How to Build an Enthusiast PC

Building your own gaming or enthusiast-class desktop computer is an excellent way to save money over a preconfigured system from a computer manufacturer. By assembling your own system, you can customize the internal and external components to your exact needs, tastes and most importantly, budget. An enthusiast-class computer does cost more than a traditional desktop computer. However, based on the components you chose, it does not need to break the bank in terms of cost.

Acquire the Components

• 1

  Obtain a computer case using the full ATX form factor. Computer case selection for an enthusiast PC can be a very personal selection, and there are hundreds available on the market. Some have LEDs; some come with power supplies.

• 2

  Choose an ATX power supply if the computer case did not come with one. The power supply should ideally have a 500 watt or greater rating.

• 3

  Buy a Socket LGA1366 motherboard using the full ATX form factor. Different motherboards have different options such as the number and type of LAN ports, FireWire and audio configurations.

• 4

  Buy a Socket 1366 processor, such as the Intel Core i7 series. The i7 series processor is quad-core with HyperThreading, which means it works as eight logical CPUs.

• 5

  Purchase matching pairs of DDR3 memory. For example, purchase two 2 GB modules or two 4 GB modules. It is important to purchase a matched pair to enable dual-channel memory mode on the motherboard for enhanced performance.

• 6

  Select a PCI Express x16 video card. Video cards come in different port configurations and vary extremely in price range. Some video cards are labeled as "X2" meaning there are actually two video cards on a single board, which increases performance and price. More expensive video cards generally offer better performance. Choose a video card suited to your needs and budget.

• 7

  Purchase an SSD to use as the system drive. SSDs are based on flash memory and are many times faster than traditional hard drives. Using an SSD for the system drive guarantees the increased performance typical of an enthusiast-class computer.

• 8

  Select a hard drive. If an SSD is purchased, a second traditional hard drive is necessary for media storage. The advantage of traditional hard drives over SSDs is that the cost per gigabyte is significantly lower. If you don't need extra performance offered by the SSD, a single hard drive can be used for the system drive.

• 9

  Choose an optical drive. The most cost-effective option as of 2010 is to select a DVD burner, though more-expensive Blu-Ray players and Blu-Ray recorders are also an option.

Assemble the Computer

• 1

  Fasten the motherboard to the case with the screws provided with the case.

• 2

  Attach the CPU to the motherboard by installing it into the socket and securing the fan to the motherboard.

• 3

  Install the memory by snapping it into the slots on the motherboard. Dual channel memory must be installed in specific slots, which are usually color coded. View the motherboard manual to determine which slots are needed for each memory channel.

• 4

  Install the optical drive, hard drive and optional SSD in the computer case by fastening the devices with the provided screws. Connect the motherboard-provided SATA cables to the devices and motherboard.

• 5

  Install the PCI-E video card by carefully inserting it into the PCI-E slot on the motherboard.

• 6

  If the case did not come with a power supply, install the separate power supply to the case with the provided screws. Plug in the power supply connectors to all of the devices.

• 7

  Power on the computer and install the operating system.