Computer Assembly

[montijin]

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[jinkazama]

get a big enough case and all your parts should fit just fine, plus it will allow for extra circulation of the air. Personally on your first build unless you have somebody that wants to help out I'd avoid watercooling, unless you're just buying a cheaper CPU and want to over clock to ridiculous heights.

[chiyio]

just watch a couple youtube videos on assembly, there are tons of them. It's really not that hard, you should be fine.

[Slott]

Everything you buy, unless it's OEM typically comes with an instruction manual anyway. My evga motherboard for example had details on the exact build order to go with, and labels where parts should go etc. It's fairly easy, the only really tricky part is mounting the cpu heatsink. As for cooling, there are plenty of airflow heatsinks that allow for great cooling, so that even overclocked, heat isn't an issue.

[Isiolia]

Here is a relatively recent article with a pictorial step-by-step that should give you an idea what to expect for assembly. Not the only one out there, or even the only one on that site, but it's honestly not that complicated if you look at things one piece at a time. If you've upgraded parts n' all before, about the only real hurdle is putting the motherboard n' PSU in the case yourself.

Should I skip out on water cooling for the first computer I assemble?

Probably. A full water cooling system not only adds additional considerations for the build, but adds a fair bit of cost as well. Unless you're aggressively overclocking, it's really not necessary either.
There are self-contained liquid coolers however, such as the Corsair H50 that would not be much more complicated to use than a standard air cooler.

While I've looked around I've noticed that a lot of people say they do "research" on whether or not their parts will fit in their case. How the hell do you figure that out? I don't even see dimensions on Newegg.com for products.

Well, you can click on details, then if it's not there, look at their manufacturer's product page link, etc.

There are usually three main points to consider. First, will your motherboard fit? Well, provided that the case fits that size motherboard - which come in standard sizes - it likely should. You have things like microATX, ATX, or full-size ATX. If you buy a case that only fits microATX, don't expect the larger boards to fit. Kinda simple.

While OEM coolers rarely have issues, a large third-party one might have issues.

More commonly, it's a video card thing. Not all mid-tower cases (much less microATX) are set up to fit full-length graphics cards, much less more than one. Often you can find fit issues/complaints in Newegg feedback, or in reviews of the case.

A simple solution to this? Buy a case that a lot of other people have used for a similar build. If in doubt, ask in an enthusiast forum.

If it comes down to it and I have to pay someone to assemble it for me, what is a fair price? Anyone had experience with a major retailer/repair store doing this for them?

IMO, don't pay someone to do it for you. If you know anyone who has built a machine before, ask them if they could come hang out to make sure you don't screw up. Most people who have would likely enjoy helping anyway, and you can always sweeten the deal with some food and a movie/game/whatever while Windows installs.

Most likely, once you get your first build done, you'll not have qualms about building down the line. So you should really just make that jump if it's feasible.

[montijin]

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[montijin]

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[Kerberoz]

Should I skip out on water cooling for the first computer I assemble?

Depends if you mean real full liquid cooling or just one of the self-contained Corsair coolers. The latter are no different to install than an oversized HSF.

[Eldoras]

FYI that Corsair H50 runs pretty warm/hot both under full and idle load. I personally use prolimatech megahalems w/ a kaze fan faced upward. Also I went out and got a sleeving case to make the wiring on the inside look more sleek and organized. Just need a hair dryer for the process or you can go to your home depot and buy electrical tape that matches the color of your sleeving (yes they say colored electrical tape @ Home Depot, even pink....). Also FYI, having seen images of that case, watch out how you use side fans; they are either a blessing or a f'king curse! Depending on the graphics cards, sometimes the side fans can blow too hard and cause the hot air blowing from the GPU to just stick where it is. You can imagine the problem worse yet if you have a desktop case with a bottom fan pointing upward and your GPU card has a fan point downward, same effect. That nice "pocket of hot air" is gonna look shitloads worse if your using an over-clocked Nvidia, then your gonna see some temperatures rise badly! But just an FYI because while I've never seen it destroy anything asap, your probably taking years of its lifespan in the long run [or at least you have an excuse to upgrade your GPU card in a few years LOL]!