Build a PC with Scott Mueller

Scott Mueller’s industry-leading classic Upgrading and Repairing PCs has taught millions of people how to diagnose, repair, and upgrade their PCs. Scott’s books are used by thousands of hardware professionals, enthusiasts, and technicians worldwide and is found on the shelves of technicians at Intel, Dell, and Maximum PC. Now, Scott has created the ultimate companion to his highly successful series.

 

• Step-by-step instruction from the world-renowned PC hardware expert!
• Hardware 101! Scott shows you how to choose the right hardware for your new rig!
• Learn to decipher the technobabble used to describe PC hardware
• Watch as Scott shows you how to build a new PC. See how every part is installed!
• Watch Scott install the motherboard, processor, memory, hard drives, DVD drives, audio card, video card, and networking adapter
• See how to properly power and cool your new PC
• Tame those vexing case-front USB, Firewire, and audio connectors!
• Once your new PC is built, learn how to choose the right BIOS settings

 

Watch, listen, and learn as world-renowned PC hardware expert Scott Mueller walks you through the inside of your PC.

 

 

System Requirements:

• Operating System: Windows XP or Vista
• Multimedia: Windows Media Player
• Computer: DVD drive or set-top DVD player

 

Scott has taught millions of beginners how to build PCs. Scott takes you under the hood to show you exactly how your PC works and how to build a PC right, the first time! 

Table of Contents

Video Segment 1:

Goals When Building a PC 1

Fast 2

Inexpensive 3

Starter System with Upgrade Potential 3

One or Two Internal Hard Disk Drives 4

Upgradeable 4

Industry-Standard Form Factors 5

PCIe x16 Slot for Video 5

Chassis Bays for Additional Drives 5

RAID Ready 6

Future CPU Overclock/Upgrade Possible 6

Practical and Reliable 6

Standard MicroATX Form Factor

Motherboard and Chassis 7

Processor and Chipset from the Same

Manufacturer 7

RAID 1 (Mirrored) Data Partition 7

External eSATA/USB Backup Drive 7

Quiet Fans 7

Video Segment 2: Selecting Components 8

Motherboard 8

CPU 10

Platform Compatibility Guide 13

Memory 14

DDR2 Synchronous Dynamic Random

Access Memory 14

DDR3 SDRAM 16

Dual Inline Memory Modules 17

Memory Recommendations 18

Hard Disk Drives 19

Error Handling 20

Acoustic and Power Management 20

Spread-Spectrum Clocking 20

Hard Drive Reliability 21

Hard Drive Recommendations 21

Optical Disk Drives (DVD and CD) 22

Video Segment 3:

What to Look for in a Chassis 22

ENERMAX Chassis 24

Foxconn Chassis 24

Superior Cooling 24

Rear Fan 25

Front Fan 25

Chassis Air Guide or Processor Duct 25

Power Supply 29

Chassis Front-Panel Connections 32

Switch/LED Connector 32

USB Connectors 33

Audio Connectors 34

HD Audio Connectors 34

AC’97 Audio Connectors 35

HD Audio Motherboards and AC’97 Front

Ports 37

IEEE 1394 (FireWire) Connectors 38

Connector Tips and Tricks 39

Header Connectors 39

Switch/LED 41

USB 44

Audio 45

IEEE 1394 (FireWire) 45

Front-Panel Tricks 45

Video Segment 4: System Assembly 46

Tools and Chassis 47

ESD Protection 48

Prepare Chassis 50

Processor and Memory Installation 50

Install the Motherboard in the Tray 51

Install the Processor in the Socket 51

Install the Heat Sink on the Processor 51

Install the Memory 52

Drive Installation 53

Optical Drive(s) 53

Hard Drive(s) 53

Front-Panel Connections 53

Cooling Fans and Power-Supply Installation 55

Fan Installation 55

Power-Supply Installation 55

Drive Cables 56

Finish Up the System 56

Video Segment 5: System Startup 56

Power On, Enter BIOS Setup 57

Install the Operating System 58

Conclusion 59