Learning the computer-fu to build my own PCs. (Thinking towards the future.)

[Elizara]

So okay. Up until now, my brother has built all my pcs. Mind, it's just a gut feeling, but I have a feeling this might be the last brother-brand PC I use. (Nothing bad. Just I have a feeling I might not be in this house much longer(as in move out), which will be a win, but..)

Since I got time now..Is there any online resources I can use to learn how to put together a pc other than shove in boards like video cards? (I know how to do that much. I just don't know how to mount a motherboard or put in a hdd or powersupply or a processor. My brother usually dealt with the hardware side and I deal with the software side of my PC; now I need to learn the hardware side before I end up doing the /panic dance)

Thanks to anyone who can point me at some resources I can study Just In Case my gut's right this time..

[Hellfury]

Uhm, in general it's not that hard, things have gotten _very_ standardized the last few years. Mounting of a motherboard, or HDD (you'll want at least one SSD though) will vary depending on the chassis you choose.

Decide on a general direction you want to go hardware wise, then can start looking for guides, your hardware choices will affect how you go about it. Most decent hardware producers will include acceptable instructions related to their particular hardware and have metric tonnes of youtube videos either produced by them or "fans".





You need to be aware of the following things in your initial planning:


What do you want to do with it?

Decide on a budget, ideal and upper maximum


Are you going to reuse any old components, if so, which?


Your CPU, motherboard and memory needs to be compatible, the easiest way to do this (this is just a very rough outline, details left out for now)



01, Choose your platform, AMD or Intel (are you using any very specific programs? if not, AMD is probably more bang for your buck, Intel is a tiny bit more powerful in raw speed while AMD has more threads/cores <insert technobabble and pages of fanboyism here>),
02, Then pick a CPU series (there are different sockets on different CPUs)
03, Based on platform and chosen CPU, pick a motherboard (what components do you need supported here? some come with built in wifi, or an included add-in card), I am partial to ASUS, but that's mostly a force of habit and I like their UEFI BIOS.
04, Based on CPU and Motherboard, find good memory. In theory, everything matching the CPU and MB specifications should be good, but in practice, it's not necessarily that easy, so can be good to do some googling to verify actual compatability (MB producers don't usually produce extensive lists, but memory producers often have compatibility lists)
05, Based on everything above, decide on a CPU cooling solution (water or air?) and thermal paste if not included. Water is generally better, but trickier, riskier, and slightly more difficult and requires more chassis space (though AiO solutions are pretty easy now).
06, Decide on a GPU
07, Decide on a power supply, a lot of GPUs can be pretty power hungry and the power plugs are relatively standard, but there are different configurations, so after you chose the above components it's time to decide on a power supply.
08, Do you think you'll need an optical unit (DVD/BR reader or burner?)
09, Pick a chassis that can fit your components, your motherboard will have some x-ATX side specifications showing how big a motherboard it can handle, how big a GPU it can handle and how big a PSU it can handle (size wise). Some chassis have support for memory cards etc.

- In general big cabinets are easy to fit stuff in, but cabling can be harder on the really big ones unless you want to get "custom" cables, air flow is important as well, tiny cabinets can be hard to work with if you have 10 thumbs like me.

10, I would recommend having a SSD for at least OS and primary applications, with a HDD for bigger cheaper storage.
11, Consider additional chassis fans
12, Unless you have a movable Windows installation, grab an OEM copy of the _PRO_ version if you can.



start researching there, then move onto actual assembly research. Assembly in general is very easy these days as long as you did your components research. If you have your older computer, take off the side of the chassis and trace the wiring (take us a picture too!) and you'll see pretty easily how it's done.
Before you could easily plug things wrongly, these days very little can actually fit somewhere it's not supposed to go. The scary part is putting the CPU in the motherboard. And that's easy.

[Elizara]

Thanks Hellfury.

To be honest, some of that I'd already been doing. (I'll just call him by his old FFXI name here) Shadowneko has a rule about such things; he is not a parts store. So, you have to do your own research and buy your own parts, and then he'll put them together. At least I did check on Windows, and my Windows 10 can be moved (even tho I might have to reach for my old Win 7 disks for THAT key to do it). I also have Pro already; I wouldn't settle for anything less!

I just want to be ready in case..I can't get Shadowneko to help anymore b/c we're not in teh same house anymore. So wanted to study up on what Shadowneko does. ^^ Not for a living mind you, but around the house with the family PCs. ^^

It's going to be a year or two but my hope when I get around to upgrading my current build is to save HDD and the optical drive, maybe the wireless network card as well (tho might spring for a new one or go wired if I do move out). SSD I'll seriously consider, tho when I built this one didn't go for it. Since I tend to play older games, it hasn't been a issue yet, but I'm sure it'll become one in a couple years.

[Hellfury]

I would probably just pick components then, and go search on youtube for assemble (hardware piece here) and use the supplied documentation to quality assure the video.
And get a decent toolkit, not sure what's applicable where you are, but a standard computer set shouldn't be expensive. An antistatic armchain doesn't hurt


I know it's not the perfect guide you wish for, but there will be enough variances depending on hardware chosen that any generic guide would have to be very generic, different chassis would have different optimal sequences of doing things, though I would definitively install the CPU in the MB before the MB in the chassis, since that is a fucking pain xD
Start making an outline of parts, and I'm sure we can get you through it, though I suspect you will easily do perfectly well with a couple of minutes with documentation and youtube

[Elizara]

Thanks Hellfury. I'll check that out then and look into finding a computer toolkit; Of course Shadowneko has one but he's the A+ cert tech, of course he would. (That's why the PC building defaulted to him a lot). Better to get my own and be prepared for no 'Neko. ^^

[Hellfury]

Better to get my own and be prepared for no 'Neko. ^^

This is the right answer :D


I really don't know US price levels, so I have no idea if these guys are overpriced or not


https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/Toolkits


https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/P...le/IF145-444-1 is probably overkill for your use,but you should be covered.


I use the https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/R...it/IF145-278-7 at work, but except for the antistatic mat and the extra screwdrivers, I mostly only use the stuff in the mat bundle. Though I'm more administrative decision making and planning these days than nuts and bolts


I miss the old days of just fixing low level crap and moving on to the next crap that needs fixing. But building computers is really a learning by doing thing

[Elizara]

Won't be until after dinner (RL ticks on..) but I'll check Fry's as well for prices, tho the midrange one looks similar to what Neko has, except he doesn't have a antistatic band. (He got it for his computer classes.)

And I believe you. I admit, 'Neko learned how in class via learning how to fix pcs, I don't have his training but I'm sure I can do this, since I've watched, didn't look too hard. Can't be harder than running down wtf happened, software wise, when my PC errors or something. ^^ But since I'm not going to right away I got time to save, just need to find the best deal for the tools other than a screwdriver. ^^ Oh and I prolly will stick to air cooled for my first pc; 'Neko always haaated water cooling b/c it's a pain, and I understand!

[Hellfury]

Won't be until after dinner (RL ticks on..) but I'll check Fry's as well for prices, tho the midrange one looks similar to what Neko has, except he doesn't have a antistatic band. (He got it for his computer classes.)

And I believe you. I admit, 'Neko learned how in class via learning how to fix pcs, I don't have his training but I'm sure I can do this, since I've watched, didn't look too hard. Can't be harder than running down wtf happened, software wise, when my PC errors or something. ^^ But since I'm not going to right away I got time to save, just need to find the best deal for the tools other than a screwdriver. ^^ Oh and I prolly will stick to air cooled for my first pc; 'Neko always haaated water cooling b/c it's a pain, and I understand!

I have absolutely no doubt you will figure this out. There might be some serious head scratching involved as you ponder "wtf about this makes this make sense?" probably, and oh the joys of powering it up and nothing happening, but there is usually a logical explanation.

(I am perfectly content to admit, I still use way bigger power supplies than I need to, simply because I can not be arsed to do the maths properly, and a bad PSU is bad for your computer and bad for your mental health!)

[Boyiee]

Putting a computer together is like legos, and everything only has one place to go. It's extremely easy just don't put too much paste on your processor.

[theshun]

If you need a visual, I suggest The Verge PC build guide Bitwit on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhX0fOUYd8Q

[Elizara]

Thanks on that theshun. I've subscribed to his channel and I'll watch it later on. Since yar, I figure the best thing is to be prepared in this situation.

I think really, I've been kinda sorta spoiled rotten, pc wise. ^^

[Kalmado]

If you need a visual, I suggest The Verge PC build guide Bitwit on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhX0fOUYd8Q

I chuckled. God that Verge video was so bad and then them trying to justify or whatever you want to call their misinformation.

[Kalmado]

Gonna post it here too. If you have any money right now for buying parts, you absolutely will not get better bang for your buck at $120 for this processor which includes a pretty great for stock cooler. In other words, if this is still available, buy it ASAP.

https://www.frys.com/product/9099627...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

[Elizara]

Kal; told you over Steam, but not after parts right now. I'd be interested in a deal on a good PC repair toolkit for mua tho so I can be prepared for no 'Neko around. Boy scout rule..

But thanks tho. ^^

[Edit] Might of found it. This screwdriver set from Harbor Freight and this antistatic strap should do me I think, and I can get a lunchbox from Five Below for a case so I don't lose, or knit something. (Yes I knit and crochet, as people in the Discord can tell you. I just don't sell anything I make.)

[Niya]

Antistatic straps/mats are nice to have but definitely not a must-have. I've assembled pretty much all of my PCs without them, and you also don't need a full set of screwdrivers. One decent phillips screwdriver is enough 99% of the time, and for grounding you just touch a heater or other grounded piece of metal.

For PSU wattage, I love the calculator that is linked in my signature Fill in your hardware, let it calculate a wattage, round up to the next 50W step and add another 50W on top, tada, good estimate of what PSU you need.

General rule of thumb for tightening screws, especially on coolers if you applied thermal paste yourself: tighten them in a cross shape step by step.
When you have 4 screws in a square shape
1 2
3 4
you tighten 1 a bit, then 4, and then 2-3 or 3-2. Rinse and repeat until all of them are tight.

The most finicky part of PC assembly is usually getting the mobo (with CPU, cooler and RAM already mounted) into the case. Check the position of the mounting "bolts" just in case, some cases allow different mobo sizes and some of the bolts have to be repositioned for that, but for ATX and micro-ATX that's normally not needed. But checking just in case doesn't hurt, i'm just a bit careful on that part since I fried my first mobo due to a bolt in the wrong spot...
Push the ATX bezel (or however you guys call that thing, did I mention English isn't my main language? ) into place first (it should snap into its hole in the case), then get the mobo in, align all the ports with the bezel and push it in place so all screw holes align with the bolts. put the screws in loosely until all holes are filled and tighten them then.

[theshun]

Antistatic straps/mats are nice to have but definitely not a must-have. I've assembled pretty much all of my PCs without them, and you also don't need a full set of screwdrivers. One decent phillips screwdriver is enough 99% of the time, and for grounding you just touch a heater or other grounded piece of metal.

For PSU wattage, I love the calculator that is linked in my signature Fill in your hardware, let it calculate a wattage, round up to the next 50W step and add another 50W on top, tada, good estimate of what PSU you need.

General rule of thumb for tightening screws, especially on coolers if you applied thermal paste yourself: tighten them in a cross shape step by step.
When you have 4 screws in a square shape
1 2
3 4
you tighten 1 a bit, then 4, and then 2-3 or 3-2. Rinse and repeat until all of them are tight.

The most finicky part of PC assembly is usually getting the mobo (with CPU, cooler and RAM already mounted) into the case. Check the position of the mounting "bolts" just in case, some cases allow different mobo sizes and some of the bolts have to be repositioned for that, but for ATX and micro-ATX that's normally not needed. But checking just in case doesn't hurt, i'm just a bit careful on that part since I fried my first mobo due to a bolt in the wrong spot...
Push the ATX bezel (or however you guys call that thing, did I mention English isn't my main language? ) into place first (it should snap into its hole in the case), then get the mobo in, align all the ports with the bezel and push it in place so all screw holes align with the bolts. put the screws in loosely until all holes are filled and tighten them then.

For screw tightening, that's an amazing rule of thumb for almost all things. Instruments and engines work this way, too. As for the mobo placement/screws, the video also covers this, so I'm glad someone else mentioned it.

[Elizara]

thanks Niya. I just got the suggestion to go the whole way first time, and when I get to this, it will be the first time that I've ever done more than buy parts.

I also figure from the description of that screwdriver kit, I can use it for other things in the meantime (like getting the battery cover off Shadowneko's Pocketstation or off the sensor for Personal Trainer Walking, or even tightening the hinges on my glasses). Also it's cheaper than the full-on kit; I don't think I'll be messing with say, phones much. So I'd say screwdrivers are not a bad thing to have around. And the strap..Well, might want to first time since I'll be a newbie at it then. I'm either going to make a case/purse or buy a lunchbox or something to shove that in so I don't lose nuffing.

I'll also bookmark this thread so I can refer to the screw tightening thing, so thanks for that! We'll just have to see eventually WHY I am getting the feeling I have to duck..

And don't worry Niya. I didn't know until now that English is not your first language; you're that good at it.

[Niya]

Watching that video right now to see how/what they describe, and there's one thing I wanna say.
Don't use those damn zip ties <.< double-sided velcro is the way to go, cut it to the right length as needed (or use pre-cut straps) to bundle up wires. Holds everything tightly but is easy to remove/change without risking to cut/unmantle a wire when you try to snap the zip tie...

If you don't have any screwdrivers yet, getting a set is fine ^^ Never hurts to have a variety of different heads and sizes, but as I said, for PC assembly you typically only need 1.

And thanks for the praise on my English Eli, but the little German flag under my avatar might have spoiled that I'm ESL ^^ On longer posts I pretty much always have a tab with an online dictionary open to look up certain words ^^;

[Boyiee]

You only need one screwdriver for a computer lol and you don't need any anti static shit.

[Elizara]

Niya; I don't have any screwdrivers of my own; not surprising since my brothers have most of the tools in this house.

That's the other reason to get a kit; so if things are going to go down like I think they will, I'll have some screwdrivers at least, and eventually I might go for a few other tools anyway for other stuff. This girlie does not want to be helpless when minor stuff needs fixed! And I'll check the local craft store for that velcro; 'Neko used zip ties but being able to change things around without getting my pocketknife is appealing. [Edit] Looks like Joann's has it: Velcro One Wrap Roll

And Boyiee; I understand a antistatic strap is good to have, esp first time. I'll proly get that with something else, like a game. But..I proly won't use it unless I really think I need it after that; 'Neko doesn't use one when he gets his arms in a PC. (Proly doesn't help that he lost his out of his kits lol.)