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e Pop Quiz: What is a personal computer or PC?

Be careful before you answer! The question is highly ambiguous. Are you sure you know what first means? How about personal? Even computer is an ambiguous term!

We'll make it easy for you. Let's define personal computer as a computer having the following attributes:

  • It must be a digital computer.
  • It must be largely automatic.
  • It must be programmable by the end-user.
  • It must be small enough to be transportable by an average person.
  • It must be inexpensive enough to be affordable by the average professional.
  • It must be simple enough to use that it requires no special training beyond an instruction manual
  • It must be accessible, either as a commercially manufactured product, as a commercially available kit, or as widely published kit plans

Of course if you work in a "Mainframe" environment, you can consider the your "Big Box" as a Personal computer, if you forget the rule above. Ha Ha!

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-Building A PC-

STEP 1 : Materials Required

This tutorial is intended to assist you in building a basic PC. There are obviously a plethora of possible PC configurations and hardware that you could put into your new PC if you choose. But, what we are trying to do here is help you put together a basic PC. For this reason, we are only requiring the basic components and tools to get you up and running.

Tools Required

  • Screwdriver - A Phillips-head (cross-point) screwdriver is what is used in most PCs.
  • Screw Extractor - If you have surgeon's fingers you may not need this. But, if you're human, it is likely you might drop a screw into your PC during this procedure and be too big-thumbed to get it out. A screw extractor can help you grab those screws and get them out without messing with the hardware. You definitely do not want to run your PC with loose screws in there. It could cause a short circuit.
  • Flashlight - Unless you are in a fantastic lighting situation, you will likely need a flashlight to get a look of the landscape in your PC while you're working.
  • Tweezers - May be helpful for you in switching jumpers later in the tutorial.
  • PC Tools Checklist

Hardware Required

  • PC Case
  • Floppy Disk Drive
  • Hard Drive
  • CD-ROM Drive
  • Processor
  • Processor Cooling Fan
  • Motherboard
  • Memory Modules
  • Power Supply
  • Video Card
  • Keyboard & Mouse

To build a basic PC, you will need at least a motherboard, a memory module, a processor with cooling fan, a power supply, a hard drive, a floppy drive, a video card and a CD-ROM.

Most electrically sensitive hardware comes in a static bag which is designed to protect the electronics from static electricity shock. Leave your hardware in these bags until you are ready to install them.

Software Required

  • System Disk
  • Device Drivers (these usually come with the hardware above)
  • Operating System (for the purposes of this tutorial, we will assume you are choosing Microsoft Windows as your operating system – PC Mechanic has lots of great information on Linux and other alternatives)

Cables and Miscellaneous

  • Drive cables
  • Motherboard spacers (usually come with the motherboard, but are used to space the motherboard up off the mounting plate)
  • Screws (usually a whole pile of screws will come with your PC's case, but if you are using a case you happened to have around, you will need to collect some screws)
  • Power cords (for both your PC and your monitor. They usually come with the hardware when you buy it, of course)
  • CPU Cooling Compound

 

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