Student Handout #3

Topic: How to Install Computer Hardware

prepared by Mr. Lemuel C. Condes

3.1 OBJECTIVES
After going through this lesson you would be able to:
1.
2.
3.
4.

plan and prepare for assembling a computer

identify the Occupational Health and Safety policies and procedures related to the system requirements.
identify different tools, equipment and testing devices needed to carry out the assembly work.
identify different materials necessary to complete the work in accordance with established procedures and
checked against systems requirements.
5. perform the assembly process or procedures of a computer hardware.
6. check and analyze the BIOS for configuration to ensure that the system is assembled properly.
7. perform the disassembly process or procedures of a computer hardware.
3.2 INTRODUCTION
This instruction will teach you how to make a personal desktop computer. There are some steps for you to follow.
But first, you will have to prepare the following:

TOOLS

Phillips Screwdriver

Standard Screwdriver

Mechanical Pliers

Anti-static Wrist Strap or Wrist

Band to discharge your bodys
static electricity.

Flash light/Head mounted

light

Eye Protector Glasses

Longnose Pliers

MATERIALS

Motherboard-the main board in

the computer also called the
system board.

Central processing Unit

(CPU) (Please refer to
image 1.1 on page 10)

Random access
memory (RAM) Used to
temporarily hold data and
programs while the CPU
processes both.

Hard drive The main

secondary storage
device of a PC.

Power supply a box inside the

computer case that supplies power
to the motherboard and other
installed devices.

SATA and/or IDE Cablesconnects Hard drive or CDROM drive to the

motherboard.

Power Cable-provides
connection between
power source and the
system unit.

Case-houses the
hardware components of
a computer.

Monitor (please refer to Table

1.2 on page 10)

Keyboard (please refer to Table

1.12 on page 9)

Mouse (please refer

to Table 1.12 on
page 9)

EQUIPMENT

Working Table with rubber mat

Uninterruptible Power
Supply (UPS) - Rechargeable
power supply but only lasts for
30 minutes.

3.3 PREPARATION
Proper preparation is the key to a successful build. Before you begin, make sure:

you have all the tools you will need,

secure a clear, well-lit workspace,

gather all the components youll be using,

verify that everything that is supposed to be there is actually present, and read the manuals if its a new unit.

3.4 SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Safety precautions are important for your own security.
Please read the following Occupational Health and Safety
policies and procedures thoroughly.
1. Do not work alone so that there's someone who can
take care of you in case of emergency.
2. Take away any liquid near your working area to avoid
getting electrocuted or accidentally damaging computer
parts.
3. Be careful with tools that may cause short circuit.
4. Always ground or discharge yourself before touching any part of the computer.
5. Do not use excessive force if things don't quite slip into place.
6. Hold the components on the edges and do not touch the Integrated Circuit (IC) parts.
7. Always wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
8. Contingency measures should be recognized.
3.5 PROCEDURES ON ASSEMBLING COMPUTER HARDWARE

STEPS AND PROCEDURE

Step 1: Prepare the Motherboard then

install the CPU on it.

PICTURE REPRESENTATIONS

Step 2: Connect the CPU cooler to the

Motherboard. Be sure to apply thermal
paste to the CPU before installing the
cooling fan.

Step 3: Attach the RAM (memory)

modules on its corresponding slots in the
motherboard.

Step 4: Open the case and mount in the

power supply.

Step 5: Suitably position the Motherboard

and install it in the case.

Step 6: Mount the Hard disk and connect

it to the power supply and the
motherboard.

Step 7: Connect the SATA (or IDE)

connectors to the drives and to the
Motherboard.

Step 8: Connect the case switches to the

motherboard.

Step 9: Connect the 20 or 24-pin ATX

connector and the 4-pin power supply
control connector to the motherboard.

Step 10: Cover the case and stand it up

ready for connecting it to the main
peripherals.

Step 11: Connect the VGA cable of the

monitor to the VGA port of the
motherboard located at the back of the
system unit.

Step 12: Connect the keyboard and

mouse cord to the back of the system unit.

Step 13: Connect one power cord to the

system unit and one to the monitor.

Step 14: Plug-in the power cords to the

UPS.

Step 15: Plug-in the UPS to the power

source outlet.

Step 16: Switch on the UPS then turn on

the Computer.

Step 17: Check the BIOS for

configuration. Press F1, F2 or Delete
keys upon booting to enter the BIOS
Setup then check the contents. If the Hard
Drive is detected, then the computer is
properly assembled.

3.6 PROCEDURES ON DISASSEMBLING COMPUTER HARDWARE

Follow the Safety Precautions then perform the Steps on Assembling Procedures in reverse order, starting
from Step 16.
3.7 HOW TO CHANGE COMPUTER BIOS SETTINGS
Knowing how to access and change settings in your BIOS can save you a lot of headaches when troubleshooting
a computer. The method varies for every computer, but this guide will show you how to access and change your BIOS
settings.

METHOD 1 OF 3: Enter the BIOS

1. Boot the computer. As the

manufacturers logo appears, press
the designated setup button to enter
the BIOS. The key varies by
manufacturer. Typical setups keys are
F2, F10, F12, and Del. The key will be
displayed on the screen with the
manufacturers logo.

2. Rapidly strike the setup key. Newer

computers can boot very fast. Once
you figure out your setup key, rapidly
press it when booting the computer.
This will give you a greater chance of
entering the BIOS. You may have to
repeat the process several times if
you have difficulty with the timing.
NOTE: If you are running Windows 8
and cannot access the BIOS, see the
Entering Windows 8 Boot Options
section.

3. Wait for your BIOS to load. After

successfully hitting the setup key, the
BIOS will load. This should only take a
few moments. When the loading is
complete, you will be taken to the
BIOS settings menu.

METHOD 2 OF 3: Adjust Settings

1. Navigate the BIOS. Every

manufacturer has a different layout for
their BIOS menu, but most share
some common settings. These include
power settings, date and time settings,
boot order, and more.
NOTE: BIOS menus do not support
mouse input. You will need to
navigate the menus using your
keyboard. Most BIOS allow you to
move through menus with the arrow
keys, while some use specific keys for
specific menus, or + and keys for
navigation.

2. Change your settings carefully.

When adjusting settings in your BIOS,
be sure that you certain what the
settings will affect. Changing settings
incorrectly can lead to system or
hardware failure.

3. Change the boot order. If you want

to change what device to boot from,
enter the Boot menu. From here, you
can designate which device the
computer will attempt to boot from
first. This is useful for booting from a
disc to install or repair an operating
system.

4. Create a BIOS password. You can

create a password that will lock the
computer from booting unless the
correct password is entered.

5. Change your date and time. Your

BIOSs clock will dictate your
Windows clock. If the battery has
been recently replaced, your clock will
most likely have been reset. You can
adjust your clock settings from the
BIOS.

6. Change fan speeds and system

voltages. These options are for
advanced users only. In this menu,
you can overclock your CPU,
potentially giving more performance.
This should be performed only if you
are comfortable with your computers
hardware. Check out our [[Overclock a
PC | guide on overclocking] for more
information.

7. Save and exit. When you are finished

adjusting your settings, you will need
to save and exit in order for your
changes to take effect. When you
save and restart, your computer will
reboot with the new settings.

METHOD 3 OF 3: Enter Windows 8 Boot Options

1. Understand what is new with
Windows 8 booting. Windows 8
often boots too quickly to manually
enter the BIOS menu via the setup
key. If you are running a solid state
drive, you may have as little as .2
seconds to successfully press the
setup key. Windows 8 allow you to
enter a new Advanced Startup menu
that replaces the functions of the
BIOS.
NOTE: This method only works if you
have a UEFI-enabled motherboard. These
are relatively recent releases, so older
systems running Windows 8 will have to
enter BIOS the old manual way.

2. Open Windows Settings. You can do

this by pressing the Windows key + C
to open the sidebar. Click the Settings
button in the sidebar. Once the
Settings menu is open, select the
General tab.

3. Restart with Advanced startup.

Under the Advanced startup section in
the General settings, click Restart
Now. This will reboot the computer
into the Advanced Startup menu.
NOTE: Alternatively, you can hold down
the Shift key while clicking the Restart
button in the Shut Down menu.

4. Adjust your settings. To access the

BIOS settings, click the Troubleshoot
button. This will open the Advanced
options menu. From this menu, you
can adjust your BIOS settings by
clicking UEFI Firmware Settings. If
you dont see this option, you do not
have a UEFI-enabled motherboard.

5. Change the boot device. If you

would like to boot from a disc or
another drive, return to the main
Advanced Startup menu. Click the
Use a device button. This will allow
you to select which device you would
like to boot from, such as your DVD
drive or a flash drive.

3.7.1

Tips

A useful task is to check the boot order. If you have the OS on the hard drive, make sure that the hard drive is the
first in the boot order. This can save a few seconds off boot time.

Keep a copy of your motherboard's documentation (a.k.a. User Manual) with you in case you can't get in or out of
the BIOS, or you need help changing something.

Backup your BIOS settings by recording them on paper once your PC is running and before you make any
changes to them.

3.7.2

Warnings

Don't change anything if you don't know what you're doing.

If you are going to flash the BIOS after, do NOT attempt this. If you have already changed settings, you must
reset your BIOS. Instructions on how to reset your BIOS can be found here: Reset Your BIOS

STUDENT STUDY GUIDE

PART 1 MULTIPLE-CHOICE: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Please write your choice on your answer
sheet.
1. __________ It is an input device that allows the user to move a cursor around a screen and select programs with the
click of a button.
a. Monitor
b. Mouse
c. Keyboard
d. Printer
2. __________ Refers to the legislation, policies, procedures and activities that aim to protect the health, safety and
welfare of all people at the workplace.
a. Republic Act
b. House Rules
c. Occupational Health and Safety
d. Presidential Decree
3. __________ A person that deals with the troubleshooting of a computer.
a. Computer Technician
b. Computer Programmer
c. Computer Troubleshooter
d. Computer Doctor
4. __________ What is the most important hardware component of a computer?
a. Processor
b. Monitor
c. Mouse
d. Keyboard
5. __________ The two primary components of a computer are:
a. Input and Output
b. Hardware and Software
c. Keyboard and Mouse
d. Monitor and Printer
PART 2 TRUE OR FALSE: Write true if the following statement is true and write wrong if it is wrong. Please
write your choice on your answer sheet.
1. ______________________ It is okay to work alone when assembling a computer.
2. ______________________ It is important to hold the components on its edges so that the ICs wont be damaged.
3. ______________________ The RAM is also called the Central Processing Unit.
4. ______________________ Input device shows the information after processing in an understandable and usable
form.
5. ______________________ Software is the physical component of a computer.
PART 3 IDENTIFICATION: Identify each item below. Please write your choice on your answer sheet.
1. __________________ - a rechargeable power supply that only lasts for 30 minutes.
2. __________________ - used to temporarily hold data and programs while the CPU processes both.
3. __________________ - provides connection between power source and the system unit.
4. __________________ - the main secondary storage device of a PC.
5. __________________ - the main board in the computer also called the system board.
6. __________________ - a common input device through which data and instructions may be typed into computer
memory.
7. __________________ - houses the hardware components of a computer.
8. __________________ - it is used for Electro-Static Discharge or ESD.
9. __________________ - the primary storage device which holds the data while processing.
10. __________________ - a box inside the computer case that supplies power to the motherboard and other installed
devices.