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Should I risk building my computer?

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  • how-to
  • Build
  • Components
  • Computers
Last response: in Components
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June 22, 2013 4:03:03 PM

I'm completely new to this. I've never built/assembled a computer before so I wouldn't know how to do it. What are the risks though? Could it really be that hard? Say I watch some YouTube tutorials, would I be able to do it? Would I risk damaging a part or breaking the whole build?

Here's my build:

CPU:
AMD FX-6300 Vishera 3.5GHz (4.1GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ 95W Six-Core Desktop Processor FD6300WMHKBOX

Motherboard:
MSI 970A-G46 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

Memory:
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL

Storage:
New 1TB (1000GB) 32MB Cache 7200RPM SATA 3.5" Desktop Hard Drive

Video Card:
SAPPHIRE HD 7770 GHz Edition 1GB GDDR5

Case:
COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Power Supply:
CORSAIR Builder Series CX430 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

DVD Burner:
ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM

CPU Cooler:
Rosewill RCX-Z1 Long life ball bearing for over 45,000/hrs CPU Cooler


What are the risks of assembling this build? I really wanna try building it, but I'm scared I might screw up the motherboard or the ram or something important. I mean, this is a $570 build, I don't wanna risk messing anything up.

This would be my first-ever computer that I built myself.

Should I just fork over the $85 and have it assembled at MicroCenter? Or should I build it myself and risk breaking it?

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June 22, 2013 4:13:00 PM

Build it yourself! It will make you more confident with troubleshooting things later on if something is awry if you are familiar with how things go together.

Read through Tecmo's guide, look at the checklist for resolving common issues people have, watch some youtube videos, and if you have any trouble while building post here.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/274745-31-step-step-g...
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261145-31-perform-ste...

The hardest part when i built mine was installing the heatsink, the AM3 heatsinks required quite a bit of force to get to click into place and i thought i was going to damage the board, so my suggestion is install the CPU and heatsink onto the motherboard before you install it into the case, learned that bit the hard way.
June 22, 2013 4:29:54 PM

It's 100% worth it. Not only do you save on the initial build, but you also save when you need to upgrade, since you can select all of your parts with upgradability in mind.

Here's a bit of advice on the first build:
1) The RAM, PCIe devices, power cables, SATA cables, the CPU itself, and fan connectors are all keyed so there's only one way to plug/install the various pieces. Nevertheless, it is important to study your manuals so you don't try to force anything that isn't supposed to fit in the first place.

2) The GPU installation is the most stressful part, since it is the most expensive piece of hardware, and probably the most fragile, also. Make sure the expansion slot bracket (not sure if that is correct terminology, but I'm talking about the metal part of the card that you can see from the back of your computer once it is installed) is sliding into place. On a correct install, you're likely to hear a slight "crunch" (which I hate) as it slides into the PCIe slot.

3) Make 100% sure that the PSU cables for the motherboard (the huge 24 pin cord) and the CPU (I think a smaller 6 or 8 pin cord) are installed *before* you try to turn that sucker on. Any of the other various cables can be improperly connected and you won't damage your system by turning your computer on (though it may not boot). If the CPU cable or the mainboard cable are not connected and locked, you could have serious problems. But this is easy to install correctly, and I've done it many times, no issue.

4) Sometimes PSU cables are stiff. Bend them. If you buy a nice PSU, you will have nice braided cables and they are intended to be flexible. Almost every cable should be routed through the cable management side of your case before it reaches its destination.

5) Don't let the high rate of BSOD reports on product reviews scare you. People whose builds boot correctly on the first try are not likely to go to their motherboard's review page and type in all caps "IT WORKED AS EXPECTED AND I WAS NOT AT ALL INCONVENIENCED."

6) For RAM, PSU cables, PCIe devices, CPUs, the connections have little plastic sliding locks that can only lock if the thing is fully plugged in. Have a small, flexible flashlight handy to verify the locked status.

7) When tightening screws on your MoBo/CPU Cooler/HDD/expansion slot cover, never screw/tighten one screw at a time. Always turn screw until it is halfway in, and move on to the next until all screws are halfway in, and then tighten in an opposites pattern (tighten top left, then bottom right, then top right, then bottom left).

Are you OCing your CPU? There's typically no need to buy an aftermarket cooler if not. If so, then get CPU Temp and monitor your temps/run Prime95 to verify stability.

You might consider getting a smaller FF case than Mid Tower. Most people don't realize that Mid Tower and Full Tower cases are for storing tons (more than 8) of HDDs. There is a nice selection of mATX (sometimes called Micro ATX Mini Tower) cases that can store up to 8 HDDs and still fit the $400 GPUs.

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