Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by ndmmxiaomayi @ Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:57:03 +0800

ndmmxiaomayi — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 01:57:03 +0800

Avoid lower levels lor... some dark corners shops also like to cut corners.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by kenn3th @ Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:35:57 +0800

kenn3th — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:35:57 +0800

some are kind hearted too,

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by fattyman @ Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:45:45 +0800

fattyman — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:45:45 +0800

Originally posted by kenn3th:

Yepp. Assembling is easy.

Not being chopped by people @ Sim lim is difficult

Simlim is a horrendous place, dun like those Bengs selling pcs, just dun like them, they are disgusting.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by ndmmxiaomayi @ Sat, 31 May 2008 03:03:24 +0800

ndmmxiaomayi — Sat, 31 May 2008 03:03:24 +0800

Originally posted by kenn3th:

Yepp. Assembling is easy.

Not being chopped by people @ Sim lim is difficult

To avoid getting chopped, visit trusted shops. You pay more, but well... what you pay is what you get from them. You won't get chopped at the least.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by kenn3th @ Fri, 30 May 2008 15:28:42 +0800

kenn3th — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:28:42 +0800

Originally posted by fattyman:

Hello kcockicht,

I really appreciate you take so much of your time to write the above, really appreciate your help.

To be honest, I can understand approx 70% of what you've written above, as I said I'm not a techie thus I still need to attend the basic DIY PC courses. I believe after attending the courses & with the help of an IT expert, I believe can assemble my first pc soon.

Thanks kcockicht.

Yepp. Assembling is easy.

Not being chopped by people @ Sim lim is difficult

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by playmemory @ Fri, 30 May 2008 09:21:50 +0800

playmemory — Fri, 30 May 2008 09:21:50 +0800

Over here got many pple can teach you diy your PC ... just open your mouth ... cheers.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by fattyman @ Fri, 30 May 2008 00:51:06 +0800

fattyman — Fri, 30 May 2008 00:51:06 +0800

Originally posted by kcockicht:

Please read through the basics and some indepth knowledge of assembling a PC here:-

http://www.daileyint.com/build/

In my own words i shall provide some personal brief knowledge i have in assembly a PC ...

A basic home PC consist of the following major components which is no different from those OEMs (e.g Acer Hp etc) PC you see for purchases in retails. In no order of importance or precedence they are as follows:

(1) The power supply unit (PSU in short)

(2) The mainboard (motherboard , mobo)

(3) The random acess memory (RAM in short)

(4) The graphics card (usually bought from a third part and assebled onto the 'agp' port at the mobo. Integrated graphics in a PC system means the assembled PC do not require a graphics card since a series of components and ICs are already build in the mobo that can provide minimal display power / capability to the system. Bare minimum display power are not recommended for gaming and video applications nowadays since they demand more processing power)

(5) The hard disk (HDD in short)

(6) The optical drive (DVD, CD player / writer or burner)

(7) The floppy drive (FDD, near obsolette as replaced by thumbdrives, card readers and USB bluetooth peripherals)

(8) The CPU (central processing unit, or processor the right name)

(9) The case / casing (enlosure for and houses all item 1~8)

Item 1~8 when assembled in item 9 has often been addressed with the name "CPU" which is no right and often cause misunderstanding or mis-interpretation in the eyes and ears of PC builders and modders. CPU to us refers to the processor (two major manufacturers are AMD Advance Micro Devices and Intel)

Assembly notes and compatibility

(1) Mainboard use a chipset that accepts two major processor brand types - Intel or AMD. So if you buy a Mainboard that uses Intel chipsets then you can only buy Intel CPU and fit the latter into the processor socket at the Intel based mainboard. This the the first major platform compatibility point to take note in PC assembly.

(2) Now most mainboard uses PCI-e type of graphics card interface so when purchassing the graphics card be sure to look out for the PCI-e interface as specified on the graphics card external box packaging.

(3) Hard disk drives comes with SATA interface and most mainboard have the compatible connectors so installing the hard disk should not be a problem. Do take note that 2 separate cables fan out and interconnects the hard disk unit to the mobo. One provides signal exchange and one provide a greater power to drive the hard disks motor and controller board start up and operations. Signals and electrical power are the same in general. Power refers to stronger signal that can perform up to the mechanical and torque requirements of any devices. Signals are integrated power and stepped down to mircro or even as in the form of wavelengths unseen and unfelt at times to provide complicated / diversified patterns with endless possiblilities so that a device can work and calculate operations in more ways that one.

(4) RAM is a 'rubbish' bin that stores memory data so that commands and addresses can be moved to and fro throughout the entire PC faster on demand. It also act as a major component for the PC to work whenever information or files are to be retreived from the hard disk. The HDD and memory are similar in their operations but differs in data transfer speed. As a result of this and due to the nature of the hard disk depending on mechanical operation the memory serves as a staging point and faster messager in transportation and exchange of data.

(5) The optical drives interacts with external media like CDs and DVDs. They are required since most software and Operating System installations are sold in media packaging. Without them you cannot install any games or OS onto your computer.

(6) The power supply unit (PSU) basically provides the electrical power to your other cards and drives so that they have the energy to be started up and functional as per specified.

OS installation.

An operating system as the name implies provide the overall platform for a end user to work on a computer in a user friendly GUI (graphics user interface). The Windows environment (for example) is the OS i am referring to in this set up example. As Microsoft has been providing Windows as a very common OS to most OEM computers, you can buy a licensed copy of the OS and install it after completing the hardware assembly if you DIY. There are also open source OS (Linux for example) and Mac OS from Apple computers.

To install the Operating System, the very important setting to your mainboard BIOS (entrance from the initial screen you see when you first power up your computer) is to set the first boot device. Please set it to CD / DVD rom as the first boot so as to tell the computer to read and scan for media inserted into this drive area. You need it as the scanning will interact with the OS cd you placed into the drive. This will force the OS drive to be read and thus OS to be installed. You cannot expect the installation to happen or initiate when this condition is not set. After that just follow the onscreen instructions after a long writing of registery or data deletion (if your hdd is not brand new). It comes with a blue screen that is a process to prepare your hard disk prior to OS installation. The 'blue screen" waiting process takes a while depending on your drive's read/ write speed or storage capacity.

After your OS are installed you will need to install your:

(1) drivers for the mainboard (your mainboard will have this CD, do not loose it). Follow onscreen instruction when you pop the disc into your optical drive.

(2) drivers for the graphics card (your card will have this CD, do not loose it). Follow onscreen instruction when you pop the disc into your optical drive.

Note that RAM, PSU, HDD, optical and floppy drives usually do not require drivers or software. They have firmware (except PSU) written onto them which do not require much updates or any installation for initial operation. All firmwares are usually factory installed or written.

The above is just a very skeleton summary of the PC assembly process. You have to read instructions from all the components' manual (importantly Mobo, graphics) while you install, assemble and get the PC to work.

Hello kcockicht,

I really appreciate you take so much of your time to write the above, really appreciate your help.

To be honest, I can understand approx 70% of what you've written above, as I said I'm not a techie thus I still need to attend the basic DIY PC courses. I believe after attending the courses & with the help of an IT expert, I believe can assemble my first pc soon.

Thanks kcockicht.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by fattyman @ Fri, 30 May 2008 00:44:33 +0800

fattyman — Fri, 30 May 2008 00:44:33 +0800

Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:

If you were to complete the full course in ITE (either as a full-time student or part-time student), you will get to learn the basics.

Comprises of the following:

1. Computer building

2. Computer maintainence

3. Basic networking

4. Basic programming

Thanks for the advice Mayi, you ppl are all IT expert.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by kcockicht @ Wed, 28 May 2008 17:53:10 +0800

kcockicht — Wed, 28 May 2008 17:53:10 +0800

Originally posted by fattyman:

Hi kcockicht,

I just gave them a call this afternoon to double check whether they'd be teaching the participant how to build their own computer but was told that the course focuses more on troubleshooting rather than DIY.

Please read through the basics and some indepth knowledge of assembling a PC here:-

http://www.daileyint.com/build/

In my own words i shall provide some personal brief knowledge i have in assembly a PC ...

A basic home PC consist of the following major components which is no different from those OEMs (e.g Acer Hp etc) PC you see for purchases in retails. In no order of importance or precedence they are as follows:

(1) The power supply unit (PSU in short)

(2) The mainboard (motherboard , mobo)

(3) The random acess memory (RAM in short)

(4) The graphics card (usually bought from a third part and assebled onto the 'agp' port at the mobo. Integrated graphics in a PC system means the assembled PC do not require a graphics card since a series of components and ICs are already build in the mobo that can provide minimal display power / capability to the system. Bare minimum display power are not recommended for gaming and video applications nowadays since they demand more processing power)

(5) The hard disk (HDD in short)

(6) The optical drive (DVD, CD player / writer or burner)

(7) The floppy drive (FDD, near obsolette as replaced by thumbdrives, card readers and USB bluetooth peripherals)

(8) The CPU (central processing unit, or processor the right name)

(9) The case / casing (enlosure for and houses all item 1~8)

Item 1~8 when assembled in item 9 has often been addressed with the name "CPU" which is no right and often cause misunderstanding or mis-interpretation in the eyes and ears of PC builders and modders. CPU to us refers to the processor (two major manufacturers are AMD Advance Micro Devices and Intel)

Assembly notes and compatibility

(1) Mainboard use a chipset that accepts two major processor brand types - Intel or AMD. So if you buy a Mainboard that uses Intel chipsets then you can only buy Intel CPU and fit the latter into the processor socket at the Intel based mainboard. This the the first major platform compatibility point to take note in PC assembly.

(2) Now most mainboard uses PCI-e type of graphics card interface so when purchassing the graphics card be sure to look out for the PCI-e interface as specified on the graphics card external box packaging.

(3) Hard disk drives comes with SATA interface and most mainboard have the compatible connectors so installing the hard disk should not be a problem. Do take note that 2 separate cables fan out and interconnects the hard disk unit to the mobo. One provides signal exchange and one provide a greater power to drive the hard disks motor and controller board start up and operations. Signals and electrical power are the same in general. Power refers to stronger signal that can perform up to the mechanical and torque requirements of any devices. Signals are integrated power and stepped down to mircro or even as in the form of wavelengths unseen and unfelt at times to provide complicated / diversified patterns with endless possiblilities so that a device can work and calculate operations in more ways that one.

(4) RAM is a 'rubbish' bin that stores memory data so that commands and addresses can be moved to and fro throughout the entire PC faster on demand. It also act as a major component for the PC to work whenever information or files are to be retreived from the hard disk. The HDD and memory are similar in their operations but differs in data transfer speed. As a result of this and due to the nature of the hard disk depending on mechanical operation the memory serves as a staging point and faster messager in transportation and exchange of data.

(5) The optical drives interacts with external media like CDs and DVDs. They are required since most software and Operating System installations are sold in media packaging. Without them you cannot install any games or OS onto your computer.

(6) The power supply unit (PSU) basically provides the electrical power to your other cards and drives so that they have the energy to be started up and functional as per specified.

OS installation.

An operating system as the name implies provide the overall platform for a end user to work on a computer in a user friendly GUI (graphics user interface). The Windows environment (for example) is the OS i am referring to in this set up example. As Microsoft has been providing Windows as a very common OS to most OEM computers, you can buy a licensed copy of the OS and install it after completing the hardware assembly if you DIY. There are also open source OS (Linux for example) and Mac OS from Apple computers.

To install the Operating System, the very important setting to your mainboard BIOS (entrance from the initial screen you see when you first power up your computer) is to set the first boot device. Please set it to CD / DVD rom as the first boot so as to tell the computer to read and scan for media inserted into this drive area. You need it as the scanning will interact with the OS cd you placed into the drive. This will force the OS drive to be read and thus OS to be installed. You cannot expect the installation to happen or initiate when this condition is not set. After that just follow the onscreen instructions after a long writing of registery or data deletion (if your hdd is not brand new). It comes with a blue screen that is a process to prepare your hard disk prior to OS installation. The 'blue screen" waiting process takes a while depending on your drive's read/ write speed or storage capacity.

After your OS are installed you will need to install your:

(1) drivers for the mainboard (your mainboard will have this CD, do not loose it). Follow onscreen instruction when you pop the disc into your optical drive.

(2) drivers for the graphics card (your card will have this CD, do not loose it). Follow onscreen instruction when you pop the disc into your optical drive.

Note that RAM, PSU, HDD, optical and floppy drives usually do not require drivers or software. They have firmware (except PSU) written onto them which do not require much updates or any installation for initial operation. All firmwares are usually factory installed or written.

The above is just a very skeleton summary of the PC assembly process. You have to read instructions from all the components' manual (importantly Mobo, graphics) while you install, assemble and get the PC to work.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by ndmmxiaomayi @ Wed, 28 May 2008 14:37:07 +0800

ndmmxiaomayi — Wed, 28 May 2008 14:37:07 +0800

If you were to complete the full course in ITE (either as a full-time student or part-time student), you will get to learn the basics.

Comprises of the following:

1. Computer building

2. Computer maintainence

3. Basic networking

4. Basic programming

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by fattyman @ Wed, 28 May 2008 01:56:59 +0800

fattyman — Wed, 28 May 2008 01:56:59 +0800

Originally posted by kcockicht:

That PDF was informative enough. You can try to get some subsidiary for the course. The total cost is less than a fullinstallation copy of Windows Vista Home Premuim so i think you can go for it. i am sure the additional information of maintaining a computer will come in handy. With guidance from the trained and qualified i am sure you can set up and get a computer running in no time!

Anyway after your course completion and acquire of the knowledge and skill if ever you encounter any problem you can post in forums and seek advice or help.

This forum is one place you can turn to.

Hi kcockicht,

I just gave them a call this afternoon to double check whether they'd be teaching the participant how to build their own computer but was told that the course focuses more on troubleshooting rather than DIY.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by fattyman @ Wed, 28 May 2008 01:52:47 +0800

fattyman — Wed, 28 May 2008 01:52:47 +0800

Originally posted by Xcert:

check out the CCs...I do see some of them offering DIY computer courses from time to time...

Just found out that the duration of the course is only 9 hrs, I doubt they will go into details.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by kcockicht @ Mon, 26 May 2008 23:41:38 +0800

kcockicht — Mon, 26 May 2008 23:41:38 +0800

Originally posted by fattyman:

If I were to read from the net & assemble by myself without any help from an outsider, its going to take up a lot of my time. Also sometimes i may not understand certain things written in the book, personally I still need guidance along the way.

I know the hardware stuff but don't exactly know how to install the OS, reformat, clocking as well as troubleshooting or setting the BIOS etc......sigh a bit complicated for me.

Maybe after a few hands-on sessions, maybe I can understand better.

BTW I just check from the ITE 's website & I'm unsure whether this is the correct one that I'm looking for, though its a bit pricey but it stated only Computer Repair & Maintenance, not exactly building your own computer right.

Can give some advise ? The link is here : http://www.ite.edu.sg/cet/sc/outlines/Computer_Repair_Maintenance.pdf

Thanks.

That PDF was informative enough. You can try to get some subsidiary for the course. The total cost is less than a fullinstallation copy of Windows Vista Home Premuim so i think you can go for it. i am sure the additional information of maintaining a computer will come in handy. With guidance from the trained and qualified i am sure you can set up and get a computer running in no time!

Anyway after your course completion and acquire of the knowledge and skill if ever you encounter any problem you can post in forums and seek advice or help.

This forum is one place you can turn to.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by fattyman @ Mon, 26 May 2008 23:09:40 +0800

fattyman — Mon, 26 May 2008 23:09:40 +0800

I noticed majority of you all in this forum are very good at computer, most of them are techies except me.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by fattyman @ Mon, 26 May 2008 23:06:14 +0800

fattyman — Mon, 26 May 2008 23:06:14 +0800

Originally posted by kcockicht:

I have long detached myself from school and learning institute. No longer a student and not taking up any courses at the moment so i am not that informed about what the technical and engineering course are affered in government and private institution or learning centres.

I do know there are diplomas in IT or related stuff for students to persue some form of certification.

I used to learn the hard way by surfing the net. I was without any guidances from anyone who knows how to assemble a PC and assembled my first PC a few months after i joined a company that manufactures storage and data expansion cards / peripherals. Perhaps my curiosity and getting into that job were the major driving elements for me to learn.

If you wan to just learn how to assemble and get a PC to work without much ado i can submarize in a few papers on some common knowledge on history of the PC peripherals and how the unit is build with some major esential components. In fact if you check this forum a few recent threads can well give you some simple knowledge.

I do understand that diplomas and certification on IT covers things for indepth and useful than just assembling a computer.

Its not possible to assemble a new computer without the help from a techie, just not possible at all.

Its going to take up too much of the time, just too much.

If I can acquire this skill & assemble by myself, in future I can save my time stop shopping & comparing for an OEM machine.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by fattyman @ Mon, 26 May 2008 22:59:28 +0800

fattyman — Mon, 26 May 2008 22:59:28 +0800

Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:

If you want to learn to build a PC... I would suggest that you not waste money going to school to learn that. But of course... if you want a cert out of it, then by all means, go to a school.

Schools teach a lot of theory as well... practicals... you guys are pretty much left on your own, with all the materials given to you.

If you can disassemble, you should be able to assemble it back. The thing is, whether you do it correctly and safely, without endangering the lives of others and your own life.

If I were to read from the net & assemble by myself without any help from an outsider, its going to take up a lot of my time. Also sometimes i may not understand certain things written in the book, personally I still need guidance along the way.

I know the hardware stuff but don't exactly know how to install the OS, reformat, clocking as well as troubleshooting or setting the BIOS etc......sigh a bit complicated for me.

Maybe after a few hands-on sessions, maybe I can understand better.

BTW I just check from the ITE 's website & I'm unsure whether this is the correct one that I'm looking for, though its a bit pricey but it stated only Computer Repair & Maintenance, not exactly building your own computer right.

Can give some advise ? The link is here : http://www.ite.edu.sg/cet/sc/outlines/Computer_Repair_Maintenance.pdf

Thanks.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by Xcert @ Mon, 26 May 2008 11:01:08 +0800

Xcert — Mon, 26 May 2008 11:01:08 +0800

check out the CCs...I do see some of them offering DIY computer courses from time to time...

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by ndmmxiaomayi @ Mon, 26 May 2008 01:26:51 +0800

ndmmxiaomayi — Mon, 26 May 2008 01:26:51 +0800

Originally posted by fattyman:

Haha, never thought of ITE, but not too sure whether they conduct such courses. So far I've noticed that many commercial computer schools have shut down, dun understand why.

I still prefer to attend the classes because they teach straight to the point, short & simple rather then reading from the books.

Thanks Mayi.

If you want to learn to build a PC... I would suggest that you not waste money going to school to learn that. But of course... if you want a cert out of it, then by all means, go to a school.

Schools teach a lot of theory as well... practicals... you guys are pretty much left on your own, with all the materials given to you.

If you can disassemble, you should be able to assemble it back. The thing is, whether you do it correctly and safely, without endangering the lives of others and your own life.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by kcockicht @ Sun, 25 May 2008 23:51:36 +0800

kcockicht — Sun, 25 May 2008 23:51:36 +0800

Originally posted by fattyman:

I still prefer hands-on classes because the instructor go straight to the point, bypass all the unnecessary theories.

If I can build my own computer its an added advantage for me.

Learning by reading from the web is actually taking too much time out from me.

Thanks.

I have long detached myself from school and learning institute. No longer a student and not taking up any courses at the moment so i am not that informed about what the technical and engineering course are affered in government and private institution or learning centres.

I do know there are diplomas in IT or related stuff for students to persue some form of certification.

I used to learn the hard way by surfing the net. I was without any guidances from anyone who knows how to assemble a PC and assembled my first PC a few months after i joined a company that manufactures storage and data expansion cards / peripherals. Perhaps my curiosity and getting into that job were the major driving elements for me to learn.

If you wan to just learn how to assemble and get a PC to work without much ado i can submarize in a few papers on some common knowledge on history of the PC peripherals and how the unit is build with some major esential components. In fact if you check this forum a few recent threads can well give you some simple knowledge.

I do understand that diplomas and certification on IT covers things for indepth and useful than just assembling a computer.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by fattyman @ Sun, 25 May 2008 23:13:12 +0800

fattyman — Sun, 25 May 2008 23:13:12 +0800

Originally posted by kenn3th:

i would not recc wasting $ to learn this. Information regarding your above qns are readily available on the net, in much more detail than those @ courses and there are 1001 ways of trouble shooting.

a website an example of such a website : http://www.directron.com/howtobuilyou.html

Thanks for the link, very informative & interesting, thanks a lot.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by fattyman @ Sun, 25 May 2008 23:11:48 +0800

fattyman — Sun, 25 May 2008 23:11:48 +0800

Originally posted by F.raon.I.R:

ntuc learninghub pte ltd

Will find out soon, thanks for the info.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by fattyman @ Sun, 25 May 2008 23:10:24 +0800

fattyman — Sun, 25 May 2008 23:10:24 +0800

Originally posted by kcockicht:

You can start with picking up some tips from the internet. Try Wikipedia on some basics. That should get you started. Whenever you are free or able to surf the net and go ask your queries withh differenet forums. Its easier. Its the digital age. Learning the basics and acquiring to the intermediate level on anything digital should not be a problem for most people.

If you do intent to make this skill your job or career you might want to pick up a course that promises certification that are recognised in the IT (hardware) industries. Assemblying computer is easy but this certification should also ensure you are trained and know how to troubleshoot computer faults and problems not only hardware induced but also software or application / compatibility related.

If you are just doing it for a past time or hobby just take it easy. The knowleddge in building a computer will come in no time. Once you know it and assembled a couple of units you will never get any OEM desktops anymore.

I still prefer hands-on classes because the instructor go straight to the point, bypass all the unnecessary theories.

If I can build my own computer its an added advantage for me.

Learning by reading from the web is actually taking too much time out from me.

Thanks.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by fattyman @ Sun, 25 May 2008 23:04:21 +0800

fattyman — Sun, 25 May 2008 23:04:21 +0800

Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:

ITE.

Or just borrow books from the library.

Search on the web also can.

Haha, never thought of ITE, but not too sure whether they conduct such courses. So far I've noticed that many commercial computer schools have shut down, dun understand why.

I still prefer to attend the classes because they teach straight to the point, short & simple rather then reading from the books.

Thanks Mayi.

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by purpledragon84 @ Sun, 25 May 2008 18:42:46 +0800

purpledragon84 — Sun, 25 May 2008 18:42:46 +0800

youtube oso have videos teaching ppl to build comps..

Computer Courses (Assemble Your Own Computer) replied by abao @ Sun, 25 May 2008 18:08:03 +0800

abao — Sun, 25 May 2008 18:08:03 +0800

Go SLS and ask the shopkeepers there. At most you get them to guide you while you build your own computer.

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