Roadmap to Your PC

By Mark Sapyta

Building a Computer can be frustrating and confusing. This guide will help
give you a clear path to your build and help answer any questions you may
have while or before you start and help improve your overall experience.

The Beginning: Selecting Your Parts

Pcpartpicker.com is a website that helps your select parts for your computer while giving you

the price comparison and compatability of all the parts. It also contains complete builds if you’re

are looking for some inspiration.

Basic Components
 CPU – The brain.
This component will dictate how fast
most processes run on your computer.
 Motherboard – The body.
Connects the rest of the computer
together.
 Ram – Multi-tasking.
The better your ram the more things
your computer can do at one time.
 Graphics Card – The looks.
This will influence the upper limits of
your display.
 Hard Drive – The Memory.
This is where all of your data is stored.
 Power Supply – Then energy.
This gives power to the rest of your
machine.
 Case – The clothing.
This is the first thing people will see
when looking at your PC.
All motherboards are different, and it is very important to reference your motherboards manual for the
specifics on the layout of your motherboard.

Recommend using a magnetic screwdriver to have more control of your screws when putting them into
hard-to-reach places.

Instructions
1. Motherboard – Place your case on its back and screw the motherboard into place using the
screws included with your motherboard. Screw locations should match up to locations on
your case.

2. CPU – Mount your CPU on your Motherboard. Be extremely careful when mounting your
CPU because it contains many small pins (tiny metal needles). Raise the locking leaver on
the motherboard. Pay attention to the shape of the pins on the CPU and the shape of the
holes on your motherboard and make sure to match up the orientation. Then lower the
locking leaver to keep the CPU in place.

3. RAM – Place the Ram cards in correct Ports. Most motherboard have 4 Ram ports. If
using 1 or 2 sticks refer to the motherboard manual to what ports use.

4. Hard Drive – Mount Hard drive-in correct Location. There are three main types of options
for hard drive (Solid State or SSD, M.2 and Standard or HDD). All are relatively easy to add
to your computer. Consult your case manual for instructions on mounting SSD and HDD
and your motherboard manual for mounting a M.2.

5. Power Supply – Insert the power supply into the bottom of your computer and use the
screws provided with your case to mount it.

6. Powering Components – Follow directions in your motherboards manual to bring power to

the motherboard for the power supply then power the fans any hard drives and the buttons
and ports from your case to your motherboard. Your motherboard manual should contain a
labeled diagram of all the port locations on your motherboard, this can be extremely helpful
during this part.

7. CPU Cooler – Mount CPU cooler on top of CPU. This can be done earlier but waiting gives
you more space to work with when plugging the different components into the motherboard.
Apply cooling gel if needed and screw the cooler in the four locations around the CPU and
wire it to the CPU cooler port on the motherboard.

8. Graphics Card – Mount your Graphics card. This should be the last thing you do because
the graphics card is large and takes up a lot of room in your case. Take out as many treys
(metal slots held in by a thumb screw) from the back of your case as required for your
graphics card and insert it into the designated port. Mount it with the thumb screws
removed when taking out the treys and bring it power from the Power Supply.
Congratulations!! If all of this is done correctly you should be able to boot from a flash
drive and begin using your brand-new PC.