Good Guides for Building a PC

[intense.ego]

Does anyone know of a good guide to building a PC? I am a first time builder and will need a very detailed explanation, so if anyone knows a guide, please link.
Thanks
intense.ego

[Skripka]

Rule #1, ground yourself early and often

Rule #2, read the instructions that come with your hardware (RTFM)

Rule#3, All connectors are keyed and only lock together in one orientation-the exception being front panel LEDs

Rule #4, DO NOT leave your cabling like a rats' next. Twenty ADORABLE kittens SCREAM in AGONY everytime someone leaves their cables looking like a rodents' nest.

Rule #5, Do NOT be in a hurry. Work slowly and carefully, triple check your work against instructions.

[Warpnow]

Read your motherboard manual cover to cover. Every aspect of building your PC is covered in most of them. Its your go to guide. It will explain each step in detail with diagrams.

[Post Monkeh]

read your motherboard manual and take your time. it really is all pretty self explanitory.

do you have a pc at the minute? my advice would be to get all the stuff you want, then open your current pc and have a look and see where the memory is, where the processor is, where the drives plug into etc.

[NovaAesa]

Be careful if you plan on installing cold cathode lights. Don't try to plug them in when the step up transformer is already turned on! (I made this mistake once, I ended up with two tiny charred spots on my right hand and one hell of a fright).

[Warpnow]

Be careful if you plan on installing cold cathode lights. Don't try to plug them in when the step up transformer is already turned on! (I made this mistake once, I ended up with two tiny charred spots on my right hand and one hell of a fright).

Does it make me evil if I started laughing at the word transformer?

[NovaAesa]

Does it make me evil if I started laughing at the word transformer?My girlfriend laughed when she saw me actually do it, so you are only as evil as her :lolflag:

[Skripka]

Be careful if you plan on installing cold cathode lights. Don't try to plug them in when the step up transformer is already turned on! (I made this mistake once, I ended up with two tiny charred spots on my right hand and one hell of a fright).

You never took one of them electronics courses that warned you about close connections when circuits were hot-did ya? :0

[Frak]

If it doesn't fit, push harder.

^^From "How to break your computer in 7 days without software intervention"

[PurposeOfReason]

Only mistake a lot of new users make is they dont use the motherboard standoffs that come with the case. Those nice gold screws, yeah, they go in to the case to boost up the MB.

[Mister LinOx]

I have saw quite a few good follow-throughs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CStOC0hET8 (Comes in two parts)
http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-2008-pc-builders-bible/a-20080918153014865039/p-26
http://techreport.com/articles.x/13671/1

All of those are nice, but I have a few notes that differ from them. For the first video, Paul puts the Motherboard in the case first. I recommend putting the core, heatsink, and memory in outside.

For the last two(maybe even all, not sure), when it comes to applying the thermal compound to the core, don't wipe it all over. Put an uncooked-rice size dot and install the heatsink. This way it does it perfectly without too much. With quad-core, a thin line almost going across the whole core. Even what OCZ and Artic Recommend.

[chessnerd]

Check the public library. It may seem old school but I'm sure that your local library has to have at least one "Computer Hardware for Dummies" type book. :)

[intense.ego]

Rule #1, ground yourself early and often


By ground myself, are you suggesting that I just touch a piece of metal that's connected to the ground? Or is there more to the process?

[Warpnow]

Only mistake a lot of new users make is they dont use the motherboard standoffs that come with the case. Those nice gold screws, yeah, they go in to the case to boost up the MB.

Hence why you should use a cheap case. :-p

On cheap cases they tend to be riveted to the side in my experience.

[helpmeplease1]

Don't buy an Abit Fatality 1 motherboard.

I've had too many hardware related issues with it...

Also, make sure EVERYTHING is known to be compatible with EVERYTHING else.
Make sure your power-supply has the correct connectors for your motherboard. Also, if you get a hard drive with two places to put the power cables in, don't use both power cables!!! Use one -unless you like fireworks sponsored by MAXTOR.

[5m0k3]

http://lifehacker.com/5151369/the-first+timers-guide-to-building-a-computer-from-scratch

[NCLI]

BTW: What does happen if you don't ground yourself?

[Skripka]

BTW: What does happen if you don't ground yourself?

You risk an electrostatic discharge from yourself into your circuit boards, likely killing the board(s)

[helpmeplease1]

You risk an electrostatic discharge from yourself into your circuit boards, likely killing the board(s)

LOL when I first read this I thought you said "likely killing yourself or the board(s)."

Glad I have one of those wrist band thingies.

[ugm6hr]

I used this for advice when I built my media centre:
http://www.buildyourown.org.uk/

[Exodist]

Rule #1, ground yourself early and often

Rule #2, read the instructions that come with your hardware (RTFM)

Rule#3, All connectors are keyed and only lock together in one orientation-the exception being front panel LEDs

Rule #4, DO NOT leave your cabling like a rats' next. Twenty ADORABLE kittens SCREAM in AGONY everytime someone leaves their cables looking like a rodents' nest.

Rule #5, Do NOT be in a hurry. Work slowly and carefully, triple check your work against instructions.

AND most importantly dont touch the copper connectors on the bottom of your CPU. If your gonna fry anything, thats the easiest spot!

[cascade9]

Yet another guide-

http://forums.overclockers.com.au/showthread.php?t=383887


I have saw quite a few good follow-throughs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CStOC0hET8 (Comes in two parts)
http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-2008-pc-builders-bible/a-20080918153014865039/p-26
http://techreport.com/articles.x/13671/1

All of those are nice, but I have a few notes that differ from them. For the first video, Paul puts the Motherboard in the case first. I recommend putting the core, heatsink, and memory in outside.

For the last two(maybe even all, not sure), when it comes to applying the thermal compound to the core, don't wipe it all over. Put an uncooked-rice size dot and install the heatsink. This way it does it perfectly without too much. With quad-core, a thin line almost going across the whole core. Even what OCZ and Artic Recommend.

"Put an uncooked-rice size dot" is perfect. Very good advice, too many guides use what looks like 1/2 a tube of AS5 (or whatever thermal paste they are using). You only need a small amount, I'm still using the tube of AS5 I bought over 4 years ago, and I've done a lot of system builds.

Neat that your last link had washing the CPU top with alcohol, and even putting a thin film onto the heatsink. That actually works well.

BTW, besides agreeing with you on the build order (put the CPU/heatsink/RAM together before you bolt it into the case) I tend to go one extra step. I sit the motherboard on a bit of anti-static bag, normally the one the board came in, put that on cardboard, normally the broad case, pop the card in and test to make sure it boots. Old habit from doing bulk-builds, its just a waste of time to put everythign back out of the case cause you have a DOA board.


Hence why you should use a cheap case. :-p

On cheap cases they tend to be riveted to the side in my experience.

I have never seen a case with riveted standoffs. Not once. Pic pic pic or it didnt happen LOL

I tend to avoid ever recommending cheap cases. While a few cuts etc during the build isnt a major issue, the cheap power supplies in cheap cases are to be avoided IMO.

[Skripka]

Hence why you should use a cheap case. :-p

On cheap cases they tend to be riveted to the side in my experience.

The first and last cheap case I bought, a Raidmax, was QC'd by Retarded Ewoks. Said last case came with the front-panel leads wired COMPLETELY wrong: wrong color leads (w/respect to the official documentation), that case EVEN had the WRONG connectors on some leads (they put fan connectors on LED leads). Even someone poor slob working in a dimly lit sweatshop should have spotted that mess. NewEgg did not even have to take it back according to their stated warranty policy regarding Raidmax cases-I called them up politely, and they took it back post-haste with a full refund and no restock fee.

A cheap case will ONLY bite you in the butt, sooner or later. Don't skimp on enclosure or PSU.

[automaton26]

Basically, don't try and build the mother-of-all-workstations on your first attempt:

1) Read all instructions and on-line guides, several times.

2) Gain experience by building a cheap PC out of the cheapest components first, so if you break anything it doesn't cost too much. Or perhaps (even cheaper) get a old PC, take it apart and reassemble it a few times, including heatsinks and thermal paste.

3) Plan ahead, and don't expect to have it done in a few hours.


Good luck !

[PurposeOfReason]

3) Plan ahead, and don't expect to have it done in a few hours.
Good luck !
This x1000. Even after the dozens of computers I've built I still take hours to make sure I do a clean job. Granted 80% of that is routing cables.