This guide aims to give general indications on how to
choose the components to assemble a computer, in an easy
and practical way.
STEP 1: MOTHERBOARD
The motherboard is the base on which all the other
components will be connected.
The first step is to choose the format of the
motherboard, based on the size of the computer we want
to assemble.
The formats are predefined and the main ones are:
• Mini-ITX: it is
the smallest format used for "mini PCs".
• Micro-ATX: it is
the most widespread and cheapest medium-sized format.
• ATX:
it is
the format complete with all the connections and which
takes up the most space.
The main features of the motherboard that we need to
check are:
• Which processors does
it support (the card manufacturer's website always
indicates the precise models of the processors supported)
• How much and what kind
of memory does it support
(the
card manufacturer's website always indicates the
quantity, type of memory and supported frequencies)
Other features that may interest us are the presence of
SATA ports for connecting Hard Disks, the number of USB
ports and the presence of PCI/PCI-E connections for
installing video cards or other additional cards.
GUIDELINE: A MicroATX motherboard with 2 DDR4 RAM
slots, 2 SATA 3 ports, 1 PCI slot, 1 PCI-E slot covers
most of your usage needs.
STEP 2: PROCESSOR (CPU)
The processor is the heart of the system and is used to
process all our requests, such as opening a program or
writing a file.
The first step is to check on the motherboard
manufacturer's website which processor models are
compatible, then choose the one that best suits our
needs based on:
• The number of cores:
more cores means that the processor can process more
requests at the same time, which translated means using
more applications at the same time without the system
slowing down.
• The frequency:
expressed in Mhz, indicates the speed of the processor.
The higher it is, the faster the processor.
GUIDELINE:
a processor with 4 cores covers most usage needs.
STEP 3: MEMORY (RAM)
RAM is used to store temporary information to make
operations faster. The more RAM there is, the more
information can be stored for faster use.
As with the processor, we must first check the
compatibility of the RAM on the motherboard
manufacturer's website which, unlike the processor, does
not indicate the model but the following information:
• Maximum supported
quantity, beyond which we cannot exceed.
• RAM format (which
must be DIMM for desktop systems) and type (DDR3, DDR4,
DDR5...)
• Frequency
expressed in Mhz, which determines the speed of the
memories.
Motherboards allow the memories to work in Dual-Channel
to increase performance, so always prefer a 2-memory kit
instead of a single memory. For example, if you want to
install 16GB of RAM, always prefer a 2x8GB kit instead
of a single 16GB memory.
GUIDELINE:
A 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 2666Mhz RAM kit covers most usage
needs.
STEP 4: CABINET OR CASE
The cabinet or case is the container in which we will
install our system and the choice will mainly fall on 3
points:
• Dimention: Cases are divided according
to the size of the motherboard, so ITX (Mini), MicroATX
(Mid Tower) and ATX (Full Tower) cases.
• Ventilation: Good
ventilation is essential to keep the system cool and
functional. It is optimal for the case to have a front
fan to introduce fresh air and a rear fan to expel hot
air.
• Aesthetics: The
eye also wants its part. There are many models on the
market, with transparent walls, LEDs, etc.
STEP 5: HARD DISK
The Hard Disk is the
physical memory of our system so we will have to take
into account both the capacity we will need and the
reading and writing speed that makes the use of the
computer more or less fast.
The capacity is a parameter on which it will be
necessary to invest based on the needs, the reading/writing
speed is instead important to have a reactive system
both in loading applications and in opening files. SSDs
(solid state disks) guarantee significantly superior
performance to classic mechanical Hard Disks at a higher
cost/capacity ratio.
GUIDELINE:
A Sata3 SSD covers most of the usage needs.
STEP 6: GRAPHIC CARD
The video card allows you to display on the screen
everything that is processed by the system. You have to
imagine the video card as a computer inside the
computer. In fact, it is equipped with a motherboard,
processor and RAM.
Contrary to popular belief, the memory available on the
video card does not affect its performance. In fact,
when the card needs additional memory, it takes it from
the available memory on the motherboard.
To measure the performance of a video card we need to
look at:
• Processor frequancy
of the card, expressed in Mhz, the higher it is, the
faster the card is.
• CUDA Core (for
Nvidia-based cards) or
Stream
Processors (for AMD-based cards), the higher the
value, the more powerful the card is.
STEP 7: POWER SUPPLY
The power supply is the
most complex choice when assembling a computer. It must
have the necessary connectors to supply power to the
various components and deliver the right amount of power
in Watts to allow the system to function without
consuming too much.
In terms of connectors, today's power supplies already
include everything needed for a standard system.
As for power, always check that the power supply is at
least 80 Plus certified, which indicates high energy
efficiency.
GUIDELINE:
A system consisting of a processor, memory, 1-2 hard
drives and a mid-level graphics card works best with a
good 450W 80 Plus power supply. |
