http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware.aspxenhttp://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/10105.aspxMon, 07 Sep 2009 21:57:37 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:10105JeanFAThe inside of a PC can get pretty warm, and that can be very bad for your equipment. A simple fan is a cheap and simple way to get some of that heat out of there. Whar She Blows? If you are worried about how cramped things are inside of your PC, an extra fan or two can really help move some air around. Getting the best out of these takes a litt...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/27888.aspxSun, 07 Jun 2009 14:55:14 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:27888mmcdonoughOnce you’ve decided to build your own PC, the choices aren’t over – in fact, they’re just beginning. If you need some help trying to figure out which components to buy and tips for staying within your budget, check out some of these Bright Hub guides. Computer Hardware Tips and Buying Guides While you can save a lot of money...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/10169.aspxWed, 03 Jun 2009 14:41:43 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:10169JeanFAYou have done it! Your PC is done, we just need to hook everything up to it and turn it on. You’re done!!! Congratulations: You put a PC together! All you need to do now is connect your peripherals and install the OS of your choice. The picture will help you make your connections. Obviously, the computer needs electricity. The...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/10168.aspxWed, 03 Jun 2009 14:41:07 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:10168JeanFAWith everything inside the case and hooked up, we can close our brand new PC. Almost Done! We’ve covered a lot of ground; make sure you haven’t forgotten anything. Fans that connect directly to the power supply and other remaining elements should be hooked up now. Bundle and tuck loose any unused cables. Check the computer for foreign objects. ...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/10167.aspxWed, 03 Jun 2009 14:40:14 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:10167JeanFAThe extra-convenient places to plug things in on the front of your case won’t work unless you hook them up correctly inside your PC. Specific Ports in a Storm We hooked up the switches and audio in the previous article. Though we will now be able to turn the computer on and off, we still can’t use all those connectors on the front of our case...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/10166.aspxWed, 03 Jun 2009 14:31:05 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:10166JeanFAEven the most stripped, budget, case has a couple lights and switches to hook up. These are tiny little wires that go on tiny little pins. The good news is you’re almost done building your PC. The Basics The front panel of your case has a bunch of stuff you need to connect to your motherboard. Most crucial is the switch that turns the PC on a...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/10149.aspxWed, 03 Jun 2009 14:30:17 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:10149JeanFAOur PC has taken shape&#59; in this article we connect the drives. Connecting a Molex Powered PATA Device We put the burner in the case in this article ; now we are going to hook it up. If you haven’t physically installed the device yet, go check that article and come back: don’t worry, we’ll wait. Done? Good. First we’ll hook up the power. PATA (P...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/10104.aspxWed, 03 Jun 2009 14:29:19 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:10104JeanFAFinally, the end is in sight as we begin to wire everything together: it is time to get your motherboard some juice! Why Are We Doing All the Power Stuff Before we Do the Data Stuff? Well, we certainly don’t have to. Waiting until the end and doing all the cabling at once makes it a lot easier to put the system together since the cables...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/10107.aspxWed, 03 Jun 2009 14:26:11 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:10107JeanFAExpansion card installation is pretty straightforward, which is good: it is the most frequently performed upgrade, in addition to being an important step of a PC build. Where Do These Things Go? Though the procedure for installing different kinds of expansion cards is largely identical, we need to make sure the cards are going in the right ...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/10109.aspxWed, 03 Jun 2009 14:25:17 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:10109JeanFAHard Drive installation&#59; ironically, not that hard. SATA or PATA As discussed in the previous article, today’s PC should be equipped with a hard drive that uses SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) connectors. They are much faster than the older PATA connections and have largely replaced PATA for desktop hard drives. Both types of drive...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/10108.aspxWed, 03 Jun 2009 14:24:00 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:10108JeanFAWhether you are jamming the ancient CD-ROM from your old PC in there or you have a sleek new Blu-Ray burner, they all go in pretty much the same. Before We Begin A desktop PC’s hard drive (the installation of which we cover in the next article) should always use SATA (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) connections by now. These are easier to wo...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/10103.aspxWed, 03 Jun 2009 14:22:35 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:10103JeanFAThese aren’t very big and it just takes a minute, so don’t forget to put in your memory! Dual Channel We could use one large memory module (often called sticks) with all of the memory we need. It is, however, in most configurations, advantageous to run two smaller memory sticks in dual channel mode (e.g.: two 1G modules instead of o...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/8874.aspxWed, 03 Jun 2009 14:21:50 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:8874JeanFAThe good news is it involves inserting four screws&#59; the bad news is you are inserting them into something that weighs ten pounds and is shaped like squid. Big Stuff Goes In First A principle that applies to everything from packing a suitcase to warehousing is to put big things in first and stuff little things around it. A PC is no different; it...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/8872.aspxWed, 03 Jun 2009 14:00:32 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:8872JeanFAWe cover how to install a motherboard in SFF and tower cases. Preparing Your Case for the Motherboard Whether you already have the power supply in or not, you will install the motherboard in largely the same way. The first step is to remove the I/O panel protector included with the case if your case came with one. If not, skip to the next paragraph...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/8871.aspxWed, 03 Jun 2009 13:57:27 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:8871JeanFACome and see as we put our screwdrivers to work and begin the hands-on crafting of our little bundle of joy. Are You Ready? Have you read the instructions for your products? Do you have a well lit space to work so you can see what you’re doing and a couple bowls so you won’t lose the screws you remove? Do you have a screwdriver (a couple Philli...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/8873.aspxWed, 03 Jun 2009 13:54:34 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:8873JeanFAThe Core 2 CPUs currently dominate the market, and their installation in an LGA775 socket is something that often takes place when building or upgrading a PC. Easy to Do, but Don’t Get It Wrong Installing a CPU is easy, but if you make a mistake you could simultaneously damage your processor and motherboard. The trick is to have everything fi...http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/27584.aspxFri, 27 Feb 2009 21:58:34 GMTb133e95a-c263-4882-8f2a-b24547eff78e:27584mmcdonoughBuilding a new PC and trying to decide on an operating system? You may have more choices than you think. Operating System Choices Nowadays, people are starting to realize that there are a lot of benefits to be gained from building a custom PC rather than buying one off the shelf. (By the way, if you’re considering this option but you’re not sur...