How did you learn to build a computer?

[Interested]

Hey everyone, i was just wondering how everyone here learned how to build a computer. So? How did you learn how to build a computer?

About 3 years ago, my parents had an employee that had great computer skills. When he built a new computer for us, i watched and he explained everything and how it worked. (i already had some knowledge of computers before, as i had changed a video card and hard drive at age 9 or 10.) I remembered that first time, and never forgot anything from that time.

How about you?

 

[paratwa]

I just did it. I wanted to do it after i bought my first HP computer and hated it so much, so I just did some research on parts and bought them, then read the motherboard manual and built it.

Hardest part was installing the OS.

 

[pyrow07]

I have been taking our old computers appart since i was about 8, Just recently i decided that i needed a new computer and thought what the hey, why not build it with what i want. I started to read up on forms and how-to's. They help out alot and now that i have built my first one i cant wait for more.

 

[pyrow07]

agreed so much with the hardest part being the OS and them not sending adapters

 

[Interested]

really? the reset, power, hdd led.....have always been the hardest for me!

 

[Iluvpenguins]

I wanted a computer that would handle games well(this was quite a while ago) and so I decided that the prebuilt computers wouldn't cut it for me. I did a little research on the parts and just treated it as plug and play except for the brutal installation of Windows XP. I had quite a bit of knowledge about computers already from simply reading and I had a few times where i changed HDD's, ram, gpus and stuff like that.

 

[Mr. Computer Guy]

I started when I was about 8-9, my parents brought a computer home one day and was having trouble putting it together. When I came home I saw it there, parts, manuals, and wires laying around. I don't really remember it all to well, except just having it up and running in an hour or so. After that I had a love for computers. Lol

 

[Interested]

nice!

what makes the installation of xp so hard? i dont get it lol! since the first time i have done it, it has been very easy! push enter, then f8 for i agree, then f, select a partition and your off! is it the drivers?

 

[oscaryu1]

nice!

what makes the installation of xp so hard? i dont get it lol! since the first time i have done it, it has been very easy! push enter, then f8 for i agree, then f, select a partition and your off! is it the drivers?

Drivers are easy. I remembered installing Tonka Construction by myself on the P166 (still have it ) when I was around 7...

Took out my mom's 1.3GHz CPU (Have also ) at 9...

Basically slow hands on stuff. Then this forum came along... Thank god there was one like this. I sware I learned everything on here, without books.

 

[WhiteFireDragon]

i just started playing around with the hardware parts back around 1998 lol. didn't need any tutorials or guides... it was pretty much self explanatory. the parts can only fit in one way. all i had to do was learn about the specs of each part to know what to look for when buying new hardware

 

[Mr. Computer Guy]

nice!

what makes the installation of xp so hard? i dont get it lol! since the first time i have done it, it has been very easy! push enter, then f8 for i agree, then f, select a partition and your off! is it the drivers?

It was hard for me because I never bought a genuine version of XP, I got it off a torrent.

 

[Mr. Computer Guy]

Just a lot of hands on experience for me.

 

[Interested]

Drivers are easy. I remembered installing Tonka Construction by myself on the P166 (still have it ) when I was around 7...

Took out my mom's 1.3GHz CPU (Have also ) at 9...

Basically slow hands on stuff. Then this forum came along... Thank god there was one like this. I sware I learned everything on here, without books.

yea, drivers are easy, yet alot of people dont know how to install them. Man, i remember being like 9 and learning the hard side of windows xp, like drivers, etc.....those were the days..lol

 

[paratwa]

It was hard for me because I never bought a genuine version of XP, I got it off a torrent.

Hehe, Ditto! At least until XP came out, that's legit

When I started with computers, win95 was the newest thing. And that was a pain! Fdisk and all of that crap.

 

[SirKenin]

I learned by screwing around and asking questions. I really got into it about the time they were using jumpers on sound cards and modems, and setting CPU clock speeds by jumpers and stuff.

 

[paratwa]

I really got into it about the time they were using jumpers on sound cards and modems, and setting CPU clock speeds by jumpers and stuff.

Those were confusing days! You had to have very good eye sight to make sure you had them right, or Pffftt! Not that I ever fried one of course. I remember my first "jumper less" board. Man that was cool!

 

[JLV2k5]

I sort of just learned myself. This forum (I personally think it is the best computer forum online) has helped a lot.

 

[RampageCole6]

I made a bet with some kid in 9th grade that i would know more about computers than him in less than 2 months. So I got every piece of crap Comp that i could find and started tearing it apart and combined parts from all of them and made the best one that I could. I ended up winning that bet.

Comp building is just putting things in places that they fit once you know what is compatible with what.

 

[Kesava]

i just started when i had to replace certain parts and learned from there.

 

[mep916]

I wanted a computer that would handle games well(this was quite a while ago) and so I decided that the prebuilt computers wouldn't cut it for me. I did a little research on the parts and just treated it as plug and play except for the brutal installation of Windows XP. I had quite a bit of knowledge about computers already from simply reading and I had a few times where i changed HDD's, ram, gpus and stuff like that.

That's pretty much how I started out, too. My first computer, a Sony Vaio P4 machine, shipped with 512MB of PC 2700 RAM and a 120GB HD. I decided to install an additional 1.5GB of RAM and a second HD for storage. I was terrified the first time I opened the case - I was clueless. I actually bought a HD and some RAM from Fry's Electronics (didn't know about newegg) and took it back because I was afraid I'd break the PC. ha ha.

Then, I started to research computer components and realized that the process was pretty easy. Eventually, I installed the HD and RAM and attempted to upgrade the GPU. That was basically a disaster. Unfortunately, Vaio cases do not conform to ATX standards. This made it impossible to upgrade the PSU, disallowing a decent GFX upgrade. The Vaio comes preinstalled with a Radeon 9200 and a 280W PSU. Even mid-range cards require 350W. The best replacement I found for the Radeon was the GeForce FX 5500.

The frustration from that experience (inability to upgrade) led me to start saving for the rig in my signature. I saved for about two years and finally built last August. I'll never buy an OEM machine again. I won't let my family either. Since building my rig in August, I've built a PC for my sister and my dad.

So, to answer the question, I learned how to build a computer by working hands on with my Sony, reading material online, watching YouTube videos, and owning a subscription to Maximum PC. The magazine keeps me up to date on the latest hardware and I find some of their reviews helpful as well.