Guide for First-Timers: What I Wish I Had Known Before My First Build.

[minervx]

I've upgraded PC's before many times but I never assembled one from scratch before until now.  It was easier than I thought, but it does require you to know hundreds of tiny nuggets of domain knowledge.  I want to share this advice so that first-time builders can save a few hours of frustration and do-overs.  Some of these are less frequently mentioned tips from Youtube reviewers 

 

Use a template.  I spent way too much time debating on borderline choices which parts I was going to use.  Find a well-regarded build list that was completed already (from this site, Youtube or another site) and use that as a base.  Revise the amount of storage, RAM and a few other parts based on your needs.  But at least you'll know the parts are compatible and that they fit well in the case.

 

Watch a full-length build video of a Youtuber that is using the same motherboard as you are (I like Paul's Hardware and Hardware Canucks).  Watch a full-length one (~30 minutes) step by step - not a fast forwarded video and see what they're doing.  If you give into a low attention span and don't do this, you may end up having to spend much more time later on having to learn each step individually.

 

Stay organized from the start.  Have a method of being able to separate different kind of screws (i.e. power supply mounting screws, case screws, case fan screws, drive cage screws, drive mount screws, etc.  Use cups and sticky-notes if you need to.  Otherwise, you'll start losing screws or spending an eternity looking for them. In this case, it's better to have freakish levels of OCD than to be disorganized.

 

Save your packaging.  The manuals for the power supply and the motherboard can be especially helpful to knowing where the small pins go.  Save your packaging and receipts in case you need to make a return.  

 

Go for an easy-to-build-in case over one that is not easier to build in.  If it's your first time, you want to make it as smooth of a building experience as possible just so that you can eliminate as much chance of something going wrong as possible.  For example, I kind of regret going Micro ATX for my first build and perhaps I would've gone for a standard sized ATX due to more building room and only slightly larger size.

 

Get the cabling right before mounting the power supply.  Especially if you can't easily access the PS while it is installed in the caseIf you have a modular PS, you want to make sure you have all the cables attached to it you will need and not the ones you won't.

 

Disassemble the case from the start.  Before building, it's best that you take off any panels, filters, stock case fans, shrouds and drive cages you can (while of course leaving the frame and the place where the motherboard goes in tact).  You want ample room for building.  If certain parts are closed or obstructed, your vision will be blocked and you may have to move your arm around laboriously.  If you wait too long to disassemble the case, it may be too late and much harder to disassemble it.

 

Install the IO Shield before the motherboard.  The rectangle plate with port holes.  It is installed from the inside using a little force from your hands (not a screwdriver).  Install this before you install your motherboard because the motherboard itself may prevent you from reaching the IO shield area.

 

Know how many fans your motherboard supports.  If you're adding more case fans than the motherboard has slots for, you need a fan splitter.

 

Mount your motherboard before screwing it in.  The standoffs are the pieces with little screws and a hole for a screw to go inside them.  Put the standoffs in the according holes first and add those on before screwing the screws into the standoffs.  Otherwise the motherboard isn't aligned right and the IO panels are not aligned correctly.

 

See well.  You will need good lighting.  A flashlight of some kind is recommended.  Smartphone flashlight isn't ideal but can get the job done.  If you use reading glasses, wear them.

 

Locate the connectors.  Do a test run of connecting the cables from the power supply/fans/case to the motherboard before you even install it, or at least visualize it in your head.  It may sound like a waste of time to do a test run, but it's better to get the geography of the motherboard figured out while the motherboard is on the table than when it is inside the case.  For example, you'll know which holes to put the cables through if you know where they are located before you build.

 

Conjoin the 24 pin connectors.  It took me more time than I'd like to admit to figure this out, but the 2 cables (the larger and smaller one) may not fit at all if they're installed individually.  However, when they're connected together, they go in with ease.  With the 8 pin connectors, if they don't attach together, you may have to hold them side by side your self.

 

Don't install the video card too early.  Video cards are fairly large parts.  The video card may block your view of the motherboard and limit your space to work in it.  You won't have the freedom to move your hands around in the case as you please.  At least install the small USB/LED/Fan/Power connectors before putting in the video card.

 

Don't do too much at once.  It's best to get some things resolved before working on others.  If you're trying to install bits and pieces of the power supply cabling, fans, case cables  and storage drives all at once, it can get very messy.

 

If there's a common theme here, it's that taking some extra time to prepare yourself well at the start can save you hours of headache.

 

[Himommies]

this post is the opposite of what I do

[rip]

external hdd are expensive, slow and limited by usb speed

[minervx]

Just now, Himommies said:

this post is the opposite of what I do

Yes, but this is a guide for people who never built a PC before.  Obviously, I wouldn't be as meticulous on my 2nd and 3rd build, but there's just too much that can go wrong (either wasted time or expensive parts being damaged) in just assembling parts willy-nilly.  It's easier to prevent a mistake from happening than to correct it.

[minervx]

2 minutes ago, rip said:

external hdd are expensive, slow and limited by usb speed

I just retracted that suggestion now because it's mostly just a personal opinion of mine.

[NumLock21]

What I do is pick parts that looks pretty. Screw this compatibility nonsense. Then I make every work together by using this.

Spoiler

 

[Mira Yurizaki]

I like to install the CPU, RAM, and CPU cooler (in that order) outside of the case before I install the motherboard inside of the case. Especially if the CPU cooler has a backplate and the case doesn't have a cutout for it.

 

Don't button up the case until you verified the computer can actually boot.

 

And get a PC Speaker. POST beep codes are a godsend when you don't have anything else.

[WereCat]

Stop!

Just now, NumLock21 said:

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

time! (now with RGB)

 

[minervx]

Just now, M.Yurizaki said:

I like to install the CPU, RAM, and CPU cooler (in that order) outside of the case before I install the motherboard 

 

Don't button up the case until you verified the computer can actually boot.

 

Absolutely.  

[minervx]

1 minute ago, WereCat said:

Stop!

time! (now with RGB)

 

This forum is going the same direction as Linus' channel.

[givingtnt]

looks doen't do shit
better performance does.
don't waste your money

[minervx]

3 minutes ago, givingtnt said:

looks doen't do shit
better performance does.
don't waste your money

 

i don't regret the $15 i spent on some led lighting at all.  but i do agree that new builders should take many of the aesthetic and overkill suggestions from Linus's channel with a big grain of salt.

 

32gb RAM, fancy water cooling setups, $20 case fans, NXZT Hue lights and Lian-Li cases have their role but aren't the most practical choices for most beginning builders who may not even be sure that computers are a long-term hobby to them.

[MoonlightSylv]

If you're going for a budget build go for used parts.

[minervx]

1 minute ago, ShadowTechXTS said:

If you're going for a budget build go for used parts.

 

I got a used 120 GB SSD for $36.  I don't think a computer can have a stronger speed boost for that amount of money.

[NumLock21]

28 minutes ago, WereCat said:

Stop!

time! (now with RGB)

 

[Taja]

Well, it is not really a ""tip"", but in my opinion:

When chosing a graphics card, ALWAYS search for real use benchmarks. What do I mean by that? Well, benchmarks of games you will play, and in high settings - NOT ULTRA. Ultra settings are stupid and very not telling, as a game with everything maxed out can run with less than 30 fps but on high (at ALMOST same visuals) run at 75+ fps. An example of that are Linus results on deus ex at his "meme pc" video, which are not at all real world performance.

[dcgreen2k]

Put the CPU cooler on while everything's outside the case, make sure the BIOS is updated, and plan cable management early.

[Shreyas1]

make sure to turn it on before panicking and going to a computer shop

[ono]

Based on my mess ups,

 

- Get a tube of thermal compound. At least for coolers that have it preapplied. You might mess up the first time mounting it like me. I ended up mounting it anyway since I couldn't replace the compound and thermals were horrible. I had to quickly run to a local store which didn't have great options.

 

- Double check the alignment of the mobo with the IO shield. I had a situation where I didn't see one of my USB ports had like some excess metal, essentially blocking the port until I was plugging in everything in its final location... meaning I had to take most of it apart, bend that excess metal out of the way, and redo the build!

[ATFink]

Also, don't get an overpowered CPU relative to the GPU and vice versa if you decide to edit some parts of the template you base your PC on.

 

Make sure you don't have a ridiculous power supply (like hx850 powering a 4 core processor + weak video card), but more importantly don't get a crappy PSU to save money. Generally power supplies in the $40-$80 range (see the PSU tier list here... tier 3 and up are good, 4 is ok as well) will be great for a first time build + some revisions to the build later (like upgrading the CPU or a video card... as long as the upgraded card is not a dual GPU card or adding a second video card run in SLI/crossfire/mGPU with the first powered by a 550 watt PSU or less).

 

I want to emphasize this point: "Go for an easy-to-build-in case." This is absolutely 100% true. If your case looks like crap and is difficult to work with you will not have a good building experience (provided this is your first time and you're building the PC yourself... not a friend building it for you). The case will most likely be the component you keep the longest, so get a decent one. Phanteks new P300 is $60 for a really solid case. Looks decent, airflow is like that of an NZXT s340, has tempered glass, good cable management as well.

[minervx]

11 hours ago, ATFink said:

Also, don't get an overpowered CPU relative to the GPU and vice versa if you decide to edit some parts of the template you base your PC on.

Yes.  You don't need probably don't need anything beyond a Core i5/Ryzen 5 or a GTX 1060 if you're only gaming at 1080p 60 frames per second.  

 

Beginners may see a bunch of builds with Ryzen 7 and a i7-7700k's and assume that those CPU's will give them better performance, but they may not be professional video editors for a living.

11 hours ago, ATFink said:

Make sure you don't have a ridiculous power supply (like hx850 powering a 4 core processor + weak video card), but more importantly don't get a crappy PSU to save money. Generally power supplies in the $40-$80 range (see the PSU tier list here... tier 3 and up are good, 4 is ok as well)

Yes.  Realistically speaking, unless you're doing some really high end gaming (i.e. GTX 1080 or higher), 500 watts will be plenty.

 

11 hours ago, ATFink said:

 I want to emphasize this point: "Go for an easy-to-build-in case." This is absolutely 100% true. If your case looks like crap and is difficult to work with you will not have a good building experience

Yes.  If it's not to reduce the risk of completely messing up, it's to give the builder an enjoyable experience and piece of mind.  Full-sized ATX is probably the easiest to build in in general.