Buy and Assemble Components

• 1
  Gather advice to avoid costly spending errors.hard disc board image by andrus from Fotolia.com
  
  Decide for what you want to use your computer system. This will determine the specifications it requires. Several U.K. computer stores give good advice and can supply the right components. Components constantly change, however; so get up-to-date advice from as many sources as possible to inform your purchasing decisions.
  
  
• 2). Buy the right parts. If you plan to use the computer mainly for office tasks, such as word processing, using email and creating simple spreadsheets, you do not need to buy specialized components; budget-priced components are adequate for those tasks. If you want your system to do more than the basics, though, you probably want to use sound and video. Most motherboards have integrated sound and video chip sets, although you may wish to add dedicated cards for better quality. If you want to use your computer for high-end gaming, it needs a fast processor, plenty of random access memory (RAM) and an advanced 3D graphics card.
  
  
• 3). Read leaflets about installation carefully.
  
  
• 4). Assemble the computer system's components. Because computers are modular in design, the assembly stage should be relatively easy. First install the power supply unit (PSU), motherboard, central processing unit (CPU) and RAM. This is the minimum build to enable a display and is a good point to pause the assembly process and test the work so far.
  
  
• 5). Connect a mouse, keyboard and monitor.
  
  
• 6). Switch on the system. This will test it. If all is well, the basic input/output system (BIOS) chip should start to output text about your system. If the text refers to a disk boot failure or similar error, it is because you have yet to install a hard drive. As the book "Building a PC in Easy Steps" states: "If the system gets as far as this, then it is working as it should and you can give yourself a pat on the back."
  
  

Set Up the System

• 1
  Partitioning a hard drive can boost system efficiency.hard drive image by Graham Lumsden from Fotolia.com
  
  Install a hard drive and CD/DVD drive. That process includes configuring BIOS to boot from a compact disc (CD) as well as partitioning and formatting the hard drive following onscreen messages.
  
  
• 2). Install an operating system following onscreen messages.
  
  
• 3). Install the other components, including drivers.
  
  
• 4). Test the system. In doing so, troubleshoot all problems and error messages.