Assembly Language

If you think assembling your own PC is an impossible task, think again. With the way components are being designed today, anybody with hands can build their own desktop.

Of course, the easiest task would be to hunt for a monitor. That’s a peripheral that you won’t and shouldn’t be assembling. And don’t you even dare try to learn how to create a CRT or LCD panel. Even the machines at Samsung are having a hard time making one.

The next step, and probably the most exciting one, is picking the right case for your PC. The most popular ones are the tower casings. There are various designs for tower tops. It can even be customized according to your preferences. There are also mini or micro casings. However, if you’re new to assembling, then I suggest that you try the tower tops first. It’s easy to install components in them because there’s a lot of room for your hands to maneuver. It’s also easy to open, thereby making adding or removing components convenient.

And now on to the peripherals. I guess I’ve already told you before that the mother of all PC components is the motherboard. Your computer would run without sound cards or even hard drives, but it can never come to life without a motherboard. Almost every peripheral is dependent and connected to it. There’s no hard and fast rule in picking the right motherboard. It all depends upon the processor that you like. Every processor is supported by a different chipset or motherboard. An AMD Athlon chip won’t run on motherboards that support Intel Pentium processors. So make sure that you got the right motherboard for your processor or vice versa.

With regard to processors, the general rule is to pick the latest and fastest one. However, if you’re budget conscious, then you could buy one that would fit your needs. For example, if you won’t be using your unit to play games or perform various multimedia tasks, then an Intel Celeron or AMD Sempron would already do. They’re cheaper than the Athlon or Core 2 Duo. However, if you want a lean, mean, gaming machine, then you should seriously opt for the latter two.

While modems and LAN cards are not necessarily needed in order for a computer to run, they’re basically unavoidable necessities. Almost everything is connected to the Internet. You’ll be missing out on a lot of things if you don’t have access to cyberspace. Quite frankly, your computer might be virtually useless without an Internet connection. The famous biblical verse that “no man is an island” is almost squarely applicable to this case.

Sound and video cards are not basically indispensable, too. Most motherboards already have built-in graphics and sound engines. However, if your motherboard has none, then they’re definitely must-haves.

I know that I’ve said a while ago that your computer could still come to life without a hard drive. It would be virtually in a comatose state without this primary storage device. Windows won’t run on a VCD or DVD disk. While you could use DOS, you’re computer won’t be able to do much when running on it. Pick a hard drive that has a large capacity and a fast RPM as well. Seagate and Maxtor are among the famous and most trusted brands in the storage industry.

Optical drives are a must, too. You won’t be able to install applications without them. Gone are the days when installation media are in the form of floppy disks. VCDs and DVDs are the ones being used today.

The tools that you need to be able to assemble a PC are not that hard to use. If you’re familiar with a screwdriver, then you have nothing to worry about. Most of the components come with an installation manual, so it’s very unlikely that you’ll be clueless in your undertaking. Don’t lose the installation disks that come along with the package. They contain the device drivers which ensure that the peripheral would run or work with the OS. In case you lost them, don’t fret. Just look for a device driver finder on the Internet and install the applications that it recommends and offers.

Entry Filed under: Device Drivers