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Build Your Own PC: Introduction, the PC Case and the Power Supply Unit

Last updated on 20 November 2009

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This article consists of six main pages. You can access the other five pages by clicking the relevant hyperlinks below.

Disclaimer

I cannot be held responsible for any damage that you may cause to yourself or any computer hardware or software that may come about by your attempts to build a computer using the following information.

BEFORE YOU DO ANY WORK ON YOUR COMPUTER, ALWAYS TURN THE POWER OFF! BUT, UNLESS THERE IS AN ELECTRICAL STORM IN YOUR AREA, YOU SHOULD LEAVE THE MAINS PLUG IN ITS WALL SOCKET (WITH THE SWITCH OFF) IN ORDER TO KEEP THE COMPUTER EARTHED. ALTERNATIVELY, YOU CAN SWITCH THE POWER SUPPLY SWITCH OFF. DOING THAT ALSO KEEPS THE PC EARTHED IF THE PC IS CONNECTED TO THE MAINS.

The person who wrote the following on a computer forum probably killed the motherboard.

"I just built a new computer and everything was working great. I decided to reroute some cables for better airflow. I unplugged the 24-pin power cable from the power supply (PSU) to the motherboard, rerouted the cable, and replugged it back in. This was with the PSU still plugged into the wall. I noticed that when I did this, my computer flashed on for half a second, the fans and everything turned on briefly and then turned back off. I didn't think too much of it until I tried turning on my computer again and realised that it wasn't working. Nothing will turn on (no fans, lights, hard drives, etc)."

If you are unsure about how to do anything, clear the confusion before you attempt to do anything by searching for the information you require on other websites, or ask for advice in relevant newsgroups, such as alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt, which is available through Google Groups, or on a computer forum such as Tom's Hardware Forum. Don't be afraid of being flamed by the members for being stupid, because they know what it was like to be a newbie themselves.

If you are using the information on this section of the site to upgrade a computer, as a precaution, before you make any changes to the hardware or software on the computer, make sure that you have created a restorable backup of the system (or, at the very least make copies of the data files if you have the program installation disks) in order to be able to return your system to the state it was in before an irrecoverable crash took place.

Before touching electronic components, you should discharge any static electricity by touching the computer's case while the computer, which is switched off, is plugged into to the mains outlet, which is also switched off. The cable and plug have an earth wire that discharge static electricity.

Never open the power supply unit (PSU) in the case, or a CRT monitor.

There are no serviceable parts in them. Only properly trained personnel should work on these components. There are high voltages inside a PSU and a CRT monitor that can kill you, even if they are unplugged! Capacitors in them can hold a lethal charge for long after they have been switched off. LCD monitors don't make use of high voltages, so aren't dangerous, but only qualified technicians should open one up.

Sale of Goods Act (UK)

Anything that you buy in the UK, including the components bought to build a PC, are protected by the provisions of the Sale of Goods Act. You are not restricted to the 12-month statutory warranty period to make a claim. You can demand a replacement or a refund if the goods are not fit for purpose to begin with or are rendered as such within their expected life-spans. You should not accept a credit note or vouchers that allow you to make purchases. If you cannot be provided with a suitable replacement of the goods, you can demand a full refund.

Here is a good fact sheet on the Sale of Goods Act:

Sale of Goods Act Fact Sheet -

http://www.berr.gov.uk/whatwedo/consumers/fact-sheets/page38311.html

The safest way to upgrade RAM: Use the UK and US Crucial Memory Advisors

The memory requirements of the versions of Windows Vista

Most of the versions of Windows Vista require more RAM memory to run optimally on a computer that doesn't use memory-hungry applications than Windows XP. A video-editing application is an example of memory-intensive software. Only Windows Vista Home Basic has a recommended minimum amount of memory of 512MB, which is the same amount recommended for Windows XP. Windows Vista Home Premium, the most popular version, and Windows Vista Ultimate require a recommended minimum of 1GB (1024MB) of memory, which is twice the amount of minimum memory recommended to run Windows XP. For more information on computer memory, read the RAM pages of this site.

Paul Mullen, the highly-respected computer guru of the Helpfile at ComputerShopper.co.uk - "I have recently been buying my memory only from Crucial Technology. I would rather pay the extra cost than waste time trying to track down the obscure program faults that bad memory can cause."

For example, if your computer has an Asus motherboard, open the menu, scroll down to ASUS, and click GO. If, say, you have a Dell computer, scroll down to DELL, and do likewise. You will be taken to the relevant information on Crucial's website.

If you don't know the make and model of the motherboard installed in your computer, here is a good free utility - Belarc Advisor - that creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer. Look under FREE DOWNLOAD - http://www.belarc.com/. Another utility that also provides detailed information on the memory itself is CPU-Z.

Introduction to building a desktop PC

This article deals with building a desktop PC. Relevant information concerning the various compontents is provided, but up-to-the-minute, detailed information on them is provided in articles devoted to them on this website. The main components are the motherboard, case, power supply unit (PSU), processor, RAM memory, hard disk drive, video/graphics card and Monitor.

It is not yet feasible to build a laptop/notebook PC, because you can't buy all of the parts to assemble one. However, it has been possible to build your own desktop PC for many years. In fact, with a little knowledge, it is possible to do all of the repairs to a desktop PC yourself. If you can build a PC, you'll know how to repair a hardware failure, because the same knowledge of the components is involved. That is currently not the case if a laptop PC's hardware fails, because it has to be repaired by experienced technicians provided by its manufacturer or by a third-party company.

Note that most desktop PCs housed in a standard ATX PC case are fully upgradable, whereas the upgradability of most laptop PCs is currently (January, 2008) very limited - you usually have to buy a new laptop if you want to have the latest hardware components or you need to run the latest software. Therefore, this section of this site provides information on how to build and maintain a desktop PC.

The most fortunate aspect of computers and computing is probably the fact that today's latest and greatest expensive PC hardware (and, to a lesser extent, software) will be available at budget prices in a year to eighteen months time, when it still has several years of useful and productive life left in it. Bear this constantly in mind when you're reading articles on computers, especially articles on how to build your own PC. There is no imperative need to buy the latest components or software...

A good way to read this Build a PC guide is to have a Notepad or WordPad open. You can then copy and paste any text or website links that you want to remember or use later, which you would then save as a .txt file (e.g., BuildPC.txt)...

Buying compatible components for a PC, assembling them correctly, installing an operating system, and getting it to run properly is becoming easier all the time as the components become more and more integrated and easy to install.

It is especially easy to build a computer with a new motherboard and installing Windows XP Home or Professional Editions, or Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, or Ultimate Editions, because, apart from installing the hardware in the case and connecting the monitor, Windows configures the hardware automatically most of the time.

You can visit the Using Windows Vista section of this site for more information on the latest versions of Windows.

Why? - Because Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP/Vista are all Plug and Play (PnP) operating systems that detect PnP devices and load their software drivers automatically - most of the time - either from within Windows itself, or from a CD/DVD, flash drive, or floppy disks.

Visit the Desktop PCs section of this site for information on how to buy, build, repair, fix, and protect the various types of desktop PCs.

The Plug and Play abilities of Windows XP Home and Professional Editions and the versions of Windows Vista for the home user are particularly good.

I recently installed the components for a computer by just fitting and cabling them correctly, placed the Windows XP SP2 Home Edition CD in the CD/DVD drive, and the system was up and running in less than half an hour. There were a few devices categorised as Other devices in the Device Manager that had yellow exclamation marks beside them, which signalled that the devices hadn't been installed properly, but these were sorted out automatically by removing them and then installing the drivers that came on a CD supplied with the motherboard. After doing that, I downloaded and installed the latest device drivers for the motherboard, video/graphics card, sound card, which were obtained from the websites of the manufacturers of the devices.

No jumper or DIP switch settings were required for the motherboard because the BIOS setup program took care of all of the settings for the hardware (processor, RAM memory, etc.) automatically. Windows XP even installed the device drivers for a dial-up modem that make it work much faster than the manufacturer's drivers when the modem was used in a Windows 98 SE system. The drivers were for some other make and model of modem, but they worked beautifully.

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Important BIOS settings

The setting enabling PnP (Plug-and-Play) is usually found in the PNP/PCI Configuration page of an Award BIOS setup program, and the PCI/Plug and Play Setup page of an AMI BIOS. The setting is called PNP OS Installed in an Award BIOS, with the Yes setting enabling it and the No setting disabling it. It is enabled by default.

The Reset Configuration Data setting only works once when enabled, and then disables itself. It allows the system to clear the BIOS configuration settings and reverts them to the default settings. It's useful enabling it and disabling PNP OS Installed if the Windows Device Manager signals an IRQ problem with a device, because the BIOS will sort the configurations out instead of Windows and the system's IRQs will be reassigned. Afterwards, you should re-enable PNP OS Installed.

With a Windows 95/98/Me/XP/Vista/7 operating system installed, it is best to have the PNP OS Installed setting enabled, but the system will work with it disabled. - Consult your brand-name computer's or the motherboard's user manual for information on the settings of the system's BIOS. (If you don't have a copy, download one from the PC's or motherboard's website. The manuals are usually in the PDF format that requires the free Adobe Acrobat or another PDF reader.) If you're having trouble installing hardware on a Windows XP or Windows Vista system, experiment with this BIOS setting. If it's disabled, the BIOS takes over from Windows in setting up the hardware.

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You can purchase all of the items that make up a PC, often at bargain prices, new and used, on auction sites such as eBay. Visit the Summary page if you want to read an article called Using eBay safely.

Take care not to fall for scams such as Windows XP SP3/Windows Vista SP2/Windows 7 or MS Office 2007 going for £10 each, with their Product Activation disabled. If the con artist says that it is a restorable back-up on CD, it would be restorable on the machine that created the backup running the same back-up program from an installation of Windows (in a different folder from the default C:\Windows folder that the backup will create and use), but would require a Product Re-Activation on a different PC running the same backup program, because the XP, Vista and Windows 7 products take a snapshot of the system in order to prevent themselves from being copied to unlicensed systems. A back-up would contain that snapshot of the system on which it was created, which would not match the configuration of your system, and would thus trigger the requirement for a product re-activation.

Click here! to go to a page on this site called How Microsoft Windows XP Product Activation Works.

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I will take you through the process of building a standard multimedia PC, step by step, using new components. But it would be almost as easy to build one using second-hand components.

The components are: a monitor, a case with a power supply unit - a motherboard - a processor with its heatsink and fan - RAM module(s) - a video/graphics card - a sound card with two speakers - a hard disk drive - a floppy disk drive - a CD or DVD drive - an internal modem - a keyboard - a mouse - an inkjet printer.

The alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt newsgroup

This newsgroup enables you to read the posts on the subject of building your own computer. If your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides it, you can easily subscribe and submit your own posts to it or reply to the posts submitted by other people.

Click here! to go to a page on this site devoted to newsgroups.

Using a barebones kit to build a PC

If you don't want to buy all of the components required to build a desktop PC from scratch, you can buy a barebones kit that comes as a case with some of the components already installed, such as the motherboard, processor, processor's cooler, RAM memory, hard disk drive, and DVD writer. Most barebones kits just have the motherboard and power supply installed in the case.

Note that the cases are usually small and don't have room in them for a powerful PCI Express x16 graphics card and are therefore not usually suitable for use as PC gaming machines. That said, barebones systems that are specifically designed with gaming in mind are available. Other barebones systems are designed for use as Media Center PCs.

Note also that the motherboards used barebones systems are usually non-standard (not ATX) or are customised to fit the case, making them difficult to replace if you want to upgrade. If you have bought a bran-name system (e.g., Shuttle or Asus), then you should be able to buy upgrades from the manufacturer.

More than meets the Eye - Barebone PC for Quad-Core and Crossfire -

"High performance, small footprint - Shuttle's SX38P2 Pro can house two graphics cards, three hard drives and a four-core processor..." -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Shuttle-SX38P2-Pro,review-30107.html

Good Looks, Terrible Workmanship - 4 Barebone Cases Compared -

"Tom’s Hardware has checked out four current mini-PC cases, all of which were sent to us as “brand new” designs by their respective manufacturers. The models reviewed here all cost about €70, which is a lot of money for a case of this size. After all, these enclosures don’t contain any hardware whatsoever. You’ll need to buy a motherboard, PSU and all other components separately. By the time you’re done, that can add up to a couple of hundred quid." -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/Barebones-Mini-PC-HTPC,review-29752.html

You should not consider buying a CRT monitor with a smaller screen size than 17", but 19", and 21" monitors are preferable. A 17" LCD monitor has the same visible screen size as a 19" CRT monitor.

Computer magazines regularly review monitors, so I will make no recommendations other than say that you should not purchase one without a 3-year warranty.

PCWorld.com in the US offers pages that list and review the most popular desktop and notebook computers and peripheral devices, including monitors. Computer Shopper in the UK has monitor reviews on its website.

The monitor is connected to the mains wall socket and to the video card's port at the back of the computer's case. Windows loads its Plug and Play Monitor by default. But if Windows has the .inf file that contains the monitor configurations for a particular make and model of monitor in its library, you can change it in the Device Manager. Then the correct make and model of the monitor will display in the Device Manager under Monitors instead of the description Plug and Play Monitor. But, since the video card interogates the monitor to find out its capacities in order to be able to deliver a display to the screen, the Plug and Play Monitor driver is all that is usually required to use a particular monitor.

Visit the Monitors section of this site for more information on LCD flat-panel and old-style CRT monitors.

How to make sure that you get your PC returned in the same state it was in after you send it back to the manufacturer or to a repair/upgrade shop

If you have purchased a brand-name PC or built your own, you might have to send it back to the manufacturer or to a repair shop to diagnose and fix a problem. During its stay away from home, its components could be removed and replaced with old or cheaper ones. To be able to prove that your PC is returned in the state it was in before it was sent off, you should name a note of the makes/models of the hardware components.

If you don't know the makes and models of the hardware components installed in your computer, a good free utility called the Belarc Advisor creates an analysis of the hardware and software on a personal computer that you can print out. Look for it under FREE DOWNLOAD on http://www.belarc.com/. You would the just have to run the utility again when the PC is returned and match the two printouts to find out what has been changed.

Confirmation or clarification of the information provided here...

If you want confirmation or clarification of the information provided on this page, and/or you want to view images not provided here, visit sites such as http://www.buildyourown.org.uk/.

You should also be able to find many other such sites by using the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled). Enter a search term such as: build your own pc.

The case and power supply unit (PSU)

The current ATX cases come in a variety of designs. Cheap cases are usually opened by removing four screws at the back of the case that allow you to remove the side panels. Some cases require that the whole plastic front, which clips on, is removed to reveal the screws that allow the side panels to be removed. Other types are designed for tool-free access, such as the cases made by Akasa. Some cases come with a power supply included, some do not, so, if you don't want to buy a power supply, make sure that the case you choose comes with a quality unit. A cheap case will come with an unsuitable, cheap power supply that you should replace with a unit of suitable quality and maximum power output.

Note the size of the ATX power supply unit in the top left hand corner of the midi-tower ATX case shown on the right. The fan and three-pin mains power connector to the left of it are clearly visible. You may have to buy a mains cable if one didn't come with the case. If you bought a case without a power supply unit, a new power supply unit will come with a mains connector. Of course, a new desktop PC comes with all of the cables it requires.

The power supply is small, and, as such, will allow unhindered access to the motherboard, which has not been installed in the case, but is fitted close to the unopened side on a tray that slides into place and which is secured by screws. All good quality power supplies are this size nowadays. Do not purchase a case if it has a large, light, square power supply, because it is likely to be cheap, old technology.

The image below shows the front view of an Antec SLK1650 ATX case. You can see the power-on and reset buttons and the two 3.5-inch drive bays for devices such as a floppy disk drive. Above them are three 5.25-inch bays for optical drives (CD/DVD/Blu-ray).

The BTX form factor for motherboards and PC cases that was created by Intel, looked as it would replace the ATX form factor, but, to date (December, 2007), for several reasons, that has not happened.

AMD has also created its own DTX form factor, which also will not replace the ATX standard. The following article deals with the DTX form factor and also provides information on the other form factors, including BTX.

AMD’s DTX Form Factor – A new Concept for the HTPC -

"Could the DTX form factor created by AMD be the next evolutionary step, despite the existence of microATX and mini-ITX? In this article, Tom’s Hardware looks back on the development form factors have taken over the years and takes a closer look at AMD’s DTX concept." -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/DTX-form-factor-AMD-HTPC,review-29795.html

If you want to read technical information on the different form factors, visit http://www.formfactors.org/.

You can find more information on the form factors on the Motherboard, PC Cases, and Power Supplies section this site. Use your browser's Back button to return to this point on this page.

It is difficult for non-specialist people to determine the quality of a particular power supply unless they rely on brand names of the manufacturers that are known to produce quality units, such as Antec and Enermax. But the well-known manufacturers are not the only producers of quality power supplies. There are many relatively unknown manufacturers that produce units of quality.

Moreover, a poor-quality power supply doesn't have to be large, it could also be as small as a high-quality unit. So, a good rule of thumb to use is this - better quality power supplies tend to be heavier than those of lower quality. If you take the power supply out of the case and weigh it, it should not weigh less than between 3 and 4lbs (1.5kg), otherwise it is probably not adequate to meet the requirements of a modern system.

If you buy a case that is cheap, it will almost certainly contain a cheap power supply unit, so never spend less than about £55/$100 on a case that has a power supply installed in it. (Cases that don't come with a power supply unit can be purchased.) As is the case with the RAM memory, spending as much as you can afford on a quality case could save you time locating the cause of problems and probably a small fortune in repair costs in the long run.

The image below shows an Antex Trio 430 power supply unit. The 430 means that it provides 430W of power.

And here is a link to a video review of power supplies:

Nexus 80 Plus Power Supplies [Video review] -

http://www.tomsgames.com/us/site/flash_videos/...

There is more detailed information on power supplies on the next page of this article.

Static Electricity and Other Important Warnings

Electronic devices can easily be destroyed by static electricity, which can discharge thousands of volts that cannot harm a human but will be fatal to a motherboard, RAM modules, or expansion cards, so, before installing anything, you should take the precaution of discharging yourself by touching an earthed metal object, such as the computer's case, attached to a mains power outlet, with the switch turned off.

Also, never work on the insides of a computer, or plug in non-hotplug devices, such as the monitor, when it is switched on. A sudden drain of current from the motherboard can destroy it.

To hotplug a device means plugging it in when the computer is swiched on and is running. You can only 'hotplug' USB and FireWire (IEEE 1394) and SATA serial devices.

That said, you should read this Q&A on this site: I pushed the FireWire connector into the FireWire port on my PC the wrong way around and fried the iLink board on my camcorder. Use your browser's Back button to backtrack.

And, under no circumstances switch on a computer that has only its motherboard installed. You will burn the power supply unit out, because the power supply unit (PSU) requires a load to work, which means having at least the most basic working configuration of a motherboard, video card, processor, and the RAM module(s) installed.

The case is a neglected component

The computer's case, like the motherboard, is a neglected component. It's possible to buy a case without a power supply unit (PSU), which powers the computer, but most cases come with one, therefore care should be taken when making a choice.

The PC case with its power supply unit (PSU) are crucial components whose importance is often overlooked. This is a serious oversight, because the case (with its power supply) is as important to a PC's stability and performance as its RAM memory, motherboard and processor. The case should be well designed so that it is quiet (has no whining fans) and keeps the internal hardware adequately cooled. The case should also provide easy access to its components so that it is easy to work on.

They also come in several different sizes and types - mini-tower, midi-tower, full tower, and desktop (a desktop case lies horizontally on the desk instead of vertically like a tower case). Since most users don't require anything more than a midi-tower case, it is the type most commonly used in the construction of a personal computer.

AT cases and motherboards have been superseded by the ATX standard, which, was expected to be superseded by the BTX standard that Dell already uses for all of its Intel-based desktop PCs. However, that succession has not happened and the ATX form factor is still king.

The description of a motherboard that indicates its type is called its form factor. ATX form-factor motherboards fit inside ATX cases.

An article on Tom's Hardware Guide, made available on December 6, 2005, called Either Way ATX or BTX Cases, which was still available in February 2008, discusses both types of PC case. -

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/atx-btx-cases,1187.html

More information will be provided in this article and others on this site, such as the Motherboards, PC Cases, and Power Supplies pages, but if you want to read technical information on the different form factors, visit http://www.formfactors.org.

Home Theater PC (HTPC) cases, which usually lie horizontally as opposed to vertically, can usually accommodate standard ATX components, so it isn't necessary to buy specially-sized motherboards or half-height adapter (video, sound, etc.) cards.

Most of the current PC cases have some tool-free features, such as clips that retain adapter cards, thumbscrews for the side panels, and tool-free drive bays that have plastic rails that clip to the side of the hard disk drive(s) and CD/DVD drive(s).

If you read the new computer reviews in a computer magazine such as Computer Shopper, the name of the case is seldom mentioned in the articles, and is never given a reference in the comparative tables at the end of the articles. A serious oversight, because if you have a bad case with an unreliable, poor, or low-powered power supply, you have a bad system that is highly likely to be very problematic no matter how good the other components may be.

Computer Shopper 241 (January 2008) gave the following ATX cases five-star reviews. Click on the links to go to the manufacturers' sites. Note that none of them comes with a power supply unit, which would have to be purchased separately.

1. - Cooler Master CM690 midi-tower case - Budget Buy award - Priced at £47 in January 2008.

2. - Antec P182 midi-tower case - Best Buy award - Priced at £79 in January 2008.

3. - Gigabyte GZ-X1 midi-tower case - Priced at £28 in January 2008.

4. - Gigabyte Poseidon midi tower case - Priced at £50 in January 2008.

5. - Silverstone Grandia GD01 Home Theater PC (HTPC) ATX case - Best Buy award - Priced at £123 in January 2008.

Note that Antec, Cooler Master, and Silverstone also manufacture power supply units.

Antec P190 Case [Video] Review -

"Sporting five tri-cool fans and extra space for the newest video cards and motherboards, the Antec P190 is a high-end case with a price to match. 3dGameMan gives his review." This case has two power supply units. -

http://www.tomsgames.com/us/site/flash_videos/antec_p190_case_review.html

On a high-quality motherboard, there are several large capacitors that store power that is distributed to the RAM and processor as the power requirements fluctuate. But there are not as many large capacitors on economy motherboards that cost under £50/$100, so the quality of the motherboard and the power supply must be taken into account when making a decision on which make and model of both components are to be purchased.

As a crucial part of a self-built computer, you will therefore need to purchase a quality case, part of which will be a quality power supply unit (PSU).

When buying a power supply, all you have to do is to find out if it can run the type of processor and graphics card you are going to use it with and that it is a quality unit that it is relatively small compared to the inside of a midi-tower case of the kind shown below, and that it is heavy.

Quality power supplies are heavy; cheap units are comparatively light. For example, a quality 400W power supply should weigh about 1.8kg or 4lbs. The reason for the weight: the capacitors and components that deliver a quality supply of power are heavy. If a power supply designated as a 400W unit only weighs about a pound or half a kilogram, it doesn't contain high quality components and is likely to cause problems, especially when the computer is stressed and needs to draw plenty of power, or the mains supply becomes irregular.

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The image below shows the inside of a case without any of the components installed. One of the side panels has been removed. The small power supply unit, with the various power cables coming from it, can clearly be seen in the upper left hand corner. The case fan with its cable is just below it.

Note that there are many different designs of case that can have all kinds of fancy ways of accessing them, and installing or removing the components. The case shown below is a standard case in which all of the components are screwed into it.

The drive bays are in the upper right hand corner of the case, and below them are the plugged cables that come from the front of the case for the case speaker that delivers coded beep sounds from the BIOS, the LED lights, the Reset switch, and the Power-on switch, as shown in the image below. As you can see, the plugs that fit into appropriate connection points on the motherboard are usually clearly labelled. Exactly where they are connected will be illustrated in the motherboard's user manual. An illustrated example is provided on Page 2 of this article.

Front-mounted ports

Most current PC cases provide USB, FireWire, and audio ports from the front of the case that are usually concealed behind a panel. In order to be used, the motherboard must provide the headers that their cables connect to. The motherboard's user manual, which can be downloaded from its manufacturer's site, should provide you with the information on where the headers are located on the motherboard.

If the headers are provided by the motherboard for the front-mounted ports and one or more of them don't work, check the motherboard manual for a jumper setting that enables them.

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PC cases reviewed

Click here! to go to a page on this site with links to case reviews.

If the power supply unit fails dramatically...

If the power supply unit (PSU) fails dramatically, it can take the rest of the components to the grave with it. A cheap power supply is more likely to produce a dramatic and expensive death scene and other power problems than one made by a manufacturer of quality units.

A cheap power supply is also likely to be large and come in a badly designed case that leaves little room for movement due to the size of the power supply and other deficiencies in its design. A power supply should be a small unit that is tucked away in the top corner of the case above the motherboard's external ports, leaving access to the motherboard unhindered.

If the power supply is faulty, it will be very difficult to prove that it is the source of your system's problems. Unless you have and know how to use expensive diagnostic testing equipment, you will have to have another case that works with a full set of hardware components that does not work in the case with the faulty power supply.

Even if you know that the power supply is at fault, you are likely to experience severe problems putting the situation right.

For instance, I once purchased a case from that had a faulty power supply, but because I didn't return it within 14 days, it was sent to the company's service centre for repair. After a month of hearing nothing, I had to deal with the service centre at the other end of England, because the branch in my town does not deal with repairs even though that was where I handed it in. The service centre found out that the courier given the job of returning it to me had failed to do so due to the driver putting a message under the security doors at the front of my block of flats. It was left in storage for two weeks. When I got it back it was in exactly the same non-working state. Two months after I purchased the case, I finally got a refund after writing to the CEO and threatening to post my story all over the web - indefinitely.

So, do yourselves a favour, purchase your case from a local computer store that will be able to test it locally, or provide you with a replacement if the power supply fails during its statutory twelve-month guarantee period.

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The following link goes to a page containing a flow chart showing the steps to troubleshoot power-supply failure:

Power Supply Failure: - http://www.fonerbooks.com/power.htm

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A case made by Enlight has a small, heavy power supply, which leaves plenty of room to install and work on the motherboard - and the hard disk drive(s), floppy disk drive, and CD/DVD drives can be slid out of their bays instead of having to unscrew and then remove them from a fixed bay - as is the case with most cheap cases.

Hard disk and CD/DVD drives are housed in a single unit that slides out from the front of the case, because most Enlight cases are accessed by removing the front panel of the case, which, when removed, allows two screws to be removed so that the side panels can be slid out.

A CD or DVD drive slides into a fixed bay on two rails fixed to both sides of the drive. The rails (shown in the image above) have clips on their ends that protrude out of the front of the case, thereby enabling the drive to be slid out of the front by disengaging the clips - in the same way as the whole bay for the disk drives can be removed from the front of the case.

Relevant extracts from the alt.comp.hardware.pc-homebuilt newsgroup

I personally didn't like the SX 635 [case] because of it's dimensions. I'm sure there's enough space in there to work with, but I prefer the larger SX830/840 and SX1030/1040 myself. Also, there are new cases from Antec with supposedly better PSUs - the Performance Plus series. These have USB and IEEE 1394 ports built in the front. Check them out here: http://www.antec-inc.com/. I personally have the SX1040 and I really like it. If you want to use your own PSU, consider going with Chieftec, which is the same case. Chieftec even has some variations on the same cases (a different looking front and/or colors) - http://www.chieftec.com/. Make sure you get a good PSU. Don't skimp! I understand Enermax is pretty good. Lian Li cases are gorgeous, but expect to shell out some dough. - http://www.lianli.com/.

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Be careful with these Antec OEMs, most companies take out the stock Antec power supplies and replace them with el-cheapo units.

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The best cases I have seen are Lian Li. They cost a few extra dollars but they are simply the best.

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I just built a P4T-E based mobo [motherboard] using a Lian Li P60 case. It is awesome! Easiest case to take apart I have ever seen. Thumb screws everywhere, plus 4 port USB on front. Made of solid aluminium for better heat dissipation and extremely well built. You can slide out the mobo, the power supply, and any of the drives with no tools. The finish is basic brushed aluminium with no paint. 3 fans with adjustable speeds on the front and cool deep blue power lights. Even my teenage kids were impressed, saying it was the coolest PC they have ever seen. They are pricey but worth it in my opinion.

Some useful information...

Most computer stores sell PC cases, but shop around before you buy, because the prices for the same goods can vary widely. Most of the hardware advertisers in a magazine such as Computer Shopper sell quality cases.

Websites such as Overclockers.co.uk sell quality cases, motherboards, heatsink and fan units to cool the processor, etc. This company also sells overclocked hardware that requires quality power supplies and extra cooling, so it sells everything you need to build a PC that is as well suited to overclocking as possible. Similar companies exist in the US.

Below is an image of a CoolerMaster heatsink and fan unit for an 850MHz AMD Athlon processor. You must purchase a cooling unit designed for a particular make and model of processor. The cooling units for a processor running at, say, 1.5GHz (1500MHz) and higher will be more powerful in order to deal with the extra heat generation.

Note well that heatsink & fan units for some high-speed, socketed AMD Athlon processors can have some form of sticky heat transfer material on the underside of the heatsink, usually in the form of a small square that fits over the processor's central core where the main processing chip is housed. This will help the heat to conduct away from the core to the heatsink so that the fan can dissipate the heat into the case. Since it is sticky, a thin protective plastic film will have to be removed prior to fitting the cooler to the processor. Failure to do so can cause the processor to overheat rapidly enough to destroy itself.

This is also usually the case with the latest AMD Athlon 64 and Intel Pentium 4 processors - a square of a sticky heat-conducting material either has a film of plastic covering it, or a more substantial plastic cover that must be removed prior to installation.

When you purchase a retail boxed processor, it usually comes with a suitable heatsink and fan unit and instructions on how to install the processor itself and the heatsink and fan unit. You will usually have to buy your own thermal paste that is applied thinly over the top of the processor in order to make the heat transfer between it and the heatsink as efficient as possible.

Water cooling systems

Water-cooled systems have been available for some time, but it is expensive compared to using the usual heatsink and fan coolers. Here is an illustrated article on how to install a water-cooling system:

A Beginner's Guide For WaterCooling Your PC -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/...review-2126.html

And here is an article on hybrid coolers that are mixture of fan and water cooling:

Radical CPU Coolers from CoolIT -

"With its Freezone and Eliminator coolers, CoolIT brings hybrid Peltier/liquid cooling to the masses. How do the two coolers stand up against cooling systems using other methods?" -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/...review-2338.html

Zalman Reserator 2 Water Cooling System [Video review] -

http://www.tomsgames.com/us/site/flash_videos/...

System Builder Marathon: Sub-$4000 PC -

A water-cooled system (Swiftech cooling solution) - Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 - Asus Striker II Extreme motherboard - Silverstone Temjin TJ09BW case - Coolermaster RS850-EMBA 850W power supply. -

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/...review-31001.html

For more information on heatsink and fan units, and thermal paste and thermal pads, visit the Processors pages on this site.

PC case fans

You can also purchase additional fans to fit in the case The image below of a case fan is not of the same scale as the heatsink and fan unit shown above.

If you want a computer that is a quiet as possible, fans of 120mm (12cm/4.72") are recommended because they spin slowly compared to smaller fans and therefore don't make as much noise. If you buy a case, find out the size of its case fan(s).

I have a case which has a transparent side that has a 100mm (10cm/3.93") fan in its middle that has a blue LED light in each of its corners that cast blue light into the case. If I want to see if the processor's fan is working, I just have to look into the case. The noise the fan makes is slight. The case rests on top of a computer desk. That side of the case faces the monitor, so it blows air across the desktop, which I find refreshing, even in winter.

If there isn't a ready-made mounting position or opening, you may have to cut an opening in the case to fit a case fan, depending on how many fans are already in the case, or where in the case you want it.

Just make sure that you attach the plug to the motherboard connector the right way round. You don't want the fan to spin in reverse and suck air into the computer when you want it to expel the air. You could have a fan at the front of the case that sucks air into the case, and a fan at the back of the case that expels it. What you don't want is two fans in those positions both of which suck air into the case. The idea is to have cool air flowing over the components.

Some other considerations regarding the case...

Visit Anandtech for reviews of cases.

Visit QuietPC.com to find out the best ways to make a noisy PC run as quietly as possible. There are instructions on how to install hardware under the Instructions link.

GlobalWin, Peltier, CoolerMaster, and Alpha heatsinks are favourites of the overclocking fraternity.

Click here! to go directly to Overclocking and Cooling Sites on the third of the four Links pages on this site for UK and US overclocking information, and hardware suppliers' sites.

You can also use the Google search box at the top of this page to search for terms such as "atx cases", "pc cases", atx + cases, btx cases, etc., or enter the make and model of known cases to obtain reviews and information about them.

Google searches

If my descriptions are not clear enough for you, you'll be able to find many sites offering illustrated information on how to install computer components by entering a phrase such as "install a xxxx" (where xxxx stands for the device, such as RAM, hard disk drive, etc.) in the Google search box at the top of this page (with its Web radio button enabled).

Click here! to go to Page 1b on PC power supplies.

PC Buyer Beware! Copyright © Eric Legge 2004-2009. All rights reserved.