Lesson 1: Before We Begin – What You Need

What you need before we begin

Note: Throughout the guide, I will use red and green indicator markers in some pictures. Unless specified, there are no "good or bad" meanings to the different colors. If the background makes one color difficult to see, I will switch to the other.

We first have to make sure we actually have everything we need to start building.

In this build guide, we are building an AMD Athlon 64 system. This is NOT the example system we built in the buying guide.

Computer Case:

case

Components: (click for larger image)

components

Checklist:

  • Case
  • Power Supply
  • CPU
  • Motherboard
  • RAM
  • Hard Drive
  • DVD Drive
  • Video Card
  • Sound Card - integrated
  • Network Card - integrated
  • Tool Kit
  • Antistatic Wrist Strap (sometimes included with toolkit)

If you do not have a tool kit, a phillips screwdriver is good enough for most jobs but we do recommend the antistatic wrist strap.

Find a comfortable place to build

We need to find a table or bench to work on that's preferably around waist height so we don't hurt our back.

The table or bench we work on needs to be dry and dust free. Building in a dirty garage or room that has lots of dust is not recommended.

Wash your hands before we start building. We need to clean all the dust, dirt and oil off before we touch any sensitive components. After washing, properly dry your hands. No moisture can be present.

To reiterate:

  • Work in a clean room
  • Dust/dirt free work bench or table around waist height
  • Wash dirt/dust/oil from hands
  • Hands must be completely dry after washing

Next Lesson: Setting Up the Motherboard

Let's start building by setting up the motherboard: Lesson 2: Setting Up The Motherboard.