COMPUTER BASICS HOW TO BUILD YOUR OWN PC

CHOOSING PARTS Motherboard Processor Memory (RAM) Disk drive Graphics card Power supply Case Blu-ray/DVD drive Cooling Operating system

MOTHERBOARD Most important component Links all other parts together and supplies them with power Motherboard and processor must be compatible

PROCESSOR The “thinking” part of the computer: makes all decisions and calculations Controls all other components Processor socket must match motherboard socket

MEMORY (RAM) Computer’s short term memory Stores programs and files while they’re being used Both processor and motherboard must be compatible with your RAM 4GB or more is enough for most users

DISK DRIVE Stores files and programs long term Can be hard disk (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD) HDDs are slow, but store more and are cheaper SSDs are much faster, but are smaller and more expensive

GRAPHICS CARD Generates everything seen on screen Graphics processing unit (GPU) is optimized for drawing graphics Optional, as most processors include a rudimentary GPU High-end GPUs are very expensive

POWER SUPPLY Provides power for the entire system Capability is measured in watts 300W or more is sufficient for most users

COOLING Keeps the processor cool Additional fans throughout the case keep air flowing

BLU-RAY/DVD DRIVE Plays Blu-rays, DVDs and CDs Optional, as optical media is used increasingly less

CASE Holds all components Directs airflow to help keep everything cool

OPERATING SYSTEM The software that runs everything When building a PC, you can choose between Windows and Linux Popular versions of Linux include Ubuntu, Mint, Fedora, and Debian