How To Questions

How to Build a Computer

While many companies with pre built systems now offer competitive pricing, there are still a lot of benefits to building your own.  Often times the exact system you need may not be available, or you may not be given the flexibility for certain component preferences, or may have features that are unnecessary.  It’s not difficult to learn how to build a computer, and try yourself. Give it a whirl by following these easy, step by step instructions.

1. Get a decent hardware magazine, or do some research on the web, to find out which components provide the most bang for your buck.
2. First, choose the processor you want.
3. Next, select a motherboard which works with your processor
4. Choose memory (RAM) compatible with your motherboard chip-set
5. Choose a hard-drive with the correct interface (usually SATA on current systems)
6. If graphic intensive applications are planned, or if the motherboard does not have on board graphics, a graphics adaptor is required
7. Find a relatively static-free location to build in, not on carpet
8. Make sure to touch your case before installing any component
9. Screw the motherboard into the case using the included mounts with the case
10. Plug in the processor to the processor socket
11. Attach the supplied heat-sink and fan using the supplied heat sink compound, and plug in the fan to the marked location on the motherboard if appropriate
12. Plug in the memory to the memory slots located on the motherboard
13. Remove the expansion slot cover, and insert the video card to the case
14. Screw in the hard-drive into the bay
15. Attach the power cables from the supply to the motherboard and all powered components

This is how to build a computer, simply follow the step by step instructions, and add any additional components you may want.  Assembling a computer isn’t any more difficult than many assembly tasks, as most of the tasks are logical and well-labeled.  After following these step by step instructions, you may find that you have a better computer than anyone of your friends or one that you can buy at the store.  A great reason to build your own computer is so that you can customize each piece, which is difficult to do when you buy a pre-built PC at the store. Good luck building your computer.

Learning how to drive a manual transmission, also know as a standard transmission, is a moderately challenging endevour. But many car aphicionados swear that once you learn how to handle a stick shift, the rewards will be infinite.

In order to follow this how to guide, you will need two important components;

• a car with a manual transmission
• a place to drive

Now, here is the step by step guide on how to drive a manual car;

First, a car with a standard transmission looks a little different in the drivers seat. Different from the automatic, there are three foot pedals for the manual car. The left pedal is the clutch, the middle pedal is the brake, and the long pedal on the right is the gas or accelorator. Also, there will be a stick shift to the right of the driver in the center console, this is used to switch gears.

It is time to get into your car and get comfortable. Make sure that the seat is positioned that you can reach the pedals comfortably. And never forget to put your seatbelt on BEFORE operating the vehical.

The job of the clutch is to disengage the fly wheel from the engine and allow it to spin freely, so that the transmission can switch gears. When it is depressed, the flywheel is disengaged, and the car can be shifted from one gear to the next, or if the car is stopped, it can be put in reverse.

When you comfortably in the driver seat, with your seatbelt secure, and the car is NOT running, depress the clutch pedal all the way to the floor.

Now, place your hand on the gear shift and move it to the neutral position. Neutral is the middle position where the stick can be freely moved from side to side. The car is now out of gear.

Keep the clutch depressed, and turn on the car ignition. Most new cars require the clutch to be engaged before the ignition can be turned over, but some older cars do not have this safety feature.

Now the car is idling, you can remove your foot from the clutch. Because the car is in neutral, or out of gear, the clutch does not need to be pressed in.

The first exercise is going to be to drive the car forward, so if the car needs to be backed up first you will need to get someone to back the car up first. Make sure that you are on the road with no obstructions in front of you before proceeding.

Depress the clutch to the floor. Move the gear stick to the first position, first gear. This is normally to the left and forward. Keep the clutch depressed.

Your other foot should be on the accelerator, but the pedal should not be depressed. Think of the relationship between the clutch and the accelerator as a teeter totter. As one side is allowed up, the other should be depressed. Slowly let the clutch up, and at the same time, begin to lightly push down on the accelerator.

The car is going to begin moving forward. This is happening because the fly wheel is being engaged with the engine, and the car is in first gear. This means that the engine is going to need fuel to move the vehicle forward, this is why you are giving the car gas when pressing the accelerator.

If you give too much fuel, the cars RPM’s will spike, and the vehicle will jerk forward. If you do not give enough fuel as you release the clutch too quickly, the car will likely stall.

As you move forward keep an eye (and an ear) on the RPM gauge. When the RPM’s reach 3000 - 3500, it is time to switch to the next gear. Each time you switch gears, you will need to press the clutch down, switch gears on the shaft, and then slowly release the clutch.

Notes to keep in mind when driving a manual car;

Hills are going to be the biggest challenge to new drivers of manual transmissions. When starting or stopping on a hill, make sure to use the emergency brake or you will run the risk of rolling backwards.

It is important that you push the clutch down fully when shifting gears. It is easy to get lazy, but it is hard on your transmission.

Your ears will be as important as your eyes. A manual transmission makes sounds that the driver will become accustom. The car is telling you when to shift gears, you just need to know what it is telling you, and that only happens by listening. Beginners, turn down the stereo and listen to your car.

Nothing is the world beats a charcoal grill when it comes to cooking outside. There are many benefits to this type of cooking, flavor and health being two of them. But perhaps one of the reasons why charcoal grill cooking is such a popular activity for a hot summer weekend, is that is often a great social activity to be down with friends. While the propane BBQ has made charcoal cooking a rarity, an aficionado of good food will tell you there is a HUGE difference. There is no reason why you need to spend hundreds of dollars to get a good charcoal grill, as we have a slick solution that can be done on a tight budget. We are going to show you how to make your own charcoal grill, and it is going to be easy to do.  One thing to note about the how to project below, if you decide to use the bottom of a metal barrel for the base of your grill, then you will need additional steps and tools which are not outlined here. If you access to a large truck or tractor tire rim, that is our preferred option. Good luck, and enjoy the project, which will be much easier to do when there is a steak on the grill and beer in hand.

Things you will need;

• Tire Rim from a Large Truck / Tractor OR Bottom of a Metal Barrel with folded edges (about 14″ high)
• A Shovel
• Bright Colored Spray Paint
• Water Source
• Gravel or Rocks
• 15lbs (or more) bag charcoal
• A Large Grill Rack which will fit on your tire rim or barrel

Step by Step Instructions on How to Make Your Charcoal Grill

1. Select a place outdoor in your backyard, where you want as a permanent place for your charcoal grill. The grill is going to be dug into the ground, so an area which is uncovered and not close to a building, and an area where it will be ok to do some limited digging (i.e. not the nicely manicured lawn).
2. The Tire rim (preferably) or barrel is going to form the base of the charcoal grill. Take the base of the grill and lay it on the ground where the grill is going to be fixed.
3. Now, take out your can of spray paint, and mark the circumference of your base clearly. Remove the base, and then allow the paint to dry.
4. Once dry, dig out the marked region using your shovel. The how does not need to be deep, approximately 6 - 8 inches, but it should be kept as level as possible.
5. Take your base and place it on the ground and in the hole. The top of the base should be about 8″ above the ground. VERY IMPORTANT: If you are using a barrel, remember that you need to make sure the edges are folded over, so there are no sharp edges exposed.
6. Once the base is place in the hole, pack it in with dirt to secure it to the ground. Use either a hose or a bucket of water to wet the surrounding soil and then pack the dirt in again.
7. Use the gravel or rocks and place them around the exposed base. This is going to protect the grill, and provide some needed stability. Make sure to create a solid foundation around the grill, or the grill will not last very long. There is no hard rule on how much rock is needed, but an 8″ thick wall is a good baseline.
8. You can now put the charcoal inside the grill, and the rack on top. The only thing left to do is light, and add the juice steaks.

You are now ready to enjoy charcoal grill, which truly is yours. There is something to be said about the satisfaction of a successful How To project, but making your own charcoal grill truly will make your dinners taste better.

Some final notes;

• You can also use this to create a wood burning grill, simply get a small roaring fire inside and burn down to coals, which is more suitable for grilling.
• Keep a bucket of water or a hose nearby at all times you are using the grill, just in case.
• Do not leave unattended, EVER.
• Enjoy your charcoal grill.
• Oh, by the way, I like mine medium rare, so if you feel the need to express your gratitude for this little set of instructions, I will work for food.

Here is an excellent video that we found which explains an easy to follow, and quick method on how to cook a roast beef dinner in under 20 minutes. The dinner is complete with potatoes and vegetables, and can be done using as few pots as possible. There is even a gravy sauce to top your roast beef and potatoes. The magic to this meal has to be the fact that the roast beef is done in approximately 20 minutes (my experience with this recipe is a little longer, as I found the potatoes need a few extra minutes, and my wife likes the roast beef medium rare). The first thing to keep in mind is that the roast beef is done not in an oven, but a skillet. For this recipe, you will need;

1. 2lb bottom round roast beef,
2. Potatoes (I like red potatoes, cut into eighths),
3. Vegetables such as carrots, broccoli
4. Fresh Herbs such as Tyme
5. Skillet with cover
6. Pot with Vegetable Steamer

The How to Video takes about 10 minutes to watch, and the chef does a nice job with the final presentation. A couple of things to keep in mind with the video, first is that they showcase a cooking method called ’stack cooking’, which I didn’t follow, as most of my pots at not flat tops so it was not feasible. Second, I used custom cut a top sirloin roast which was about 2lbs, but this did not seem to affect the end product. Third, I was little more liberal with the use of oil in the cooking, as well as a wider variety of herbs. The chef throws in some tyme, which is one of my favorites, but I also added a couple of full cloves of garlic, and seasoned the meat with a salt, pepper, mustard and Montreal Steak spice rub. And of course, as I mentioned before, cooking time will be extended depending on how you like your roast beef, the 20 minutes cooking resulted in a rare roast beef for myself.

A final observation is I think that everyone should keep in mind when watching the video is to see how long the chef sears (browns) the roast beef. This part is really important, as the roast will dry out if the outside has not been seared properly.