spine=.672” Bonus DVD D O - I T - Y O U R S E L F B u i l Build the custom PC you want — d just the way you want it — Y o and have fun doing it! ur D O - I T - Y O U R S E L F Are you frustrated because you can’t O buy the PC you want? Have you ever wanted to create your own custom w O w n P C PC but were unfamiliar with all of the n B u i l d Yo u r parts and terminology? This book is P your new best friend! C This illustrated, hands-on guide will D help you choose the best components O for the PC that’s right for you. Inside - I T the book, we walk you through the - Y assembly process in simple, can-do O language. Plus, you get a bonus DVD U containing 45 minutes of step-by-step R video instructions that show you how S E to build your own PC. It’s like having an L expert right beside you all the way! F Discover how to: Stuff You (cid:1) Design and build your dream PC Need Mark L. Chambers to Know (cid:1) Choose and install the has been building, customizing, and repairing PCs for over 20 years for himself and clients. As a consultant, components that fit your needs (cid:1) The tools and parts you need he helps everyday folks update, maintain, and (cid:1) What you need to know about (cid:1) Super-charge your graphics, troubleshoot PCs. operating systems crank up your sound, and install (cid:1) How to make your PC ready for the the memory you need Internet and connect to a network Making Everything Easier!™ (cid:1) How to test your progress ISBN 978-0-470-19611-3 Bonus DVD Features 45 minutes C Mark L. Chambers of step-by-step video h a instructions m Author of PCs All-In-One Desk $29.99 US (cid:127) $32.99 CAN (cid:127) £19.99 UK b e Hardware/Personal Computers r Reference For Dummies s 119966111133 ccoovveerr..iinndddd 11 1122//1111//0088 22::5500::0022 PPMM 01_196113-ffirs.qxp 12/12/08 10:46 PM Page ii 01_196113-ffirs.qxp 12/12/08 10:46 PM Page i DO-IT-YOURSELF B u i l d Yo u r O w n P C FOR m I E S‰ M U D 01_196113-ffirs.qxp 12/12/08 10:46 PM Page ii 01_196113-ffirs.qxp 12/12/08 10:46 PM Page iii DO-IT-YOURSELF B u i l d Yo u r O w n P C FOR m I E S‰ M U D by Mark L.Chambers 01_196113-ffirs.qxp 12/12/08 10:46 PM Page iv Build Your Own PC Do-It-Yourself For Dummies® Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River Street Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, elec- tronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through pay- ment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4355, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions. Trademarks:Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, Making Everything Easier, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and other countries, and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Wiley Publishing, Inc., is not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. LIMIT OF LIABILITY/DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY: THE PUBLISHER AND THE AUTHOR MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE ACCURACY OR COMPLETENESS OF THE CONTENTS OF THIS WORK AND SPECIF- ICALLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. NO WARRANTY MAY BE CREATED OR EXTENDED BY SALES OR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS. THE ADVICE AND STRATEGIES CONTAINED HEREIN MAY NOT BE SUITABLE FOR EVERY SITUATION. THIS WORK IS SOLD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE PUBLISHER IS NOT ENGAGED IN RENDERING LEGAL, ACCOUNTING, OR OTHER PROFES- SIONAL SERVICES. IF PROFESSIONAL ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED, THE SERVICES OF A COMPETENT PROFESSIONAL PERSON SHOULD BE SOUGHT. NEITHER THE PUBLISHER NOR THE AUTHOR SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES ARISING HEREFROM. 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Library of Congress Control Number: 2008940688 ISBN: 978-0-470-19611-3 Manufactured in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 01_196113-ffirs.qxp 12/12/08 10:46 PM Page v About the Author Mark L. Chambershas been an author, a computer consultant, a BBS sysop, a programmer, and a hardware technician for more than 20 years — pushing computers and their uses far beyond normal performance limits for decades now. His first love affair with a computer peripheral blossomed in 1984 when he bought his lightning-fast 300bps modem for his Atari 400. Now he spends entirely too much time on the Internet and drinks far too much caffeine- laden soda. With a degree in journalism and creative writing from Louisiana State University, Mark took the logical career choice: programming computers. However, after five years as a COBOL program- mer for a hospital system, he decided there must be a better way to earn a living, and he became the Documentation Manager for Datastorm Technologies, a well-known communica- tions software developer. Somewhere in between writing software manuals, Mark began writing computer how-to books. His first book, Running a Perfect BBS, was published in 1994 — and after a short decade or so of fun (disguised as hard work), Mark is one of the most productive and best-selling technology authors on the planet. Along with writing several books a year and editing whatever his publishers throw at him, Mark has also branched out into Web-based education, designing and teaching a number of online classes — called WebClinics— for Hewlett-Packard. His favorite pastimes include collecting gargoyles, watching St. Louis Cardinals baseball, play- ing his three pinball machines and the latest computer games, supercharging computers, and rendering 3-D flights of fancy with TrueSpace — and during all that, he listens to just about every type of music imaginable. Mark’s worldwide Internet radio station, MLC Radio (at www.mlcbooks.com), plays only CD-quality classics from 1970 to 1979, including everything from Rush to Billy Joel to The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Mark’s rapidly expanding list of books includes MacBook For Dummies; iMac For Dummies; MacOS X Leopard All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies; Scanners For Dummies;CD & DVD Recording For Dummies;PCs All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies;Mac OS X Tiger: Top 100 Simplified Tips & Tricks; Microsoft Office v. X Power User’s Guide; BURN IT! Creating Your Own Great DVDs and CDs; The Hewlett-Packard Official Printer Handbook; The Hewlett-Packard Official Recordable CD Handbook; The Hewlett-Packard Official Digital Photography Handbook; Computer Gamer’s Bible; Recordable CD Bible; Teach Yourself the iMac Visually; Running a Perfect BBS; Official Netscape Guide to Web Animation;and the Windows 98 Troubleshooting and Optimizing Little Black Book. His books have been translated into 14 languages so far — his favorites are German, Polish, Dutch, and French. Although he can’t read them, he enjoys the pictures a great deal. Mark welcomes all comments about his books. You can reach him at [email protected], or visit MLC Books Online, his Web site, at www.mlcbooks.com. 01_196113-ffirs.qxp 12/12/08 10:46 PM Page vi 01_196113-ffirs.qxp 12/12/08 10:46 PM Page vii Dedication This book is posthumously dedicated to my friend and teacher, LSU journalism professor Jim Featherston. Jim taught me everything I need to know — now I can put ideas to paper. 01_196113-ffirs.qxp 12/12/08 10:46 PM Page viii