Help For Beginner PC Buliders

[Cameron20003]

Hi, this forum is so that begginer pc builder can succefully build there own PC.

So we can help them to get into this awesome hobby.

[olemiss94]

Well then I'm in the right place my name is Chris I'm from Memphis Tennessee 22 years old and am now currently in the process of building my first PC and have some questions which I am sure they're silly but we were all new at something at one time

[AlphaGamer46]

Hi.

 

Generally, always start by building outside of the box to test components.

 

1. Take your motherboard out of the anti-static bag and a SATA cable. That's all you'll need right now, and maybe the manual later.

2. Start building on the box.

3. Get your CPU (processor). Lift up the retention arm (given it's brand new. If not, remove the existing thermal compound with something like Isopropyl Alcohol) and match up the tabs on the socket with those on the processor. Make sure the gold arrow lines up and drop the CPU into the socket. Pull back the retention arm, securing the CPU and removing the socket cover. Keep this, if your motherboard fails you will need this to send it out. Then put your cooler on with a grain of rice-sized bit of thermal paste.

4. Grab your PSU and unbox it. All you'll need is a SATA power cable and PCI-E power connectors depending on how many connectors your GPU (graphics card) has.

5. Install your RAM. Very simple. Go for the slots farthest away from the CPU and make sure they are in the same coloured socket given you are using multiple sticks of RAM.

6. Get your storage device. Plug the power from the PSU into the drive (bigger connector) and the data cable into the smaller connector on your drive. Connect the SATA power on the PSU to a port on the PSU (if it is modular. If not, skip that step).

7. Plug the 24/20+4 pin connector from your PSU (generally hard-wired) onto the big port on your motherboard. Also plug in the 8-pin connector to power the CPU (also hard-wired).

8. Get your graphics card and insert it into the PCI-E 16x slot. Look close to the slot to see if it says it there.

9. Run power to the graphics card using the cables you grabbed out befre.

10. Turn it on and make sure it POST's (Power On Self-Test).

11. When it does that, rebuild the components in your case and get ready to install your OS.

 

There you go! That's essentially how to build a PC.

[LogicalDrm]

Umm. Yes, indeed this is forum. And we are proud of being very noob friendly. Best place to start is to post into New Builds section with budget, location and other relevant things mentioned in stickie post. If someone has more specific questions, post into relevant subforum for them. Or for general help here is fine.

 

Also, I recommend using search. There are many threads listing common mistakes and things to remember while building.

[CBojorges]

If you're a beginner, just watch Linus's build guides. They're amazingly well done IMO. That's how I learnt. 

 

If you dont know if your parts are compatible, use Pcpartpicker. 

[blazerclaw]

21 hours ago, AlphaGamer46 said:

Hi.

 

Generally, always start by building outside of the box to test components.

 

1. Take your motherboard out of the anti-static bag and a SATA cable. That's all you'll need right now, and maybe the manual later.

2. Start building on the box.

3. Get your CPU (processor). Lift up the retention arm (given it's brand new. If not, remove the existing thermal compound with something like Isopropyl Alcohol) and match up the tabs on the socket with those on the processor. Make sure the gold arrow lines up and drop the CPU into the socket. Pull back the retention arm, securing the CPU and removing the socket cover. Keep this, if your motherboard fails you will need this to send it out. Then put your cooler on with a grain of rice-sized bit of thermal paste.

4. Grab your PSU and unbox it. All you'll need is a SATA power cable and PCI-E power connectors depending on how many connectors your GPU (graphics card) has.

5. Install your RAM. Very simple. Go for the slots farthest away from the CPU and make sure they are in the same coloured socket given you are using multiple sticks of RAM.

6. Get your storage device. Plug the power from the PSU into the drive (bigger connector) and the data cable into the smaller connector on your drive. Connect the SATA power on the PSU to a port on the PSU (if it is modular. If not, skip that step).

7. Plug the 24/20+4 pin connector from your PSU (generally hard-wired) onto the big port on your motherboard. Also plug in the 8-pin connector to power the CPU (also hard-wired).

8. Get your graphics card and insert it into the PCI-E 16x slot. Look close to the slot to see if it says it there.

9. Run power to the graphics card using the cables you grabbed out befre.

10. Turn it on and make sure it POST's (Power On Self-Test).

11. When it does that, rebuild the components in your case and get ready to install your OS.

 

There you go! That's essentially how to build a PC.

Yes! This a hundred times! when I was building my computer for the first time a couple of years ago I did not test my components outside case and just built it as is... Well as you can probably imagine I had to take apart again to see what part had to RMA (Return Merchandise Authorization) which is replace the broken part. Since it was my first build took me a couple of hours to build and to that over again was not fun, after I replaced the part. So follow Alpha's advice completely so you can avoid hassles. Also as CBorjorges said, watch Linus's videos ( Which I personally used) and PCpartpicker in order to chose parts and check any incompatibilities issues. For any questions use the forum search function or just ask.

 

Anyways good luck!

[WillisaurasRex]

On 2/11/2016 at 1:55 AM, olemiss94 said:

Well then I'm in the right place my name is Chris I'm from Memphis Tennessee 22 years old and am now currently in the process of building my first PC and have some questions which I am sure they're silly but we were all new at something at one time

What questions did you have?

[jol159]

what power supplies have sata power connectors instead of Molex?

[Duh_tech]

1 big thing is try not bend any of the pins on the CPU for AMD and don't bend and for Intel CPU's don't bend the pins in the socket.

[Sanderman135]

23 hours ago, jol159 said:

what power supplies have sata power connectors instead of Molex?

Any modern power supply should have sata connectors as well as molex.  

[jol159]

12 hours ago, Sanderman135 said:

Any modern power supply should have sata connectors as well as molex.  

so for example corsair cx600m?

[Sanderman135]

10 hours ago, jol159 said:

so for example corsair cx600m?

Yes, you could look up specifically how many connectors it has. 

[BudgetForNow]

Make sure that you discharge yourself of any static electricity when you start and also whenever you go to get another part.

 

Anti static straps could save parts from static electricity but with all my years of experiance I have never had a problem with not using one just be smart when you move and static wont be a problem

[Unhelpful]

On 2/11/2016 at 4:22 AM, LoGiCalDrm said:

Umm. Yes, indeed this is forum. And we are proud of being very noob friendly. Best place to start is to post into New Builds section with budget, location and other relevant things mentioned in stickie post. If someone has more specific questions, post into relevant subforum for them. Or for general help here is fine.

 

Also, I recommend using search. There are many threads listing common mistakes and things to remember while building.

I think he meant that this thread is to be used for that reason.

[LogicalDrm]

15 minutes ago, JoeyDM said:

I think he meant that this thread is to be used for that reason.

I kinda get that. But it beats the point of whole forums thing. People have too many different reasons and resources to fit into single thread.

[Unhelpful]

Just now, LoGiCalDrm said:

I kinda get that. But it beats the point of whole forums thing. People have too many different reasons and resources to fit into single thread.

I know. 

 

Still there should be a "common errors / mistakes" thread if there isn't one already. Although it can't be this one, it needs to have actual formatting. 

[tobben]

We have a neat sub forum under the "workbench" section for exactly

this purpose  

 

I am moving this thread there, as that section seems more appropriate 

for this thread. Would be cool if someone wants to make this kind of 

"general introduction/tips" megathread.

 

That being said, Windspeed already has two threads containing pointers

and tips.