Hey, I’m mostly a web developer/designer but I have always had an interest in computer hardware and building them, and I now want to have a go and build my first computer.
I was wondering if any of you know any really good books to get started? I mean beginner books, the most I know about hardware is that RAM is what makes your computer stay fast the more programs you have open (at least thats what I think it is).
Cheers!
Well obviously I didn’t account for price or necessity, but that should be done on a sliding scale per component as to what your needs are. 
PS: I use a $1,000 laptop for all of my web design and development work (an Acer) and it’s suited my needs fine!
I always thought it was easy…
CPU = More cores + more cache + more GHZ the better.
GPU = more cards + more memory + more shaders (etc) the better.
RAM = more GB + more MHZ + higher DDR the better.
HDD = more TB + more RPM the better.
MOBO = more features + more ports, higher USB version and more sockets the better.
MOBO + CPU + GPU + RAM + HDD = OMG PC!
Always helps to have some good advice from a knowledgeable friend when it comes to picking parts, and you’ll find a lot of good advice in the system builds Toms Hardware does.
Yes, but…no.
Taken individually, your statements are generally correct. Taken together, one ends up with anything from a super computer to a door stop.
My checklist:
Mission: what will it be used for? Answering this honestly can make a difference of wasting $1000s on the final product.
Given 1, which CPU do I want to base the computer on?
Given 2, which mainboards are compatible and provide the features I want?
Given 3, Which RAM modules are compatible and provide the most speed and capacity for the buck?
Given 3, Which GPUs are compatible and provide the necessary graphics power to accomplish 1? Will the mainboard support 2 or more cards? Are those multiple cards supported, properly, by the mainboard? Is my case large enough for the card(s) to fit into? (Do not put nVidia SLI GPU cards into an ATI CrossFire mainboard and expect to use the computer, and vice versa)
HDD: Size is important, so is speed - a direct result of larger onboard cache amounts. Is an SSD a possibility? It must support TRIM, or it’s just not worth the price. Is a RAID wanted? RPMs? Unless you get a SCSI drive (do they still make those?), it will be 7200. 5400 is only found (to my knowledge) in 2.5" laptop drives anymore.
PSU: Experience talking here: if your PSU is shoddy or too small you will have problems and possibly damage components. Keep money in your budget to buy a quality PSU of sufficient size. Your choice(s) in 5 will determine the needed size.
Case? Air cooled? water cooled? Get a cheap case if you like the prospect of sitting next to something that sounds like a running jet engine for the next 2-5 years.
Optical drive: mainly depends on 1. If you spend more than $100, you spent too much.
A properly researched collection of parts will become a computer worth far more than the parts. Buying ‘the best’ in each category only guarantees that you’ll be broke.
The article I linked before has a parts list, which, when combined, makes a nice $1500 computer, I’d probably go for a more powerful GPU myself…
Building a computer, by which I mean assembling, is quite easy. Seriously, Tab A into Slot A kind of stuff. A good article on computer assembly.
The ‘hard’ part is picking out the right pieces from which to build your computer. This will require research to determine not only what works well together but also what will work well for you. This information is not available in book form - by the time a book of this type is written and published it will be so laughably out-of-date as to be useless.
Sure, the ‘The CPU is…’ and ‘The RAM is…’ information never changes, but do you really need a book for that?
Hi Keiron - you can find a LOT of free info online in the form of printed and even video tutorials. If it’s a book you’re looking for though, there are all kinds to choose from and you might want to start at your local bookstore to see if you can find one you like - then order it online to save a few bucks.
Cheers,
Steve
I’m not a big genius in computer, but I have good know how of computer building. I have 3 - 4 pc’s my own. I get all my required pc components from market and assemble them.
So, I think I can help you…
You want a computer book in my next post will give name of superb book related to computer.
Thanks
Muhammad Tayyab Rana
Here the book name:
HOW COMPUTER WORKS 9TH EDITION BY R. WHITE
I wish you must read this book
Thanks