Building a PC in a few hours from scratch...halp?

altusername2468

Basically its exactly what the title says.

Theres an extra credit portion to my A+ Hardware class that will bump me a letter grade if I can build a computer from scratch (they have all the components in the lab).

My instructor informed us that we can use whatever tutorials we want, so this is where I turn to you.

Are there any good PC building tutorials online that you can recommend for a complete noob? I need something that will explain how to build it like I'm a baby, in a very easy to understand way with little to no technobabble.

I'm searching through google now but its difficult to find one that meets my specifications.

Thanks.

rfalias

Hmm, you say its just hardware so it's basically putting legos together...

You can't give specifics because everything has a different layout, etc... but if you can identify connections (you should if you are in a hardware class) you can snap them together no problem. If you can spend some time looking at your home PC.

Essentially though, this is how I do it (Assumptions made that parts are ready to go and other basic stuff like "take case side off")

Put motherboard risers in case
Socket the CPU
Put RAM in Motherboard
Apply heat sink to CPU
Put mobo in case
Put peripherals (videocard, etc...) on mobo
Put drives in case
Connect drives, power, LED's, CPU Fan to mobo

It can be done in minutes, the hardware part depending on how good the parts are. Some cases and layouts are frustrating, but that is mostly because of tiny spaces and tiny screws falling in them.


Edit: Just about everything is a one way fit (barring some CPU sockets). So if it does not fit, don't force it. Exception to CPU Fans/Heatsinks because they are dirty dirty whores.

PeregrineFalcon

http://www.mechbgon.com/build/index.html

Includes pictures, and snack breaks.

Who is this guide intended for? What am I expected to know? This guide is intended for people who know that computers are made up of individual components, and would be comfortable adding and removing parts from their existing computer. If you've upgraded a computer with a new add-in card or more memory, and installed Windows from scratch before, you should be ok.

Sounds like you'll be fine with this.

proXimity

"Complete noob"? "little to no technobabble"? and you're taking an A+ course? Isn't that the kind of stuff you're supposed to be learning about in that class?

Anyways, check out http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Computer

rfalias

proXimity wrote: »

"Complete noob"? "little to no technobabble"? and you're taking an A+ course? Isn't that the kind of stuff you're supposed to be learning about in that class?

Anyways, check out http://www.wikihow.com/Build-a-Computer

That's kinda what I was thinking...

I still say you dig in and start poking around in your home PC. That's how I always did it.
Nowadays with all these fancy lookin pictures and guiding words...

How far along are you in the hardware class?
Back when I was dual enrolled at a CC, my A+ class just gave us an A+ if we got the A+ so I got an A+ for getting the A+. Is each part separated into entirely different classes?

Spherick

Really, its all just like assembling legos - being in the A+ course, you should know in theory how to replace FRU (field replaceable units - if they still use that term).

Putting in the RAM and hard drives and optical device should be easy as cake. The hardest part is putting the heatsink on the CPU, using the right amount of thermal paste, and properly hooking up all the power supply cables to the right parts.

Ask the teacher if you can come in after class one time and practice with what they have? Can't hurt to ask.

Either way - I would suggest looking at the guts of your own computer and dont worry about it.

Worst case scenario, you dont need to assemble a computer to actually get your A+, no matter how important a skill that is.