Chapter 28. Building a PC
In
the previous edition, we included a chapter on designing a PC. As
popular as that chapter was, it went out of date even before the book
was published. So, for this edition, we've moved
that material to our web site, where it can be updated. To learn how
to design PCs for various needs and budgets, visit http://www.hardwareguys.com/supplement/designpc.html.
There you'll find detailed component lists for
everything from no-frills systems to multiprocessor high-performance
workstations, as well as advice on how and where to buy the parts
you'll need to build a PC from scratch.
With all the components in-hand, it's time to start
building the system. If you've built systems before,
you may be able to complete a simple system in a couple hours, and
even a complex system should take only an evening to build. If this
is your first system, plan to assemble, configure, and test it over a
weekend. Choose a well-lighted work area (the kitchen table is
traditional) and lay out all of your components. We use old towels to
protect the surface of the table. Observe anti-static precautions
throughout.
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Many of the following steps may be done in whatever order is
convenient. You may, for example, install the motherboard before the
drives (although, having once dropped a drive on an installed
motherboard, we prefer to install the drives first). Case design and
motherboard layout determine the most logical order of steps, and may
mandate doing things in slightly different order than that listed
here. Use your best judgment. Many of the complex steps—such as
setting drive jumpers—are described in more detail in the
relevant chapter.
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