For our final in-class project, we made an instruction set on how to complete a task of our choice. I paired up with Malak again because we have been friends since high school and have worked together several times. For this assignment, we decided to challenge ourselves with a topic we’re both interested in, how to build a computer. This was a very difficult assignment for us but we enjoyed working on it because it was probably the last project we will work on together for school. He is moving to the main campus in University Park next semester, while I’ll be studying abroad in Germany and then coming back to the Abington campus. Here is the instruction set. There were a lot of images included that could not easily be translated to wordpress so those have been left out. Below the instruction set is my reflection on writing it.
Instruction Set for Building a Computer
Julie Malsbury
Robert Jasionowski and Abdelmalak Omar
Technical Writing
April 25, 2017Introduction
❏ When you have followed the steps of this instruction set, you should have a working desktop computer with the windows operating system. This computer will be capable of web surfing, email writing, social media use, and other simple tasks.
❏ Before building the computer, you should have an understanding of how computers work on a basic level, what you want your computer to do, how to operate fragile objects without breaking them, and how to use the computer once it is turned on.
❏ You will need to purchase the computer parts that you will place in your computer, put them in the case in the right order, connect wires together, close the case, plug external wires into wall, add a mouse and keyboard, and turn on the computer. Then you will install the windows operating system and connect the computer to the internet. This will give you a fully functioning computer.
❏ The ideal condition for building a computer is a dry and well lit place with a large, flat surface to work on.
❏ In these instructions you will be putting together the right parts so that in the end you will have a fully working desktop computer.Warning
❏ The parts used in this assembly process can electrocute or cut you if not handled correctly. You can receive injuries from this guide if you are not careful.
❏ Whenever building the computer keep all parts out of reach of children and pets. Many of these parts can be swallowed or become ruined if handled incorrectly. So it is very important to keep small children and pets away from the build site.
❏ If you handle the parts incorrectly, you can also damage or ruin them beyond repair via static electricity damage, dropping, scraping, snapping, etc. If you do this, you can potentially waste hundreds of dollars in replacement parts. Please refer to the equipment and supplies page to solve this problem.Background Information
❏ You must understand how to use a computer to do simple tasks, such as running a cd
that has been put in the disk drive.❏ You should understand what the function of each part is.
❏ You should know all of the specific parts you want to put into your computer
before beginning to buy any of them.❏ You should know whether your parts will work together and plan purchasing of
them accordingly. Certain computer parts will not work together accordingly. For example, certain motherboards need a specific type of RAM chips, and processors.Equipment and Supplies
❏ Equipment
❏ Philips screwdriver
❏ Other screwdrivers depending on parts
❏ Anti-static wrist strap (Solution for not causing static electricity damage)
❏ Flashlight
❏ Supplies
❏ Power Supply
❏ CPU (Processor)
❏ Motherboard
❏ Monitor
❏ USB Mouse
❏ USB Keyboard
❏ RAM
❏ Hard drive
❏ Optical Drive
❏ Computer Case
❏ Preferred Operating System.
Instructions
Steps:
1. Do research on what you want your computer to do.
2. Plan out what specific parts you want (E.g. what specific processor you want) that fits within your budget but also fulfils the needs of the computer.
3. Ensure that your CPU and motherboard are compatible based on socket sizes. Do the same with the RAM sticks. Do research on what it means for these parts to be compatible and how to purchase accordingly.
4. Once you have all of your parts, you can begin assembly.
5. Place the Anti-static wrist strap on. This will protect your parts against static damage.
6. Open up case by unscrewing the four large screws by hand to remove covers
7. Remove the motherboard from its package and gently place the CPU onto the CPU socket on the motherboard.
8. Insert the RAM into the proper slots by lifting the latches on each side, sliding the RAM sticks in, then locking the latches back in place to firmly secure the sticks.
9. The motherboard will come with a backplate that you can now install on the back of the case. Line this backplate up with the case and the motherboard so that a USB device can be plugged through the mounted backplate into the motherboard’s USB port.
10. Now that the motherboard and backplate are in their proper positions, use the baggie of standoffs that came with the case to raise the motherboard off the floor of the case so that it is elevated.
11. After all of this is done, push the motherboard against the backplate as close as possible and secure it in that position. Use the screws provided with the motherboard or case to screw the motherboard into place.
12. Next the motherboard will be electronically connected to the case, rather than just physically. To do this, consult your motherboard’s documentation to figure out where the wires provided will be connected. This will show you exactly where to plug things in, which can vary by motherboard.
13. Next place the power supply inside the case so that the fan on the power supply faces out of the window on the back of the case.
14. After installing the motherboard, go and remove the front panel cover of the case to install the hard drive.
15. Look inside the front of the case to see if there are any brackets. If there are no brackets Slide the hard drive into the 3.5” bay in the inside of the case.a. After placing the hard drive inside the case secure it with screws on both sides.
16. On the other hand if there are brackets that came with the case, place the hard drive inside the brackets and slide the brackets into the front side of the case.
a. Secure the drive with screws on both sides.
17. Next you can install the CD drive by removing the cover at the top of the front of the case (the side opposite the backplate). Then insert the drive into the new space created by removing that plate until it fits firmly into place. Then secure it with screws on each side. Connect this to the motherboard with the motherboard cables.
18. Connect the SATA cables to the Hard Drive and the Optical Drive. Connect the other ends of the cables to the motherboard.
19. Connect the power supply to the motherboard via the 24 pin connector and 6 or 8 pin connector. These connectors need to be in for the motherboard to function.
20. Next the hard drive and the optical drive need to be connected to the power via the SATA power connectors. The connectors are the same for the hard drive and the optical drive.
21. Once you have done all of the above steps, you can close the case by placing the two large plates back onto the open sides of the case and screwing them back in.
22. Next, connect the peripherals: keyboard, mouse, and monitor. To do this, plug USB connectors on the mouse and keyboard into the USB ports on the back of the case. Plug one end of the monitor’s DVI connector into the monitor and the other end into the DVI port near the USB ports on the back of the computer.
23. Finally, connect your computer to the internet by running an ethernet cable from your home’s router to the ethernet port on the back of your computer. Hold down the clip on the cable to slide it into the port. The clip should now hold it firmly in place.
24. After everything is connected, connect the computer and the monitor to power, and boot up the computer.
25. If everything was connected properly, the BIOS screen should show up. Selecting the Standard CMOS Features tab allows you to set the date and time of your system. Also it shows a list of the connected hard drives and optical drives (if one of your drives is missing you might want to check your connections).
26. Going back to the main menu and selecting the Advanced Bios Features allows you to change the order of your drives on startup. Since we want to install an Operating system via the optical drive. Change the First Boot Device tab to CD ROM. After your operating system is installed this can be changed back to Hard Drive.
27. Open the CD drive and place in the CD of the operating system.
28. Go back to the main menu select save and exit, this will make the computer restart.
29. After the computer restarts proceed to install the operating system.
30. After the operating system is installed we need to enter the BIOS main screen once again to change the order of drives on startup.
31. To enter bios, restart the computer, when the first screen appears look for a message that indicates what button to start up BIOS. This button is most likely to be F1, F2, F3, ESC, or Delete.
32. After the button is pressed, and the BIOS main screen is shown go to Advanced Bios Features and change the First Boot Device tab to HARD DISK.
33. After that is done go back to the BIOS main screen, select Save and Exit. The computer will restart and there you will have a fully functional personal computer.Troubleshooting
❏ If you think a part is damaged and you have another usable computer, you can try replacing the working part in your other computer with it and seeing if the computer still works.
❏ If it doesn’t work, you will unfortunately have to buy a new part in most cases.
❏ If you do not have an anti-static wristband available but want to begin assembly anyway, you can manually ground yourself by touching metal objects that are connected to the ground occasionally. This will remove any static charge you may have accumulated.
❏ If you are having difficulty fitting a part into your case, try changing the order in which you place them. Bigger parts should be put in first
❏ If the computer doesn’t power up at all when it is fully assembled and turned on, then it is likely a problem with the power supply or how it was connected.❏ Check to see if all the wires are connected properly.
❏ When in doubt, google your specific problem. Other pc-builders have no doubt run into it before and can help you find a solution.
Glossary of Key Terms and Definitions
❏ Central Processing Unit (CPU) – Often described as the brain of the computer, the CPU is responsible for performing arithmetic and logical operations.
❏ Hard Disk Drive (HDD) – The component responsible for permanently storing information on the computer. Anytime pictures, movies, games, or documents are downloaded, they are stored on space in the hard drive.
❏ Motherboard – The board on which the RAM and CPU are mounted. It connects all of the hardware parts, allowing communication between them.
❏ Optical Drive – Used for reading CDs and DVDs, this is important for installing an Operating System, which is (usually) distributed on a disk. Beyond that, several forms of media still use CDs and DVDs.
❏ Power Supply – This part provides power to the entire computer by converting AC to DC power for the internal hardware.
❏ Random Access Memory (RAM) – The part in which all data in current use is kept in order to be quickly retrieved by the processor, rather than it needing to fetch the data from the hard drive. All data stored on RAM is lost when the computer turns off.
❏ Basic Input-Output System (BIOS) – Set of computer instructions to control input and output functions.
❏ Operating system (OS) – The software that controls a computer’s basic functions, like scheduling tasks, executing applications, and controlling peripherals.
❏ Serial AT Attachment (SATA) – a computer bus interface that connects host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives, optical drives, and solid-state drives.References
Cutress, I. (2013). DT_Haswell_i7_FB_678x452 [Online image]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.anandtech.com/show/6985/choosing-a-gaming-cpu-at-1440p-adding-in-haswell-
Chiappetta, M. (2013). standard-psu-100021930-large [Online image]. Retrieved fromhttp://www.pcworld.com/article/2025425/how-to-pick-the-best-pc-power-supply.html
Ward, B.(2016). ATX-motherboard [Online image]. Retrieved from https://www.pcmech.com/article/motherboard-failure-diagnosis-solutions/
ASUS. ( n.d. ). ASUS VG248QE 24″ Full HD 1920×1080 144Hz 1ms HDMI Gaming Monitor [Online image]. Retrieved from https://images-na.ssl images-amazon.com/images/I/61Fwa004pSL._SL1000_.jpg
TOSHIBA. ( n.d. ). Toshiba-KU40M [Online image]. Retrieved from https://dynaquestpc.com/product/toshiba-ku40m-combo-usb-mouse-keyboard/
Kirchner, C. (2 013). Internal computer memory [Online image]. Retrieved from http://notebooks.com/2013/10/29/how-to-choose-the-right-memory-for-your-notebook/
Diaz, J. (2015). WD Blue 1TB 7200rpm Desktop Hard Drive [Online image]. Retrieved from https://www.androidheadlines.com/2015/11/holiday-gift-guide-2015-2016-top-10-best-internal-hard-drives.html
CORSAIR. ( n.d. ). 350d_hero_down [Online image]. Retrieved from http://www.corsair.com/en-us/pc-computer-cases
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Instruction Set Reflection
The topic that myself and Malak chose to write about and present was how to build a computer. This was something that we both had some amount of experience with. We were both interested in computers and how they worked so we decided to pick the topic despite it being a difficult one to do. We both contributed evenly to the project, adding whatever we still needed to add. We didn’t necessarily have roles, we just sat in a Skype call and worked together on how to best complete the assignment step by step.
Our process was to figure out the topic in class, which we did immediately, then make a google doc and begin filling it with information. We collaborated in class and at home via Skype to fill in the google doc with steps and discuss what we wanted to leave in and what we should cut out for the sake of brevity and clarity. We slowly added information over the course of the assignment duration and the week before the assignment we both did peer review with other groups.
I was not confident in our rough draft alone because I knew it was pretty bare-bones and lacking. However I was very confident that by the end of the assignment we would be able to turn it into a great instruction set, which I believe we did.
The peer review was very helpful for me because doing a mock presentation with the two people I was reviewing with helped me figure out what I will have trouble conveying without proper graphics. I was told by one peer that I should definitely try to use as many graphics as possible on the presentation because the information is hard to visualize. Malak and I followed this advice and made the steps in the presentation nearly wordless in an effort to have as much imagery on the screen as we could get. This required us to memorize the steps or have them written on a note-card instead of having them displayed on the slides, but we managed without any notes at all because we knew the information.
After peer review we worked all week to really iron out all our steps and make a presentation that could convey the boring information well. We actually scrapped an entire presentation and re-completed it because we decided to make it more graphic-focused. We then figured out who would do what slide and individually practiced a bit, but not together at all.
The best part about creating this assignment was that I got to work with Malak. We have a lot of experience working together so the project went very smoothly and was actually pretty fun to do at times despite it being difficult as well. Trying to figure out how to best present such boring, technical information in a clear and concise way was very testing at times. However I think my personal strength was to try to explain the process as simply as possible both to the audience and to Malak when we were working on the assignment. I’ve had personal experience actually building a computer, while Malak has not. He did have decent knowledge of the parts of a computer and what they do before we started, however.
During this project, I learned how to present boring information in a more interesting way and use graphics to their full effect. I learned that as a writer I tend to write too much sometimes and need to go back and cut things back down to size in order for it to be brief enough for an audience to digest easily. I do think I could improve by writing the correct length the first time instead of writing too much and then having to fix it later.
I am confident in our final draft. I think we chose a very difficult topic but made it work well for this assignment.