Building A PC For Beginners [Paperback]

Michael F Quarles (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 25, 2005

Anyone can build their own computer with this book. Only 11 major parts are needed, and they all snap together or plug-in. The process is completely demystified, covered by over 150 photographs and text. You'll be guided through buying parts, assembly, and loading Windows XP. Learn to make a computer the "Monkey See, Monkey Do" way.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Easy for the beginner to follow. Lots of pictures. This is the kind of book people buy so they can understand what their textbooks are telling them. -- PC Pro, January 30, 2006

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Building A PC For Beginners Installing the CPU An excerpt from "Building A PC For Beginners". Now we are ready to begin building. Our first step will be to install the CPU. Many people who assemble computers will mount the motherboard in the case first. For a long time, I was one of them. Then, I began to do business with an online firm that sold motherboard, CPU, and RAM bundled together. As part of the sale, they would assemble them, and run a 24 hour test, known as a "burn in" to make sure all was working well. That was the way you received them, as one unit, ready to install in the case. It was so easy, I began doing it with every computer I built. There was no more of the awkwardness of reaching down inside a case. Everything was in the open, where it could be worked on easily. This is the method we'll use for this computer. First, lay the motherboard on the foam pad that came in the box. For a bit of extra protection, put them both on top of the antistatic bag, or a rubber mat, if you have one. You'll notice there are tiny metal protrusions on the underside of the motherboard. You don't want these to get bent. Notice in the picture (photo 25) how I'm using my finger to lift the lever beside the CPU socket. It is held in place by a little plastic flange that extends from the side of the socket itself. Once disengaged, the lever comes up easily. It will stop at a 90 degree angle. (photo 26) Leave it there. The socket is now ready for the chip to be inserted. Now, let's open the box our CPU came in. The unit we purchased came bundled with a heatsink and fan. (photo 27). I like to purchase them this way, because you know you're getting sufficient cooling power for the chip. You'll notice on the top of the chip there are four round pads, and a rectangular contact surface. (photo 28) On the bottom is a grid of pins. (photo 29) Please look carefully at the two lower corners of the chip. In these corners a pin is missing. Now, look at the socket on the motherboard. (photo 30) In the two lower corners, there are missing pinholes. So which way does the chip fit? Correct! The corners with the missing pins go with the corners of the socket where there are no pinholes. The chip will slip easily into place. (photo 31) They call these sockets ZIF's, Zero Insertion Force. If it doesn't go into place, first look at the little gold arrow in the corner. (photo 32) It has to be pointing to the base of the lever. If the chip still doesn't fit, don't force it. Check the bottom for bent pins. This is fairly rare. I'd prefer you to return the chip to the store, and let one of their technicians straighten it, rather than risk breaking it off altogether. With the chip resting in the socket, you can push the lever down and click it into place. (photo 33) It is now installed, (photo 34) and you are ready for the heatsink and fan.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Monkey See Monkey Do Books (September 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 097727960X
• ISBN-13: 978-0977279609
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,575,027 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Approachable guide for a first-time PC builder..., April 28, 2007

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Building A PC For Beginners (Paperback)

I've always purchased my computers prebuilt and loaded with the operating system. I have the books that would likely guide me through the process of building my own, but it still seems a bit daunting when you're looking at 600 pages of (in my mind) things that can go wrong. Michael F. Quarles has a simplified guide to building your own PC with the book Building A PC For Beginners. This would appeal to the first-timer who isn't up on all the minutia on motherboards and bus speeds (nor wants to be).

Contents: Selecting Parts (CPUs - Intel & AMD, Motherboards, Hard Drives, CD/DVDs, Floppies, 3 Cards, Case), Getting Started, Installing the CPU, Heatsink, & Fan; Installing RAM; Installing the Motherboard; Installing the Floppy; Installing the Hard Drive; Installing the CD/DVD; Power for the Motherboard; Installing the Case Fan; Front USB Wires; The CD/DVD Audio Wire; Installing the Graphics Card; Installing the Modem; Tying Up Cables; First Boot; Troubleshooting; Installing Windows XP; Troubleshooting

This is a self-published book that has lots of photographs of the installation process, along with a straight-forward description of how to choose and install the devices that make up your new computer. There's a careful balance between covering the necessary information without inundating the beginner with everything that can possibly be mentioned. As such, a beginner can focus on the essentials. As I was reading through the book, I could actually see myself using this to successfully manage my first build. Hardcore geeks would likely want more information than what's contained here, but first-timers would find it understandable. This could also be used if you're repairing your PC and want to understand a bit more about the inside of your computer before you start plugging things in. For instance, there was enough information about power supplies in here in order for me to make an informed decision on replacing one in my desktop machine.

The book isn't perfect, and could have done with some additional editing for spelling and grammar. That's not uncommon on self-published efforts. But overall, the author accomplishes what he sets out to do, and this is a good place to start for building your own PC for the first time.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Easy To Learn From, April 12, 2007

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Building A PC For Beginners (Paperback)

I like this book because it shows very clearly how to build your own computer. He uses parts that are all available, like Sempron chips, Asus motherboards, and Maxtor hard drives. I used this book while building my PC, though I used a motherboard that only had 4 expansion slots (the one in the book had six!). I like it because he tells how to build computers with a low wattage requirement. The one in the book needed only 220 watts, so he could still use a 300 or 350 watt power supply. (Lower electricity use is good for the environment.)I only give it 4 stars, because he needs to include sources for stuff like thermal grease, and those little 3 finger retractor tools he uses. I live in a small town, so I have to order everything.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars You Can Do This!!!!!, November 17, 2005

By 

WYNOKA P. "ME" (GA.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Building A PC For Beginners (Paperback)

I HAVE NEVER HAD ANY INTENTION OF BUILDING MY OWN PC. I CAN HARDLY HANDLE A GROCERY CART, BUT A FAIL COMPUTER AND LACK OF MONEY TO PURCHASE A NEW ONE MOTIVATED ME TO BUY THIS BOOK AND GIVE IT A TRY. I WAS TOTALLY AMAZED AT HOW SIMPLE HE MADE EVERYTHING! AND THERE ARE ALWAYS PICTURES TO SHOW YOU JUST WHAT GOES WHERE, IT IS THE MOST COMPLETE SET OF INSTRUCTIONS I HAVE EVER READ! ANYONE CAN DO THIS WITH THE HELP OF THIS BOOK. PICTURES, SIMPLE TERMS AND WORDS WE UNDERSTAND AND TRUE STEP BY STEP GUIDANCE IS WHAT SELLS THIS BOOK. IF YOU EVER HAD A QUESTION AS TO WHEATHER OR NOT YOU CAN DO THIS THE ANSWER IS YES. JUST BUY THIS BOOK!! THANKS, WYNOKA