General Hardware: Expert Guides and Resources

Whether you want to build a basic, mid-range, or high-end PC, make sure you have the necessary components and follow some general commonsense rules for easy assembly of your PC. Once you have your PC together, get to know the beep codes your computer will make and what they mean.What you need to build a basic PCThe basic, no-frills model PC will cost you the least to build.

Your computing experience is made up of interactions with hardware and software. The hardware is all the tangible computer equipment, such as the body of your laptop containing the hard drive, keyboard, and touchpad for pointing at and clicking on items onscreen.The software is what makes the hardware work or lets you get things done, such as writing documents with Microsoft Word or playing a Solitaire game.

If you’re looking for a computer to browse the Web, e-mail, use simple desktop publishing software, or work with more advanced productivity programs (like spreadsheets and scheduling applications), then a standard model PC is for you. Here’s the equipment you'll need to build this PC: Computer Component What to Look For Case ATX minitower model; dual fan CPU/motherboard Intel Core 2 Duo or AMD 64 Athlon X2; PCI and PCI-Express slots System RAM 1GB Hard drive One EIDE or SATA drive, 240GB minimum Optical drive 16x internal DVD recorder Modem 56 Kbps v.

When you decide to buy a new video card, you need to make sure that the video card fits your motherboard and has the chipsets that you want. Also look for these video card features and specifications while you shop: Onboard random access memory (RAM): Today’s video cards typically have anywhere from 64MB to 512MB of memory.

When you aren’t using your laptop’s modem, you can turn it off or disable it. That way, the laptop isn't supplying power to a device that you don't use. The easiest way to do this is to click the Power Management tab in the modem's Properties dialog box. Choose the option labeled Allow the Computer to Turn Off This Device to Save Power.

If you want to add a sound card to your computer, or upgrade the sound card that it already has, you have several options. A number of specialized PC sound cards are available for the discriminating audio connoisseur: An MP3 card: If you’re an MP3 wizard with a hard drive’s worth of MP3 digital audio files, you’ll appreciate one of these specialized audio cards.

Peripherals are externally hooked up to your computer. Your actual PC, itself, is nothing but the console (or tower). Everything else is considered a peripheral. To do much of anything with a PC, you’ll need at least a few peripherals. Hooking up primary peripherals The following peripherals are found on most PCs: Keyboard and mouse: Set up the keyboard right in front of where you’ll sit when you use the computer, between you and where the monitor goes.

Postpone a CPU/motherboard upgrade as long as possible. Upgrade your motherboard and CPU only after you exhaust the other possibilities. A major CPU/motherboard upgrade involves a some serious computer surgery and has some possible negative consequences: A CPU/motherboard combo is one of the most expensive upgrades you can make to your computer.

A second, or spare, battery can extend the battery life of your laptop. When your primary battery becomes discharged, insert your spare battery to keep using your laptop. One option you probably ignored when you bought your laptop was getting a spare battery. This item is a must for someone who is seriously on the road or in a remote location, where a long time is spent away from the power socket.