The following information in this article is the
result of many hours of professional research and I
hope it will help you.

If I cand do it so can youWritten by:
George W. CannataI’m eighty-one years old and I
bought my first computer six years ago. When I bought
it I hardly knew how to turn it on. I consider myself
still a Newbie as I’ve barely scratched the surface of
computer technology. I have successfully built
about a dozen computers for family friends and
myself. I even sold a couple of them.

Building a
computer doesn’t require a high degree of technical
skill; however it does require a little mechanical
aptitude. Building may not be the proper term,
assembling would be more appropriate. That’s
actually what you do; you assemble the right
components then install an operating system which is
the only phase of the p roject that requires any
technical ability.

Building your own has several
advantages, for one you can save some money. But don’t
get the idea that you can sell them at a profit. There’s
too much competition at the low end. All the major
manufacturers have budget models, most of which you
can buy with substantial rebates and good
warrantees

You have a number of options, you can build
from scratch or you can build from a barebones kit. I
counsel the latter for your first attempt. You also
have the choice of using all new components or using
some recycled parts.

If you have a reasonably up to
date PC that died there are probably a number of parts
that you can re-use, and you can buy a lot of good used
components from eBay and other online sources.
Refurbished parts are a good option.

The first thing
you have to do is determine your requirements. If
you’re going to just surf the Internet, do e-mail and a
bit of p rinting, go for the cheapest you can buy. You
will still have plenty of capacity for simple
tasks.

Next you have to decide whether to go with a
barebones kit or do a complete build. Kits are
recommended because generally that's the most
economical way to go, and it's definitely easier.
Installing a mother- board canget dicey forthe
uninitiated. There are a lot of little wires to
connect that can give you grief if they aren't in the
right place.

Barebones kits come in much iteration.
The most basic consists of a case, motherboard and
power unit. Some have on board video and audio cards;
others include modems and cable connections and some
even

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sport keyboards, mice and speakers. Read the
specs carefully because some of these components are
expensive to purchase separately.

Make a list of all
the components that you require. Check off the ones
that are included in the kit. This establishes what
other parts you need. If you hav e same parts that you
can use, check them off. Now you know what you have to
buy. For in-depth detailed instruction manual on how
to do this visit the computing machine page on:
http://www.caveatemptorus.com

Often times it’s
less expensive to buy all the components you require
form the vendor of the kits. This is because of
shipping charges, which arepart of your
over-allcost. But sometimeparts you canget at
auction can be so inexpensive that it's worthwhile to
pay the shipping charges.

All barebones kits come
with an instruction manual and a headphone number
where you can get technical support. Neither is very
good. People who don’t understand English very well
write the manuals and the technical support is like
most free things. Actually, it’s not free, they are
toll numbers. And are almost always busy. However
most manufacturers have very good online help where
you can trouble shoot if you have a problem.

Vendors
that sell b arebones kits usually have a thirty-day
return policy. Try to do your edifice before it
expires because if you go beyond that limit then you
have to deal with the manufacturer which can be a
hassle. It?s much easier and may avoid expensive
shipping charges if you deal with the seller.

When you
select the components you require be sure that you
procure compatible parts. Hard drives have
different interfaces. Memory comes in many
variations; somememory only works in
particularmotherboards. If youuse the wrong type
your machine won’t work.

Once you have everything
assembled, and your PC boots, you can install your
operating system. This can be the most difficult part
of the operation. If you are using a new hard drive it’s
fairly easy. It will come with instructions and
software for installing the OS. If you’re
victimization a used HD, then you have to format it.
The best way to do this is to look at the hard drive and
get the produ cer and model number of the unit. Then you
can download the instructions and software to
perform this task.

Even if you don’t save a fortune,
you can end up with the computer that you want and have a
sense of accomplishment.

Thanks for
your time and effort, don’t forget to check out our
other articles.

About the Author

Written
by: George W. Cannata the publisher of the web sites
“Caveat Emptor “ http:// www.caveatemptorus.com.
July 8,2005.

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