Many of us find our personal computers to be intimidating at best, but Tyler Jones and David Vasta believe that the best way to understand how a PC works is to build one yourself. "It's not rocket science," says David, "and your not going to blow anything up." "You'll have a greater understanding of what goes on inside a computer, and why sometimes things don't work they way the should," Tyler explains. Not only will you understand your computer better, but also you'll save a lot of money building your own PC. David and Tyler built a relatively simple Windows-based PC in a matter of minutes using a handful of components and a computer case. The only tool required is a Phillips head screwdriver. Great care should be taken to avoid static charges when installing the components in your computer. Special static guards, which wrap around your wrist, are available at any computer store. The power supply should not be plugged in or turned on until you have completed all of your installations and the case has been closed. The items needed for the project are as follows: A computer case, which can range in price from $29 to over $300. You should look for a case with a power supply, a motherboard (figure A) where most of your components will reside, and a diskette drive already installed. The case will come with a power cord and fans to cool the computer. The processor (figure B) or CPU is the brains of the computer, determining the speed at which the computer will work. The processor should be as fast as you can afford. Also purchase as much RAM for your computer as can handle. RAM, or memory, is where your applications will run. The more RAM, the more programs can be open and available on your desktop. You will need to decide on the size of your hard drive and the speed it will run. Hard drive (figure C) prices have fallen dramatically, so buy the biggest and fastest ones you can afford. A CD-rom player is a must, since most computer programs are installed from CD's. To export video and sound out of the computer, you'll need video and sound (figure D) cards, plus a computer monitor 17 inches or larger and speakers. Also, look for a mouse and keyboard that you find comfortable. Finally, you'll need to determine which operating system from Microsoft is right for you. These are the basic components for the PC that David and Tyler built, though there are far more options and programs available to choose from. For example, you will most likely want to access the Internet via a modem, and you'll want programs for word processing, or possibly a DVD drive. The options are almost limitless, however, the basics that make a computer work are now in place, and you did it yourself.
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