This is for my UNIT 3 Cisco work, it is P1 of the unit, it is to identify the common components of the computer system.

1. Building a Computer/ Computer
Components.
By George Smith-Moore

2. What will be included?
In this document I will go through the different stages
to building a computer.
I will go through installing the power supply,
motherboard, adapter cards, internal drives, drives in
external bays, internal cables, and external cables.
Each part will be explained with a labelled diagram
which the picture was taken from
http://vendorlib.leighacademy.org.uk/curr/ITEVP/VDE/
Index.html virtual desktop.

3. Safety
For your safety but more importantly the computer
parts safety, you will need to use either an antistatic
mat or an anti-static wrist strap.

4. Power Supply
The power supply is a main component of a
computer, it is what supplies the computer with the
correct voltage to make the parts work.

5. Power Supply
The power supply takes an AC power connector and
has an exhaust vent to stop overheating.
The power supply also has lots of wires protruding
from the other side, this is how the power supply
powers the other parts.

6. Power Supply
The next slides will show how the power supply is
installed.

7. Power Supply
After you have placed the power supply in correctly
you use some screws that fit the power supply in
place.
The screws keep the
power supply from
moving about.
See the difference?

8. Motherboard
This is the main printed circuit board. This connects all
of the components of the computer, The
motherboard also harbours the central processing
unit CPU, as well as other things such as the RAM

9. Motherboard
Before you install the motherboard you have to install
all of the required parts .
These include:
The CPU (Intel or AMD).
The thermal compound for the CPU heat sink/fan.
RAM module’s
After that you would then install the motherboard.

10. Motherboard-RAM
RAM- RAM is called random access memory, RAM is
made up of small memory chips than make up a
memory module, they are installed in the RAM slots in
the motherboard.
Every time you open a program it gets loaded from
the HDD onto the RAM, RAM is much faster to read
off of.
This reduces lag time on the computer.

11. Motherboard-RAM
Installing the RAM.
Line up the RAM

12. Motherboard-RAM
Fit it into the socket, once this is done, secure the
latches.

13. Motherboard-RAM
If you have more than one RAM, fit them into
separate slots like the picture below.

14. Motherboard-CPU
The CPU stands for the central processing unit.
The main CPU brands are Intel and AMD; when a
motherboard is bought it can only take a certain type
of CPU’s, different CPU’s have different socket types.
The CPU reads computer code and executes the
commands.

15. Motherboard-CPU
The CPU fits into the CPU socket with the pins facing
the motherboard. There is then a cover which keeps it
in place.

16. Motherboard- Heat-sink
The heat-sink is used to disperse the heat from a CPU,
the heat-sink is attached by applying thermal
compound to the CPU

17. Motherboard- Heat-sink
Once the thermal compound is attached you place
the heat-sink on top.
The fan on top of the heat-sink forces air over the
heat-sink.

18. Motherboard- Heat-sink
Once the heat-sink is in place and secured you attach
the cable.

19. Motherboard
Once all of the steps above are complete, you must
install the motherboard, you attach the motherboard
with the motherboard screws attached.

20. Adapter Cards
The next slides will show you the NIC, the Wireless
NIC, and the Graphics Card.

21. NIC
The NIC stands for network interface card.
It allows the computer to connect to the internet via
an Ethernet port.
It is attached to the computer via a PCI slot.

22. Wireless NIC
The Wireless NIC stands for wireless network
interface card.
It allows the computer to connect to the internet
Wi-Fi
It is attached to the computer via a PCI slot.

23. Graphics Card
The graphics card takes stress off of the CPU to
render games, movie, etc.
The graphics card will also have more power to
render the games and movies than your CPU, so
better quality images.

24. Adapter Cards
To install place the NIC card onto the corresponding
PCI (in this case it’s the PCIe x1) slot.
To install the Wireless NIC place it on the PCI
corresponding slot.
To install the Graphics card place it on the
corresponding PCI or PCIe slot (in this case it’s an PCIe
x16)

25. Internal Drives
In this area you will find out how to install the HDD
(Hard disk drive) or SSD (Solid state drive), in this case
we will be using only one HDD.

26. HDD
To install the HDD you must have a spare HDD slot,
The HDD will fit in nicely, finish by
attaching screws where needed.
SSD’s also fit into the same slot and
are installed the same way.

27. External Drives
Under this section there will be the Floppy disk drive
and the Optical disk drive (CD’s and DVD’s).

28. Floppy disk drive
The floppy disk drive, fits into it’s slot nicely but it
needs screws to hold it in place.

29. Optical disk drive
The Optical disk drive is installed in the same way as
the Floppy disk drive above, but the Optical drive
comes in several options, you can buy one’s that rewrite CD’s and DVD’s.

30. Connecting the (internal) cables.
After you have installed all of the components of the
computer you must connect them all.
The cables you will be connecting are:
20 pin ATX power supply cable
4 pin Auxiliary power connector
SATA power
Molex cable
Berg cable
3 pin case fan cable
SATA cable
PATA cable
Floppy data cable

31. 20 pin ATX power supply cable
(Could also be the newer specification 24pin ATX 2)
This comes from the Power Supply and fits into this
slot, it provides the motherboard with power.

32. 4 pin auxiliary power connector
This cable fits into the motherboard and provides the
CPU with extra power.

33. SATA power
The SATA power connecter provides the HDD or the
SSD with power from the power supply.

34. Molex cable
The Molex cable is a dying breed, it is slowly being
replaced with the SATA cable.
The Molex cable/connector is held in place by friction
and it used to provide power to large devices like the
HDD (now used SATA) and the CD/DVD drive.

35. Berg cable
The Berg cable/connecter is
used to provide power to
the floppy disk, and
sometimes other
peripherals.
(floppy disk no longer used)

36. 3 pin case fan cable
The 3 pin case fan cable/ connecter provides power
from the motherboard to the case fan

37. SATA cable.
The SATA cable provides an interface between the
motherboard and the HDD/SSD.
Now being used instead of a Molex
cable.

38. PATA cable
The PATA cable connects drives (CD/DVD) to the
motherboard.
It serves as an interface between CD drives (and
others) and the motherboard.

39. Floppy Cable
The floppy cable connects the floppy drive to the
motherboard.
It serves as an interface between the floppy drive and
the motherboard.

40. External cables.
In this section I will show you how to place your case
panels back in once you are finished:
-how to connect the monitor HDMI or monitor cable.
-Keyboard and mouse (USB and Ps2)
-Ethernet, and wireless antenna.
-USB cables and power.

41. Case panels
When you took the case panels off of the computer
to fit in the different components, you have to just fit
them in the same way you took them off.
The case panels are there to protect the computer, it
also blocks dust entering from the side.

42. HDMI and monitor cables.
The HDMI and monitor cables are connected at the
corresponding slots at the back of the computer.
The monitor cables has screws built in which you
tighten to stop the cable coming loose.
HDMI is digital, VGA is analogue, VGA only carries
video not sound.

43. Keyboard and mouse
The keyboard and mouse used to be connected via a
Ps2 connection, it is now done via USB.
To connect you place in the corresponding Ps2 slot
(colour coded)

44. Ethernet
Ethernet cables are a means of connecting to the
internet, it does use wires but it comes with added
security.
The Ethernet cable attaches to the computer and the
ISR (router).

45. Installing the Wireless antenna
The wireless antenna allows you to connect to the
internet without the hassle of wires.
Using wireless has its downsides though, it is easier
for others to see what you have been viewing.
Signal is not as great either.

46. Power
Now the computer has been installed, you will need
to install any software, to do this you need power!
Use the power cable and attach it to a wall socket and
a power supply.