Same here when I got my first computer where I fully paid for and assembled, years ago. You are wondering if you did the right decision, and all that. If someone helped you here, you are good. In fact, I found you post, and had a good read. The parts that you are getting are all good. If anything is wrong with the system, it is you that forgot to do something, and that is why we are here, OR you had the bad luck of having a manufacture error in one of the parts, which we are here to help you diagnose. Here is what I strongly suggest you do when you get your computer: 1- RELAX! Take your time. So what if it takes you 4-6 hours to build your computer? It's your first time. Take 2 days if you must. Think and plan before doing. Feel free to confirm every step in a thread. We are here to help. 2- READ every instruction manual carefully, before doing anything. 3- Plan your cable management, take advantage of your computer case cable management holes. This not only will make your computer look nice, but will also improve air flow, which in turn means a quieter computer. 4- Don't forget the 6 or 8pin motherboard ATX connector on the corner (or around there). I always used to forget it. Which means that my computer never turned on, or only had the fans kick-in. 5- Once your computer is build, make sure to very that every power cable is correctly installed, and fully in place. 6- Watch out for the SATA cable. Many of them have a metal clip to hold it. You need to press on it, before pulling, in the case you want to unplug it, else you'll break the HDD plug. Happened to me. Lucky, the actual plug didn't break in my case, so it holds fine, and still works at 100%. 7- Got carpet in your work area? Avoid having hardware touch it, and wash your hands before installing your computer. Water conducts electricity, and water travels in metal pipes. The simple contact of water will discharged you, and you'll be grounded. You'll be ready to build your computer. Avoid rubbing your feel on the carpet. 7- Build order: -> When you'll get out the motherboard from its bag, it should be on some foam pad. Keep the foam under the motherboard for now, and place it on the table. If it doesn't come with some foam pad, place a peace of card board under it. The idea is that when you'll for the following steps, you don't puncture your table with the soldering of the components and scratch your nice table. -> Install CPU, and CPU heat sink first. The CPU socket will have a plastic cover. DO NOT THROW IT AWAY. If you ever need to return your motherboard to the manufacture for replacement, you will need to put back the plastic cap, else they assume that the socket is broken, and will charge you for repair or replacement (warranted is voided, if you don't put back the cap). Why? Because it's very sensitive. As you install the CPU make sure it's installed correctly. It's normal that when you close the metal cover to hold the CPU (you'll know what I mean) it's a bit hard to lock it in. Don't worry. Feel free to make sure that you positioned the CPU correctly before closing, of course. If you are forcing too much, then it's obviously not correct. -> Install RAM following the location mentioned in the motherboard instruction manual -> Go to you case, install any case fans you need, if any case was purchased. -> Install your Power Supply (PSU) -> Install your motherboard gently in the case. Remember that the motherboard won't be balanced due to the heavy heat sink, so handle with care. It is ok to hold a bit the motherboard on the heat-sink, provided it's installed correctly, and sold in place, but don't ONLY hold the motherboard via the heat sink. It's not a handle, it's just in case you can't put your hands properly when you are sliding the motherboard down the case. NOTE: Some cases require you to install some metal screws to hold the motherboard at certain location. Read manual to know how, and where to put them. The location of them varies depending on your motherboard type (mini-ITX, ATX, or EX-ATX, for example). Basically every screw hole on your motherboard must be used. -> Now you did the hard part. Simply, install the rest: HDD, optical drive, case front panel connectors, graphic card, sound card (if any). -> Turn on the computer, go to the BIOS, and set the date and time, and select "Load Optimize default", for the motherboard to detect your hardware and pick the right settings for you. Then just make sure that your SATA controller where your HDD is connected to, is set to AHCI mode. -> Now you are ready to install Windows, your drivers, update Windows, and install your programs.
Thanks man! You truly are a Good Byte. Cable management seems pretty tricky too, but I can always youtube that.
I get nervous every time I build a system for the simple fact that you just don't know if the things you bought are going to work as intended, or if you are going to spend the next week troubleshooting. Usually it goes perfectly. I am a worrier though.
There's less than a 1% chance that a single good is going to be DOA. Don't worry, just take it slowly and we can guide you through at good pace!
If anything it makes it all even more enjoyable when you've got those memories of making it all working by hand, complete with all of the moments of terror, swearing, finger cramps, wondering why the pet cat suddenly thinks it must be involved, et cetera. At least you get to the wall socket before messing things up. I've forget to plug the power switch into the motherboard in the first place on multiple builds.
On my first rig, when it came to the wires on the board, I was so unconfident that I asked Knuck to do it for me :-/ Now I'm confident thought I blew his 850XT...and nearly killed his GTX260...BUT hey I never screwed on my own stuff XD
There is nothing that could go wrong that can't be fixed, just think of it like that. You got any games to go with your shiny new toy?
The assembly process never bothered me, but dropping huge ammounts of cash on an upgrade always makes me feel like crap even if i've been lusting after more performance for like a year.
I bought my system from a company that built it for me which I regret to be honest. But a few months ago I replaced the Heat Sink. To do this I had o remove everything to fit the back plate of the cooler. I reminded my cpu to clean old Tim which was easy but the slight crunch of pins scared me to death. Just make sure you line everything up and you will be fine.
Enjoy it And take your time when you do the build. I tend to rush them because of the anxiety but you can make mistakes that way. It's best to go really slow and think about what you are going to do before you do it. I don't get too stressed anymore, but I'm old now and made probably a dozen PC's. But I remember that my first several times were really kinda scary. The first few I did when I was about 16 too, but I made them with my dad, so that made it much easier. He did most of the work on the first one at least. By about 20 I was making them myself, sometimes one for myself, sometimes one for my brother or whatever. By about 25 I had made several, although I still used to make occasional mistakes. The earlier ones were back when hardware didn't get very hot. Nothing had fans on it, the only warm thing was the CPU and I don't think that even had a fan. I think it just had a little metal heatsink and then there was one or two crappy little fans in the case. And then one day years later, I was making a new PC and I was on the phone to my friend as I was doing it, and I took the CPU out the box and picked up the heatsink and I remember saying to him, "Gah what's this crap? I got silver paint squished all over my thumb." He was like........ that's thermal paste!! It's poisonous!! And your CPU will overheat unless you re-apply it!! I don't think I even bothered. But on future builds I tried to keep a bit more up to date with what I was getting and how it all worked. But by that point the internet was here and things got easier. On my last few builds, I have had CPU's that can be safely overclocked, so I took far more care to fit everything perfectly and get good temperatures and not have to require noisy fans.
Thanks guys, really do appreciate the help! At the moment it'll mostly be Shogun 2 and Guild Wars 2, but I'll be picking up Skyrim and Borderlands 2 soon enough.
Ah well, get on Gunnars Hold and come play some GW2 with steampunks if you want. I have to wait a while for my internet to be installed at the moment but would be more than happy to do a coupla dungeon runs when I'm sorted.
One does not simply walk into Modding. But you have our sword. And our bow. And our axe. And our Dremel, screwdrivers, multimeter, anti-static wristband, sleeving tools and soldering iron.
I always worry when buying new parts. Then I second guess my self and test the old parts I have and test some more then ask someone to test something similar with the part I'm upgrading, then take the part back as I'm scared I made a bad choice. So don't feel like your the only one who get nervous when getting new parts. But like everyone else says were here to help so feel free to ask when you need it.
