Dangers when building PC

[DarkLord76865]

Hi, 

I am going to build a PC for the first time. I've done all research and should know where all the cables plug in. What are some dangers when building PC, like what could I do wrong to damage my new PC? I think I know everything I need, but still I don't wanna damage expensive components by misinstalling them or something. 

Build will be:

RX6600

i5-12400f

16gb DDR4

Gigabyte b660 ds3

Corsair tx550 (550w 80+ gold) 

2tb wd blue (7200rpm)

Ssd Samsung evo 860 500gb

Zalman m3 plus case 

[mariushm]

Don't forget the standoffs between the motherboard and the case. 

Don't forget to put the IO shield before you insert the motherboard. 

 

Install the power supply in the case first, plug the power cable into the power supply and into a grounded outlet - now you can use the whole metal case to discharge yourself of static electricity before touching components.

If you move around or walk on carpet you may charge with static electricity which could harm components if you touch exposed metal contacts , pins etc.  So just touch something grounded, any unpainted, exposed metal bit of your computer case will be grounded once the power supply is installed in the case and the power cable is plugged in a grounded mains outlet.

 

Even with all the protections, it's still a good idea to hold components by the edges and not put your fingers on back of circuit boards .. hold video card by the bracket and by cooler, or plastic bits that form the cooler ... hold motherboard by pci-e slots and heatsinks near the cpu socket or by the corners of the motherboard ... 

 

Install CPU and RAM and maybe even the cpu cooler OUTSIDE the case, then you can slide the motherboard with everything in one shot.  Some coolers may need you to install a back plate (on the back of the motherboard) so if you install the motherboard in the case first, that would suck.  Also, it just makes life harder to install ram, and the cpu cooler, if the motherboard is in the case.  Don't forget the thermal paste if the cooler has no thermal paste pre-applied,  remove any stickers that may be on the cooler ... and it's OK to put a bit more thermal paste, better to have a bit too much than too little .. make an X across the cpu surface or about as much as 2-3 corn or pea size paste in the middle. 

I mean too little paste can hurt the performance by making the cpu let's say 5-10c hotter (or make the cooler spin at higher rpm making more noise) , but too much paste will only hurt temperatures by less than 1 degree celsius, usually under 0.5c, practically doesn't matter.

 

When you plug the 24 pin atx cable into the motherboard, slide one or two fingers UNDER the 24 pin header, so that when you press down the connector, you don't bend the motherboard too much. 

 

edit : Place the motherboard on something non-conductive while you install the cpu, cooler, ram ... a good something is any cardboard box, like the box the motherboard came in. Some sheets of paper, a newspaper is also fine. 

It also raises the motherboard off the desk surface a bit, so you can test with a video card before inserting everything inside the case and the bracket of the video card will not be blocked by the desk surface if you have the motherboard on the cardboard box. 

 

DO NOT place the motherboard on top of that plastic bag motherboards usually come in. The bag is either anti-static or static dissipative (these are two different things) and the exterior of those bags can be conductive, which means some pins of components on the back of the motherboard could punch though the plastic bag and hit conductive material on the inside or be directly touching conductive material on the outside of the bag, and electricity could flow between various pins touching the bag, once you connect the motherboard to power supply.. and that's bad. 

Cardboard is a good insulator, glass is good, the wood surface of a desk is good, but if you don't want to scratch your desk put some paper or cardboard on top. 

 

end edit.

 

That's pretty much it. If you're not sure of something, ask on the forums and people will help you

[jaslion]

I would advice just going full ssd here and skipping the hdd.

 

Other than that probably a good build. What is the ram speed and timing (timing is the CL latency)

 

 

The tx550 is usually priced around the level of a 650w msi mpg or enermax revolution d.f. I'd get those gives you more room for later.

 

As for dangers:

 

Build on a solid surface

Keep a couple tins at the hand for screws

TAKE YOUR SWEET TIME

Test outside the case first to see if it boots

DONT FORGET THE IO SHIELD

Make sure you properly mount that stock cooler

Don't have any open drinks near the system. Actually don't have any drinks near it

Watch with pushing a screwdriver so you don't slip and break something.

 

[DreamCat04]

13 minutes ago, DarkLord76865 said:

Hi, 

I am going to build a PC for the first time. I've done all research and should know where all the cables plug in. What are some dangers when building PC, like what could I do wrong to damage my new PC? I think I know everything I need, but still I don't wanna damage expensive components by misinstalling them or something. 

Build will be:

RX6600

i5-12400f

16gb DDR4

Gigabyte b660 ds3

Corsair tx550 (550w 80+ gold) 

2tb wd blue (7200rpm)

Ssd Samsung evo 860 500gb

Zalman m3 plus case 

One Thing is: if the cable doesn't go in easily and requires force, it's not meant to go into there. Also be careful while installing the CPU and for Intel chips, you can easily tell which way it goes in. On one side (the top side) there are two dents. These have to ling um with the two notches in the CPU socket. Then it's orientated correctly. Also I recommend turning your system on as soon as all parts are installed and before you do Things like closing the side panel. Ifmot goes. into the BIOS, finish it up and you're done!

[matt4realz]

On top of what Mariushm mentioned, remember to keep your tools handy and organized so you do not have to fumble around to find what you need!

[Hybris5112]

3 hours ago, jaslion said:

I would advice just going full ssd here and skipping the hdd.

No. Just no. This is just bad pointless advice. Never give up bulk local storage unless you absolutely have to meet a hard requirement like space or budget constraints.

 

As for tips to avoid issues when building:

1. Make sure you have plenty of time to do this. Clear your schedule for a few hours so you can build without feeling rushed.
2. Read the manuals! A lot of questions that might require a visit to the forum to ask can often be answered by reading the manuals with the given part. If you still have questions then you can always tell us on the forum what the manual describes and why that doesn't seem to be working for you or your use case.
3. Take your time. Even if you don't finish your build on the same day you start that's fine. My first build took three days because of my anxiety over breaking parts that I couldn't hope to replace and trying to do things right the first time. The next computer you build will be easier and the next one even easier.

[DreamCat04]

32 minutes ago, Hybris5112 said:

Make sure you have plenty of time to do this. Clear your schedule for a few hours so you can build without feeling rushed.

I agree. Doing things in a rush increases your chances of doing something wrong massively. PCs often take much longer to build than we expect. I thought that it wouldn't take more than an hour when I helped my dad build his new PC last year. Boy was I wrong. In the end it took 3 hours until everything worked but I enjoyed it overall and can recommend doing it and will do it once my current build gets too old or too annoying (to the 2nd point it's very close but I hate making descisions so I'm always planning to replace it and never actually do it)

[jaslion]

35 minutes ago, Hybris5112 said:

No. Just no. This is just bad pointless advice. Never give up bulk local storage unless you absolutely have to meet a hard requirement like space or budget constraints.

 

As for tips to avoid issues when building:

1. Make sure you have plenty of time to do this. Clear your schedule for a few hours so you can build without feeling rushed.
2. Read the manuals! A lot of questions that might require a visit to the forum to ask can often be answered by reading the manuals with the given part. If you still have questions then you can always tell us on the forum what the manual describes and why that doesn't seem to be working for you or your use case.
3. Take your time. Even if you don't finish your build on the same day you start that's fine. My first build took three days because of my anxiety over breaking parts that I couldn't hope to replace and trying to do things right the first time. The next computer you build will be easier and the next one even easier.

It's a gaming system and you want any semi modern game on a ssd. A 500GB ssd isn't much space so thats why I'm advizing skipping the hdd and going 1tb here immediatly. If mass storage needs arrive adding a hdd is easy and quick to do.

[Hybris5112]

2 hours ago, jaslion said:

It's a gaming system and you want any semi modern game on a ssd. A 500GB ssd isn't much space so thats why I'm advizing skipping the hdd and going 1tb here immediatly. If mass storage needs arrive adding a hdd is easy and quick to do.

The SSD is a boot drive with the HDD's being for games storage. It's a easy and cheap form of redundancy and the performance hit from a 7200 RPM drive is minimal. If you needed/wanted a fast gaming experience then getting a second dedicated M.2 drive is even faster and depending on sales can be even cheaper than other forms of SSD drives.

 

The idea of having a single massive drive serving all needs is grossly out of date 90's thinking.

[DarkLord76865]

6 hours ago, mariushm said:

Don't forget the standoffs between the motherboard and the case. 

Don't forget to put the IO shield before you insert the motherboard. 

 

Install the power supply in the case first, plug the power cable into the power supply and into a grounded outlet - now you can use the whole metal case to discharge yourself of static electricity before touching components.

If you move around or walk on carpet you may charge with static electricity which could harm components if you touch exposed metal contacts , pins etc.  So just touch something grounded, any unpainted, exposed metal bit of your computer case will be grounded once the power supply is installed in the case and the power cable is plugged in a grounded mains outlet.

 

Even with all the protections, it's still a good idea to hold components by the edges and not put your fingers on back of circuit boards .. hold video card by the bracket and by cooler, or plastic bits that form the cooler ... hold motherboard by pci-e slots and heatsinks near the cpu socket or by the corners of the motherboard ... 

 

Install CPU and RAM and maybe even the cpu cooler OUTSIDE the case, then you can slide the motherboard with everything in one shot.  Some coolers may need you to install a back plate (on the back of the motherboard) so if you install the motherboard in the case first, that would suck.  Also, it just makes life harder to install ram, and the cpu cooler, if the motherboard is in the case.  Don't forget the thermal paste if the cooler has no thermal paste pre-applied,  remove any stickers that may be on the cooler ... and it's OK to put a bit more thermal paste, better to have a bit too much than too little .. make an X across the cpu surface or about as much as 2-3 corn or pea size paste in the middle. 

I mean too little paste can hurt the performance by making the cpu let's say 5-10c hotter (or make the cooler spin at higher rpm making more noise) , but too much paste will only hurt temperatures by less than 1 degree celsius, usually under 0.5c, practically doesn't matter.

 

When you plug the 24 pin atx cable into the motherboard, slide one or two fingers UNDER the 24 pin header, so that when you press down the connector, you don't bend the motherboard too much. 

 

edit : Place the motherboard on something non-conductive while you install the cpu, cooler, ram ... a good something is any cardboard box, like the box the motherboard came in. Some sheets of paper, a newspaper is also fine. 

It also raises the motherboard off the desk surface a bit, so you can test with a video card before inserting everything inside the case and the bracket of the video card will not be blocked by the desk surface if you have the motherboard on the cardboard box. 

 

DO NOT place the motherboard on top of that plastic bag motherboards usually come in. The bag is either anti-static or static dissipative (these are two different things) and the exterior of those bags can be conductive, which means some pins of components on the back of the motherboard could punch though the plastic bag and hit conductive material on the inside or be directly touching conductive material on the outside of the bag, and electricity could flow between various pins touching the bag, once you connect the motherboard to power supply.. and that's bad. 

Cardboard is a good insulator, glass is good, the wood surface of a desk is good, but if you don't want to scratch your desk put some paper or cardboard on top. 

 

end edit.

 

That's pretty much it. If you're not sure of something, ask on the forums and people will help you

Thanks for answer, I didn't know all these things about motherboards. 

[DarkLord76865]

6 hours ago, jaslion said:

I would advice just going full ssd here and skipping the hdd.

 

Other than that probably a good build. What is the ram speed and timing (timing is the CL latency)

 

 

The tx550 is usually priced around the level of a 650w msi mpg or enermax revolution d.f. I'd get those gives you more room for later.

 

As for dangers:

 

Build on a solid surface

Keep a couple tins at the hand for screws

TAKE YOUR SWEET TIME

Test outside the case first to see if it boots

DONT FORGET THE IO SHIELD

Make sure you properly mount that stock cooler

Don't have any open drinks near the system. Actually don't have any drinks near it

Watch with pushing a screwdriver so you don't slip and break something.

 

Thanks for answer, I am planning on using Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8GB 3600mhz CL18 RAM. I could take Adata or Kingston 3600mhz ones which have CL17 for a little cheaper than Corsair, but IDK if those are good brands (only had Kingston micro sd cards which died xd). 

As for the PSU, I was thinking of maybe buying Thermaltake Smart BM2, Premium Edition, 650W, 80+ Bronze. It is practically the same price as tx550m but gives me 100W more (even tough it is not gold rated). I think Thermaltake should be good quality, right? I've seen some cheaper ones like Zalman 700w, but I really don't want those to fry my PC. 

[DarkLord76865]

6 hours ago, DreamCat04 said:

One Thing is: if the cable doesn't go in easily and requires force, it's not meant to go into there. Also be careful while installing the CPU and for Intel chips, you can easily tell which way it goes in. On one side (the top side) there are two dents. These have to ling um with the two notches in the CPU socket. Then it's orientated correctly. Also I recommend turning your system on as soon as all parts are installed and before you do Things like closing the side panel. Ifmot goes. into the BIOS, finish it up and you're done!

Thanks

[DarkLord76865]

3 hours ago, Hybris5112 said:

No. Just no. This is just bad pointless advice. Never give up bulk local storage unless you absolutely have to meet a hard requirement like space or budget constraints.

 

As for tips to avoid issues when building:

1. Make sure you have plenty of time to do this. Clear your schedule for a few hours so you can build without feeling rushed.
2. Read the manuals! A lot of questions that might require a visit to the forum to ask can often be answered by reading the manuals with the given part. If you still have questions then you can always tell us on the forum what the manual describes and why that doesn't seem to be working for you or your use case.
3. Take your time. Even if you don't finish your build on the same day you start that's fine. My first build took three days because of my anxiety over breaking parts that I couldn't hope to replace and trying to do things right the first time. The next computer you build will be easier and the next one even easier.

Thanks! Yeah I will be using HDD because it is much much cheaper than 2tb ssd, and I do need storage for my games, video editing, data, ... From what I heard HDDs are also safer for storing data (given that they don't fail, but even in that case I have regular external backups). 

[DarkLord76865]

2 hours ago, DreamCat04 said:

I agree. Doing things in a rush increases your chances of doing something wrong massively. PCs often take much longer to build than we expect. I thought that it wouldn't take more than an hour when I helped my dad build his new PC last year. Boy was I wrong. In the end it took 3 hours until everything worked but I enjoyed it overall and can recommend doing it and will do it once my current build gets too old or too annoying (to the 2nd point it's very close but I hate making descisions so I'm always planning to replace it and never actually do it)

I understand, I'll take a weekend for it, even tough I am confident I will be able to do it in a day, but like you said, just in case it takes longer, there is time. Thanks

[DarkLord76865]

2 hours ago, jaslion said:

It's a gaming system and you want any semi modern game on a ssd. A 500GB ssd isn't much space so thats why I'm advizing skipping the hdd and going 1tb here immediatly. If mass storage needs arrive adding a hdd is easy and quick to do.

Yeah, I get your point, but I haven't really seen the need for it in the games I play, I don't mind waiting few minutes for games to load. Also I was thinking of adding M.2 nvme in the future, if I need it, as I will have empty slot on MB. 

[DarkLord76865]

32 minutes ago, Hybris5112 said:

The SSD is a boot drive with the HDD's being for games storage. It's a easy and cheap form of redundancy and the performance hit from a 7200 RPM drive is minimal. If you needed/wanted a fast gaming experience then getting a second dedicated M.2 drive is even faster and depending on sales can be even cheaper than other forms of SSD drives.

 

The idea of having a single massive drive serving all needs is grossly out of date 90's thinking.

Yeah, I just wrote answer to jaslion before reading this. My sata ssd is from my old PC (I added it 2 years ago to it) and I think it's worth much more than what it would be worth if I sold it in my old PC. As it is relatively new I will put it in my new build and sell old pc without ssd (which probably wouldn't add much value to it). M.2 is planned to be installed later if needed (they are getting cheaper). 

[matt4realz]

On 4/14/2022 at 10:22 PM, Hybris5112 said:

The SSD is a boot drive with the HDD's being for games storage. It's a easy and cheap form of redundancy and the performance hit from a 7200 RPM drive is minimal. If you needed/wanted a fast gaming experience then getting a second dedicated M.2 drive is even faster and depending on sales can be even cheaper than other forms of SSD drives.

 

The idea of having a single massive drive serving all needs is grossly out of date 90's thinking.

I agree, my rig has 2x 500GB 2.5" SSDs, 2x 500GB NVMe Drives and 1 HDD. Spreading the load of games from the boot drive is a much better practice.