So you wanna build your first PC - congrats!
I’m excited for you.
But before you jump headlong into the super gratifying world of PC building, here are
some tips and tricks for beginners that you’ll want to keep in mind for your first few builds.
This is DIY in 5!
Hey there!
Welcome to DIY in 5, my name is Trisha Hershberger and today we’re going to go over some PC building Tips for newbie PC builders.
Whether it’s your first time or it’s just been a long time, I got you covered. Plus it’s always good to have a refresher.
This is by no means a comprehensive guide on how to build a PC, although we do have
step by step guides on this channel if that is what you are looking for.
Today’s video will be particularly focused on common mistakes newbie PC builders make
and how to avoid them.
If you find the tips in today’s video useful, be sure to like this video, subscribe to this
channel and ring that bell so you don’t miss out on any future DIY tech tips.
First things first, planning your build ahead of time is key.
When choosing the right components there’s a lot to consider that can often be overlooked in a first build.
What will you be using this machine for?
Photo Editing?
Video editing?
Live streaming?
And what is your intended budget?
While it can be tempting to splurge on the best of every component, particularly the flashy ones,
you will be better off designing your build with a specific purpose in mind.
An SSD upgrade may be a worthy choice to increase upload/download or save speeds if you plan
to do a lot of gaming or access large raw video files.
Splurging on extra RAM may be the right move if you will need your machine to juggle many
different responsibilities at the same time.
The one thing I would definitely NOT recommend is cutting corners on the power supply, or PSU.
A lesser quality PSU can damage other components and cause tons of issues down the line.
When planning out your build, use a planning tool like PCpartpicker.com to compare pricing
and reviews from different retailers, and ensure that your components are compatible
with each other by comparing your intended build to others’ and seeing how theirs went
and what they did differently.
PCpartpicker also has a basic wattage calculator to give you an idea of the type of PSU you might need.
Then, double check that your RAM will work best with your motherboard.
Certain motherboard manufacturers will list the memory sticks they’ve tested with their
boards and guarantee they’ll work well with.
The Kingston memory finder is an easy to use tool we’ll link in the description to help
you ensure the RAM you are looking to purchase will work with your motherboard.
Finally, look at the physical dimensions of larger components like after-market coolers
or hefty graphics cards and make sure they will physically fit in your case.
This is often hard for online calculators to figure out and is a real bummer when you realize it mid-build.
Once you have the components in house, keep everything.
Read the manuals thoroughly to know the personality quirks and specifics of each component’s installation process.
And keep all the packaging as well.
You may find that you missed a bag of screws somewhere or need to return items afterwards
and you’ll want to have everything you may need to make that already frustrating process go smoothly.
When you are ready to start the actual build, be sure to ground yourself by wearing an anti-static
strap or touching a metal object on the ground to discharge any electricity in your body.
If your motherboard has a separate I/O panel that needs to be installed inside the case, do that first.
It’s an easy warmup, plus many new builders will forget about this until later and end up
needing to take everything out afterwards which is no fun.
When adding your major components to the motherboard, I recommend doing this outside the case.
Now, this isn’t a must-do and varies on personal preference, but I find it makes life
easier to install the CPU, RAM, heatsink and sometimes the PSU depending on your case size,
all before putting the motherboard inside the case.
When adding components to the motherboard, keep in mind, not all slots of the same type are created equal.
Your motherboard manufacturer will tell you which memory slots and storage slots will
give you the best performance and have the least bottlenecks.
This is not only true for RAM and storage drives, but PCI-E slots as well,
say, for your GPU if you are going with a dedicated graphics card.
A good rule of thumb is to install your GPU in the PCIe slot closest to your processor
then consult your motherboard manual for the next optimal slot if you are installing multiples.
During the installation, considering cable management will help you in the long run.
While the airflow benefits of good cable management are debatable, having a clean open space can
make modding easier and certainly makes the PC look nicer especially if you have a glass-sided or open case.
Zip ties and velcro ties are your friend here and remember to triple check that everything
is plugged in correctly and fully to both the motherboard and the PSU if needed.
After everything is assembled, plug it in, hook up a keyboard, mouse and monitor, and turn it on.
If your new computer POSTs - which stands for Power On Self Test,
and you see your motherboard’s logo come up on the screen - congrats! But your work isn’t done yet.
New builders will often install the OS and call it a day here, however, you’ll experience
less issues over time if you run a stress test or two to make sure the system is stable.
Cinebench R20 or AIDA64 are some popular ones.
Now, if your new PC doesn’t POST, take a deep breath, have patience and try not to panic.
Troubleshooting thoroughly and retracing your step will often solve non-POST problems.
Occasionally it may be faulty hardware but that’s less common than you might think.
And we have videos on this channel to help you troubleshoot that situation as well.
You got this.
The PC Building process can seem overwhelming for the first time, and while I can’t promise
everything will always go smoothly, I can tell you that the results will be rewarding.
You’ll have a custom PC built just for your needs, and by you, so if you ever want to
upgrade or swap components in the future, you’ll know exactly what to do.
Good luck first time builders and feel free to share your early build component lists
in the comments for feedback.
Alright, take care everyone and I’ll see ya next time with more DIY in 5!