First time builder
 

Some ignorant jackass (me) wants to build his own computer. It sounds like a fun weekend project, and I get a certain perverse thrill out of paying double (after replacing parts that I break or are incompatible) for half the quality of a professionally built one. Are there any good books you would recommend to help me get started?

I can't recommend any books, but a few tips to keep in mind for your first time:

--have a professional mount the processor and the heatsink to your board. They are way too fragile and way too expense to risk otherwise. They shouldn't charge you more than $10, but will probably do it for free if you buy it from them.
--be careful where you poke that screw driver. I have seen more than one guy clumsily poke the board or card with the tip and break a circuit.
--Watch your grounding... you don't want the board touching the case anywhere except by the mounting holes.
---Add cards one at a time. IE: add your video card first, then install your OS, once the OS is up add things like NIC's and Audio etc... (someone will probably disagree with this, but I find it easier).
--Finally, don't "seal up the box" until everything is working well. Everyone I know has done this; they chuck in all the components, screw on the panels and then wind up taking it all apart again cause something isnt working right


---good luck

I can recommend a few sites....

pcmech.com has a pretty good tutorial for slapping together a pc.

If you like pictures, tomshardware.com has a pretty nifty tutorial that helped me out quite a bit when putting together my first pc.

1- Processors and heatsinks aren't too hard to install, but like the man said they are fragile and it is very easy to screw it up. That being said, if you take your time, read the documentation before hand and take it slow, I think you could do it. Just make sure you have everything, read, then re-read the instructions and for chrissakes, don't "force" anything. The heatsink, in my opinion is the bitch of this bunch and is the hardest to install. I've installed heatsinks on motherboards already mounted and sans case and I can't honestly say which is easier.

2- Of course it's important to watch your grounding at all times. It's important to be aware of your grounding when dealing with the motherboard, but equally important to watch it when your slapping the cards, hard drives, and CD-ROMs in as well. One errant touch and your whole project could be screwed up.

3- I have to disagree with adding one component at a time, however. If there are problems getting it started after you're done, you can eliminate each individual component just as easy. As an added bonus, if it all works the first time, you don't have to stop, kill the power and venture again into the dark recesses of your new pc every time you want to add some hardware. That's just my opinion, to each his own.

4- Get yourself a prime work area as well. I guess this should've been number one, but, hey, hindsights 20/20, right? A nice flat table next to the eventual destination is where I like to set up shop. Along with a nice selection of various tools (an assortment of smallish screwdrivers, pair of pliers, etc....) and good overhead light. Once you get all the bells and whistles and boot up a few times without accident then you can screw on all the covers and close shop.

Aside from a basic knowledge of what you're working with, a good bit of common sense is important. Not to mention, the patience of Job. If you're lucky, it'll all work out fine and you'll come out of it with a fine sense of accomplishment. If not...well you'll be a little wiser. You'll still have that fine sense of accomplishment, but tempered in a healthy dose of humility.

Most important....No distractions. Take your time. My grandfather used to tell me to think twice, act once. I find that especially true tinkering with computers. For that matter, tinkering with anything.

God, that was long, wasn't it? Anyway, good luck, and remember if you run across any problems, there's bound to be someone here who can help.

Get a floppy drive, because for some worthless moments (like say trying to install XP on a SATA hard drive), you'll need it.

Generally, P4 coolers can be mounted when the mobo is already in the case, whereas AMD coolers must sometimes be mounted outside. The reason: a lot of socket-7 coolers need to be wedged on with a screwdriver, and the case tends to get in the way.

Generally speaking, you'd want to use as many as 8 to 10 spacers between the motherboard and the backplate - there shouldn't be any possibility of moving the board "up and down" when it's in. If you can't use screws in certain locations, rubber sticky cones are usually supplied to solve that.

The best advice I can give you, is to READ THE MANUAL. It's the one thing that you can do to prevent damage... The most difficult bit these days is probably the connectors for the case (power button, lights, etc) - they're kinda difficult to place right if you've never done that; but if you do it wrong, nothing will blow up, so it's not *that* bad.

Thanks for the input. I won't be so nervous about doing it myself now. It looked all pretty straight forward, but I was sure there was some hidden catch. Thanks for the links too, cleared up pretty much all of the questions I had.

Expect me back when I actually start the building though, I am sure I will mess something up.

I had a bugger of a time on the last PC I built getting this done and done right.

I can't believe I forgot that....:)

another tip - buy quality components. the most frustrating part of building a computer can be dealing with faulty hardware. look at reviews on tom's hardware, or system guides one www.arstechnica.com (or similar sites) to help identify what brands to look for.

there's nothing quite as aggravating as putting everything together and then having your computer fail to boot because of a faulty motherboard.

ymmv, but i have heard of as high as 30% return rate at fry's on their cheapest motherboards.

advise i can give. Manual for ur motherboard is a great thing to keep. I cant think of how many times ive went bak to the manual for my motherboard to look up stuff.

it's not that big of a deal. Remember to gorund yourself, and have someone around to help you when you screw up. After you build one you are set for building many others.

The power LEDs and the power switch are a bitch to put on.
Keep ALL manuals/CDs that came with every piece.

And post back on here with a list of the components you plan to buy in case they are incompatible in any way. Oh, and have fun :-) It is really satisfying to push the power switch and have your own computer boot up for the first time.

Another future builder here I will be referring back to this thread in the coming days and post how it went for me. Going to build a new machine this week.

Tip: Cross your fingers the first time you plug it in and push the power button.

About the power LEDs and such: there's usually a small triangle on the + connector. At least I think it's the +... :)

Oh, and do keep an eye on any sharp angles and bits; wouldn't want to amputate a finger while you're in there.

The biggest issue I've ever had with building a PC is making sure I had all the parts installed. I spent an entire incredibly frustrating week tinkering with software and hardware configurations trying to get my cdrw-dvd rom to play audio cd's only to open the box up and realize that I hadn't connected the drive to the sound card. Other than that, hardware compatibility is key.

Luckily, that connection is no longer needed in Windows XP... :)

I did something similar, forgot to connect the power to the video card.

Went together pretty well, I was mainly an observer but it came together in about 2 days. Take your time follow the directions and it will work.

Have patience.
The longest time will be spent installing the motherboard. it is a slow and tedious operation screwing in each individual TINY screw. After that, it goes relatively quickly.

In addition to everything everyone else said, my recommendation is to pay some careful attention to the routing of the various wires and cables inside your case. Having a rat's nest of wires makes for cranky moments when servicing it, and can also obstruct air flow through the case, making your interior hotter than it needs to be.

Also, 'Don't Panic' if something goes wrong. You can cause more damage with a hasty 'repair' than sitting back and thinking about it for a bit.

Good luck.

I second that - tie-wraps come in handy here. Just bundle the cables together; it looks good and it makes it easier to move around in the case.

Good tip - just a word of caution that some multi-conductor ribbon cables can be a bit fragile - if you tie-wrap them, do it carefully and gently. :thumbsup:

to let you know, its not that hard to, just one big thing is dont push on anything to hard... and make sure you know how to mount your bays and that yor case didn't come with little sliders on the bottom... (WOULDN'T KNOW WHO THIS WAS ;)) but yea its a god time and gives you a good sence of pride that you beat the retailer!

and plan it out first so that you know your parts fit and are compatable

I've got a question.

Should you install the processor, and HSF before you screw the motherbaord onto the case, or after?

I will be building a computer within the next few days. My PC specs will be

AMD 64 3000+ 2Ghz
1GB PC3200 DDR RAM
40GB 7.2K HD
200GB 7.2K HD
Audigy Soundblaster Platinum
Soltek SL-K8AV2-RL Motherboard
ATI Radeon 9600XT
4X DVD-RW
KWorld PCI TV Tuner
17" Nu LCD 16ms Response, 500:1 Contrast
Logitech Elite Keyboard
Logitech MX510
Logitech Z640 5.1 Surround Speakers
Aspire X-Navigator Case


I've basically built an entire computer before, the only thing I haven't done is the process of installing a processor/HSF. So I'm kind of worried about that.

JeremyS, it depends on the case. Generally speaking, an AMD cooler has to be put on with the aid of a screwdriver. In a lot of case/mobo situations, the case or the PSU tend to be in the way. In such a case, the processor and cooler are easier to install *before* putting the mobo into the case. Since this wouldn't add any danger/problem whatsoever, I suggest you do the following:

1) test-fit the mobo into the case, add risers where appropriate (8 to 10 in total should suffice)
2) remove mobo from case, install CPU and cooler (remember to check the orientation; there's a ridge on the socket, and an extrusion on the cooler.)
3) install the mobo into the case with the stuff pre-mounted.

I had printed out a long tutorial to use when I built my computer and ened up leaving it at work when the parts came. It still worked out for me though, it powered up perfectly on my first try!

Thanks a lot, I'll do that. :thumbsup: