Many Building Questions

[Hi P]

Please move my thread if wrong sub.

 

I'm going to assemble mine in a few weeks depending on shipping time, some questions and concerns popped up in my head.

 

 

1.- Do I need to use an anti-static wristband?

 

2.- Can I keep the anti-static wrap (the one from the mobo) inside the box just in case I need to use it someday? or does it degrade? 

 

3.- Before applying thermal paste for the first time, do I have to clean the CPU and CPU cooler base? if so, do I use water?

 

4.- Would cat hair mess up my components when building? (lol, I'm serious)

 

5.- What if cat hair gets into the case through the fans when turned on? would it mess up components? 

 

6.- Is "Post" just the same as saying "It turned on and it works"?

 

7.- Why does some "Post" problems are fixed by removing a RAM dimm?

 

8.- Do you have to tweak anything in the BIOS the first time or do you just install your OS and that is it?

 

9.- What is Mobo "bricking" and how do you avoid it?

 

10.- Is it a must to keep the BIOS always updated? yes / no and why?

 

 

Thank you

 

 

[Derrk]

1. not needed

2. wont degrade

3. no need to clean, but most cpu coolers have pre-applied paste - no need to add more. If you ever need to clean later, use isopropyl alcohol. water will cause problems if it gets on components/motherboard.

4. keep your cat away while you build. - they tend to carry a lot of static electricity

5. shouldn't be too bad but try to avoid - dust filters will keep it out. You want to keep as much dust/fur buildup out of the pc as possible

6. Post means turns on - can get to bios

7. Ram is weird

8. shouldn't have to tweak anything in first boot. Get drivers installed first and then you can play in bios

9. mobo brick equals dead. Usually from being shorted out. don't let the back come in contact with any unwanted metal. Standoffs are important but most cases have the standoffs already installed

10. If you buy old hardware, you should update the bios when you first install. I usually don't flash the bios unless i'm having issues.

[Spotty]

1. Not needed. I've never used one
2. If you had one then you could keep it. Won't expire
3. If the parts are new, they should already be clean and ready for thermal paste - if there isn't already thermal paste or applied to the cooler from the factory. If there is pre applied thermal paste then you don't need to add any extra. If the parts are used, you may need to clean them first. Use isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) to clean the top of the CPU and the bottom of the heatsink.
4. Move the cat to a different room. Last thing you want is your cat pushing your GPU off the table because your cat isn't ready for raytracing
5. You'll need to clean the dust filters on a regular basis to prevent build up
6. Power on self test. Basically the computer checks itself before it wrecks itself
7. Faulty ram can cause the system to not boot at all. Removing faulty ram solves it.
8. You may have to set your boot priority in the bios to the installation media and then once the os is installed set it to the drive with the OS installed on it. The boot priority tells the motherboard which drive to try and boot an operating system from first
9. Motherboard bricking is when the board dies and no longer works. Avoid damage to the CPU socket.
10. Update the BIOS when/if there's a reason for you to do so. If it works, don't fix it.