Now that you've chosen the parts you want, it's time to actually build the computer. The only tool that you should need is a Phillips screwdriver and about two hours of spare time to put the parts together. However, there are a couple of things you'll need to know before you get started. The first thing you should know is that static electricity is bad for computer components. What is static electricity? You know that shock you feel as you touch a doorknob after rubbing your feet on the carpet? That's right, it's static electricity. All humans have it running through their bodies, but it's important to not let it ruin your brand new computer parts. Some retailers sell wristbands that discharge the static electricity from your body, but they really aren't necessary. The easiest way to safely handle computer parts is to touch a metal object before you pick a part up (I usually use the inside of the computer case or power supply). Once again, it's not as tricky as it might seem. I've never known anyone to have fried a computer part due to static electricity, but it's always best to err on the side of safety. You'll also want to make sure not to use a magnetic screwdriver for the same reason.

The order in which you put the parts together is really a matter of personal taste. In my opinion, it's best to start out by putting your CD-rom drive, hard drive, and floppy drive in the case first. The reason I prefer to install these items first, is because once you put the motherboard in the case you won't have quite as much room to work around with. The procedure for installing the drives into your computer case vary depending on the computer case you chose. Usually they just slide in, or screw in with little or no hassle. You'll want to make sure to look at the documentation that comes with your computer case to verify the method you'll need to use. After installing the drives you'll then need to screw the motherboard to your case. Upon looking at your motherboard you should see little holes that will line up with various screw holes on your case. Next you will install the CPU into the appropriate CPU socket on the motherboard. You should see a little lever next to the socket, go ahead and raise it up. After placing the CPU into the socket, close the lever. This will lock the CPU into place.

Installing the heatsink can sometimes be the trickiest part of the computer building process, due to the bulky size of the heatsink and clips that they use. Most heatsinks will come with a compound to smear on the underside of the heatsink which will help keep the CPU cooler. However, I recommend not using the generic compound and instead using Arctic Silver, a compound that is known to aid heatsinks in keeping CPUs cooler. Because of its design, only a small drop will need to be smeared onto the top of the CPU and bottom of the heatsink. For complete instructions you should go to Arctic Silver's website at www.ArcticSilver.com. When installing the heatsink over the processor, you'll need to make sure you don't apply too much force because doing so could damage the CPU. The heatsink will have a clip on two sides that act kind of like a teeter totter. As you push the clip down onto the receiving end attached to the motherboard, the other side of the clip will raise up. Because of this, you will need to apply moderate pressure to attach the second clip to the motherboard. It's really not that difficult, but you may need to use a little bit of patience during the process.