How to Build Your Own PC - Save A Buck And Learn A Lot  9  Chapter 2: Component Overview

Planning Ahead Before Opening Components 1 Case and Power Supply

The key components you’ll need to purchase are:

• Case and Power Supply
  
  
• Mainboard
  
  
• CPU With Heatsink and Fan
  
  
• RAM (Memory Chip)
  
  
• Video Card
  
  
• Hard Drive
  
  
• CD-RW and/or DVD Drive
  
  
• Other Removable Media Drives (optional)
  
  
• Sound Card (If your mainboard doesn’t have onboard sound)
  
  
• Modem
  
  
• Network Interface Card (NIC) and Other PCI Cards (optional)
  
  
• Operating System
  
  
• Monitor
  
  
• Keyboard and Mouse

The above components are all you need. Most of the physical components connect together easily with standardized connections. Again, Figure 1 shows all the parts you need.

Planning Ahead Before Opening Components 1 Case and Power Supply