Alright, time to see if all the hard work has paid off...
Hello DIY PC Builders! I'm Trisha Hershberger and you are watching DIY in 5,
the show where we make high tech goals attainable for the everyday person.
We have arrived at the final episode of our build your own pc series and if you've been following up until this point,
you'll have all your components, picked out according to the type of PC you want to build
and you'll have even done part of the assembly already.
Now if you are just tuning in to this episode and need help choosing components, or installing the PSU,
CPU and CPU cooler or RAM, subscribe so that you can see the other videos in the series.
Ok, picking up right where we left off.
Our RAM has just been installed onto the motherboard as has our CPU and CPU cooler,
but before we are ready to put the motherboard into the case, there's one more step.
The I/O plate should come with your motherboard and it not only labels each of the ports,
but it also closes off the back of the computer from dust and debris.
Some motherboards have it attached already, but in case yours doesn't, do not forget this step.
I know way too many builders who have finished their entire build
only to realize they forgot this step and need to take everything back out just to install it.
Don't let that happen to you. Get that I/O plate, line it up and push hard until it locks into place.
Check that the small metal tabs on the backplate touch the metal parts of the connectors from the motherboard. This is to ground them.
If they don't line up, just take some needle nose pliers and bend them into place.
Once the I/O plate is in, time to get that motherboard in the case.
Lay your case down on its side so you have a bit more leverage.
Now that the integral components are installed on the motherboard, it's time to install the motherboard herself.
Most cases don't come with pre-installed risers. These keep the motherboard from directly touching the metal of the case.
By placing your motherboard inside the case, you'll see which holes line up with the case
and that's where you should screw in the risers - they should have come with your case.
Gently slide in the motherboard, pushing the rear panel ports through the i/o plate.
Then lay the motherboard on top of the risers.
The screw holes should align and you should be able to screw the motherboard in.
I recommend only screwing halfway until you know you've got it right.
Storage is up next! Depending on your case, you may or may not need screws,
any number of tool-free mechanisms, use caddies or trays, need adapters,
etc to install your hard drive. If you are using mSATA or M.2,
these usually install into particular slots on the motherboard, and some can even use PCIe slots.
Moving on to our GPU... If you've chosen a dedicated GPU for your build,
now is the time to install it. Because dedicated GPUs can be so large nowadays - I'm looking at you 4080 -
you may wish to save the GPU installation till the very end.
Locate the long PCI-E x16 slot closest to the heat sink of your processor.
This will either be the first or second expansion slot on your motherboard.
First, open the slot however you need to for your case. Then, line up the card's backplate with the slot and gold connectors - don't touch them -
and push it until it clicks. If one side looks higher than the other, pull it out and try again.
If you are an overachiever and you are using multiple video cards, you'll need to open more than one slot.
Ok friends! Hardware installed? Check! Now it's time to hook it all together.
First, run data cables from your drives to the motherboard. Then run power cables from the PSU to the motherboard.
You might need two here. Next, run power to your video card and your drives.
The connectors for your drives are usually thin and black. Now onto wires, although often confused,
they are different from cables. Connect the power wires from the CPU cooler and other fans to the
correct pins on the motherboard if you haven't already - they are usually clearly marked.
Connect the wires from the front panel to the appropriate headers. Connect the wires from your case lights,
power, and reset buttons to the pins on the motherboard. These are also normally labeled.
When in doubt about where anything goes, consult your motherboard manual,
then consult it again, then maybe your case manual, then motherboard again. You get the picture.
Once you know where everything needs to go, you might want to do some cable management.
If you can run your cables around the back of the motherboard or through specific cable management devices,
not only will your case look better, but you'll also be setting yourself up for arguably better airflow and better heat management.
At the very least, you don't want any wires or cables near your major components or interfering with any fans.
Ok, the moment has arrived. Some PC builders will power up throughout a build, which can be incredibly helpful for troubleshooting later on if needed,
but for first time builders, I recommend putting everything together before booting up.
Some people swear by testing parts outside of the case first,
but there's really no hard and fast rule within the DIY building community as to if you should or shouldn't.
What you may want to do is hold off on the majority of your cable management
until you know it's all working properly to save yourself some time. Ok back to the big reveal.
If you used an anti-static wrist strap, take it off now. Leave the case open so you can watch it closely.
Connect and turn on the monitor. Press the power button and watch the machine turn on with the case still open
but don't touch anything! Check that your fans are spinning, especially the CPU fan
if not, power down right away! Most motherboards will do this for you as a security precaution to
avoid damaging components if needed. If fans are spinning, check the monitor.
And, if you see the motherboard manufacturer's logo - congratulations! You have successfully built a computer!
If not, power down and retrace all your steps.
We have other videos on this channel covering troubleshooting steps should this happen to you.
Let's assume things are going smoothly and you saw the motherboard screen.
Now it's time to adjust BIOS settings, set date & time and if you like, enable XMP and set the default boot order.
At this point, you can install your OS of choice, run your preferred benchmark and stress tests, and if all performs as expected?
Feel free to do a victory dance around your room because it's well-earned.
So that's that! Now that you've created your masterpiece, show it off!
Tweet us pictures of your rig using #DIYin5. Tell us in the comments what kind of build you did and how it went.
If this or any other videos in this series helped you, please give us a like and brag or you know,
share with your friends how easy the whole process was once you broke it down.
Now, enjoy your rig for years to come!
As an added bonus, I imagine you'll be more likely to update components
now that you've been inside the guts of your tower and it s not so intimidating.
I feel honored to have been able to go on this adventure with you. Thank you.
Till next time, I'm Trisha Hershberger and you've been watching DIY in 5!