Informative Speech - How to Build a PC

How to build a PC Attention Getter With a show of hands how many of you have ever wondered about the guts of your computer? Thesis Statement In order to build a desktop, one must understand what is in a computer, how they connect, and how they work. Your Credibility I am credible to talk about this because I have been assembling and disassembling computers since I was 10, have helped several schools with their computers, and helped my friends and family with them. Audience Relevance This knowledge may be useful to you because you might be curious as to what is in a computer or might want to build one yourself one day. According to the international Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development group, cited by lifehacker, “Around 5% of the U.S. population ranks at level 3, the strongest level of computer literacy … However, for the 69% of the population below level 2, complex skills are still hard to come by. 26% of people weren’t even able to use computers. Regardless, the numbers give some perspective on how skilled the overall population is”. I’m not saying any of you don’t know how to use a computer, but these skills may help you in the future. (Essay Map) Overview of your 3 Main points Today, I’m going to inform you on what parts to purchase, the process of building, and connecting it all together. SPEECH BODY a. There are several parts you need to get before building your computer. b. The case, power supply, motherboard, heatsink, ram, hard drive, and the operating system, which are relatively inexpensive, but you will also need a CPU and graphics card, which are the most expensive parts of a computer, because they are what really gives the computer its power. c. There are more components to a computer than just this, but these are the bare minimum you’ll need. Transition Statement to 2nd point Now that you know what is in a computer, it is time to put it all together. II. The process of building a. A common fear of building a computer is damaging the parts with static electricity. b. According to Chris Hoffman at How-To Geek, “You don’t have to buy anything or go too far out of your way to prevent damage from static electricity while handling your PC’s components” c. The easiest way to prevent this, without buying anything extra, is just to simply keep your hand on a grounded surface, like your computer case. d. I have worked on several computers without constantly being grounded, so I think it’s safe to assume it’s a little difficult to damage your electronics with shock. But it is never a good idea to work on a computer on a carpeted surface. e. When I build a computer, I follow this order: CPU into motherboard, RAM into motherboard, heatsink onto CPU, power supply into case, motherboard into case, hard drive into case, graphics card into motherboard, and finally I plug the cables in. You can think of the motherboard as the leader of the computer, as everything flows to it. f. To quote Jason Artman at itstillworks.com, “Each component is attached to the motherboard. The motherboard receives power from the computer's power supply. The motherboard allows all the components to communicate, including the CPU. The motherboard also contains controllers, which are circuits that help the operating system work with hardware such as the hard drive.” Transition Statement Once the computer has been properly put together, it is time to set it up. III. Putting it all together a. Once every cable has been plugged in to its proper port, now you must verify if you did everything correctly. This can be the scariest part, as this is the moment you find out if your computer works or not. b. It’s always a good idea to plug the basic parts in beforehand and test the system to make sure it boots up before assembling it. c. If your computer lights up and you hear the fans spin, congratulations you have built a computer! d. The last thing you’d do is install an operating system, and you’re good to go. SPEECH CONCLUSION Re-state your Thesis Statement In conclusion, this is a method to building your computer. Re-state what your 3 Main Points were (Essay Map) Today, I informed you on what parts to purchase, the process of building, and putting it all together. Thank you for listening, have a good rest of your day.