PC Building Workshop:Part I: Planning & Design

Presented by The University of Lethbridge, Department of New Media & IT Department

Overview

Session I Why build your own computer? The Components that make up a PC Anatomy of a PC Build Choosing the correct components Different Operating Systems (OSs) available Q & A Session II (sample builds, sourcing &

purchasing components)

Why build your own computer? You then have more control over your

system and can build a PC specific to your needs

It can be very cost effective (short- and long-term)

Self-sufficiency with respect to support, repairs, and upgrades

An educational experience & provides useful skills (which can be shared with friends and family)

Nerdy enjoyment

PC Components Computers are assembled from a number of

different, interchangeable components The compatibility of components is probably

the biggest issue you will face Some components are better geared for

different types of users & needs Common and currently-available

components will be discussed

Power Supply Unit (PSU) Converts outlet power Choose a higher quality PSU Make sure you have enough wattage (largely

dependent upon CPU and graphics card(s))

Central Processing Unit (CPU) Sometimes referred to as “the Brain” Make sure socket type matches

motherboard Different architectures available 32bit or 64bit (64 is becoming the standard) Two main manufacturers, AMD and Intel Use stock fan or CPU heatsink / liquid

cooling)

Motherboard (mobo) Main circuit board Goes by different names (main board,

system board, bread board, ‘mobo’) Will support only specific components

This is especially true for CPU, RAM This will be the foundation for many

decisions for your system (size, slots, etc.) Ensure the external ports match your needs:

USB (2.0 or 3.0), eSATA, Firewire, audio jacks Back ports and front headers (for case I/O ports)

Motherboard (cont.) Integrated (onboard) graphics is available

(does not require a dedicated (discrete) graphics card)

Different sizes are available:

Mobo (cont.)

The Computer Case

Size & functionality are important considerations… not to mention aesthetics

Needs to accommodate motherboard size and optical drive & hard drive needs

Various front I/O ports are available Consideration should be given to

cooling and fans/vents... space and airflow are important to consider

Hard Disk Drives (HDDs) Storage device… for long-term storage Storage of operating system and data Traditional (magnetic) or SSD Different connections available

i.e. SATA, IDE, SCSI Each have different capabilities

Random Access Memory (RAM) Retains information while the computer is

on (similar to short-term memory) Many different sizes & types of RAM Must be compatible with mobo Most common type of RAM shipping

currently is DDR3

Optical Drives Different forms and capabilities

(CD/DVD/BD); DVD-RW most common Different connectors available (must be

compatible with mobo) SATA (data and power) connection most common

Graphics Card Process graphical data (for output, physics)

Capture cards, TV tuner cards and other specialized graphics cards are available

PCIx connection slot (mobo) most common Different capabilities from different cards

GPUs, clock speed, bandwidth, etc Two main chipsets – nVidia and ATI/AMD Make sure your mobo supports the card(s)

you intend to use (this also pertains to upgrading to a new graphics card)

Using Two Graphics Cards SLI or CrossFire must be supported by your

mobo If using SLI/CrossFire it’s best to identical cards

(using cards with the same graphics chipset but different brands is usually OK)

Different outputs available: Svideo, VGA, DVI, DVI-D, HDMI

Other components Soundcards

If you are processing a lot of audio, this could be a good idea (takes pressure off CPU)

Monitor(s), touchscreen Keyboard Mouse, tablet, etc. Printers Speakers (stereo, 5.1, 7.1… needs to be

supported by mobo or sound card) Etc.

Tools, Equipment and Tips #2 sized Philips screwdriver Needle-nose pliers Anti-static wristband (VERY IMPORTANT!) Large, level and non-conductive workspace

(avoid dust/pets or areas with carpets) Handy but not completely necessary tools:

Electrical tape, nylon ties, hands free flashlight, extra working computer (with internet connection), compressed air, sandpaper, thermal paste

Safety precautions (for components and for yourself)

Static electricity is not your friend Never remove components while the

computer is on Never cut off/snap off the grounding pin Watch out for sharp edges inside the case Do not dismantle PSU, monitors or anything

that may retain an electrical charge

Operating System (OS) There are various operating systems out

there that are used for different purposes It comes down to skill level and functionality Some popular OSs include: Windows, Linux-

based, and Mac OS There are many other choices available It is possible to dual boot with two different

OSs (or use a virtual machine to run one OS within another)

Microsoft Windows Several different variants (Windows 7) The most widely-used OS out there (87%

market share globally) Good for office work, casual computing,

workstations, gaming and for novice users (but security can become an issue)

Supports a lot of hardware Supports different CPU architectures Has some shortcomings when it comes to

security

Linux-based OS Open source, so it’s free… derived from UNIX Many different variants (typically called

distributions) Community support available

Thus it supports more processor types than you could imagine

Sometimes the state of the art hardware isn’t immediately supported (without a lot of hacking)

Ubuntu, Linux Mint are suitable for casual users Tends to be stable, fast, customizable and

secure.

Berkeley Standard Distribution (BSD) Derivative of UNIX Free Less user-friendly and could require a bit

more knowledge Can be very secure Not as many variants

Most common FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, DragonFly BSD

Mac OS Current version is OS X

Derived from BSD Designed to run on Apple proprietary

hardware But… one can build a ‘hackintosh’ by

installing OS X onto specific (but non-Apple) hardware…

But doing so would break the license agreement for OS X… and would therefore be considered to be illegal

Other Operating Systems There are hundreds of different kinds of

Linux-based ‘distros’ out there There are even other operating systems

available: Plan9, inferno, Solaris, 9grid are some interesting

options A lot of “other” OSs tend to be UNIX based

Choosing the Right OS The choice of an OS isn’t always an easy

one; select based on what you want to do with the computer and convenience i.e. a simple office/web PC could easily use a Linux-

based OS (one designed for casual users) unless Windows and MS Office is absolutely a requirement

i.e. Gaming is better supported by Windows

Choose a 64-bit OS build if you plan on using more than 4GB of RAM.

Choose the OS that will most easily work with your hardware and software needs

Potential PC Builds General Purpose PC (web browsing, light office, etc.):

Not that demanding, you don’t need ‘top of the line’ for a lot of your components

Spend the money on what will benefit your experience Typically budget in this order: Monitor, case, PSU, mouse,

keyboard, motherboard, CPU OS: Windows or Linux-based

Server: Needs to be reliable in multiple ways Commonly you’ll want dual PSU, server grade CPU, lots of

RAM, RAID 5 controller, fast HDDs, 100/1000 network card could be a good idea

OS flexibility Do not necessarily need a monitor (or even

keyboard/mouse)

Potential PC Builds (Cont.) Office Work

Typically you want a better processor and more RAM Integrated graphics or mid-level dedicated graphics

card Consider a reliable PSU, higher end case, 64-bit OS (if

more than 4GB RAM is needed)

Workstation Typically, a high-end or very high-end desktop High-end CPU, high-end graphics card(s), lots of RAM Useful for people doing CAD, intensive 3D work, HD

video editing, etc.

Potential PC Builds (Cont.) Gaming Rig

Not necessary since consoles exist… Just joking. Mid- to high-end CPU, high-end graphics card(s) and a lot of

RAM Sound cards sometimes are useful as it can then handle digital

sound processing – and frees up the CPU for other tasks Depending upon the type of gaming, a mid-level or high-level

graphics card would be necessary (two for very graphically demanding games)

Plan for future expansion/upgrading A powerful and reliable PSU is necessary to support all the

components Windows-based OS High-end components will generate lots of heat… a large case

and fans are critical for good airflow and cooling (liquid cooling is an option)

Potential PC Builds (Cont.) Video Editing

The most important component with video editing tends to be the hard disks. Consider going with 10,000 RPM drives if possible. SCSI is a great option if you can afford it.

Mid- to high-end CPU and graphics card(s) are useful, especially for encoding video

Specialized capture cards are available (consider a dedicated, high-speed drive for capture)

Try to purchase as much RAM as you possibly can If transferring a lot of data from video equipment,

look for good external connectors on your motherboard and case

Researching Components When planning and designing your computer,

research everything thoroughly (this saves time and money)

Budget accordingly… sometimes it may take time to build a computer

Don’t be afraid to ask questions in forums Search engines are your friends… as are (some) user comments on online retail

websites Check for component compatibility and reliability Technology is ever-changing, there will always be

new components, Operating Systems and software packages emerging, this is why it’s fun

Q & A

Questions?

Thank you for coming! Look for Part II (Assembly) in the Fall

of 2012 Suggestions and comments are

welcome Kris Caldwell David Clearwater Matthew Fulton