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'There are loads of sites that can help you build a PC'

Suzanne Elvidge builds a PC.

I make my own cakes, I’ve built my own website, I’ve even put up my own shelves – so what could be the next challenge? Building my own house? Writing my own novel? – ahh, I’m doing that anyway. Let’s start simple with building my own PC.

Why?

Why build your own PC? If you just want a standard computer, it’s probably not worth it – with computer companies doing amazing deals, especially just before new models come out, and refurbished Macs and PCs available second hand , ( see The laptop man, www.itforcharities.co.uk/pcs.htm and Cancom ) you’ll go to a lot of trouble, and won’t save any money or get anything much better. However, if you want something really special, and have good practical skills, then it may well be worth it.

So – what do you need? A case, a motherboard, modem, memory, drives (hard drive, CD/DVD drive, floppy drive), sound cards, video cards and a decent screwdriver. And of course some instructions. Still want to keep going? Then, here goes… But before we start, the best piece of advice I’ve read is to buy the best or the biggest of everything that you can afford.

The case

What do you want your computer to look like? The case does a bit more than this, but it’s as good a place to start as any. Like tropical fish? Then think about a case with integral tank for (fake) fish – though someone has done it for real.

More into music or digital radio, or don’t want a computer that looks like a computer? Think about the MSI MEGA PC: (this case includes a motherboard and heatsink).

Or just fed up of dull beige boxes and want a case that contrasts with or blends in to your décor? On the more serious side, things to look out for include making sure there are enough drive bays for hard drives, CD, DVD and floppy drives, space for enough memory, plenty of USB ports, and consider looking out for Firewire and mini-Firewire ports (USB and Firewire ports are on the motherboard, although a case may include a port replicator) as well to give you flexibility for adding extra drives and other utilities.

The power supply unit (PSU) may come with the case – if not, make sure it’s compatible with the motherboard (check with the supplier) and has sufficient power.

The motherboard

This is the main processing part of the computer, which includes the central processing unit (CPU) and the processors for the keyboard, and monitor. The motherboard may have slots for additional boards (daughter boards) and will have slots for memory. The CPU will need a heatsink and fan, as it produces a lot of heat.

Modem

If you want to connect to the Internet, you’ll need a modem. These can be dial up, cable or ISDN, and can be internal or external. For dial-ups, use a minimum of a 56K modem. For cable and ISDN, these usually run off a network card or USB port. Most motherboards include a network (ethernet) socket these days, so if you already have broadband you won't need a modem.

Memory (RAM)

This is the memory that runs your software. Compared with only a few years ago, memory is now dirt cheap. The type of memory you buy will be determined by your motherboard. Make sure you install as much as you will need for any programs that you plan to run.

Storage (hard drives and floppy drives)

This is the storage memory for the computer. Many computers no longer come with floppy drives, but these are still available if you want one. Hard drives are getting bigger, and a rough rule of thumb is to think about how much memory you want and buy more.

A CD-ROM drive is important – firstly to load software, secondly to store and backup files, and thirdly to be able to listen to music while you work. There are different types of CD drives:

• CD-R – plays and writes audio and data CDs
• CD-RW – plays, writes and re-writes audio and data CD
• DVD-ROM – plays DVDs (data, audio and video)
• DVD-R/DVD-RW – plays and writes/rewrites DVDs
• Dual Layer DVD-R – very new, these will store twice as much information on appropriate media as a DVD-R can.

Video and sound cards

You need these bits to see and hear what is going on in your computer. The ones you select will depend on what you want to use your computer for – generally business applications need lower-spec cards and games need higher-spec cards. Your motherboard may well include 'integrated' video and sound; the integrated versions will not be cutting-edge but will usually be fine for business or general home use. More here.

Actually building it!

There are loads of sites that can help you build a PC.

www.buildyourown.org.uk provides a checklist
www.buildyourown.org.uk/content/info/print.htm has step by step instructions and a guide installing the software.

Other sites include BuildPC.net and Build Easy PC plus there's a series of articles in the Telegraph:
• build your own PC, part one
• build your own PC, part two
• build your own PC, part three
• build your own PC, part four

Plus Dr Ashen is always on hand.

And if you haven’t built your computer yet, there are books on the topic too Build Your Own Computer: The Step-by-step Guide and Build Your Own PC.

So, go for it!