Build your own computer in an easy way
One of the first things you should do before getting a computer system is have in mind your necessities. What are you going to do with this new PC? How many people are going to be using it? Does it have the requirements to run the programs you need in your job or at home? These are only some of the questions you have to answer yourself. For example, some people have a tendency to use their PC's for work, like making text documents, reports, browsing the internet, and a lot of more things. An internet connection will be something important too. These programs are light on the hardware needs though, so you don’t need to spend a big bunch of money on the best PC in the world.
We can start thinking about the CPU and the motherboard because they are maybe the most important components of your PC. Later on, you can decide on the rest of the things you want to buy. PC equipment affects the whole price and the capabilities of a desktop computer. You will have to make decisions about other things like your monitor, your keyboard, your mouse, and of course, the computer case among others. Some people have the opportunity of reusing most of these components, so you have an alternative to buying these parts.
Motherboards are one of the most important elements when you are building your PC, which is the reason why it's essential getting the right one. Usually, a regular motherboard for a computer you are going to use at home shouldn't be more than $100, or less in some places. Of course you can find expensive ones, but how much do you want to spend? We'll begin assuming that your new PC will be used mainly for work and certain internet programs. To keep a good price, a motherboard with the video card already integrated is a good idea, but it should have more free slots available in case you need to do an upgrade.
Nowadays, a motherboard normally incorporates the following elements:
- The CPU or processor.
- RAM memory.
- Several connections to plug in different devices.
- The BIOS.
- Connectors for all the type of ports you need, including: serial and parallel ports, USB ports, and depending on the motherboard, other ports like SCSI or Firewire interfaces.
- Expansion slots accommodate new cards.
You need a hard drive. A 250 GB hard drive is most likely to be enough for someone who generally only uses office programs. However, if you are going to store music and video files on your hard drive, maybe you should think in a bigger one. Hard drives are cheap now, so we recommend buying a hard disk with much more capacity.
Your motherboard will surely come with a sound card already integrated, but maybe you would like an individual sound card system. You can find a good number of sound cards available on the market, with different prices and qualities.
If you are looking for a great sound card, Sound Blaster has great ones, with a lot of features and functions. This piece of hardware is what some professional studios use for sound editing. Anyway, when you choose a sound card for the PC you are building you may think about the following aspects:
- For what are you going to use your sound system? If you are going to use your computer for listening to music, then maybe you go for a high quality audio system. If you love music, then you should buy the best sound card available.
- Does your motherboard an integrated sound system enough for your needs? If you don’t use your sound system very much, maybe the sound card that comes with your motherboard is everything you need. Some of the best motherboards have good sound cards built in, so you shouldn’t take for granted a card is rubbish just for the reason that it's integrated.
- What about your speakers? Generally, most sound cards have connections for two speakers. How many speakers are you planning to use?
- If you are a musician or a mixer, then you may want to buy a system that will work great with your instruments and mixing gear.
- You have to consider how much you are willing to spend. They can have many different prices, from about twenty dollars to thousands of dollars.
A NIC or network card is a hardware device sooner o later you will have to buy. If you are planning to build up a computer and integrate a NIC in, you can create a network with many computers al connected together. The benefit of creating your own home network includes sharing your Internet connection, sharing resources, playing video games with friends and people over the Internet, etc. If your idea is connecting two computers, then both PCs need a NIC card, and the adequate cable to connect them directly.
Of course you will have to buy a PC case. Maybe you already have a computer case, so there’s no necessity to buy a new one. You don’t have to spend a fortune on this hardware, but make sure it has a good cooling system.
