There are many how to build computers instructables and guides out there, but they all tell you to get certain parts.
You can use any parts in your computer as long as they fit. Once you have the right parts, you can build it in a short time. By "right " i mean the actual part, like ram, Hard drive etc
My computer didn't cost me anything to make, because i was able to get parts from family members, and scavenging.
Throughout the instructable, there will be links. I give a basic overview, and the links are for a more in depth look at the part.
I also give a relate each part to parts of the body if i can.
Also, keep In mind I have never taken any classes about computers, except for the typing class at my school, and that this Instructable is the most research I've ever done about computers, so try to keep harsh comments to a minimum please! It would help more if you tell me what I've missed without being sarcastic

Step 1: The Materials

To build a computer that functions, you only need-

-a Hard Drive
-a Processor with fan and heatsink
-a motherboard
-a Monitor
-256mb or more of ram
-a Power Supply Unit-(PSU)
-a mouse
-a keyboard
-cables to connect it all

But to add form to function you need, in addition to that above-

-a case - AT, ATX, BTX, or LPX -a modem
-an ethernet card
-CD/DVD drives

and if you want it to be even better-

-a graphics card
-a sound card
-speakers
-another hard drive

Step 2: The Motherboard

I have five motherboards, one is shot, one is in use and three are in storage. The motherboard is one of the most important part of the computer, kind of like a heart and Circulitory System. It circulates electricity like a heart circulates blood through the Circulitory System. The more important parts are the PCI, PCI-E, PCI-X, AGP, Processor, IDE ports, ram, heatsinks, fans, and the other ports that are found on the side, etc. etc. There are many graphics ports and PCI versions.

Step 3: Processors

I have 2 processors, one Celeron, and one Pentium 3. they are interchangeable. The processor is like the brain of the computer. It processes commands like a brain does. There are different brands, and sometimes the manufacturer of the processors will make two different processor types and improve both. This is a little confusing. But research is always best if you're unsure.

Step 4: Hard Drives

Hard drives are like the memory of a computer. They store information on disks called platters.
More Space=good.
Hard Drives typically come somewhere between 40 and 160. Laptop hard drives get up into the 320 range.

Step 5: Graphics Cards

Chessman.exe says this body part would be the eyes. The Graphics card shown is an AGP, meaning it goes into an AGP slot, but they can go into any slot. The ports are typically a display port, S-video, and Digital Video Interface, or DVI

Step 6: RAM

RAM is like the short term memory of the computer. It stands for Random Access Memory. There are many other versions of RAM, like SDRAM which stands for Synchronous Dynamic RAM, Random-access memory is a form of computer data storage. It takes the form of integrated circuits that allow stored data to be accessed in any order for example, at random. The word random refers to the fact that any piece of data can be returned in a constant time, regardless of its physical location and whether or not it is related to the previous piece of data.

Step 7: CD/DVD

Show All Items

CD and DVD drives are like the eyes of a computer. I don't have much to elaborate on this, except like the blu-ray did to the DVD and HD-DVD, they pretty much made floppys obsolete. They also come in any combination of CD, CD-RW, CD-ROM, DVD, DVD-RW, and DVD-ROM
There are a variety of things that you can do with a CD Drive DVD drive or better, from burning CD's, to Ripping DVD's and playing CD's and DVD's.
RW stands for Rewritable. In a CD drive, you can burn CD's, in a DVD drive you can burn DVD's
ROM stands for Read-Only Memory.

Step 8: Monitor/Visual Display Unit

This is the output of the computer.
Screen size is measured diagonally

Step 9: Drive Connectors

Some drive Connectors are ATA,SCSI, and SATA.
ATA's, or are 20 pin ribbon cables used to connect the Hard and disk(ette) drives. They used to be 20 wires, but now are 40 still with 20 pins, and have been all but replaced by SATA
SCSI is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, and electrical and optical interfaces. SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, but it can connect a wide range of other devices, including scanners and CD drives. The SCSI standard defines command sets for specific peripheral device types; the presence of "unknown" as one of these types means that in theory it can be used as an interface to almost any device, but the standard is highly pragmatic and addressed toward commercial requirements.
SATA, or Serial ATA, is computer bus is a storage-interface for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives and optical drives. The SATA host adapter is integrated into almost all modern consumer laptop computers and desktop motherboards.
There are two types- single and double are what i call them, but really the first is regular and the second is master/slave, where the master is the main drive and the slave is the secondary.

Step 10: Modems

Modems, internal modems and wireless modems basically provide Internet and Ethernet to the computer.

Step 11: Operating System

Operating systems run the computer. Without an operating system, or OS, the computer has to run on a pre-installed OS, which is typically very basic.
Some OS's are

Step 12: Other Stuff

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So i've covered Motherboards, Hard Drives, Ram , Monitors, Graphics Cards, Processors, Drives and more. But I haven't covered all the small but (fancy word alert) intrinsic parts of the computer
Mouse/Trackball/Pointer-moves cursor
Keyboard-Types
Printer-Prints
Computer Case-Contains Motherboard and other internals
Speakers-Gives the computer a voice
Heatsinks-cool down the processors

Step 13: Assembly

The assembly is pretty easy. See the pictures on the other pages for help locating the parts.

Motherboard - If you bought a motherboard, or took one out of a different computer, you have to make sure it fits into the case. If it doesn't, you'll either have to get a new one, or run it bare-bones. If it does,make sure the screw holes align, and screw it in

Processor/s - Stick them into the processor ports. Some of the corners are missing a few contacts, and if you put it in wrong, you'll squish the contacts on another corner, so check the bottom of the processor to be sure.

RAM - goes into the RAM slots. The different types of RAM have different contact configurations. By this I mean they'll have indentations at different points. For example, Some RAM have two indentations and some RAM have one, so make sure your motherboard is compatible before you buy it. If you scavenge it, it doesn't matter if you scavenge it because you aren't wasting any money

PCI cards and the like - goes into the PCI Slots and the corresponding slots to the like. First, you have to take off the slot opening dust cover. Just unscrew it. Then, push the card straight down into the slot, and screw it in using the screw from the dust cover.

Hard Drives - if you use IDE, find the IDE port on the motherboard and the hard drive. They look exactly the same on the hard drive as they do on the motherboard. Then, there is a four slot port on the back. This is where the PSU connector goes in. There is a notch on the side, so if it doesn't go in, turn it around and press it in until it sort of clicks, or snaps in.

Disk Drives - Connect it to the motherboard and PSU the same way you connected the hard drive.

PSU - If you scavenge this, it probably came attached to a case. If it didn't, then attach it, probably by screwing it on.

Connect all the cables, which should be easy, because most of the ports are different. If something doesn't work, unplug it, switch it and try again.
*If something doesn't work, look it up. It's pretty much common sense that if you are reading this and trying to build a computer, you already have a functional computer.*
**If you need to reference for any of these parts, look on the motherboard or intro page**

Step 14: A Quick Bit on Gaming and Enthusiast Computers

Gaming computers are built to be really fast so the end users can play games like WOW on.
Enthusiast computers are built to look cool. These type of computers usually include lots of lighting. Some lighting includes: LED's, Neon etc.
These computers usually run at a hotter temperature than normal computers, so the have a lot of heatsinks and cooling devices, including water cooling, and even liquid nitrogen!

Step 15: Thats It!

Thats all you need to know to build a functional computer. If you want to know more, use the links and Google.
I hope you viewers have learned as much about computers by reading this as I have adding in all the other reader's suggestions.

Step 16: Credits

The Commentors who know more than me about computers who've haven't rubbed it in my face, but instead shared their wealth of computer knowledge. Thank you!
and more that I've forgot

Part 1
Finding the Parts

1

Decide what the laptop’s main purpose will be. A laptop for word processing and email-checking will have much different specifications than a laptop for playing the latest games. Battery life is also an important consideration; if you plan to roam around unplugged, you’ll want a laptop that doesn’t draw much power.
2
Choose a processor that meets your computer’s needs. The shell that you purchase will be dependent on the processor that you want to install, so pick your processor first. Compare processor models to determine which processor offers the best speed versus cooling and power consumption. Most major online retailers will let you compare processors side-by-side.
- Make sure that you are purchasing a mobile processor, and not a desktop processor.
- There are two major processor manufacturers: Intel and AMD. There are plenty of arguments for and against each brand, but generally AMD will be less expensive. Do as much research as possible on the processor models you are interested in to be certain it is worth the money.
3
Choose your notebook shell. The notebook shell will determine which parts you can use for the rest your laptop. The shell will come with the motherboard attached already, which will dictate what memory you can use.
- Take screen size and keyboard layout into account as well. Since the shell is not particularly customizable, you will be stuck with the screen and keyboard you choose. A larger laptop will be more difficult to carry around, and will most likely be significantly heavier.
- Finding shells for sale can be difficult. Enter “barebones notebook” or “whitebook shell” into your favorite search engine to track down retailers that stock shells. MSI is one of the few manufacturers that still makes barebones laptops.
4
Purchase memory. Your laptop will need memory to run, and the format of the memory is different than desktop. Look for SO-DIMM memory that will work with the motherboard in your shell. Faster memory will give better performance, but may lead to shorter battery life.
- Try to get between 2-4 GB of memory for optimal everyday performance.
5
Pick out a hard drive. Laptops typically use 2.5” drives, as opposed to the 3.5” drives found in desktops. You can choose between a standard 5400 RPM or 7200 RPM drive, or pick a solid state drive with no moving parts. The solid state drive (SSD) will typically be faster and has no moving parts, but they can be more difficult to use over long periods. If you want a laptop to roam around, a SSD drive would be best, as it will not be physically damaged by impacts as much as a hard disk drive.
- Get a hard drive with enough space for you to do what you want with the laptop. Most shells don’t have space for more than one drive, so it can be difficult to upgrade later. Make sure that there is enough room on the hard drive after the operating system installation (usually between 15-20 GB). Nowadays, most people choose from a 800GB-1.5TB range for laptops.
6

Decide if you need a dedicated graphics card (optional). Not all shells will fit a dedicated mobile graphics card. Instead, the graphics will be handled by the CPU's integrated graphics unit. If you can install a dedicated card, decide if you need one. They are most important for gamers and graphic designers.
7
Find an optical drive (optional). This is becoming more of an optional step as computers advance, since you can install operating systems from USB drives and download most software. If you buy a new laptop today, most do not have an optical drive, as disc memory is now replaced with memory cards and removable drives.
- Some shells come with drives included. Not all notebook drives fit all shells, so make sure that the drive fits the shell you picked.
- Choosing whether or not to buy one is easy. Consider whether you use disc memory often. Remember, you can use a USB external optical drive instead of a built-in optical drive.
8
Choose a battery. You will need to find one that has the correct shape and uses the same connector (laptop batteries have multiple pins. The battery contains ICs and the IC notifies the computer on temperature, and notify the computer if the battery is not working and should not be charged, and the battery percentage). If you plan to move it around often, use a long life battery. You will need to try comparing many batteries to find one to buy.
- Buy one with good reviews. Read reviews on customer's experience with using those batteries.

Part 2
Putting it Together

1
Get the tools. You’ll want a set of jeweler’s screwdrivers, preferably magnetic. Laptop screws are much smaller and harder to work with than desktop screws. Find a pair of needle-nose pliers to reach any screws that fall into cracks.
- Keep your screws in plastic baggies until you need them. This will help keep them from rolling away or getting lost.
2

Ground yourself. Electrostatic discharge can quickly ruin computer components, so make sure that you are grounded before assembling your laptop. An antistatic wristband will keep you grounded and they are available for cheap.
3

Turn over the shell so that the bottom is facing up. You will be accessing the motherboard from several removable plates in the back of the unit.
4

Remove the panel covering the drive bay. This panel covers the 2.5” bay that will hold your hard drive. The location varies depending on the shell, but the bay is typically located towards the front of the laptop.
5

Mount the hard drive in the bracket. Most notebooks require the hard drive to be mounted to a bracket that fits around the drive. Use four screws to make sure that the hard drive is secured to the bracket. The screw holes will typically ensure that you have it installed the correct direction.
6

Slide the bracketed hard drive into the bay. Use the grip tape to apply enough pressure to seat the drive. Most brackets will line up with two screw holes once the drive is in place. Insert screws to secure the drive.
7

Install the optical drive. The method will vary depending on your shell, but they are typically inserted from the front of the bay opening, and they slide into SATA connectors.
8

Remove the panel covering the motherboard. This panel will most likely be more difficult to remove than the hard drive panel. You may need to pry it open after removing all of the screws.
9

Install your memory. Once the panel is open, you will have access to the motherboard and memory slots. Insert the SO-DIMM memory chips into their slots at an angle, and then push them down to click them into place. The memory sticks can only be installed in one direction, so don’t try to force them in.
10
Install the CPU. There may be a CPU lock around the socket where the CPU is installed. You may need to use a flathead screwdriver to turn it to the “unlocked” position.
- Turn your CPU over so that you can see the pins. There should be one corner that is missing pins. This notch will line up with the notch on the socket.
- The CPU will only fit in the socket one way. If the CPU does not seat itself, do not force it, or you may bend the pins, ruining the processor.
- Once the CPU is inserted, put the CPU lock into the “locked” position.
11
Install the cooling fan (most laptops use centrifugal fans). This fan either cools the CPU or cool the CPU and multiple other parts. Your CPU should have come packaged with a cooling fan. Most fans will have thermal paste already applied to the bottom where it connects with CPU. If the fan does not have any paste, you will need to apply some before the fan is installed.
- Once the paste has been applied, you can install the fan. The exhaust must line up with the vents on your shell. This part can be tricky as you attempt to line everything up. Don’t try to force the heatsink and fan assembly in, but wiggle it in instead. There may be also some mounting bolts to place. If your case includes a bay to place fan dust filter, place a dust filter to prevent dust from clogging the heatsink.^[1]
- Keep the heatsink angled until you find the right position. This will help keep the thermal paste from getting all over your components.
- Attach the fan’s power cable to the motherboard once the fan is installed. If you don’t connect the fan, the laptop will overheat and turn off after a few minutes of use.
12

Close your panels. Once you have installed all of the components, you can place the panels back over the openings and secure them with screws. Your laptop is complete!

Part 3
Starting it Up

1

Make sure that the battery is inserted. It is easy to forget the battery in the build process, but make sure that it is inserted and charging properly before booting up the computer.
2
Check your memory. Before you install an operating system, run Memtest86+ to ensure that your memory is working correctly, and that your computer is functioning in general. Memtest86+ can be downloaded for free online, and can be booted from a CD or USB drive.
- You can also check that the memory you installed is recognized by using the BIOS. Find the Hardware or Monitor section to see if your memory appears.
3
Install an operating system. For self-built laptops, you can choose between Microsoft Windows or a Linux distribution. Windows costs money and has a reputation for being insecure, but it offers a larger range of program and hardware compatibility. Linux is free, more secure than Windows, and supported by a community of volunteer developers.
- There are many versions of Linux to choose from, but some of the more popular include Ubuntu, Mint, and Debian.
- It is recommended that you install the latest version of Windows released, as older versions lose support after enough time has passed.
- If you don’t have an optical drive installed, you will need to create a bootable USB drive with your operating system files.
4

Install your drivers. Once your operating system is installed, you will need to install drivers for your hardware. Most modern operating systems will do most of this automatically, but you may have one or two components that need to be installed manually.
- Most components will come with their drivers on a disc. Use the disc if your operating system cannot find the correct drivers

Introduction & Preparing for the Build

Building a desktop PC is like dining at one of those huge buffet restaurants: You have dozens of choices for every dish, the variety ranging from hot dogs to filet mignon and everything else in between. Building a laptop reminds us more of a prix fixe menu: You can make a few decisions here and there, but you don't have much opportunity to customize your meal.
Indeed, building your own laptop is chock-full of challenges. Parts are harder to find, choices are fewer, and you need a steady hand to deal with small screws and the tight confines of a portable case. What's more, there's not nearly as much information available in books and on the Web about assembling portable systems from the case up.
Look past these limitations, however, and your DIY laptop dream can become a reality. With a thirst for challenge and a $1,400 budget, you can assemble a speedy, well-equipped mobile machine that performs better and costs less than many comparable pre-built systems. As for the difficulty in putting it all together, that's where we come in: We'll walk you through all the steps it takes to build a high-performance laptop from as close to scratch as you can get.

Choosing Your Barebones Notebook

The Asus C90s barebones, the basis for our DIY notebook.

Though you're unlikely to find barebones notebooks for sale at your local electronics store, a number of models are available through online retailers. A few manufacturers to look for include ASI, Asus, Compal, ECS, MSI, and Super Talent. (We even found an HP Compaq 6910p business notebook in a barebones configuration.) The main factors to consider when choosing a barebones model are processor technology, graphics-card support, and screen size. Do you want to use a fast but hot-running desktop CPU, or are you willing to spring for a pricier mobile chip that trades speed for lower heat and better power savings? If you're a gamer, you'll want a notebook that either has a good GPU built-in or can accept an upgradable notebook graphics card. Finally, do you prefer a more-portable system with a small screen, or a heavier notebook with a roomy LCD?
For our build, we chose the $690 Asus C90s, as it's one of the few models that supports an inexpensive-but-speedy desktop Core 2 Duo processor, allowing us to emphasize both performance and low cost. The C90s also sports an nVidia Mobile PCI Express Module (MXM) slot, allowing us to install a decent gaming GPU. Its 15.4-inch LCD offers an ideal size and resolution for gaming and watching DVDs while keeping the notebook's weight at a somewhat-reasonable 6.8 pounds. In terms of looks, the solid-feeling case could pass for a mainstream model from Dell or another brand-name vendor.

Gathering the Parts

Keep in mind that, unlike their desktop brethren, barebones laptops are not entirely "barebones." No matter which model you go with, it will likely come with a few built-in components that can't easily be swapped out—most notably, the motherboard and the optical drive. You still get a decent dose of DIY from the parts you can assemble yourself, however, including the CPU, memory, graphics card, hard drive, and wireless card. Most of these components are commonly sold as upgrades to pre-built laptops and are easy to find at competitive prices. Shopping at TigerDirect.com, we picked up 3GB of DDR2 667 SO-DIMM memory (the maximum amount the C90s accepts)—a $44.99 2GB stick and a $24.99 1GB stick. We also got a $199.99 2.66GHz Core 2 Duo E6700 CPU, a $159.99 160GB Seagate Momentus 7200.2 hard drive, and a $109.99 OEM version of Windows Vista Home Premium.
Rounding up the remaining parts, however, was not as easy: We found only a few online vendors who sold the Wi-Fi card and MXM graphics card we needed for our C90s build. For less-common components such as these, you should consult with the dealer that sells you the barebones laptop to make sure they're available. On that note, we turned to Asus for our 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600M graphics card, which the company sells separately for $90. After a lot of Web searching, we located a hard-to-find $32.50 Intel 4965AGM Mini-PCIe Wi-Fi card at Mwave.com.
Finally, before you hit the purchase button, be sure to carefully check that each component is compatible with the motherboard included in your barebones case. For instance, though the C90s' Intel 945G Express chipset sports the LGA775 CPU socket, it doesn't support newer quad-core processors. Also, note details like slot types: Standard video cards won't fit in an MXM slot, and the C90s uses a newer Mini-PCI Express (PCIe) slot for its Wi-Fi card, rather than a more-common Mini-PCI card. You'll need a 2.5-inch-wide, 9.5mm-thick Serial ATA (SATA) hard drive—older IDE drives won't work here.

The collection of parts and tools we assembled for the build.

The Asus C90s: Building the Laptop, Step by Step

Before you start building your laptop, you'll want to take a full inventory of your parts and tools. For the C90s, you'll need at least your CPU, memory, hard drive, and graphics card. (We can't imagine building a notebook without wireless capabilities in today's world, so you'll also need a Mini-PCIe wireless card.) In the tool department, you'll want both large and mini Phillips-head screwdrivers (preferably magnetic ones, to avoid losing small screws), needle-nose pliers for grabbing small parts, and a few small baggies to store the tiny screws you remove so that you don't lose them while you have the notebook open.

Crack the Case

You might think that the logical first step to building your new notebook would be to break out the instruction manual. Unfortunately, the only documentation included with the C90s describes how to use the notebook once it's up and running. There's no assembly manual, not even on the Asus Web site. That's not a problem in this case, as we'll walk you through the entire building process. But if you choose a different barebones model, you'll want to do some research beforehand to ensure that instructions are available either in the box or online. Otherwise, you'll be left to trial-and-error—and the potential nightmare of leftover parts when you think you've completed the assembly.
To open the C90s case, you'll need a very small Phillips screwdriver. Place the notebook upside-down on a clean, flat surface and locate the removable rear panel. (Asus calls it the ACE Door, for "Accessible, Convenient, Effortless.") With the notebook resting on its lid and the front toward you, the ACE Door makes up the right half of the notebook. Look for the four screws that have a small screw icon next to them. These are the only screws you need to remove to open the back panel. Be careful not to remove the fifth screw in the panel, which has a disc icon next to it—that one secures the DVD±RW drive in place. Once the screws are removed, place them in a plastic bag, as they're easily lost and you won't need them again until everything's put together. Carefully push the panel gently toward the back of the notebook, and then lift it when the tabs are free of the notebook's case.

Asus did not provide an instruction manual for the C90s, so we had to figure out how to remove the back panel on our own. Make sure that assembly instructions are available for the case you choose.

With the ACE door off, you can take stock of the various sockets and slots you'll be filling. Be careful to keep fingers and objects clear of the motherboard, as the processor socket is unprotected, and if you bend one of those tiny little pins, your new laptop will be useless.
First step, now that the cover's off? Find and expose the CPU socket.

Inside the Asus C90s. The CPU socket is toward the upper right, just down from the strip of yellow tape. Here we've already removed its lid.

Install the Processor

To install the processor, lift the small arm next to the CPU socket, then raise the socket cover, taking extreme care not to touch the pins in the socket during the process. Now carefully remove any snap-on covers from your CPU chip and line it up in the socket so that the two notches in the chip match the corresponding notches in the socket itself. Carefully place the chip straight down into the socket; don't slide the chip into place.

The first component to install is the processor. Take extreme care not to touch the pins in the socket during the process.

Once the chip is safely resting on the pins, close the socket cover and snap the locking arm back down into place.
Two heat sinks come included with the C90s: one for the processor and another for the video card. The processor heat sink is the larger of the two, with four screw holes and a small plastic cover protecting a block of thermal paste. Remove the plastic cover, being careful not to touch the thermal paste, and slide the cooling fins of the heat dissipater under the fan assembly at the rear of the notebook. Simultaneously line up the four screw holes on the heat sink with the corresponding holes surrounding the CPU socket. Find the baggies containing four black screws and use those to secure the heat sink.

Screwing down the CPU heat sink.

Wire the Wireless

Now it's time to install our Intel 4965AGN wireless adapter. It simply screws down, using tiny screws, like so...

Plugging the card into the Mini-PCIe slot is a snap, but then you have to contend with connecting the wires. Looking at the Mini-PCIe wireless slot near the top right corner of the C90s, you'll see four wires held down with yellow tape. Three of the wires come from the top corner of the case; the fourth, a black wire, comes from the side. This fourth wire is an antenna for an optional internal TV tuner; we won't use that in this build. Remove the tape, grab the fourth wire, and use the yellow tape to hold it out of the way while you connect the antenna wires.

A closer look at the Mini-PCIe card's wires.

At the end of each of the remaining three wires, you'll see a small round connector. These connectors snap onto the corresponding numbered connectors at the edge of the Wi-Fi card. Connect the black wire to connector 1, the gray wire to connector 2, and the white wire to connector 3. (If the wireless card you're using has only two connectors, connect the black wire to connector 1 and the gray wire to connector 2.) Now slide the card into the slot, being careful not to dislodge the antenna wires. Secure the Wi-Fi card with two small silver screws.

Pop in the Video Card

To install the MXM graphics card, first find the baggie with three larger silver screws and two small black screws. Hold the card at about a 30-degree angle as you insert its edge connector into the video-card slot near the center of the motherboard. Press the card in and downward, and then use the two small black screws to secure it in place. Our card had its heat sink/bracket already installed. If your card included a separate metal bracket, install it now using four spring-loaded screws.

Installing the MXM module. Most barebones notebooks use upgradable MXM graphics cards, which can be difficult to find at stores but are easy to install. Gamers should go with the most powerful MXM card available (and rated for the machine).

Next, you should install the remaining, smaller heat sink by sliding the cooling fins under the fan assembly next to the fins on the CPU cooler, placing the heat sink over the video card. Use the three silver screws to secure the heat sink in place.

Mounting the heat sink atop the MXM module.

Set Up the Drive

At this point, you should be down to your last storage baggie—it should have four screws in it. Use the two screws that don't have blue paint on the tips to secure the metal drive cage around your hard drive. The open end should be on the end of the drive with the SATA connectors.
The motherboard SATA connectors are along the front, right edge, under the lip of the laptop's shell. Drop the drive into place and then carefully use your thumb to push the drive into the SATA connectors. Now use the remaining two screws to secure the drive in place.

The hard drive, mounted.

Add Memory

The last internal components to install are the SO-DIMM memory boards. The two memory slots sit between the graphics card and the large silver-finned heat sink, near the center of the motherboard. Take the 2GB board, hold it at about a 30-degree angle while you line up its connector with the lower memory slot (note that the slot is keyed so that you can't install the board upside down), and then snap it down into the slot, like so...

Repeat the process with the 1GB DIMM, installing it in the top slot. Done from the hardware end of things! The interior looked like this on completion...

Final Assembly

Now that all the hardware components are installed, find the four screws you removed from the ACE Door, slide the door back into place, and replace the screws. To prepare for power up, pop in the notebook's battery pack, connect the power brick, and plug it into a wall outlet. Finally, open the laptop's cover, cross your fingers on one hand, and use your other hand to press the power button.
If all went well, you should be greeted by an Asus logo, followed by a warning that you have no operating system installed. If this doesn't happen, check the power connections; if that's not the issue, you'll need to reopen the case and ensure that all the components you installed are securely in their slots and sockets, and that all of the screws are tight.

Installing the Software...and Benching the Build

The only thing your machine should be lacking at this point is some critical software. To add the Windows OS, power down the notebook, turn it back on, and press F2 to enter the BIOS setup screen. Select System Information to confirm your processor speed and memory amount. Then press Esc to return to the main menu, move to the Boot screen, and adjust the Boot Priority setting to put the DVD drive first in the boot order so that you can install the operating system. Place the Windows Vista Home Premium DVD in the drive, start your system, and follow the instructions to install the operating system.
Once Vista's installed, you're still not quite at the finish line: You also need to install the drivers for your notebook's components. Insert the C90s driver CD and install the appropriate drivers, starting with Intel Chipset INF Update Program. (This enables your notebook's motherboard chipset.) Work your way down the driver list in order, then pop over to the Utilities tab and install Asus' Hotkey Utility, Turbo Gear overclocking program, and any other software you'd like to use.

Installing the C90s drivers.

Finally, open Control Panel, click System and Maintenance, and select "Check your computer's Windows Experience Index base score." Running this test will enable Vista's Aero Glass transparency on your desktop.
Congratulations. Your hot new gaming notebook is now ready to rock.

Reviewing the Results

In the feature department, the C90s excels with its large, comfortable keyboard, a bright display with an adjustable Webcam, and a cutting-edge collection of ports that includes HDMI and external Serial ATA (eSATA). There's also the nifty Turbo Gear option, which lets you overclock the notebook's CPU up to 10 percent (in our case, up to 2.93GHz). The overclocking utility is much more stable than when we first tested the fully configured version of the C90s; we didn't have any of the blue-screen crashes we saw in our initial review.
As for performance, the notebook's Futuremark PCMark05 score of 5,823 and Cinebench 9.5 score of 893 are in line with pricier performance laptops we've seen. Gaming was a mixed bag, however. While the C90s turned in an excellent 49.2 frames per second (fps) on Company of Heroes at its native 1,680x1,050 resolution (with anti-aliasing on), F.E.A.R. performance was less impressive: We managed just 48fps at 1,024x768, and a poky 18fps at native resolution. These scores reflect the limitations of the notebook's 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600M card MXM graphics, which is certainly not as speedy as the high-end graphics cards you can find in retail machines. In fact, our card is currently the fastest MXM model available, and we wouldn't count on a more-powerful upgrade option coming out any time soon. Though MXM technology has been available for about three years now, it hasn't received much support from manufacturers. That said, these scores won't thrill die-hard gamers, like other notebooks in its price class, our system can certainly handle newer games played at moderate resolutions with the details set to high.
The C90s demands a few other compromises—namely, a protruding heat sink that adds extra heft, and a power-hungry desktop processor that runs hot and quickly drains battery life. These are issues you may not encounter with other barebones cases, especially those that use mobile CPUs.

Was It Worth It?

So is the effort spent building your own notebook worthwhile? If you have a bit more than an entry-level budget, you're not a hard-core gamer, and you're willing to spend as much time searching the Web as you would actually building your PC, the answer is yes. In terms of power-versus-price, there's no doubt our C90s trumped the retail competition. There aren't many sub-$1,400 notebooks out there that can clock in at 2.93GHz, and at press time, comparable systems with GeForce 8600M graphics were typically running about $250 to $300 more than our build—and those notebooks had slower processors, smaller hard drives, and less memory. Though the parts you can put in a barebones laptop are limited compared to those you can find for a desktop, you essentially get as much variety as you would when configuring a pre-built system through a big-name or boutique vendor.

X . II Battery Types & Tech

Two main types of laptop batteries are in use today. The more common lithium-ion batteries tend to come in traditional cylindrical or rectangular cell shapes; lithium-polymer, in contrast, is more expensive and can be shaped freely to fit into smaller spaces inside a notebook. Bigger laptops tend to rely on big, heavy blocks of lithium-ion. The 2-pound Apple MacBook was an early pioneer (in the original 2015 MacBook) in packing its frame with thin sheets of lithium-polymer, filling every nook and cranny and yielding, in that laptop's case, almost 13.5 hours in its 2016 Core m3

Long-running 2-in-1: HP Spectre x360

Battery capacity is typically measured in watt-hours (Wh). If you find one laptop advertised as having a 45Wh battery and another with a 37Wh, you can assume the former will last longer—if they have similar specs, including processor, screen size, screen type, maximum brightness, native resolution, and kind of storage. However, that's rarely the case. It's almost impossible to make an apples-to-apples battery-life comparison of, say, a 13.3-inch, 1,366x768-resolution Core i3 laptop and a 15.6-inch, 4K-resolution Core i7 system. That's why lab-based, authoritative testing and reviews like ours are crucial when assessing battery claims. There are just too many slippery factors.

Even there, sometimes similar systems will surprise you. As an example, back in 2015, the HP Stream 11 and Asus EeeBook X205TA were both Windows compacts meant to compete with Chromebooks, with 11.6-inch screens, small solid-state drives, and nearly matching batteries (37Wh and 38Wh, respectively). But the EeeBook's Intel Atom tablet-grade CPU was more battery-friendly than the Stream's Celeron processor, so the Asus lasted 12:21 to the HP's 9:23 in our tests. That's not always a reliable yardstick, though: In contrast, the also-similar, Celeron-based Acer Aspire One Cloudbook 14 surprised us by lasting just shy of 14 hours, and that with a much larger 14-inch screen. So: testing, testing, and testing.

Indeed, processor differences can have a large effect in otherwise similar systems. (So can screen resolutions; more on that in a bit.) That's why units with low-power-consumption, less muscular CPUs like Atoms and Celerons can deliver very good battery life even while the system is inexpensive. Likewise, Intel's Core M processor line (which has been partly subsumed into the Core i5 and Core i7 line, in chips with "7Y" in the name, starting late 2016) is built to eke out extra battery life compared to fuller-fat Core i3, i5, and i7 chips. We've seen some impressive results from Core M—more than 12 hours, for example, out of the Core m5-based Yoga 900S$949.00 at Lenovo.

To reiterate: It's worth checking individual reviews for any model you are considering. The power-draining interplay of battery size, hard drive, processor, and display make it hard to predict actual battery life without formal testing.

Atom-based marathoner: Asus Transformer Mini T102HA

Tips: Extending Battery Life

So, how can you squeeze more minutes from a battery that's running low, or buy a machine whose options keep battery life in mind? Checking out formal reviews that feature defensible battery-life testing is key, but these usage and shopping tips will help, too.
BE SELECTIVE. When they are not in use, switch off power-sapping features you don't need, such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and keyboard backlighting. Activating a laptop's "power save" or "eco" mode may automate some of these settings. All of these draw energy to some degree, sometimes even if you think they're not; for example, if the Wi-Fi is not connected to a network, it'll likely be polling constantly for a connection, which still takes juice.
TAKE IT EASY ON THE BRIGHTNESS AND AUDIO. Dial down the screen backlighting—something between 50 and 60 percent is usually perfectly legible but offers considerable savings over full brightness—and reduce or mute the sound, especially if your laptop has loud speakers.
ONE THING AT A TIME. Reduce the number of apps or processes running in the background; multitasking is a strain on your battery.
OPT FOR A LOWER-RES SCREEN. Sure, that 4K (3,840x2,160 resolution) display on a recent-model laptop looks great, especially with the brightness cranked all the way up. But unless you have eagle-like vision or you're watching movies with your face just a few inches from your screen, you won't actually see all the detail those tiny pixels are pushing. And a 4K panel has four times as many pixels as a 1080p (1,920x1,080) panel; those extra pixels are a serious drain on battery life. Sticking to 1080p (or even 1,366x768) will let you go much longer between pit stops at the power plug, all else being equal.
SKIP THE TOUCH SCREEN. Of course, if you opt for a 2-in-1 convertible, you can't ditch the touch screen; touch is in these machines' very nature. But if you're in the market for a traditional laptop that offers both touch and non-touch displays (like the Dell XPS 13), going with a non-touch model may add significantly to battery life. As convenient as it can be to reach out and tap a dialog button or scroll down a Web page with your finger on a screen, adding touch to a screen means a whole other layer of always-on electronics that are constantly waiting for your finger to tap or swipe the glass. If you use touch only occasionally, it's not worth the drain on battery life—especially if battery longevity is one of your main priorities.

                                                     X . III   How to Clean a Computer



Look down at your keyboard, and if you're surprised—or mildly disgusted—by what you see, it might be time to give your computer a good cleaning.
Many of us live with our computers, so it's inevitable that crumbs, lint, and assorted grime have found their way into the nooks and crannies of your device. But it doesn't have to be that way.
"It's rewarding to work on a computer that's really clean," says Consumer Reports product tester Antoinette Asedillo. "But there's a right way and a wrong way to clean electronics."
Here's a primer on how to clean your computer and peripherals properly.

What You'll Need

A lint-free cloth
A can of compressed air
Dishwashing detergent
A portable vacuum
Water
Q-tips

What to Do

Before you attempt to clean your computer, make sure to unplug it and power it down. You should also take a moment to refer to the owner’s manual for do's and don'ts about cleaning solutions and techniques that might be specific to your device.
The shell: Start by adding a tiny drop of dishwashing detergent to a small amount of warm water. Soak a sponge with the mixture and wring it out until it’s damp, then gently wipe the exterior of the computer. While you're at it, sponge off the mouse and trackpad, too.
"Q-tips are great for hard-to-reach areas," says Asedillo, "And then you can finish the job by drying it with a lint-free cloth."
Ports and vents: Use a compressed air can to dislodge debris from the various nooks and crannies. Hold the can at an angle so that you're not blowing the debris deeper into the machine. A soft paint brush or an old toothbrush can also help remove dust and pet hair that remains trapped there.
Most laptops are quite well sealed, so don't bother trying to clean their innards.
"But dust can accumulate inside tower-model desktops, causing the cooling fans to work overtime," says Asedillo. She suggests using a compressed air can to carefully remove the accumulated dust. Asedillo advises against using a vacuum cleaner inside the case, to avoid possible static discharge, which could compromise your machine's circuits.
The screen: Use a dry lint-free cloth to remove the surface dust. Soak a sponge in plain water and wring it out until it's just damp. Wash the screen by moving the sponge in small circles, applying just a bit of pressure.
Don't use ammonia, ammonia-based window cleaners, alcohol, or other chemicals, Asedillo warns, because they may damage the display's coating. "Harsh cleaners can damage a screen's anti-glare properties and even make a touchscreen less responsive," says Asedillo. TV, tablet, and smartphone owners should heed this advice, as well.
The keyboard: Admit it: Your keyboard is a magnet for dust and debris, and maybe even food crumbs. How can you hide the evidence? "Believe it or not, the tool of choice is a small, portable vacuum cleaner," says Asedillo.
If you don't have a small vacuum, try a small brush or the sticky end of a Post-it or simply turn the keyboard upside down and give it a shake. "You want to remove the mess rather than pushing it deeper into the machine," Asedillo cautions.
Finish the job by wiping the keys with a cloth lightly moistened with plain water or rubbing alcohol. Don't apply the liquid directly onto the keys; apply it to the cloth instead.

TODO alt text

X . IIII 7 things you should never do online

Illustration file picture. (REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Files)

We all have bad habits, like biting our nails or drinking straight from the milk carton. While they’re bad form, they won’t steal your life savings. They won’t target your children.
But I cringe when people confess their hazardous digital activities and unacceptable digital etiquette. It’s time to quit the bad behavior. Here are seven things you should never do online.
1. Don’t be gullible
It doesn’t take much effort to create a convincing hoax. With the right phrasing and a dab of digital wizardry, you could convince millions of people that a celebrity has committed suicide, or that drilling a hole in your iPhone 7 will reveal a hidden headphone jack.
There’s a hoax that claims Facebook's privacy policy has changed, that all your pictures, posts and messages will now become public, and that people should post a statement that they do not give Facebook permission to share their private content. This particular post, like many others, cites a news source along with mumbo jumbo legal statutes.
It’s hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t, but if you hear something shocking, run a quick internet search before you believe it. You may save yourself a lot of embarrassment, and the pranksters will have less reason to fool people.
2. Never skip setting up 2FA
Don't let the fancy name “two-factor authentication” throw you. It just means that to log in to your account, you need two ways to prove you are who you say you are. It's like the bank or DMV asking for two forms of ID.
Most major services and companies, including Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft and Apple, offer two-factor authentication. It’s essential to set it up, because it prevents people from accessing your account if your password is compromised. Some sites ask for your cellphone number, so they can text supplemental access codes to you if a password reset is enacted. You can also get alerts every time your account is accessed from an unfamiliar browser or device.
I have the steps necessary to set up 2FA on my site. It takes just a few minutes, so do it now, while you’re thinking about it.
3. Never use the same password for multiple sites
Passwords used to be so easy. Your pet bunny was named “Pinky,” so that became your password. Nowadays, passwords look more like JaYW1x%BuUnZ#. Even if you could remember this gobbledygook, do you really want to dream up more than one password that looks like this?
Security is vital these days, and complex passwords are the way to go. But there is a simple way to remember good passwords that are also unique to each site.
Trust me: Passwords are annoying only until someone commandeers your account. Using the same password is a mistake you only have to make once.
4. Don’t sync your social media accounts
It’s difficult keeping up with all your social media accounts. Services like Buffer, Hootsuite, and SproutSocial help you manage your social presence across several platforms from one dashboard. Unfortunately, some people make the mistake of scheduling the same message across all their profiles. Remember, tweets and Facebook posts are very different things, as are Instagram and Google+.
Social media is an art. It’s a little more time-consuming to tailor your announcements to each type of social media, but it’s like the old carpenter’s motto: measure twice, cut once.
5. Don’t share too much information about your kids
Sharing a few cute photos is fine, but posting too much private information can be very dangerous. I even warn the parents in my family: Suppose your 8-year-old daughter is at soccer practice, and a stranger approaches and says, “Hi, Susie. I work with your father, John, at the dentist’s office. He just had an accident in his blue 2014 Honda Accord and he asked me to drive you to him at St. Vincent’s Hospital.”
Today, it’s easier than ever for predators to find your child’s name and your professional and personal data. Aggressive predators might even track down schedules for sporting events and after-school clubs. Don’t give them a chance to sound credible.
6. Don’t use public Wi-Fi without giving it much thought
Most people feel very comfortable walking into a hip urban café and logging onto the local Wi-Fi. But is it really the local Wi-Fi? Lots of people log on to systems with names like “CoffeeShop” or “ILoveFood” and have no idea that they belong to data-hungry hackers.
These hackers set up their own fake public Wi-Fi with a misleading name. Upon logging in, the victim’s keystrokes are recorded and stolen, making it easy for the hackers to obtain personal information. Hackers will also send malware disguised as updates to a victim's computer. Once the malware is installed, the hackers gain full control of the computer without the victim's knowledge.
That’s why you want to use a virtual private network, or VPN. A VPN service lets you create an encrypted connection with one of its servers, and you use that server to use the internet. The connection is encrypted through the server, so the VPN can't see your traffic either. It's a bit more complicated, but that's the result.

7. Never get into arguments on social media
We have all stumbled into a meme that makes us angry. Or someone sends us a forwarded message that sounds totally misinformed. Or some troll posts a series of vicious comments. My advice: Do not engage.
There’s nothing tackier than a social media argument. Even well-intended comments can sound snarky and mean-spirited. Friendships often fall apart after sparring on Facebook or Twitter. If you need to sort out your differences, it’s best to do this in person or over the phone. Most social media arguments end badly.
Bonus: Don’t be an internet-trained MD
Medical diagnosis sites can be very handy for basic info, but for most physicians, they are the bane of their existence. Patients storm into waiting rooms, claiming to have dengue fever and Zika virus.
Hypochondria and the internet are a very bad mix. Believe me, online medical advice isn’t the second opinion you’re seeking.

PC/Laptop Cabinet

In this instructable, I will show you how to use your tv cabinet as a computer desk and how to use the LCD TV as a computer monitor. I would be happy if you check it out and try it out yourself.

Did you know that LCD screens uses less energy than CRT monitors? I recommend using the LCD screen as a good energy saving monitor.

Kamis, 13 Juli 2017

making a computer and laptop and then battery laptop Types & Tech AMNIMARJESLOW AL DO SEVEN DO AL NON TWO LJBUSAF thankyume orbit

Making a Computer

Intro: Making a Computer

Step 1: The Materials

Step 2: The Motherboard

Step 3: Processors

Step 4: Hard Drives

Step 5: Graphics Cards

Step 6: RAM

Step 7: CD/DVD

Step 8: Monitor/Visual Display Unit

Step 9: Drive Connectors

Step 10: Modems

Step 11: Operating System

Step 12: Other Stuff

Step 13: Assembly

Step 14: A Quick Bit on Gaming and Enthusiast Computers

Step 15: Thats It!

Step 16: Credits

Step 2: The Motherboard

Step 3: Processors

Step 4: Hard Drives

Step 5: Graphics Cards

Step 6: RAM

Step 7: CD/DVD

Step 8: Monitor/Visual Display Unit

Step 9: Drive Connectors

Step 10: Modems

Step 11: Operating System

Step 12: Other Stuff

Step 13: Assembly

Step 14: A Quick Bit on Gaming and Enthusiast Computers

Step 15: Thats It!

Step 16: Credits

Steps

Part 1 Finding the Parts

Part 2 Putting it Together

Part 3 Starting it Up

Table of Contents

Introduction & Preparing for the Build

Choosing Your Barebones Notebook

Gathering the Parts

The Asus C90s: Building the Laptop, Step by Step

Crack the Case

Install the Processor

Wire the Wireless

Pop in the Video Card

Set Up the Drive

Add Memory

Final Assembly

Installing the Software...and Benching the Build

Reviewing the Results

Was It Worth It?

X . II Battery Types & Tech

Tips: Extending Battery Life

What to Do

PC/Laptop Cabinet

PC/Laptop Cabinet

Intro: PC/Laptop Cabinet

Step 1: What You Need!

Step 2: Move Your Computer to Cabinet

Step 3: Connecting Your Computer to TV

Step 4: Power on Your TV and Computer

Step 5: Add the Printer

Step 6: Enjoy Your Own Entertainment

Step 7: UPDATE! Use a Laptop Instead

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Part 1
Finding the Parts

Part 2
Putting it Together

Part 3
Starting it Up