Necessary Parts to Build a Desktop Computer Jason Curry University of North Texas LTEC 3220

Menu Computer Case Hard Drive Processor Power Supply Motherboard Graphics Card Random Access Memory (RAM) Cooling System

Computer Case A computer case is necessary to keep all the components of your desktop PC safe and organized. Gaming computers generally require a large case to fit the large components required to play the games.

Hard Drive The hard drive is where the data to run the pc will be held. It will also hold all software and information you put into the computer. There are two different types of hard drives available. Hard Disk Drives (HDD) and Solid State Drives (SSD).

Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Hard Disk Drives are basically metal platters with a magnetic coating. The coating keeps your data stored no matter how old it is. HDDs tend to be cheaper than SSDs but slower to run overall.

Solid State Drive (SSD) Solid state drives provide the same functionality as the hard disk drive but differently. Instead of the magnetic coating on the disk it stores the information on flash memory chips. SSDs are faster than HDDs but generally cost more.

Processor The Processor is a device that carries out the instructions of a computer program. The faster the processor the faster your programs run. The more processors you have the more programs you can run at the same time.

Power Supply The power supply is required to power the components in your computer. You will need to keep an eye on how power hungry your graphics card and other components are to know what size and voltage you need for your power supply.

Motherboard Your motherboard is the main connector for all of the components in your PC. The motherboard goes in first so you can plug everything together with it to make the computer run.

Graphics Card The graphics card controls the visuals in the programs you run. The better the graphics card the better video games you can run. If your graphics card is not good enough your video games or even basic programs will have difficulty running and you may experience graphical lag. There are two types of graphics cards you will find. Integrated graphics cards and dedicated graphics cards.

Integrated Graphics Cards These types of graphics cards are called integrated because they are generally integrated into the motherboard. They are most commonly found in small desktop PCs and laptop computers. They perform best when you’re not using them for anything that requires high performance graphics. Cheaper than dedicated graphics cards they are good for general use computers.

Dedicated Graphics Card A dedicated graphics card is one that you can purchase separately and plug into your motherboard. They are the best cards if you plan to do a lot of gaming on your computer and can run you upwards of $1000 or more for the very best.

Random Access Memory (RAM) RAM in some way is similar to your processor. The more you have the quicker your computer can run and the more you can do at the same time. The main purpose of RAM is to store temporary data while you’re using the computer. If you don’t have enough RAM sometimes your programs will not run. For gaming 6-8 gigabytes of ram is currently recommended.

Cooling System The cooling system is what keeps your PC from overheating while you are using it. The higher end gaming PCs require much more in terms of cooling than your average general use PC. There are several types of cooling but two main ones are through fans and liquid cooling.

Fans Fans are the most common type of cooling. Almost every PC from laptop to desktop has at least one. They even place them directly on higher end graphics cards. They are vulnerable to dust which can slow them down and help keep heat in so regular cleaning can be necessary.

Liquid Cooling Liquid cooling is less popular but provides better cooling than just fans. It has a few components. The water block, radiators and fans, reservoir, and water pump.