Wanna build your own PC like this one but feeling a bit overwhelmed?
I get it. A DIY PC build can be one of the most joyous...and frustrating... and lovely... and
rage inducing... and wildly fulfilling things you’ll ever do in life, especially if it’s your first time.
Not to worry. I’m here to walk you through building a PC, step by step. This is DIY in 5!
Hello and welcome to DIY in 5, the show where we increase your tech know-how bit by bit and byte by byte
so you feel comfortable enough to do it yourself.
My name’s Trisha Hershberger and I am so excited that you're watching this video,
because in the words of Bilbo Baggins, "we’re “going on an adventure!!”
but rather than setting out to find a greedy temperamental dragon’s hoard,
you’ll be on a journey to discover another type of treasure
- a custom PC just for you.
It’s exciting to build your own PC and I’m excited for you!
Now, today’s video is part one of a multipart series where we’ll go over step by step, how to choose the right components
and finally assemble your very own PC.
In this video, we’ll cover choosing a case and motherboard, and other components will be covered in upcoming episodes
so be sure to subscribe to catch ‘em all.
When planning out your build, you’ll want to keep in mind a few things.
Firstly, your budget. While it can be tempting to have the latest and greatest of everything,
unless you have unlimited funds, you’ll probably need to scale it back.
Think about what you’ll be using the PC for and allocate the most money to the components that are YOUR highest priority.
If you’re all about gaming, you’ll want to prioritize the GPU and CPU.
Streaming? The CPU and RAM.
Planning to deal with tons of 8k footage, storage all day. You get the idea.
Secondly, do your research, read as many reviews of components as you can.
Thirdly, future proof if you can afford to do so.
It may make upgrades simpler down the road if you already have a framework in place that can support fancy future tech.
With these overall tips kept in mind, let’s start off by talking about what type of casing you want to house all your components in.
And while, artistically, it can be cool to build a case out of Legos or inside a piece of furniture,
for a first time build, you’ll be better off with something built specifically for this purpose.
Cases come in a variety of sizes to match your motherboard.
When thinking about case size, a full tower is generally more than 20 inches high.
It’s a great option if you are planning on custom water cooling, tons of storage, multiple graphics cards, multiple fans, etc.
Plus you’ve got plenty of room to get in there and build, so it can make assembly a bit easier in that respect.
A mid-sized tower is most common and is around 18 inches high and 8 or so inches wide.
Then there are small form factor PCs in Micro-ATX or even Mini-ITX sizes.
If you are considering a small form factor build, you might want to check out our latest video specifically on this type of PC before continuing.
Things to keep in mind when comparing PC cases:
Clearance - will all the components you want physically fit in it?
Noise level - Some cases are specifically made to dampen sound.
If you are a streamer or planning to use your PC to record music or podcasts, this may be a great option for you.
Aesthetics - Clear side panels allow you to showcase all your hard work or fancy cooling or RGB components.
Some cases have RGB built in already! And speaking of cases with stuff done already,
some cases will have perks like fans already installed, a PSU shroud, or cable management tracks already in place
so you will have a simpler time achieving a nice clean look.
Airflow - There are open systems which provide easy access to all your components and A+ airflow,
but do leave your system open to dirt and dust and they do nothing to stop the noise of your machine running.
Finally, you’ll want to make sure the case you choose has every type of port you anticipate needing.
Most cases come with two front panel USB ports.
If you are planning on tethering a VR headset, a front USB port with high transfer speeds would be really nice!
Ok - let’s now chat motherboards, since your motherboard needs to be able to fit in your case.
If you are planning a really complex build, you may want to decide on the motherboard first then choose a case afterwards.
The motherboard connects all the most important components of your PC and allows communication between them.
There’s a lot of features to consider in a motherboard. The most important of which is arguably CPU support.
Different CPUs fit different processor sockets.
If you already know you have your heart set on a certain processor, you’ll want to shop only for motherboards that support that processor.
The most common size of motherboard is Standard ATX, and this board fits in a mid-tower or larger.
If you are unsure whether a motherboard will fit in your case, you can either compare the physical dimension specs or use a tool like pcpartpicker.com.
While not foolproof, it’s a pretty reliable way to double check compatibility and sizing between components,
and it also offers a side-by-side comparison of which retailers are selling at the best prices.
The chipset on your motherboard is the part that’s responsible for all the gibber jabber between your CPU, RAM, GPU and peripherals.
It also has support for features like M.2 SSDs, USB 3.0 and higher, the latest PCIe, WiFi or Bluetooth support, etc.
Once you’ve chosen your motherboard you are well on your way to your own custom rig!
The motherboard manual will show you what components go where and then the real hype can begin.
But don’t get too carried away and buy everything just because you know where it goes.
We’ll get into the nitty gritty of CPU, RAM, GPU, SSDs and a bunch of other letters that go together in later episodes.
If this is your first build and you plan on doing it alongside this series,
keep us posted on your progress and ask your questions below.
If you’ve built before, and have a tip to share, please do!
Building a PC can be a very personal experience and pretty much everyone I know builds a little differently.
We welcome all build strategies here, as long as it POSTs at the end.
And if you don’t know what that means, just smile and nod. We’ll get there.
See ya next time with more DIY in 5!