Part 1: Getting The Parts

The first thing we need to do is get the hardware for your new system. The rest of this page will give you some insight as to what you will need to build your own Linux computer.

Case

Without a case, you have nothing more than a bunch of disorganized computer parts. While every computer part is useful, your ambitions will be stopped short without a case to hold all of your components.

Cases can run from extremely cheap to ridiculously expensive. Personally, I don't see the need to buy a expensive case, but you may feel otherwise.

One nifty feature I look for is a removable motherboard tray. This allows me to screw in the motherboard, without having to fumble around the inside of the case. I have lost many screws this way.

The four biggest factors in evaluating a case:

Does it come with its own power supply?
Does it have enough ventilation?
Does it come with fans already installed?
What form factor does the case work with?

Ventilation is a major factor. You want to make sure that there is a way for the hot air to leave the case. Otherwise you may overheat the system.

Case fans are also important to "force" the hot air out and the cooler air into the system. If your case lacks installed fans, you will need to read the case specifications to find what fans can be installed correctly. If you have to install the fans yourself, make sure the back of the case blows out the hot air and the front fan (if any) blows the cooler air into the system.

Form factor is a major element in buying a case. You need to make sure that the motherboard will actually fit into the case as well as the screws being placed correctly. Since this article is building a standard ATX system, we will "default" to discussing ATX specific hardware.

Power Supply

The power supply does exactly what it says, it supplies power to the hardware components of your system. Some cases come with power supplies, others don't. Depending on the purpose and budget of your system, will determine what power supply you need. Personally, I don't go below a 300W power supply. If you are using the computer for basic email and web browsing a 300W power supply will work well. The flip side of the coin is the gaming machine. If your main use is playing resource hungry programs, you will want a power supply with more wattage. I would start at 400W and anything higher is better.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

This is the computers "brain", so to speak. Major sticking points for purchasing a CPU are as follows:

What manufacture made it? (Intel or AMD)
What socket-type is it?

Who makes the CPU will determine what motherboard you can use. Intel CPU's can not be installed in AMD motherboards. Don't fret though, most motherboard manufactures make the same (or similar) models for each CPU.

Intel is by far the more popular company, but personally I prefer AMD. I like them because they seem to cheaper when comparing specifications for a similar Intel CPU. AMD CPU's are just as well made as their competitors.

A CPU's socket is the "footprint" it takes up. You obviously can't put a square peg into a round hole, the same is true with sockets. You will need to match the CPU socket with what the motherboard can take.

If this is your first system you are building, I would opt for a stock CPU. They are packaged and shipped by Intel or AMD and come with a decent heat sink/fan and coolant tape or gel. If you are more experienced, you can get just the CPU (an OEM version) and purchase the heat sink and coolant tape/gel separately.

Heat sink/Fan

The heat sink fan is used to remove the heat generated from the CPU. If there is no way to expel the heat, the CPU would overheat and shutdown. Some newer models will shutdown the system prior before any damage can be done to the CPU and/or motherboard, but I wouldn't count on it.

Motherboard

This is the "mother" of all components. Without it, you can't connect any other hardware together. The motherboard houses the most valuable pieces of a system (the CPU and RAM). The major points for buying a motherboard:

Does it match the cases form factor? (ATX)
Is the CPU socket compatible?
Can it handle the CPU specifications?
Does it have the needed extra components?
Does it have on-board sound/video?

We already discussed form factor earlier. Just make sure if you have an ATX case you purchase a ATX motherboard.

Again, the motherboard socket tells you what CPU's can be inserted into it. Make sure they match up.

The third is a major concern to look at. Do not overlook it. What I mean by this, is just because to CPU and motherboard share the same socket, doesn't mean it can utilize the CPU to its fullest potental. An example could be the Front Side Bus (FSB), If your CPU has a FSB at 1666MHZ and the motherboard can only handle 1333MHZ, you are losing out on 333MHZ of speed.

By extra components, I am taking about the available "connectors" it has. Does the motherboard accept SATA devices or is it limited to EIDE/ATA devices? Does the motherboard have an AGP or PCI-Express slot for a graphics card? You will need to see what hard drives, CD/DVD drives, etc.. you want to use in your system and make sure the device can be connected to the motherboard.

A fair share of motherboards come with their own integrated sound and/or video card. Having a sound card integrated into the motherboard can be a great way to reduce costs. Another point is that most integrated sound cards are just as good as sound cards purchased separately.

Budget motherboards can come with their own graphics card integrated as well. If you have no need for gaming, this can be another way to further reduce costs. If you plan on doing anything graphics related (gaming, watching movies, etc..) I would opt for a separate video card.

Note: Purchasing a motherboard with an integrated video card does not limit you to using only the integrated one. You can always install a more powerful one later.

Memory (RAM)

Memory connects to the motherboard and its main function is to provide a virtual space to store often used data. You will need to look at your motherboard specifications to find out what type of memory your system can use.

Memory is one of those components where you can't really have enough of it. The more memory you have, the more system resources you can use. Budget systems can get away with 1-2GB's of RAM, while gaming systems will require more (3-4GB's).

Tailor your system to your own needs. If you are only surfing the web, you can get by with 1-2GB's. If you are playing the latest game, you will need to double it.

Graphics Card

In the gaming community the graphics card is king. If you plan on doing any gaming, most of your systems cost will be spent on this piece of hardware. The best buy's with graphics cards are the "second" newest models. Just like everything else in life, the newer stuff always cost's more than older (or used) stuff. If you want the best bang for the buck, look at review sites to get a better picture on costs and features.

Most graphics cards are priced by their memory (64, 128, 256, 512 MB's). If you are using your computer for checking your email a 64 or 128MB card will work fine. If you spend most of your time gaming, the higher the better.

Hard Drives

Hard drives store your data in a more permanent way (unlike RAM). The three things to look for in a hard drive:

How much can it hold?
How fast is it?
What interface does it use?

Hard drive space is indicated by Gigabytes(GB) or Terabytes (TB). As we are approaching the 1TB mark, most hard drives are labeled in GB's. The higher the GB's the more it can hold. If you have a lot of music, videos and games on your system you will need a larger hard drive.

Hard drive speed is another factor in purchasing. Hard drive speed is calculated just like cars, in RPM's. The higher the RPM's the faster the drive can find your information.

The interface the drive uses will help you determine if it can connect to your motherboard. If your motherboard only has slots for SATA drives, you can't buy a IDE/ATA drive.

Network Interface Card (NIC's)

A NIC is a card that allows you to connect to the Internet over a broadband (or faster) service. Without this device you will not be able connect your cable modem/DSL modem to your computer. Most of these are rather cheap.

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