About to begin my first ever self build..any tips or advice?

[Spotty]

I would route the cable from the AIO flat along the motherboard by the RAM and if possible move the 24pin motherboard cable to the slot behind the cable cover that way it's more concealed.

[IrishJ]

Also I'd route the gpu power cable from the hole in the psu shroud right below the 8pin connector.

 

Otherwise for first try, solid job. 

[GamerBlake]

21 minutes ago, IrishJ said:

Also I'd route the gpu power cable from the hole in the psu shroud right below the 8pin connector.

 

Otherwise for first try, solid job. 

I actually was going to do that but it was getting a bit bulky over there and hard to close the case.

[GamerBlake]

34 minutes ago, Spotty said:

I would route the cable from the AIO flat along the motherboard by the RAM and if possible move the 24pin motherboard cable to the slot behind the cable cover that way it's more concealed.

I tried that with the AIO but the cable wasn’t long enough

[GamerBlake]

48 minutes ago, nextg3n said:

as for ur first build its a very good job, if you´d do it like that in your 10th build then it would be just ok around 6/10 in general but for first time id say its a solid 8/10

I think it’s harder since it’s my first build and I wasn’t sure where everything plugged in until I started at it.

 

If I had more experience and knew where everything was going ahead of time I could’ve pre-planned it out.

 

I was literally going step by step via instruction manuals from motherboard and case.

[Danioki]

Something similar i did with mine

 

[GamerBlake]

50 minutes ago, nextg3n said:

as for ur first build its a very good job, if you´d do it like that in your 10th build then it would be just ok around 6/10 in general but for first time id say its a solid 8/10

Here is a comparison of my PC before this one. I think it’s better than that one.

[Danioki]

2 minutes ago, GamerBlake said:

Here is a comparison of my PC before this one. I think it’s better than that one.

 in comparison you pretty much nailed it this time

[Samfisher]

Good job!

[GamerBlake]

Just now, Danioki said:

 in comparison you pretty much nailed it this time

Lol thanks!  

 

The other one is actually a prebuilt I bought in 2018 from IBuyPower (due to gpus being so overpriced because of cryptominers) but I replaced every single component except the 8700K and in the process I learned how to build a PC so when I got a new case for Christmas and bought a new MEG Z390 ACE motherboard to replace my MSI Z390-A Pro I figured “Well if I have to replace the motherboard I might as well build this PC from scratch.”

[GamerBlake]

7 minutes ago, Samfisher said:

Good job!

Thanks  

 

Although..I ran a benchmark to make sure everything is working well.

 

& for some reason all my drives (hdd/sata ssd and NVMe) are going like 1/3 as fast as they used too.  

 

Like my Samsung 970 Evo Plus M.2 NVMe drive is getting 470 mb/s read 450 mb/s write when it used to be like 3200mb/s read & 3000 mb/s write.

 

& My 860 Evo is getting like 120mb/s read 105 mb/s write.

 

I also made sure nothing else was running that would slow them down.

 

Any idea what’s going on?

 

[Danioki]

motherboards drivers? bios update (careful here)?

[GamerBlake]

Just now, Danioki said:

motherboards drivers? bios update (careful here)?

Omg derp! I totally forgot to do the drivers!! I got so excited that it turned on and worked that I went straight for the benchmark!  

 

Thanks!!  

[GamerBlake]

58 minutes ago, Danioki said:

motherboards drivers? bios update (careful here)?

You were right . Installed the drivers then downloaded the BIOs onto my USB and did a BIOs update and my drive speeds were back to normal.  

 

Thanks again!  

[DailyProcrastinator]

I would route the VGA cable from below.

[GamerBlake]

2 minutes ago, JM21 said:

I would route the VGA cable from below.

By “VGA cable” are you referring to the PCI-Express 8 pin connectors I plug into the GPU?  

 

Because I use DisplayPort not VGA.

 

Also I guess a few mistakes should be expected on a first build.  

[GamerBlake]

12 hours ago, minibois said:

Looks good. But I think cable management is just as important on the back; because I think cable management is mostly about being able to easily service your PC.

My cable management on the back I think is pretty decent. That’s where all the zip ties are .

 

But my panel for the back isn’t see through either so I just tried to do a decent job that would allow me to fit the side panel on.

[DailyProcrastinator]

18 minutes ago, GamerBlake said:

By “VGA cable” are you referring to the PCI-Express 8 pin connectors I plug into the GPU?  

 

Also I guess a few mistakes should be expected on a first build.  

Yes haha that's what I meant.

 

That's okay, builds are fun, and it's the only way you learn!

[Zando_]

Zip ties. 

All the zip ties:

Spoiler

Zip ties are your very very good friends and keep cables nicely bundled together and out of the way of the side panel while looking nice. That and take advantage of your PSU basement to hide excess cable length. I'd invest in a flush cutter too so you can snip off the ends, they're like $6-10 on Amazon. 

Now, my cable management is a bit different because I'm running a custom loop but:

Spoiler

Mobo 24 pin is pulled flat and to the side, snuck it behind the pump (you can do the same with that NZXT divider, that's what it's there for). GPU I tucked the cables tightly underneath it, on versions where I used one cable and both 8 pins, I zip tied the little extension bit to the rest of the cable so it was cleaner:

(this was also when this rig was on air, I didn't have a pump to hide that 24-pin cable behind so it looks really weird)

Spoiler

 

Another version of this PC on air, again with the GPU cables pulled down and to the side:

Spoiler

 

So adding on to what @Spotty said:

Spoiler

Either pull the GPU cable directly down through the hole there for that purpose (red) or pull it down, along the underside, and then behind the cover plate thing (blue). Either way, also zip tie that extension bit to the rest of the cable so it looks cleaner. 

AIO tubing across the top seems to be the best place for it, here's the only example I have of a front mounted I/O rig (I usually had it top mounted in my other cases:

Spoiler

I traced the AIO cables (red), tucked them behind a few places. On the top I should have pulled it through the fan cutout though (blue circle) and then around the back, would have looked cleaner. 

Basically try and pull everything to the closest exit, preferably along another component so it doesn't break the lines of your rig. Too much stuff criss-crossing starts to look like a bird's nest. 

[GamerBlake]

5 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

Zip ties. 

All the zip ties:

  Reveal hidden contents

Zip ties are your very very good friends and keep cables nicely bundled together and out of the way of the side panel while looking nice. That and take advantage of your PSU basement to hide excess cable length. I'd invest in a flush cutter too so you can snip off the ends, they're like $6-10 on Amazon. 

Now, my cable management is a bit different because I'm running a custom loop but:

  Reveal hidden contents

Mobo 24 pin is pulled flat and to the side, snuck it behind the pump (you can do the same with that NZXT divider, that's what it's there for). GPU I tucked the cables tightly underneath it, on versions where I used one cable and both 8 pins, I zip tied the little extension bit to the rest of the cable so it was cleaner:

(this was also when this rig was on air, I didn't have a pump to hide that 24-pin cable behind so it looks really weird)

  Hide contents

 

Another version of this PC on air, again with the GPU cables pulled down and to the side:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

So adding on to what @Spotty said:


Either pull the GPU cable directly down through the hole there for that purpose (red) or pull it down, along the underside, and then behind the cover plate thing (blue). Either way, also zip tie that extension bit to the rest of the cable so it looks cleaner. 

AIO tubing across the top seems to be the best place for it, here's the only example I have of a front mounted I/O rig (I usually had it top mounted in my other cases:

  Reveal hidden contents

I traced the AIO cables (red), tucked them behind a few places. On the top I should have pulled it through the fan cutout though (blue circle) and then around the back, would have looked cleaner. 

Basically try and pull everything to the closest exit, preferably along another component so it doesn't break the lines of your rig. Too much stuff criss-crossing starts to look like a bird's nest. 

I’ll definitely fix up that stuff! Thanks!  

 

I just wanted to see how I did on my own before I started getting some advice and fixing things up a bit from what others advise.

 

I really felt a sense of pride and accomplishment working through all the headaches and confusion and figuring it all out on my own. Especially after seeing it boot up correctly on the very first try.  

 

But I’m still having an issue where my RAM isn’t able to overclock from 3200 to 3400 like it did on my old z370-a Pro board. This MEG ACE is supposed to be a lot better so I just don’t understand why it’s not able to do the same ram overclocks as my old, worse, board. In fact it won’t even overclock to 3333 let alone 3400. Even when I increased the voltage to 1.5V (they’re Samsung B-die) and left the timings at auto. 

[Zando_]

Just now, GamerBlake said:

I’ll definitely fix up that stuff! Thanks!  

 

I just wanted to see how I did on my own before I started getting some advice and fixing things up a bit from what others advise.

 

I really felt a sense of pride and accomplishment working through all the headaches and confusion and figuring it all out on my own. Especially after seeing it boot up correctly on the very first try.  

Oh hell yeah! That back shot of my main rig is one I'm super proud of, in the past my rear cable management has been uh... more the "hey well if we just use a little pressure the back panel still fits " style than actually looking nice and staying out of the way of said side panel, lol. Feels good to improve, and unless you're pressed for time you can always just pull the cables out and start over if you're not happy with the result. I usually end up putting cables in an out a few times before I find the cleanest way to route them with the time I have. 

 

2 minutes ago, GamerBlake said:

But I’m still having an issue where my RAM isn’t able to overclock from 3200 to 3400 like it did on my old z370-a Pro board. This MEG ACE is supposed to be a lot better so I just don’t understand why it’s not able to do the same ram overclocks as my old, worse, board. In fact it won’t even overclock to 3333 let alone 3400. Even when I increased the voltage to 1.5V (they’re Samsung B-die) and left the timings at auto. 

That's weird. Same CPU? 

And which Z370-A did you have (the first one was better, IIRC the refresh was meh)? In the pic with the AIO, that's my Prime Z370-A I had for a bit, thing was amazing with my 8600K. I didn't ever do much RAM OCing on it though. 

[GamerBlake]

3 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

Oh hell yeah! That back shot of my main rig is one I'm super proud of, in the past my rear cable management has been uh... more the "hey well if we just use a little pressure the back panel still fits " style than actually looking nice and staying out of the way of said side panel, lol. Feels good to improve, and unless you're pressed for time you can always just pull the cables out and start over if you're not happy with the result. I usually end up putting cables in an out a few times before I find the cleanest way to route them with the time I have. 

 

That's weird. Same CPU? 

And which Z370-A did you have (the first one was better, IIRC the refresh was meh)? In the pic with the AIO, that's my Prime Z370-A I had for a bit, thing was amazing with my 8600K. I didn't ever do much RAM OCing on it though. 

That’s pretty awesome!  

Yup! Same 8700K as in my old build.

 

It was an MSI z370-a Pro that came with my prebuilt IBuyPower PC that I bought back in 2018 when gpu prices were way overinflated due to cryptominers drying up the supply.

 

But even so, the MEG ACE should demolish any z370-a Pro regardless of version.

[GamerBlake]

3 hours ago, Zando Bob said:

Zip ties. 

All the zip ties:

  Reveal hidden contents

Zip ties are your very very good friends and keep cables nicely bundled together and out of the way of the side panel while looking nice. That and take advantage of your PSU basement to hide excess cable length. I'd invest in a flush cutter too so you can snip off the ends, they're like $6-10 on Amazon. 

Now, my cable management is a bit different because I'm running a custom loop but:

  Reveal hidden contents

Mobo 24 pin is pulled flat and to the side, snuck it behind the pump (you can do the same with that NZXT divider, that's what it's there for). GPU I tucked the cables tightly underneath it, on versions where I used one cable and both 8 pins, I zip tied the little extension bit to the rest of the cable so it was cleaner:

(this was also when this rig was on air, I didn't have a pump to hide that 24-pin cable behind so it looks really weird)

  Reveal hidden contents

 

Another version of this PC on air, again with the GPU cables pulled down and to the side:

  Reveal hidden contents

 

So adding on to what @Spotty said:

  Reveal hidden contents

Either pull the GPU cable directly down through the hole there for that purpose (red) or pull it down, along the underside, and then behind the cover plate thing (blue). Either way, also zip tie that extension bit to the rest of the cable so it looks cleaner. 

AIO tubing across the top seems to be the best place for it, here's the only example I have of a front mounted I/O rig (I usually had it top mounted in my other cases:

  Reveal hidden contents

I traced the AIO cables (red), tucked them behind a few places. On the top I should have pulled it through the fan cutout though (blue circle) and then around the back, would have looked cleaner. 

Basically try and pull everything to the closest exit, preferably along another component so it doesn't break the lines of your rig. Too much stuff criss-crossing starts to look like a bird's nest. 

I took your advice with the cable management.  

 

Does this look better?  

[Zando_]

3 hours ago, GamerBlake said:

I took your advice with the cable management.  

 

Does this look better?  

-snip-

Looking much nicer! Just tuck that bundle of AIO cords into the rear compartment instead of the front (so it's hidden by the rear panel) and it should be pretty damn clean. 

[GamerBlake]

8 minutes ago, Zando Bob said:

Looking much nicer! Just tuck that bundle of AIO cords into the rear compartment instead of the front (so it's hidden by the rear panel) and it should be pretty damn clean. 

I tried that but unfortunately it just wasn’t long enough to get it behind the motherboard.