STEP 1 : Materials Required

This tutorial is intended to assist you in building a basic PC. There are obviously a plethora of possible PC configurations and hardware that you could put into your new PC if you choose. But, what we are trying to do here is help you put together a basic PC. For this reason, we are only requiring the basic components and tools to get you up and running.

Tools Required

  • Screwdriver – A Phillips-head (cross-point) screwdriver is what is used in most PCs.
  • Screw Extractor – If you have surgeon’s fingers you may not need this. But, if you’re human, it is likely you might drop a screw into your PC during this procedure and be too big-thumbed to get it out. A screw extractor can help you grab those screws and get them out without messing with the hardware. You definitely do not want to run your PC with loose screws in there. It could cause a short circuit.
  • Flashlight – Unless you are in a fantastic lighting situation, you will likely need a flashlight to get a look of the landscape in your PC while you’re working.
  • Tweezers – May be helpful for you in switching jumpers later in the tutorial.

Hardware Required

  • PC Case
  • Floppy Disk Drive
  • Hard Drive
  • CD-ROM Drive
  • Processor
  • Processor Cooling Fan
  • Motherboard
  • Memory Modules
  • Power Supply
  • Video Card
  • Keyboard & Mouse

To build a basic PC, you will need at least a motherboard, a memory module, a processor with cooling fan, a power supply, a hard drive, a floppy drive, a video card and a CD-ROM.

Most electrically sensitive hardware comes in a static bag which is designed to protect the electronics from static electricity shock. Leave your hardware in these bags until you are ready to install them.

Software Required

  • System Disk
  • Device Drivers (these usually come with the hardware above)
  • Operating System (for the purposes of this tutorial, we will assume you are choosing Microsoft Windows as your operating system – PC Mechanic has lots of great information on Linux and other alternatives)

Cables and Miscellaneous

  • Drive cables
  • Motherboard spacers (usually come with the motherboard, but are used to space the motherboard up off the mounting plate)
  • Screws (usually a whole pile of screws will come with your PC’s case, but if you are using a case you happened to have around, you will need to collect some screws)
  • Power cords (for both your PC and your monitor. They usually come with the hardware when you buy it, of course)
  • CPU Cooling Compound
STEP 2 : Remove Case Cover »
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  • joe

    Motherboards do NOT support all types of ram. You need to start off with a motherboard that is meant for your needs. For instance, Find a motherboard that can handle about 6 gigs of ram. Then when you find the motherboard that you want look for memory that is compatible with it. Your NOT going to spend only 500 on a rebuild. Your going to spend at least 800. but 500 will get you some stuff that you need to start off then you can keep going as you need to.

  • joe

    dell is not meant for gaming computers. Dell handles mostly business and homeoffice and stuff for school and work. What i use my computer for it works fine. From a business/professional stand point dell is the way to go. Now if you were to buy a gaming computer your better off buying it yourself but keep in mind that the cpu will become obsolete and you’ll eventually have to replace the motherboard to upgrade the cpu. Well you losers that like to build your own have fun wasting your time it is a complete waste of money and is definitly not worth it unless your a gamer. But at that point i deal with what i have. i don’t look for the best of both worlds when it comes to a computer.

    • Kazak

      wasting time and money!?? losers!?? is this the same Joe who said this article isn’t all that great? keep kissing dell’s rear end. I’ll be kicking it if I ever met them!! don’t think any further comments are required as the others have done it for me…

      DEREK – check out the FAQs at overclock.net and overclockers.co.uk for some great advice on what to build

      • http://www.pcmeck.com BigTom

        Kazak… easy brother… go get a cold one or something.
        Do you notice that there’s ALWAYS a “Joe” on any forum.
        Check out his comments… go to the top and read his post from 12March.
        Seriously… what the heck is this guy doing even POSTING on this site?
        If you don’t think ‘home-built’ is worth the time then what are you doing on a site DEDICATED to DIY’ers??
        Please, to all my thoughtful readers, consider these ‘jems’:
        1. “you spend 500 bucks at dell and you get what you want
        ”
        2. “20 years from now when I need the drivers for my computer just go to the Dell website”
        3. “to build my own i need to keep track of cds and stuff”
        4. “If you guys really want a nice computer just save up 5 grand and go to Dell”
        5. “I’ve had the same Dell since 1995…and the computer actually runs better then any of the new computers that we have now.”
        6. “it [building your own PC] is a complete waste of money and is definitly not worth it”

        Need I say more??
        The best thing to do with “Joe’s” is to ignore them… it’s attention he craves.
        It must get lonely sitting in your mom’s basement in your underwear surfing for porn.
        That tin-foil hat must get hot.

        • Rufio

          “That tin-foil hat must get hot”

          Bwah ha ha! Brilliant! I’m using that one as my own!!

  • Derek

    Well I’m looking for a good one for gaming! I need somthing that will allow for upgrades. Can u tell me some good brands of motherboards/processors. Are those one and the same?

  • Derek

    Ok well, I have my system for thought. As my Mother Board I will be installing the Asus M2A-MVP Mobo. For my Graphics card the AMD Athlon 64 X2 5000+ Black Edition. IDK where to go from there. Please do not deeter me from my choices unless they can greatly be improved, I only want an above average gaming comp.

  • James

    its cheaper for the gamers to build their own system. on the other hand, for computer people that dont game or need a high-end custom computer, should go buy a pre-built because it would be cheaper for them. if you dont want a pre-built…DONT COMPLAIN ABOUT THE PRICE! the whole point of building a pc is to mostly save money for high-end equipment, it wont save you any for something average.

  • nick

    what is a system disk and where do you get one?

  • jacob b

    i am hoping to build my own pc in the near future.
    (just for the experience)
    but i have already bought a custom made pc from a local retailer
    and saved at least $500 than if i bought the same hardware on dell, not including delivery!!

    Im just wondering
    1/ which is the best Australian site for cheap or second hand computer parts.
    2/ do you know of any good guides to building computers
    3/ is it easy getting all the gear together(i don’t want to start and find that it is a pain in the a$$ to get it all together)

  • Blitz

    I went with Cyberpower. Thank you for the suggestion. I’m very happy with the purchase and performance of the new machine. It came around 5 business days late but I had read some complaints about this and called Cyberpower early and learned first hand. No biggie since they had a free shipping promotion and I found a $30 promo code for additional savings. Also I have never had positive experience with internet purchases and paying extra for expedited shipping. I called a few times to check the status on the build. The website provides some status but I wanted to talk to a person and had no problem. They do charge your credit card right away if your machine has upgrades or is custom built. I’m use to being charged after my items start to ship. I priced the parts out on the setup I purchased which was around $800 and figured I could have saved around $200 to $250 from Newegg if I elected to go the home build route. Yes I like to save money but felt I wasn’t ready to build my own yet. This is something I plan on trying next time. I will definitely need help from sites like this. Cheers.

  • NoRGE

    Bottom Line,

    If you’re not a retard in the shopping department and spend some time looking for good hardware at decent prices, you can build a custom PC yourself for less than half the price of prebuilt, especially if you’re wanting a gaming PC. And since nowadays all the good companies like Alienware and Voodoo are getting bought out by larger companies that don’t give a shit about quality, the hardware you will find piece by piece online will be of much higher quality and last longer if upkeep is a high priority for you. Newegg.com is the best site for finding well-priced hardware that is high/mid grade. Buying prebuilt is just a waste of time, money, and patience.

  • mike

    guys building a pc is not that hard i mean i am currently 15 i built my first pc at 14 and working on a more up to date one for gaming that i should be finished with by end of summer cause i dont have a job lol ne way if you can read english u can build a pc using countless guides on the internet like this one farely easily

  • jay

    from most of the responses if you are a gameryou it is cheaper to build a computer. What if you want to use the pc for movie editing and such. From all of your responses and after reading up on newegg.com I would like to build my first pc but is it worth it? Thanks

  • jbct09

    I am very interested in building my own computer, but when I go over the list of what you have to buy and then have to pick the items, it is so confusing. What kind of motherboard do I get, etc. Is it better to buy combinations of items?

    Please someone help me. Excited about doing project, but also very nervous.

    Thank you

    • regan

      One of the ways I’ve found to decide on the hardware going into a particular system is to go to one of the custom builders (ie. Cyberpower or Ibuypower) and configure your dream system. This should give you a better idea of the components you want. then go to google and try to find those same parts for the lowest possible price. By doing this, you should get the computer you want for hundreds less than it would cost to build it on cyberpower. Hope this helps:)

  • Christian

    I don’t find anything difficult about this tutorial. It’s great, and besides, All you need is Newegg.com and tigerdirect.com to shop for hardware. Newegg and tiger have every last piece of Hardware categorized for ease of shopping, and this tutorial lists everything you need. After figuring what parts you need to complete the ideal computer, you’ve already conquered to big tasks. lol

  • http://newegg.com jon

    actually come to think about it, i see that price will be about or in the same range wether if its custom-built, or if it from store. buy it from store if you jus need for work/ school. custom built for high quality products.
    so to in the end, you can have the comfort in knowing that all your computer parts are of high quality, esp. if you game alot (wich i do)
    jon

  • Kenneth

    Building a basic computer is very easy, and yes a basic Dell computer is cheaper because Dell can buy all the parts from vendors at a lower price. I just built a PC for my friend, all in all he spent a good $1,200, but his PC is far from a $1,200 PC you can get from Dell. If you were to buy the PC I built, from Dell it would probably run you at least $1,700. Huge difference there. Building your own PC is way more fun than just buying one. Think about it, you built it.

  • Kerby

    I was plannin on makin a gaming comp eventually. I’m not really computer suave bu tI know the basics and had a question for you tech geniuses. I was thinkin of goin with a Nvidia nForce 680i, with dual 9600gt’s, but what would be a wise psu to use, like a 700W?

    • regan

      Yeah, something in the area of 700w is sufficent, though if you spent a little more, you could get a 850 that’s a little more upgrade friendly.

      • Kerby

        awesome thanks! Then I’ll probably go with 850 :)

  • brad

    ok i need help comp genniuses plz :D

    im slowly building a comp and i no basics but not what goes well together n wots actully good :D all lots of words and numbers wandering if u can help me?
    show me wot i can get (needs to be able to play nice games :D ) for around 100-200 £ guys plz help me u dont know how desperate for the help.and dell nty they cahrge to much for too little

  • Adam

    I am a web designer that is running what I do with Adobe CS3 off of a Dell laptop that is very basic and it is having a hard time running that software. I’m looking at building my first computer that is under $800 or close. I’ve never built my own before. So I’m not sure what all I’ll need to build something for my needs or if it will even be worth it compared to going through HP or Dell. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

  • Brandon

    Hey, i noted some other ppl asking if its worth b uilding a cpu if your not a “gamer”.. im currently a college student and have a old compaq celeron.. i was going to buy a new dell for about 399-499… but then heard about buildign is better than buying and im interested in learning how!

    but is it worth building a office/internet/music use cpu? versus purchasing an average one?

    • Kerby

      Guess it all depends on your opinion. When it comes to gaming, building your own pc is definitely better. As far as for regular stuff, don’t think it really matters.

      I find the bonus you get from building your own pc is not having to deal with all that additional software junk you’ll never use. But in your case you may want some of that software.

  • Joshua

    I want to build a high-end gaming computer. It would be nice to have SLI and GPU. Is the process of installing a GPU the same as installing a CPU? Also, is AMD the only CPU that supports GPU? Is SLI simply 2 video cards installed onto a motherboard which supports SLI technology?

    • Tom

      1)SlI lets two GPUs render a portion of the screen each (there is also an option for alternate frames).

      2)GPUs are easier to install. It is similar to installing RAM, just push it into the slots untill it clicks. Also to take advantage of SLI you will need an SLI bridge to connect the GPUs.

      3)I may be wrong but i was not aware that the CPU limited the use of SLI technology.

  • jack bauer

    i like the idea of building my own computer, most of the computers i have now were computers that were not working but i fixed them up to work now, i have been playing around with computers since i was 13 and im 25 now so that should tell you how much experience i have with working with computers,but since i have a min wage job, i cant afford a good computer, but there is a micro center near me and they sell all kinds of computer parts
    at discount prices, so i will buy parts one at a time until i get a whole system,then the real fun will start

  • twborbely

    If you want a computer that will last, IMHO build your own. It is critical to research the most advanced technology and weigh that against your budget. I’ve found that most computers on the shelf are outdated by the good components available. 20 Year Old Computer? WOW, 4 years ago, PCI-Express didn’t even exist. Do your homework and use a screwdriver.

  • Scott

    There is only about 3 people that have a brain on this website. I just bought the parts to build 3 computers off of newegg.com. Each computer will be $280. AMD 5000+ Black Edition. MSI FIH HDMI Micro Atx Motherboard. 500 GB HDD. 2GB Ram. Antec Case with 450 Watt power supply. Of course everyone I’m building these for already have keyboards/monitors. But really, $280 shipped.

  • Tom

    Has anyone got any recommendations for PC part suppliers in the UK similar to Newegg. Because I can’t find any with the same kind of prices that will ship to UK addresses

  • http://www.herbalaccents.com Connie Smith

    I’d like to get my two cents in here about my experiences with purchasing Dell Compuers. I have beenb buying since 1999 and the first two waves of computers 1999 and then 2002 were good machines, ran great and as I upgraded to newer Dells I retrieved spare parts to keep the older ones going. Then I bought a Demension XPS in Jan 2004, another dimension 3100 in June 2005 and the last one a Dimension 1100 in April 2006. The fancy XPS went down March 2008 ahd again this week. I’m not going to fix it again – it’s history and I’m harvesting parts. So I replaced it with the newest Dell but it’s doing stuff and hasn’t got long on this earth.

    So I’ve been thinking about building my own and after reading all your comments I’m going for it. A computer really my way with no extra software I don’t want and have to spend time getting rid of it. And good quality components. What a concept!!

    I’ve been inspired – Thank you, Connie Smith. Check out my web site http://www.herbalaccents.com. (I do my own web site and shopping cart. I’m retirement age.)

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