Teach Newbie how to ASSEMBLE PC? Tutorial on how to out together rig.

Budget Gamer

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Jan 16, 2014
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First time building my own gaming rig, I got all over $1300 worth of parts for my build just sitting here waiting to be installed. I would really appreciate any help/tips I can get, I don't want to end up messing any of the parts up.

Here are the parts/build:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/vP9Fpg

Can anyone refer me to a good instructional video or anything? I will watch youtube vids, but I know some of them can be from not the smartest people as well so I am a bit hesitant.

My first worry is about static shock damaging any parts. I will probably get one of those static/grounding straps you attach to yourself just in case. But what is the official proper/safe way to go about handling/building with any of the parts? PSU installed, plugged in, but powered off? By the way, I think most of the Fractal inside and out are painted. I will build on a wooden desk (might lay cardboard under case to prevent damage), standing on a wooden floor

Should I mount anything on the Motherboard before installing it? If so, what parts?
Particular order of installation?

Amount of thermal compound to be used on CPU?

Should I download any drivers/software updates (for Mobo, wifi adapter, etc) onto a thumb/flash drive so I can install them on the new rig?

Not even really sure on how to make my 250GB SSD my primary for boot up and some of my main games. I guess I just install Windows onto the SSD? The 1TB HDD will be for storage and some other games.

Any other pro tips you see people commonly forget/don't do?

Any help is much appreciated.
Sorry for all the newbie questions. I know it's probably much easier than I think it is. I just don't want to go destroying any of these expensive parts.

Thank you and HAPPY HOLIDAYS to ALL!
 

RazerZ

Judicious
Ambassador
Step-by-Step Guide to Building a PC

How to Build a Gaming Computer (Video) - note: does not cover aftermarket cooler or OS installation. A quick search on youtube should do the trick. Newegg has good videos as USAFRet mentioned.

My first worry is about static shock damaging any parts.
- Don't worry about it. The chance of ESD damage is very low. You can ground yourself by touching the inside of the case every now and then to free yourself of static charge.

Should I mount anything on the Motherboard before installing it? If so, what parts?
Particular order of installation?

- Yes. Before mounting the motherboard into the PC you will need to install the CPU, CPU cooler, and ram. It is recommended to breadboard the system before installing it into the case. You will need to insert the GPU into a PCI 3.0 x16 lane and then connect the power cables from the PSU to their appropriate slots. From there connect the graphics card to your monitor with your display cable and see if the computer can post by shorting the pins needed to turn on the computer with a flat head screw driver. Once it posts ( successfully boots to your BIOS) you can remove the graphics card and mount the motherboard back into the case. Then install the graphics card, hard drive, SSD, and the case fan you bought. Refer to your manuals for installation instructions.


Amount of thermal compound to be used on CPU?
- A pea sized dot placed on the center of the CPU.

Should I download any drivers/software updates (for Mobo, wifi adapter, etc) onto a thumb/flash drive so I can install them on the new rig?
- The motherboard should come with a CD with the basic drivers. If you choose to update them it would be easier to do so once the computer is connected to the internet.

Not even really sure on how to make my 250GB SSD my primary for boot up and some of my main games. I guess I just install Windows onto the SSD? The 1TB HDD will be for storage and some other games.

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMo8krAJd5Q

Any other pro tips you see people commonly forget/don't do?
- Check your power cable connections before asking about no post/boot problems. If you have a light source on hand, building inside the dark case will be a lot easier. You could use a flash/head light, or a gooseneck desk lamp, whatever you have on hand will work. Make sure you route the PSU cables through and behind the cut out slots for clean cable management.