Nervous giving advice

[TheDiggster13]

Does anybody else get a little bit nervous giving advice to friends/family on builds? I've built 2 PCs, both with no problems, both at time of build and a year on, but coming to give advice on a 3rd, I am still getting nervous that something won't work as expected!

[Cactu]

Nah, just have faith that you know how to troubleshoot if you need to

[ThisIsMyWorkAccount]

Calm down, the calmer you are the chances of making a mistake is lower.  Yawn to help keep nerves down.

[Cactu]

Calm down, the calmer you are the chances of making a mistake is lower.  Yawn to help keep nerves down.

How the fuck do you yawn on command

[Pugs501]

How the fuck do you yawn on command

Listen to others Yawning 

[nvidia_gtx]

How the fuck do you yawn on command

just think about the word yawn and/or watch someone yawn, it works

[TechFnatic]

How the fuck do you yawn on command

You could, haven't you ever done it

[NumLock21]

The reason why you're nervous could have something to do with your reputation on how good you are with computers. Recommend a build that does not live up to your friend's expectation then your reputation goes down, but when it's good, other people will come to you for help on a build. Best thing to do when your friends ask for help on a build, give them some options and let them decide on what they want.

[BOT Edward]

I never do, it's just expensive lego

[nicholician]

Just be relaxed about it. Just don't do anything stupid with the build like Linus might. If you do everything right and something isn't working, you can always troubleshoot. And if something is DOA, thenb you can just send it in for a replacement from the retailer; the person you're building for will just have to be patient.

[Mattrixx]

Calm down, the calmer you are the chances of making a mistake is lower.  Yawn to help keep nerves down.

You just made yawn reading that. Witchcraft!!!

 

EDIT: But seriously, OP, just remember that you know what you're doing, and that you can't really go wrong, especially if you check with the community first.

[Delusional Phil]

How the fuck do you yawn on command

Well it's like taking deep breaths ... only you're doing it through yawning and not breathing ... 

Edit : Also , If I'm not wrong ( I'm always wrong ) , it helps you more than deep breathing because it come naturally than you taking deep breaths ... 

[GoldSrc]

If you do your research correctly, there's nothing to be nervous about  .

[-CLASSIFIED-]

the only thing i have a hard time doing is explaining why "said item" is a better option better then "said item" for their needs 

[MEC-777]

Take your time and think about the users specific needs. Think about the future as well. How long will this person be using this machine and what future upgrades might they require? It's ok to overbuild a little in that respect, but don't go crazy.

 

I've built a number of machines for family members over the last 2 years and the more you build, the more confidence you'll have. Your previous builds are all still running fine and the users are happy with them, no? If they are then you have nothing to worry about.

 

 

 

Also, yawning was proven contagious by Mythbusters a few years back.

[Mightyinvader]

Does anybody else get a little bit nervous giving advice to friends/family on builds? I've built 2 PCs, both with no problems, both at time of build and a year on, but coming to give advice on a 3rd, I am still getting nervous that something won't work as expected!

No because I know more about tech than anyone I know who asks me about it. Also im a fairly competent pc builder

[dfsdfgfkjsefoiqzemnd]

Check that the CPU and motherboard are the same socket.

Believe it or not, but people do get this wrong sometimes.

Check that CPU, motherboard and RAM are compatible in terms of memory speed (1066, 1333, 1600, etc etc)

It's no problem putting 1600MHz RAM on a build which otherwise only supports up to 1333, but it's just a waste of money basically.

Make sure that the RAM and motherboard are both DDR2, both DDR3 or both DDR4.

Don't mix them because it won't work. If the customer wants you to re-use his RAM, check that it is sufficient for his planned use and compatible with the rest of the new build's components.

If the motherboard is some obscure form factor, make sure that the case supports it.

Also make sure that it looks somewhat right. A Mini-ITX motherboard may very well fit inside a full tower case, but it just looks stupid.

If using an aftermarket CPU cooler, check that it supports the socket and isn't too high for the case.

Usually the case manufacturer lists maximum cooler height in the specs. I find 5mm to be an acceptable safety margin to offset measuring tolerances. Anything closer than that IMO doesn't look good in a windowed case anyway.

Search for pictures of the aftermarket cooler on a motherboard and see if the cooler overhangs the RAM slots. If it does, check reviews of it for mentions of low-profile RAM and adjust your shopping list accordingly.

Check that the graphics card actually fits inside the case.

I once had just a few mm left when I crammed a 4870x2 into a Gigabyte iSolo 210 case. Linus recently also nearly had an issue when he put a Titan X into a shoebox-sized case. So this can happen.

It wasn't an issue 10-5 years ago when big towers like the HAF X were the logical choice for gaming rigs, but with the current trend of using smaller and smaller cases I suspect that it's only a matter of time before someone has to start cuttting up his brand new case just to make the graphics card fit.

Make sure that the PSU you have or buy has all the necessary cabling for the internals.

If the customer wants to re-use his old PSU, make sure it's from a reputable brand and rated for the amount of current that the new hardware will draw under maximum load.

Also check all wires and make a list or schematic so you can work out if it's compatible or if you need splitters, adapter cables etc.

Check if the customer wants to transfer over a HDD and make sure it's not an IDE drive.

While the idea of people showing up with IDE drives may sound stupid, I added this to my checklist after encountering that exact scenario just last week.

That reminds me that I still need to erase that disk for secure disposal. Luckily I still have an external enclosure for IDE drives.

If all those are good, you have nothing to worry about. Any issues you may still encounter will most likely be manufacturer defects.

[LogicalDrm]

Only if someone asks about higher end stuff or anything audio. But then I just go "not an expert of this area, try google".

[fabiusp98]

I am usually calm because before getting the money for buying parts I always make my clients sign a contract wich states that basically if I screw up they take the risk and responibility. I know it's a ba****d move but it might save me in a tricky situation, but I have never used it for now.

[c_marriott]

The only thing I'm not confident on doing is the CPU section of the build, I'm always worried about bending the pins then damaging the mobo when installing a cooler. Constant fear of it all f***ing up.

[simson0606]

you have done this before, even twice! realistically what can go wrong? and if shit hits the fan, we're here to help!

[Guest]

Not really nervous no, i don't like the idea of letting people down though or failing to meet their expectations.