Fixing your own computer at home introduction

I know it sounds Really hard and expensive and it takes a long time, and it's better to pay to a "Professional" to fix my computer. But i can tell you right now, that it's not really hard or complicated, anyone can do it. I will explain you how in my next posts. After this you will be able to:

Proper diagnose and repair any problem your computer has.

Fix, switch any component in your computer

Save money

So stay tunned for my next posts, Because the Fixing part of my blog is coming!

Icemanya.

Choosing Operative system

First of all what can i say about an operative system.

Operating system (commonly abbreviated to either OS or O/S) is an interface between hardware and user; it is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of the limited resources of the computer. The operating system acts as a host for applications that are run on the machine. As a host, one of the purposes of an operating system is to handle the details of the operation of the hardware. This relieves application programs from having to manage these details and makes it easier to write applications. Almost all computers, including handheld computers, desktop computers, supercomputers, and even video game consoles, use an operating system of some type. Some of the oldest models may however use an embedded operating system, that may be contained on a compact disk or other data storage device.

Operating systems offer a number of services to application programs and users. Applications access these services through application programming interfaces (APIs) or system calls. By invoking these interfaces, the application can request a service from the operating system, pass parameters, and receive the results of the operation. Users may also interact with the operating system with some kind of software user interface (UI) like typing commands by using command line interface (CLI) or using a graphical user interface (GUI, commonly pronounced “gooey”). For hand-held and desktop computers, the user interface is generally considered part of the operating system. On large multi-user systems like Unix and Unix-like systems, the user interface is generally implemented as an application program that runs outside the operating system. (Whether the user interface should be included as part of the operating system is a point of contention.)
Ubuntu, a GNU/Linux based operating system

Common contemporary operating systems include Darwin (Mac OS X), Windows NT (XP/Vista/7), Linux, BSD and SunOS (Solaris/OpenSolaris). While servers generally rans by Unix or Unix-like operating systems, embedded system markets are split amongst several operating systems.


So what's the best operative system for my computer?!

Well it all depends on what computer you have and what you want your computer to. Ex: Games, graphic/video edditing, websurfing, documents....
Depending on what system you have i will go by some o/s you might consider for your machine.

For Gamers: Windows Xp Professional sp3. OR Windows vista ultimate.

For graphic/video editing: Mac OS or Ubuntu

For websurfing and such: Windows xp.

Choosing Keyboard and mouse

Well there isn't much to know when getting a keyboard and a mouse. Bu there are some points to have in mind before getting a keyboard and mouse.

What to get and what not to get.

What to get:
Optical mouse.
ergonomic mouse and keyboard. (if you will spend too much time on the computer, confort is the best)
Bundles ( keyboard and mouse, you can save a lot of money by getting a bundle)
Brand. ( better to get a keyboard and mouse of brands you know or heard about, then the ones no one has ever seen before)
Illumitaion

What not to get:
Wireless keyboard and mouse. ( there are so many reasos not to get those)
Latex or any other synthetic rubber keyboard.
Mouse that doesn't fit your hand properly
Mouse that has a lot of buttons( i hate those, you accidentaly click on so many buttons at the same time)

That's pretty much it. Consider the price and a nice keyboard and mouse.

Choosing you Monitor.

The Monitor. What do you need to know and what can i tell you before getting one.

A visual display unit, often called simply a monitor or display, is a piece of electrical equipment which displays images generated from the video output of devices such as computers, without producing a permanent record. Most newer monitors typically consist of a [TFT-LCD](thin film transistor liquid crystal display) with older monitors based around a cathode ray tube (CRT). Almost all of the mainstream new monitors being sold on market now are LCD. The monitor comprises the display device, simple circuitry to generate and format a picture from video sent by the signals source, and usually an enclosure. Within the signal source, either as an integral section or a modular component, there is a display adapter to generate video in a format compatible with the monitor.

Things to consider:

The size
Imaging technologies
Performance measurements
Pros and cons


The Screen Size

The size of a display is typically given as the distance between two opposite screen corners. One problem with this method is that it does not distinguish between the aspect ratios of monitors with identical diagonal sizes, in spite of the fact that a shape of a given diagonal span's area decreases as it becomes less square. For example, a 4:3 21" monitor has an area of 211 square inches, while a 16:9 21" widescreen has an area of only 188 square inches.

This method of measurement is from the first types of CRT television, when round picture tubes were in common use. Being circular, they only needed to use their diameter to describe their tube size. When round tubes were used to display rectangular images, the diagonal measurement was equivalent to the round tube's diameter. This method continued even when CRT tubes were manufactured as rounded rectangles.

Imaging technologies

As with television, many different hardware technologies exist for displaying computer-generated output:

Liquid crystal display (LCD). TFT LCDs are currently the most popular display device for computers.

Cathode ray tube (CRT)
computer monitors produce images using pixels. These were the most popular display device for older computers.

Plasma display

Video projectors use CRT, LCD, DLP, LCoS, and other technology to emit light to a projection screen. Front projectors use screens as reflectors to send light back, while rear projectors use screens as diffusers to refract light forward. Rear projectors are often integrated into the same case as their screen.

Surface-conduction electron-emitter display (SED)

Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display


Performance measurements

The performance of a monitor is measured in the following parameters:

Luminance is measured in candelas per square meter.

Viewable image size is measured diagonally. For CRTs, the viewable size is typically one inch (25 mm) smaller than the tube itself.

Display resolution is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. Maximum resolution is limited by dot pitch.

Dot pitch is the distance between pixels of the same color in millimeters. In general, the smaller the dot pitch, the sharper the picture will appear.

Refresh rate is the number of times in a second that a display is illuminated. Maximum refresh rate is limited by response time.

Response time is the amount of time a pixel in a monitor takes to go from active (black) to inactive (white) and back to active (black) again. It is measured in milliseconds. Lower numbers mean faster transitions and therefore fewer visible image artifacts.

Contrast ratio is the ratio of the luminosity of the brightest color (white) to that of the darkest color (black) that the monitor is capable of producing.

Power consumption is measured in watts.

Aspect ratios is the ratio of the horizontal length to the vertical length. 4:3 is the standard aspect ratio, for example, so that a screen with a width of 1024 pixels will have a height of 768 pixels. If a widescreen display has an aspect ratio of 16:9, a display that is 1024 pixels wide will have a height of 576 pixels.

Viewing angle is the maximum angle at which images on the monitor can be viewed, without excessive degradation to the images. It is measured in degrees horizontally and vertically.

Pros and Cons

CRT

Pros:

Very high contrast ratio. 20,000:1 or greater, much higher than many modern LCDs and plasma displays.
High speed response.
Excellent Additive color, wide gamut and low black level limited only by external environment.
Can display natively in almost any resolution and refresh rate.
Near zero color, saturation, contrast or brightness distortion. Excellent viewing angle.
No input lag.
A reliable, proven display technology.

Cons:

Large size and weight (a 40" unit weighs over 200lbs).

Geometric distortion in non-flat CRTs.

Older CRTs are prone to burn-in.

Warm up time required prior to peak luminance and proper color rendering.

Greater power consumption than similarly sized displays, such as LCD.
Screened devices are prone to moiré effect at highest resolution (does not apply to triple-tube projection)

Intolerant of damp conditions, with dangerous wet failure characteristics.

Small risk of implosion (due to internal vacuum) if the picture tube is broken in aging sets.

Use under Lower refresh rates causes noticeable flicker.

Internal lethally high voltages.

Flyback transformer produces characteristic high-pitched noise when close to set.

Increasingly difficult to obtain models at HDTV resolutions, due to consumers' perception of antiquity.


LCD

Pros:

Very compact and light.

Low power consumption.

No geometric distortion.

Rugged.

Little or no flicker depending on back light.

Cons:

Low contrast ratio.

Limited viewing angle, causing color, saturation, contrast and brightness to vary, even within the intended viewing angle, by mere variations in posture.

Uneven back lighting in some monitors, causing brightness distortion, especially toward the edges.

Slow response times, which cause smearing and ghosting artifacts (although many modern LCDs have response times of 8ms or less).

Only one native resolution. Displaying other resolutions requires a video scaler, which degrades image quality at lower resolutions.

Fixed bit depth, many cheaper LCDs are incapable of truecolor.

Input lag.

Somewhat more expensive than CRT.

Dead pixels are possible during manufacturing.


Plasma


Pros:

Compact and light.

High contrast ratios (10,000:1 or greater).

High speed response.

Excellent color, wide gamut and low black level.

Near zero color, saturation, contrast or brightness distortion. Excellent viewing angle.

No geometric distortion.

Highly scalable, with less weight gain per increase in size (from less than 30 inches wide to the world's largest at 150 inches).

Cons:

Large pixel pitch means either low resolution or a large screen

Noticeable flicker when viewed at close range

High operating temperature.

Somewhat more expensive than LCD.

High power consumption.

Only has one native resolution. Displaying other resolutions requires a video scaler, which degrades image quality at lower resolutions.

Fixed bit depth.

Input lag.

Older PDPs are prone to burn-in.

Dead pixels are possible during manufacturing.


Penetron


Pros:

See-through for transparent HUDs (although LCDs are also transparent, they are not self-lighting.)

Very high contrast ratios.

Extremely sharp.

Cons:

Color displays are limited to about four tints.

Orders of magnitude more expensive than the other display technologies listed here.

Having that in mind. Choose your monitor, and proceed to the keyboard and mouse.

Choosing the Power supply

What is a Power supply unit on a computer?!
A power supply unit (PSU) is the component that supplies power to a computer. More specifically, a power supply is typically designed to convert 100-120 V (North America and Japan) or 220-240 V (New Zealand, Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia) AC power from the mains to usable low-voltage DC power for the internal components of the computer. Some power supplies have a switch to change between 230 V and 115 V. Other models have automatic sensors that switch input voltage automatically, or are able to accept any voltage between those limits.
The most common computer power supplies are built to conform with the ATX form factor. This enables different power supplies to be interchangeable with different components inside the computer.

That being said let's see
what you need to know before buying one.
Power Rating
Connectors
Energy efficiency
Facts to consider

Power Rating
Computer power supplies are rated based on their maximum output power. Typical power ranges are from 300 W to 500 W (lower than 300 W for Small form factor systems) and are intended for ordinary home computers, the use of which is limited to Internet-surfing and burning and playing DVDs. Power supplies used by gamers and enthusiasts mostly range from 450 W to 1400 W. Typical gaming PCs feature power supplies in the range of 500-800 W, with higher-end PCs demanding 800-1400 W supplies. The highest-end units are up to 2 kW strong and are intended mainly for servers and, to a lesser degree, extreme performance computers with multiple processors, several hard disks and multiple graphics cards (ATI CrossFire or NVIDIA SLI). The power rating of a PC power supply is not officially certified and is self-claimed by each manufacturer.A common way to reach the power figure for PC PSUs is by adding the power available on each rail, which will not give a true power figure. This means that you cannot use the PSU maximum rating on one rail, but only as a total. Therefore you can overload a PSU on one rail without having to use the maximum rated power.
Very few computers require more than 300–350 watts maximum.Higher end computers such as servers and gaming machines with multiple high power GPUs are among the few exceptions.

Connectors
power supplies have the following connectors:

PC Main power connector (usually called P1): Is the connector that goes to the motherboard to provide it with power. The connector has 20 or 24 pins. One of the pins belongs to the PS-ON wire (it is usually green). This connector is the largest of all the connectors. In older AT power supplies, this connector was split in two: P8 and P9. If you have a power supply with a 24-pin connector, you can plug it into a motherboard with a 20-pin connector. In cases where the motherboard has a 24-pin connector, some power supplies come with two connectors (one with 20-pin and other with 4-pin) which can be used together to form the 24-pin connector.

ATX12V 4-pin power connector (also called the P4 power connector). A second connector that goes to the motherboard (in addition to the main 24-pin connector) to supply dedicated power for the processor. For high-end motherboards and processors, more power is required, therefore EPS12V has an 8 pin connector.

4-pin Peripheral power connectors (usually called Molex for its manufacturer): These are the other, smaller connectors that go to the various disk drives of the computer. Most of them have four wires: two black, one red, and one yellow. Unlike the standard mains electrical wire color-coding, each black wire is a ground, the red wire is +5 V, and the yellow wire is +12 V. In some cases these are also used to provide additional power to PCI cards such as FireWire 800 cards.

4-pin Berg power connectors (usually called Mini-connector or "mini-Molex"): This is one of the smallest connectors that supplies the floppy drive with power. In some cases, it can be used as an auxiliary connector for AGP video cards. Its cable configuration is similar to the Peripheral connector.

Auxiliary power connectors: There are several types of auxiliary connectors designed to provide additional power if it is needed.

Serial ATA power connectors: a 5-pin connector for components which use SATA power plugs. This connector supplies power at three different voltages: +3.3, +5, and +12 volts.

6-pin Most modern computer power supplies include 6-pin connectors which are generally used for PCI Express graphics cards, but a newly introduced 8-pin connector should be seen on the latest model power supplies. Each PCI Express 6-pin connector can output a maximum of 75 W.

6+2 pin For the purpose of backwards compatibility, some connectors designed for use with PCI Express graphics cards feature this kind of pin configuration. It allows you to connect either a 6-pin card or an 8-pin card by using two separate connection modules wired into the same sheath: one with 6 pins and another with 2 pins.

A C14 IEC connector with an appropriate C13 cord is used to attach the power supply to the local power grid.


Energy efficiency
Computer power supplies are generally about 70–75% efficient. That means in order for a 75% efficient power supply to produce 75 W of DC output it would require 100 W of AC input and dissipate the remaining 25 W in heat. Higher-quality power supplies can be over 80% efficient; higher energy efficient PSU's waste less energy in heat, and requires less airflow to cool, and as a result will be quieter. As of 2007, 93%-efficient power supplies are available.

It's important to match the capacity of a power supply to the power needs of the computer. The energy efficiency of power supplies drops significantly at low loads. Efficiency generally peaks at about 50-75% load. The curve varies from model to model (for examples of how this curve looks see the test reports of energy efficient models found on the 80 PLUS website). As a rule of thumb for standard power supplies it is usually appropriate to buy a supply such that the calculated typical consumption of your computer is about 60% of the rated capacity of the supply provided that the calculated maximum consumption of the computer does not exceed the rated capacity of the supply. Note that advice on overall power supply ratings often given by the manufacturer of single component, typically graphics cards, should be treated with great scepticism. These manufacturers wish to minimise support issues due to under rating the supply and are willing to advise you to overrate it to avoid this.


Facts to consider
1 Life span is usually measured in mean time between failures (MTBF). Higher MTBF ratings are preferable for longer device life and reliability. Quality construction consisting of industrial grade electrical components and/or a larger or higher speed fan can help to contribute to a higher MTBF rating by keeping critical components cool, thus preventing the unit from overheating. Overheating is a major cause of PSU failure. MTBF value of 100,000 hours is not uncommon.

2 Power supplies may have passive or active power factor correction (PFC). Passive PFC is a simple way of increasing the power factor by putting a coil in series with the primary filter capacitors. Active PFC is more complex and can achieve higher PF, up to 99%.

3 In computer power supplies that have more than one +12V power rail, it is preferable for stability reasons to spread the power load over the 12V rails evenly to help avoid overloading one of the rails on the power supply.
o Multiple 12V power supply rails are separately current limited as a safety feature; they are not generated separately. Despite widespread belief to the contrary, this separation has no effect on mutual interference between supply rails.
o The ATX12V 2.x and EPS12V power supply standards defer to the IEC 60950 standard, which requires that no more than 240 volt-amps be present between any two accessible points. Thus, each wire must be current-limited to no more than 20 A; typical supplies guarantee 18 A without triggering the current limit. Power supplies capable of delivering more than 18 A at 12 V connect wires in groups to two or more current sensors which will shut down the supply if excess current flows. Unlike a fuse or circuit breaker, these limits reset as soon as the overload is removed.
o Because of the above standards, almost all high-power supplies claim to implement separate rails, however this claim is often false; many omit the necessary current-limit circuitry, both for cost reasons and because it is an irritation to customers. (The lack is sometimes advertised as a feature under names like "rail fusion" or "current sharing".)

4 When the computer is powered down but the power supply is still on, it can be started remotely via Wake-on-LAN and Wake-on-Ring or locally via Keyboard Power ON (KBPO) if the motherboard supports it.

5 Most computer power supplies are a type of switched-mode power supply (SMPS).

6 Most computer power supplies have short circuit protection, overpower (overload) protection, overvoltage protection, undervoltage protection, overcurrent protection, and over temperature protection.

7 Some power supplies come with sleeved cables, which is aesthetically nicer, makes wiring easier and cleaner and have less detrimental effect on airflow.

8 There is a popular misconception that a greater power capacity (watt output capacity) is always better. Since supplies are self-certified, a manufacturer's claims may be double or more what is actually provided. Although a too-large power supply will have an extra margin of safety as far as not over-loading, a larger unit is often less efficient at lower loads (under 20% of its total capability) and therefore will waste more electricity than a more appropriately sized unit. Additionally, computer power supplies generally do not function properly if they are too lightly loaded. Under no-load conditions they may shut down or malfunction.

9 Another popular misconception is that the greater the total watt capacity is, the more suitable the power supply becomes for higher-end graphics cards. The most important factor for judging a PSUs suitability for certain graphics cards is the PSUs total 12V output, as it is that voltage on which modern graphics cards operate. If the total 12V output stated on the PSU is higher than the suggested minimum of the card, then that PSU can fully supply the card. It is however recommended that a PSU should not just cover the graphics cards' demands, as there are other components in the PC that depend on the 12V output, such as the core processor.

10 Power supplies do not always live up to what they are marketed. Most ordinary PSUs have a life expectancy of 100,000 operating hours, with higher-end PSUs going up to 200,000 hours. However, these numbers are just estimates, as a PSU can endure for over 50% of the suggested value or it can break down after just 30,000 hours, depending on use frequency. Noise can be measured from different distances and at different room temperatures.

11 Power supplies can feature magnetic amplifiers or double-forward converter circuit design.

And i will leave here how much power consumption of computer components.

PC Item	Watts
Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) card	20 to 30W
Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) card	5W
small computer system interface (SCSI) PCI card	20 to 25W
floppy disk drive	5W
network interface card	4W
50X CD-ROM drive	10 to 25W
RAM	10W per 128M
5200 RPM Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) hard disk drive	5 to 11W
7200 RPM IDE hard disk drive	5 to 15W
Motherboard (without CPU or RAM)	20 to 30W
550 MHz Pentium III	30W
733 MHz Pentium III	23.5W
300 MHz Celeron	18W
600 MHz Athlon	45W

Choosing your computer casing

I believe everyone knows what a computer case is,but ill explain in detail what it is and what you need to consider before getting one.
A computer case (also known as a computer chassis, cabinet, tower, box, enclosure, housing or simply case) is the enclosure that contains the main components of a computer.
Cases are usually constructed from steel (often SECC - Steel, Electrogalvanized, Cold-rolled, Coil), aluminium, or plastic, although other materials such as wood, plexiglas, and Lego have also been used in case designs.

Things to know before buying a computer case
Size
layout
appearance

Size
Cases can come in many different sizes (known as form factors). The size and shape of a computer case is usually determined by the form factor of the motherboard, since it is the largest component of most computers. Consequently, personal computer form factors typically specify only the internal dimensions and layout of the case. Form factors for rack-mounted and blade servers may include precise external dimensions as well, since these cases must themselves fit in specific enclosures.
For example, a case designed for an ATX motherboard and power supply may take on several external forms, such as a vertical tower (designed to sit on the floor, height > width) or a flat desktop (height < width) or pizza box (height <= 2 inches) (designed to sit on the desk under the computer's monitor). Full-size tower cases are typically larger in volume than desktop cases, with more room for drive bays and expansion slots. Desktop cases—and mini-tower cases designed for the reduced microATX form factor—are popular in business environments where space is at a premium.Currently, the most popular form factor for desktop computers is ATX, although microATX and small form factors have also become very popular for a variety of uses.

Layout
Computer cases usually include sheet metal enclosures for a power supply unit and drive bays, as well as a rear panel that can accommodate peripheral connectors protruding from the motherboard and expansion slots. Most cases also have a power button or switch, a reset button, and LEDs to indicate power status as wll as hard drive and network activity. Some cases include built-in I/O ports (such as USB and headphone ports on the front of the case. Such a case will also include the wires needed to connect these ports, switches and indicators to the motherboard.

appearance
Through the 1990s, most computer cases had simple rectangular shapes, and were often painted beige. Beige box designs are still found on a large number of budget computers assembled from generic components.
Case modding is the artistic styling of computer cases, often to draw attention to the use of advanced or unusual components. Since the early 2000s, some cases have included clear side panels or acrylic windows so that users can look inside while it is operating. Modded cases may also include internal lighting, custom paint, or liquid cooling systems. Some hobbyists build custom cases from raw materials like aluminum, steel, acrylic, or wood.

The case type you want to get deppends of your needs and your style. I say that any case that can have my motherboard and my hardware is good enough, so you dont really need a super awesome case, but just any good and cheap computer case will do.

Choosing your Hard drive

What can i tell you about the hard drive.
A hard disk drive (often shortened as "hard disk" or "hard drive"), is a non-volatile storage device which stores digitally encoded data on rapidly rotating platters with magnetic surfaces. Strictly speaking, "drive" refers to a device distinct from its medium, such as a tape drive and its tape, or a floppy disk drive and its floppy disk. Early HDDs had removable media; however, an HDD today is typically a sealed unit (except for a filtered vent hole to equalize air pressure) with fixed media.
That being said let's see

what you need to know before getting one.
Capacity
Connection type
data transfer rate (dtr)

Capacity
The capacity of an hard drive (hd) is the space it has to store files. Ex:500Gb,120Gb....
For the comnon use i would say at least 250gb. For gaming or movies as much as you can afford.
Back in the days it was really hard to get a 40Gb hard drive to get full. Today a 1TB (terabyte) is hardly enough for gamers and movies. Get one that suits your needs. And has a good Cost/Capacity rate.

Connection type
Depending on what motherboard you have the connection type isn't really that hard to match. Because there are few commonly today used connections types. Ex: sata, IDE,SCSI...
The most common and the best is Sata (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) and even sata has only 3 types, they are all the same connector, but have different transfer speed rates.

Data transfer rate (dts)
As of 2008, a typical 7200rpm desktop hard drive has a sustained "disk-to-buffer" data transfer rate of about 70 megabytes per second. Data transfer rate is the speed that you can store and access data on your hard drive. Ex:if my hard drive has 30 mb/s of data transfer rate, that tells me that it would take 1 second to save a 30mb file from any device to my hard drive.

This is basically what you need to know,about choosing your hard drive.
Next up choosing the case for your components!