[Talk About It] First Build Surprises [Share Yours]

[NinjaStyle013]

Starting it up, gaming & getting mad drops or blue screens, open case up then push each CPU heatsink pin. Number 1 is good, Number 2 is good, Number 3 is--*click*... Dipshit

[The Pizza Thief]

I just finished my first build about a month ago, I was installing a i7-4790k in a asus maximus vii hero. First, the cpu didn't feel like it was falling into place deep enough, so I moved it a little bit and it didn't move so I thought that was the way is supposed to fit, then I tried lowering the arm to close the cpu cap? door? and it was super super hard to get into place, the first time I tried pushing it down into place I saw how the mobo was bending a bit and I just went for a walk around all my house thinking "I just fuc... up my $2K build" then I tried 3 more times but I was really scared. It ended up all good though.

[Fgtfv567]

First time I built a PC, it POSTed with no problems whatsoever

[Qazplm601]

my 2 biggest thoughts.

 

1. geez, ram takes some force to get in.

2. HOLY SHIT RUNNING REALLY FAST NOW(upgrade to a i7 4790K and GTX 970 STRIX from a i5 3230M(2.6ghz) and GT 640M)

[Tawkin]

My first D.Y.I. PC Build ... some time around 1992..

 

Parts:

• PC-case that came with the PSU built in.
• No Name motherboard with a i386 compatible AMD CPU @ 40MHz soldered on.
• I/O Controller card with 2 SER and 2 PAR ports on the back.
• EGA Display Adapter
• 5.25" floppy drive
• 3½" floppy drive
• 90 MB RLL Hard disk

I had never put together a PC before and knew of no one that had either. The guy that sold me the parts was of no use either for advise so on the living room floor I went to work.

 

The assembly wasn't as difficult as one might expect. Surely advancements have been made by leaps and bounds over the 20+ years gone by in terms of making more assembly friendly components but also, a lot of stuff was simpler back then. The soldered on CPU that had no need for other cooling than it's top plate exposed for one. Still, back then it took me the most of a Saturday morning and when i finally came around to powering it up, absolutely nothing happened. No noises, no beeps, no lights, no nothing.

 

I spent the rest of the day taking it apart and putting it back together again with no luck. By then, the store had closed for the weekend so i had to wait until Monday to take it back to the shop. As Sunday arrived i decided to give it a last attempt and having slept on it gave me the idea to try and put it together outside of the case ...

 

Et Voila ! ... I had a POST.

 

Puzzled i went back to the case and examined it for clues as to why it could have failed and found that i had installed too many of the motherboard mounting stands and one of them was aligned perfectly with a soldering spot on the back side of the board. Having removed the stand and reinstalled everything once more, everything worked.

I took three things away from this experience that i have kept with me in every single PC build ever since. 

1. Building your own PC was totally worth it. I have never bought a pre-assembled PC for myself ever since.
2. Always do a pre-check build outside the case.
3. Always check that the mounting stands align and number with the motherboard.

[UnMonk]

Used far too much thermal paste. Dripped all over the mobo and gfx card. What a mess. 

[JLCitadel]

What made me freak out the most was the amount of pressure I had to use putting the cpu in, I felt like i was breaking it.

[Speedbird]

There are some boards slimmer than ATX. And there's no reason for anybody to do it.

[PotatOS - Andrew]

That my mobo didn't have enough case fan headers.  I had to use molex and was super nervous about it because every guide I watched used the mobo headers.

[holytoledo]

The give that the mobo gives when installing the cpu must vary. All you guys who are saying it was super hard, it was smooth as butter for me.

 

Or maybe I don't know my own strength!

[SuperShires]

How difficult my Noctua heatsink was to screw on, must have taken me 30 minutes cause I didnt want to push down too hard in case I bent the CPU or something, in the end I just forced it. Also the 24 pin DID NOT want to plug into my mobo.

[Lord Gaben]

My 24-pin would not click in properly, Got it on in the end though and it POSTed fine