drei

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Aug 7, 2012
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10,510
Hey, Hope all that are reading this are good and well... Now to the noob asking for asistance aka ME!!

I made a post on here a while back about a pc build and what parts.. I got all the parts now and I need help putting them together.. I have seen the video that newegg and a few others have on youtube. I just would like it if someone give me a step by step on what to do first and what not to do. My house is all carpet besides the kitchen and I cant do it in there(the build i mean).

Im also confused on the whole windows thing. I bought the OEM 64-bit windows 7 but i thought it would be in a Green box but i got a white box with terms and conditions??

I would really like it if someone would be like.. step 1. make sure u got all the parts... blah blah blah. i dnt want to mess this up or forget something because this is my first build and it wasnt cheap. lol
I dont have a gpu yet as i wanted the asus 670 and I dnt have the money yet but im going to put the pc together without it for now, is that ok?? i saw the 550 ti for 120 and thought of buying that for the time being but idk.

If and when I buy it do I just unplug power and add card in and then power up and update drivers??

Pleas help me and THANK YOU SO MUCH.

p.s. games ill be playing are SWTOR and GW2 for now.
 
The white box is fine. That's what I got. If your cpu has integrated graphics just use that until you get a dedicated card. That's what I did. Yes, just install card and download the driver (don't use the cd). Carpet is fine as long as you build on a wood table (I don't wear socks when I work on mine). Anyway, I will see if I can help.

Step 1. Open every box and read through the manuals. This will tell you what to plug in where, how to install the HSF, etc.

Step 2. Open the case and take the panel off.

Step 3. Open your motherboard, set it on top of the box, install the cpu.

Step 4. Install the ram (very important to do before before the HSF as some block the first slot).

Step 5. Apply TIM and install HSF. If there is a backplate install that before you put on the TIM.

Step 6. Put in i/o panel and make sure proper standoffs are installed in case.

Step 7. Install motherboard in case.

Step 8. Install hdds/ssds/odds

Step 9. Install PSU and attach all cables.

Step 10. Turn on and install windows

If you have any questions or I missed anything let me know and I will answer. Good luck and have fun!
 

chugot9218

Honorable
Well, I think it is easiest to do an external build first. What I did was I took the cardboard box for my case and folded it out flat on my kitchen table (which was located on carpet, but I also bought a electrostatic bracelet to use). Then I opened parts I would need for the external. I used the box from my MOBO (don't put it in the bag it comes in, the inside is anti-static but the outside of it can be conducive) and built on top of that (on top of the cardboard on my table). So, place the MOBO on the box, and follow the directions in your MOBO guide to install the CPU (make sure you are paying attention to the orientation of the processor). At this point, install your RAM making sure they are all properly seated (they sticks are "keyed" so you cannot put them in backwards but make sure they are correct when you start so you don't damage them trying to insert them wrong). Then you can go ahead and install your heatsink according to it's directions (you could do this before the RAM if you aren't going to have clearance issues). As long as your MOBO has onboard graphics you do not need a GPU to test it, so you can skip that step. Plug your monitor into the respective port on the MOBO and both MOBO power cables. At this point, you can plug your PSU into the wall and flip the power toggle on it to on, and either look up how to "jump-start" your PC by shorting the case power-on pins, or you can do what I did and simply connect the front panel power-on button from your case to it's respective spot, and use that to power it on. At this point, if the PC starts up and you see the BIOS flash by on your monitor (it should halt at a screen saying it is looking for the OS or a Boot drive), you know your components are good and you can disassemble and begin moving the parts into your case. If you do not get the BIOS, post here and we can do more troubleshooting.


^^ has posted a good high level guide, his method does not involve an external build and is an acceptable route, I just liked getting to build mine once outside the case so if I found a problem with anything I did not have to take the whole thing apart. And it gives you a good idea of what needs to go where when you are working to get everything fit into your case.
 
OEM Windows doesn't come in retail packaging. No shiny box for system builders!

Do you have an anti-static wristband? If yes, clip it to the case, and make sure the PSU is plugged in (inside the case). That way any static on you will ground to the case and then to earth through the PSU.
If not, make sure to periodically touch the case (with PSU plugged in inside it).

First thing, find a non-conductive surface (wooden table, mobo box, cardboard are all good) and bread-board your system there. Breadboarding means you assemble the whole thing outside the case just to see if the components work. If something is DOA, you want to find out before its been screwed into the case. Power it up (you can start the system by connecting the two pins that the power button connect to, just short them out with a screwdriver or something. Your board may even have in-built power buttons) and see if it POST's.
Assuming that all works (if it doesn't, follow the guide I will post at the bottom), then you can build the thing proper.

Make sure that the motherboard stand-offs are installed, the case may already have them installed. Insert the I/O shield into the case. Screw motherboard to case. Insert RAM and hook it up to power. Test to see if it will POST. If successful (if not, check to see what could be shorting out the mobo), install hard drives, opticals, fans and all that kind of stuff.
Now comes Cable Management. Basic idea is to get the cables out of the way of airflow, and if the case has a window, to see as little as possible of them. If you have a decent case, there should be space behind the motherboard tray to route them and holes to pass the cables through.

Once thats done, install Windows to your drive of choice (disconnect the others so there's no possibility of it installing to the wrong place).Make sure to carefully read the million page long user agreement before you sign it :)lol:).
When thats done, install the LAN driver that comes on the mobo disc, then you should be able to download the latest mobo drivers off the manufacturers website. Let Windows update itself (you may have to turn the machine on and off a couple of times before it will find them all). Get other drivers as you need them.

From there, install programs and games. File manage (like moving the user files off the SSD if you have one) and other misc stuff.

When you get a GPU, that is pretty much it.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-perform-steps-posting-post-boot-video-problems
 

drei

Honorable
Aug 7, 2012
22
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10,510
Wow. I do believe i will use this forum site rather than desktopreviews. they didnt help me at all. Thank you all very much.

Im very noobie so idk what TIM/HSF means.... sorry

Im going to get all my stuff out and get to reading instructions.
Thank you again all
 

chugot9218

Honorable
TIM = Thermal Insulating Material, AKA Thermal Paste, which goes between your Heat Sink and the surface of the CPU to help transfer heat. HSF = Heat Sink Fan, which is the fan that sits on the "heatsink" that you place on top of your processor to remove heat. Did you buy a CPU cooler or just go for stock?
 

drei

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Aug 7, 2012
22
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10,510
i bought the hyper 212. The installing the windows is confusing me. Everything is togerther and then i keep my ssd plugged in and put the disc in the drive and download it??
 

chugot9218

Honorable
Windows is about the last thing you do for the install, you will have to go into the BIOS and change your boot priority to your disc drive that has windows in it, then when you restart it will bring you to the installation process. It is best to only install with the drive you intend it to be on attached so no files get split across drives (so just remove the data or power connector from your HDD if you have it, and then begin the install process) also, for most plugging and unplugging it is safest to do while the PSU is not connected to the wall and/or flipped to off.

I believe the third Newegg video describes the process of installing your OS and updating your drivers, give it a look, I watched the second video many times and the third video once before I began building and also used it as I went about installing the OS.
 

drei

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Aug 7, 2012
22
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10,510
im so lost. i cant figure out how to put the coolmaster hyper 212 evo and the instructions arent right. my motherboard has holes and they are labeled lga1155 but the nuts that go in dnot screw in and there is nothing else with it. HELP me PLZ
 

macusn

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Jul 30, 2008
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18,710
Did your power supply have a 120/220 switch on the back and if so make sure it is what it's supposed to be. There could also be an off/on switch on the power supply check that. Make sure you have the plug from the wall in correct. Are there any lights on the motherboard? Did it make any sounds lights when you attempted to start?

Mac



 

macusn

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Jul 30, 2008
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Ok I actually read that but did not put it with you. You could have the front panel switches messed up check them carefully. Did you install the standoffs between the case and the mother board? You said in the other post that you installed the 2 atx connectors, would that be the main 24 pin and the 8 pin that plugs in next to the CPU?
Mac
 

drei

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Aug 7, 2012
22
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10,510
OK. I just want to say thank you to all that tried to help me. I FIGURED IT OUT!! HAHA YAY
one of the cables from the psu was bad or maybe i just didnt need it plugged in but it works and im installing windows now. Thank you all so very much