Prebuild

The first step in Free Geek's Build Program is called Prebuild.

Prebuild is divided into two main branches, Hardware Identification and System Evaluation.

Most people begin in Hardware Identification by signing up for a shift at the front desk. In Hardware Identification volunteers work through a series of lesson boxes -- each one teaching a basic skill that will later be needed in the build program. The boxes are generally arranged from most basic to more advanced. Each is available to the builder throughout the program, so any volunteer can refresh their memory as needed. People with enough hardware knowledge can test out of Hardware Identification, or they can skip whichever steps are unnecessary for them. Most people work through all of Hardware Identification in one or two shifts, but it is designed to be a "work at your own speed" experience.

Once a volunteer has completed or tested out of Hardware Identification they move on to System Evaluation. In System Evaluation the student sees how the computers fits together, sharpens up their hardware ID skills, learns some basic troubleshooting, and helps prep systems for build, culling out systems we do not want to keep.

Hardware Identification Documentations

Box A

• All About Cards
• All about memory
• Card Sorting
• Cards
• Cards vs Memory
• Heat sinks
• Memory Sizing
• RAM Sorting
• What kind of memory is this?

Box B

• Card Slot Identification

Box C

• Motherboard ID
• Motherboard Sorting

Box D

• Drive Identification

Box E

• Hard Drive Sizing
• Hard Drive Sorting

Box F

• CPU Box
• Heat sinks
• Processor class and speed

System Evaluation Documentations

• System Evaluation Overview
• System Evaluation Visual Triage
• Getting the Processor Information
• System Evaluation Final Triage
• Removing components from systems
• Case Triage
• Motherboard Sorting