1. A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC Fifth Edition Chapter 23 Purchasing a PC or Building Your Own

2. 2 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition Selecting a Personal Computer to Meet Your Needs Upgrade an existing PC  Cost does not exceed half the value of current system  Resulting system does not contain legacy components that might compromise performance  The computer system is less than five years old Buy or build a new PC

3. 3 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition Upgrade Hardware Memory CPU Hard drive Video card Motherboard Cooling fans

4. 4 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition Upgrade Software OS Device drivers Applications

5. 5 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition Upgrading a PC Verify availability of drivers Match motherboard bus types to expansion cards  Consider number of available expansion slots Heed voltage requirements of processor Consider new memory modules and processor for new motherboard

6. 6 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition Upgrading a PC ( continued ) Verify that OS supports dual processing (if desired) Verify available space on hard drive Flash BIOS before installing new peripheral

7. 7 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition Buy a New PC A brand-name PC A clone: a PC assembled by a local company Assemble a PC yourself

8. 8 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition A Brand-Name PC versus a Clone A brand-name PC  Costs more than a clone  Generally provides better after-sales service and additional support  May be more proprietary Potential for difficulty in upgrading and repairing

9. 9 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition Selecting Software Choose operating system first Choose application software  Functionality  Compatibility  Training  Documentation  Upgrade policies  Popularity

10. 10 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition Selecting Hardware Most important criteria:  Compatibility  Functionality Consider motherboard first Other considerations (eg, processing power, modem, power supply, case, documentation, internal versus external devices)

11. 11 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition Considerations When Selecting a Total Package Hardware and software included Warranty and return or exchange policy On-site or local service ACPI- and Energy Star-compliance Preinstalled software Documentation

12. 12 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition Considerations When Selecting a Total Package ( continued ) Manufacturer’s Web site Motherboard allows for expansion of RAM Unused expansion slots Ability to disable features Price  High- to middle-priced PCs offer more network capability, expandability, support, prior testing

13. 13 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition Why Build Your Own PC? Can be fun Knowledge gain Availability of hardware and software documentation and original software disks Complete control over every part

14. 14 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition Why Not Build Your Own PC? Takes time and requires patience No overall warranty on assembled product Possibility of selecting components that are incompatible Need access to an experienced technician or technical service center Probably won’t save money

15. 15 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition Getting Ready for Assembly: Selecting Parts Review functionality, compatibility, and budget needs Select motherboard first, then CPU and RAM Select case and accompanying power supply

16. 16 A+ Guide to Managing and Maintaining Your PC, Fifth Edition Getting Ready for Assembly: Selecting Parts ( continued ) Select hard drive and other drives Select video card and other peripherals (mouse, keyboard, monitor)