Computer Building Essay, Research Paper

The computer is a commonly used machine in today’s society. Building the right system is important factor to having a stable running PC. Knowing what you need the computer for, the parts inside the computer, and installing all the components correctly is also very important to this process. Knowing what the computer is being purchased for is very important. First you must think about who the users are going to be. Whether it is yourself, the kids, or even for the office. This is important because there is no point in buying something that you will not be using. Another important idea to look at is your budget. Are you willing to spend any amount of money on the PC. Finally you should know what you are buying. If you are going to spend your money on quality components, there is a need to know what you are purchasing. Looking at the warranties the hardware manufacturer offers, if the company has established a name for themselves in the field and lastly are there going to be compatibility issues with the other hardware in the PC. Having some knowledge of the components that you will be purchasing is also important to know. First the Random Access Memory. The RAM is essential to the computers operation. It allows the computer to store temporary data in this chip. It can range in sizes from 16 megabytes to 128MB. If you have a large amount of RAM you can multitask on the computer, run larger programs. An ideal amount of RAM in a PC today is 64MB. Second you need to know what kind of motherboard and central processing unit (CPU) you will be using. The motherboard is like the nervous system of the computer. All the components of the computer are attached to this. The CPU is the brain of the computer. It basically does all the thinking for the computer. The motherboard that you will purchase will work with the CPU to make all of the calculations and decisions for the computer. The CPU comes in different speeds ranging from 200 megahertz (MHz) to 550MHz. The larger the MHz value the greater the speed. You must also look at the motherboards compatibility. Whether if it can support these speeds. Thirdly, the Hard Disk (HD). This component is used to store data permanently. It ranges in sizes from 1 gigabyte (1GB), 1000 megabytes, to 25 GB. Knowing the amount of storage space that you will need is important because you do not want to be running out of it. An ideal drive size is 5 GB. Finally the video card. This is the component which will transfer the data from the computer to the monitor. It will also determine which speeds the data will be transferred. There are several types that are out there that range in quality and speeds. The card’s speed is determined by the processor speed on the card. Today’s video card processors are 128-bit. Now we must look at the installation of these components. First we must determine the case, lets use a mid-tower desktop case. This is a standard in industry. Next we must check if we have all the tools. We need to have a magnetic Phillips screwdriver, needle nose pliers and wire cutters. Remove the case off the computers box by unscrewing the six screws holding the case on. Next, remove the motherboard mounting plate. This is where the motherboard will be installed. Place the mounting plate on a flat surface and line up the screw holes on the motherboard with the screw holes on the mounting plate. After determining where the screw holes match up on the motherboard, mount the brass mounting posts in these locations where the holes have been located. The posts should be included with the mid tower case. After mounting the posts line up the motherboard again with the posts. Now screw the posts in with the screws that were included with the case. Now that the board is mounted, the jumpers must be set to the correct speed of the CPU. The correct settings and locations of the jumpers are located inside the motherboard manual. The motherboard settings for the CPU have been assigned it is time to install the CPU. The CPU must be handled carefully making sure not to bend the pins on the bottom of the chip. Look on the motherboard where the CPU gets installed. The sockets bar should be open. This is done by gently pushing the bar down and pulling it up towards you. The socket is open, the CPU must be installed. Line up the dot on the top right hand of the CPU with the side that is cut off on the edge of the CPU socket. Carefully place the CPU down into the socket and bring the bar back down securing the CPU down into the socket. The motherboard and CPU have been installed, now it is time to install the cables. The hard drive cables must be mounted in the motherboard. Locate the socket on the motherboard marked IDE 00. This is where the hard drive cable is mounted. The cable marked IDE cable in the motherboard box should be installed here. On the cable there is a red stripe, line this stripe up with pin 1 on the socket. Push the cable down. Connect the other side of the cable to the Hard drive making sure the other end is also facing pin 1. Finally it is now time to install the video card. This is the easiest step, line up the video card with the white PCI slot in the computer. Push the card down gently and screw the card in from the top of the case. It is now time to power on the computer. Plug in the power cord on the back of the PC and also the keyboard and the monitor connection on the back where the video card was installed. Turn on the power.

In the future there are many possibilities for the use of computers. Today the are common appliances in most homes. Soon people will need to understand them inside out, just like operating a TV remote they will be able to take apart a computer and install new components. The possibilities are endless.