While many think that the world of PCs is an off-the-rack business, virtually nothing could be further from the truth. There are millions of people out there who still prefer to "roll their own" when it comes to their PCs. Buying off the rack is easy, to be sure, but if you want a system tailored to your specifications, then you're pretty much relegated to purchasing it piecemeal, then grabbing a screwdriver and rolling up your shirtsleeves. PC gamers, graphics professionals, power user and all around geeks still prefer the "from scratch" approach. Problem is, there are a dizzying number of new technologies introduced each year - and not all of them play nice with each other. Even a bona fide, pocket protector wearing geek can have trouble sorting through the maze of hardware available.

Just some of what you will learn here includes:

Choosing the right parts

Building the system from the ground up

Installing Windows

Connecting to a network

Tweaking your BIOS

Overclocking your PC for raging performance

Installing some of the newest PC components, including solid-state hard drives

Configuring your PC for game peformance, including setting up SLI and CrossFire dual-card rigs

Upgrading your laptop hard disk

Upgrading your existing PC

This three-hour, downloadable video is a groundbreaking compilation of four teaching formats:

Pure video: Shot in a professional studio using an HD camera

Camtasia: Video capture of Windows desktop and programs with voiceover

PowerPoint: Slides with optional photos

Photomovie: Photos converted into a movie with voiceover and transition

This video is primarily a hands-on tutorial dedicated to building and repairing desktop and laptop PCs. Viewers will be walked through each step - starting with choosing the right parts, then assembling each part, tweaking the BIOS, loading Windows, overclocking and beefing up your computer for today's demanding games and power-hungry application.

While learning all of this in three hours might sound daunting, fortunately, PC hardware enthusiast and expert, Mark Soper, is at the ready. Mark has been training people how to use computers - including how to build and repair them - for more than 25 years, and he will guide you, step-by-step.

Mark Edward Soperis an increasingly familiar name to both US and international audiences shopping for tech-related information. As the author or co-author of over two dozen book titles (all published by Pearson), many of which are available worldwide in languages ranging from Chinese to Russian, Polish to French, a trainer of thousands of users on topics ranging from PC troubleshooting and CompTIA A+ Certification to Microsoft Windows and digital imaging, and an author of hundreds of print and online articles, Mark offers a rare combination of broad and deep technical knowledge and the ability to help ordinary users use, understand, and enjoy technology.

Mark is a regular contributor to Upgrading and Repairing PCs, the industry's leading PC hardware book. Mark’s most recent books include Using Microsoft Windows Live, CompTIA A+ Cert Guide (first and second editions), Easy Microsoft Windows 7, and Sams Teach Yourself Microsoft Windows in 10 Minutes. Using Microsoft Windows Live includes dozens of Camtasia video clips that teach users how to use Windows Live web-based and Essentials programs and services, and he has also created a series of how-to videos illustrating PC upgrading topics for Que Publishing.

Homepage: https://learning.oreilly.com/videos/building-and-repairing/9780133047295