find that you are able to get a lot more for your money.