Parodyman's Checklist for Building a PC
Parodyman has been mucking about inside personal computers since before the term "personal computer" was invented.
Having recently semi-built a new PC, he thought he would jot down some random brainwaves for folks who might be
considering building their first PC. This information is NOT for folks who already know the ins and outs of building
a computer, although it might remind those people of a basic consideration or two. It is also not meant to be comprehensive,
so don't blame Parodyman for not thinking of everything.
Part 1 - Build or Buy?
If you're here reading this, it's likely that you're already leaning toward the "build" option. And although building
a PC is not as daunting a task as many believe, it's not always the best choice. So before we proceed into the details
of PC construction, here are a few reasons why you might NOT want to do it.
- It can be the most expensive option. Even if you manage to find the components you want on sale, you will often
(but not always) pay a higher total price than you would for a comparable pre-built PC.
- You have to have a place to build it. Building a PC on a carpet (static electricity, carpet fuzz), or where
there's pet dander floating around, or where little ones might want to grab and drop, is not the optimal situation.
And in addition to a clean, quiet environment, you should have enough room to set out the case and components and
comfortably work on putting the system together.
- You have to deal with any component that is DOA or malfunctioning. Diagnosing and fixing any problems, or
returning a part and getting a replacement, is your responsibility (and that includes hiring someone to make the
fix for you). If you buy a pre-built PC, there's usually been some testing done to make sure everything works.
- You need time. Installing and thoroughly testing the CPU, memory, graphics, and drives takes time. And you
WERE planning on thoroughly testing everything, weren't you? And you also regularly back up all the data on your
current PC, don't you? Yeah, right, me neither.
- You'll probably have to assume that some of the ports and connectors on your motherboard are ok without
testing, since you likely don't have a variety of devices to plug into every available option. This means you may
be past the warranty period when you do eventually buy a device that uses one of these ports and then find out it
doesn't work.
If you decide that building your own PC isn't for you, but you still want one that's custom made, Parodyman
recommends Puget Systems.
Part 2 - Checklist Introduction
So many parts...where to begin? One thing to keep foremost in mind when buying components is to make sure it all
works together. Don't buy a micro ATX case and a full size ATX motherboard. Don't buy a motherboard that only
supports SATA drives, and then buy a PATA drive. If you aren't paying attention you can easily wind up with a
component that won't fit or won't work in your PC.
Another thing to do is check the reviews. Parodyman recommends
tomshardware,
anandtech,
xbitlabs,
hardwarecanucks,
silentpcreview, and
jonnyguru, just to name a few. These sites are serious about
hardware testing, and although you might not be able to follow all the details that they go into (I sure can't -
just what the heck is a bridge rectifier, anyway?) they sum things up so that folks who are not electrical
engineers can use their results.
I'm not as enthusiastic about telling you to read the comments on the reviews. The folks who post are often
owners/builders of very high-end systems, and their comments may not apply to you. For example, when I was
reading reviews of CPU coolers, I came across many comments that the stock Intel cooler was useless. This is
probably true if you're a big overclocker, but if you plan to run your CPU at its stock speed, the stock cooler
should be perfectly adequate. I'm using one now and my system is running plenty cool.
And one final general tip: the latest leading-edge parts haven't been out in the marketplace long enough for any
and all possible problems to manifest. If you like to play it safe, you'll want to limit yourself to components
that have been on store shelves for at least several months, and that have good reviews. Personally, the more
leading-edge I go, the more inclined I am to hire a custom builder to put it together and test it for me.
And now, on to the checklist.
Part 3 - The Checklist
CPU (Central Processing Unit, aka the processor)
- Check out the Intel Processors.
- Check out the AMD Processors.
- Does your chosen CPU fit the socket on your chosen motherboard?
- Does your CPU include a graphics processor? Will you use it or buy a separate graphics card?
PROCESSOR COOLER
- Does the CPU come with a cooler? If not, do you need one?
- Do you plan on overclocking the CPU? If so, research and find the best cooler for you.
NOTE: If you install a processor cooler that has a fan, and it makes clicks or clacks or any other noise besides normal fan running noises, it's probably defective or installed incorrectly. (This is true for any and all fans in your system.)
MOTHERBOARD
- Does the motherboard have the correct socket for your processor?
- Do the power connections on the motherboard map to matching connectors on your power supply?
- Are the ports on the back (USB, audio, video, etc.) the types and number you need?
- Are the connectors on the motherboard (for hard drives, DVD drives, etc.) the type and number you need?
- Are the expansion card slots the type and number you need?
- Does the motherboard support at least your minimum amount of memory? Does it support the memory type you want?
- Does the motherboard fit in your case?
MEMORY
- What's the maximum memory supported by your operating system?
- What's the maximum memory supported by your motherboard?
- What's the maximum memory supported in each memory slot on your motherboard?
- What memory type(s) are supported by your processor?
- What memory type(s) are supported by your motherboard?
- Are you getting enough memory? Check out the info at Crucial and Kingston.
- Do you want to leave memory slots open for future expansion? If so, you may want, for example, to buy one 8GB DIMM instead of two 4GB DIMMs.
EXPANSION CARDS
- What expansion cards are you adding during the system build?
- What expansion cards might you add later?
- Does you motherboard have enough slots to hold your current and future cards?
- Are the expansion slots on the motherboard the right type(s) for your expansion cards? (PCI, PCIe, AGP, etc.)
- If you are adding any double-wide expansion cards, are the slots on the motherboard far enough apart, or will the card cover an empty slot?
- If any of your expansion cards connect to the power supply, do they have connectors supported by your power supply?
AND NOW, A BRIEF NOTE ABOUT "INTERNAL" VS. "EXTERNAL"
There is an inconsistency in the PC world when it comes to "internal" vs. "external" devices. Traditionally, both
internal and external devices went inside your computer case, just in different types of bays. An internal device
went inside the case in an internal bay -- i.e., a bay that was not accessible without opening the case. An external
device went inside the case in an external bay -- i.e., a bay that faced out of the case to give you access to the
device when the case was closed up. A CD drive would go into an external bay, so that you could access it from the
front of the case.
Nowadays we have a variety of devices that are not installed into the computer, but that connect via a port
(often a USB port) on the computer. These are collectively called external devices. So we now have a situation
where there are external devices that go inside a computer case, and external devices that don't go inside a
computer case. More and more, everything that goes inside the case is being called internal, but there are still
a few cases where external means "internal device in an external bay".
HARD DRIVES, SOLID STATE DRIVES, AND OTHER DEVICES FOR INTERNAL BAYS
- Does the power connector on the drive match an available connector on the power supply?
- Does the data connector on the drive match an available data port on the motherboard?
- Is there an available drive bay (of the right size and type) in the case for the drive?
DVD DRIVES, CARD READERS, AND OTHER DEVICES FOR EXTERNAL BAYS
- Does the power connector on the drive match an available connector on the power supply?
- Does the data connector on the drive match an available data port on the motherboard?
- Is there an available drive bay (of the right size and type) in the case for the drive?
- If you are adding multiple devices, what is the optimal position for them? For example, should the card reader go into the top bay and the DVD drive go into the second bay?
POWER SUPPLY
When buying a power supply, keep in mind a couple of points. One, power supplies tend to run more efficiently in
the middle of their power range. (So, it's often more efficient to, say, use a 600W unit to run a 350 - 400W load.
Check the reviews/specifications for the power supplies you are considering.) Also, it's usually good to leave room
for future expansion. Right now I'm running an 850W power supply on a system that maxes out at around 400W (although
I would have been happy with a 600W power supply -- it's just that 850W was the smallest wattage of the model I wanted).
Oh, and one other thought -- the wattage stated on the power supply should be the maximum continuous wattage that the
supply can deliver to the PC, although that's not always the case. Check the specifications and read the reviews
before buying.
- How much power do you need? Here's one of many Power Supply Calculators on the Web.
- How efficient do you want your power supply to be? Check the reviews and look for the 80Plus rating.
- Does the power supply have all of the connectors needed for your motherboard, drives, and any other components with a power connection?
- Will the power supply fit in your case?
- Will the cables on the power supply reach to where they need to go (are they long enough)?
- How large of a fan is on the power supply? Everything else being equal, a larger fan can run slower and quieter.
THE CASE
- Is the case solidly built?
- Will your chosen power supply fit in the case?
- Will your chosen motherboard fit in the case? Will it fit with all of the expansion cards in place?
- Does the case have enough bays for all of your drives and other devices? And extra for future devices?
- Does the case have convienences like screwless drive bays?
- Does the case have adequate exhaust? Parodyman recommends having at least one exhaust port in addition to the power supply exhaust, just to help keep the system cool. (My current system has two exhaust ports in addition to the power supply.)
- Does the case incorporate any sound-deadening features, like insulated panels and a front door?
- Does the case include any handy front ports like USB and audio?
- Does the case have a cable management system to route cables where they need to go without running them across the top of the motherboard?
- Does the case have dust filters at the air intake points?
- And lastly, do you like the design of the case? Unless you put your PC in a cabinet, you'll be looking at that case for a long time.