do's and dont's
- Thread starter TwistNut
- Start date
The only part of a PC susceptable to magnets is the HDD and it would have to be something a lot stronger than a screwdriver.
Make sure the PSU is fitted in the case first, often once the heatsink is fitted to the mainboard you can't get the PSU in place.
The main think is to ensure the mother board standoffs are in the right locations for your board. check... check and recheck else you could end up with a dead system.
AD
Make sure the PSU is fitted in the case first, often once the heatsink is fitted to the mainboard you can't get the PSU in place.
The main think is to ensure the mother board standoffs are in the right locations for your board. check... check and recheck else you could end up with a dead system.
AD
Sounds daft I know... but one of the LED torch head bands is very handy for when working in PC / Server cases. Allows you to illuminate the area you are looking at. Even though I have loads of lighting in my workshop, there's always some little area I can't see clearly, with one of these little gadgets... problem solved.
Its very fulfilling building your own PC and is allways a nice extra to owning a pc as you know you built it, if you built it chances are you know exactly what is in there and what it does.
Weather its someones 1st or 50th build you allways have an air of excitemant before hand and a proud feeling when its done and no one will tell ya any differant, not if there being hounest. I hope it all goes smoothly and follow peoples advice, once bitten forever smitten, in other words ill wager money this wont be the last pc you ever build
Weather its someones 1st or 50th build you allways have an air of excitemant before hand and a proud feeling when its done and no one will tell ya any differant, not if there being hounest. I hope it all goes smoothly and follow peoples advice, once bitten forever smitten, in other words ill wager money this wont be the last pc you ever build
It certainly is. I love new builds what with all the boxes and bits and bobs, fantastic. However, no matter how many builds you've done there is always a check, check and check again before the heart in the mouth first turn on lol.
Associate
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- 23 Jul 2007
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- Central Scotland
Took me ages to complete my first build and didn't do it in a great order. Had the power supply in and screwed (P182) then found it hard getting cables into PSU slots (corsair 620HX).
I reckon I could build my next in about 1/4 of the time though.
I reckon I could build my next in about 1/4 of the time though.
I also have an unhealthy obsession with using cable ties to keep all of the cables in my case tidy, I know some people don't like using them because you have to cut them off to move the cable but I don't move things often. I bought a big tub of them for about £2.99 a couple years ago and they are keeping me going still.
In my recent builds I have got into the habbit of cutting apart the inline molex power cables that you get with fans. I have 2 exhaust fans at the back of my case so I cut the inline cables apart and soldered both fan power feeds into a single molex socket, removing a total of 3 molex connectors in the process. You normally get 8 or more molex power connectors with PSU's these days so the inline cables just add to clutter. I also 7v modded them to quieten them down, these things are more advanced and I wouldn't recommend doing them on your first build.
In my recent builds I have got into the habbit of cutting apart the inline molex power cables that you get with fans. I have 2 exhaust fans at the back of my case so I cut the inline cables apart and soldered both fan power feeds into a single molex socket, removing a total of 3 molex connectors in the process. You normally get 8 or more molex power connectors with PSU's these days so the inline cables just add to clutter. I also 7v modded them to quieten them down, these things are more advanced and I wouldn't recommend doing them on your first build.
Soldato
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- 6 Dec 2007
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- Dewsbury
:0 I want to see!
Soldato
- Joined
- 17 Jan 2006
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- 4,313
I'm contemplating building a quad core system in a few months time if I can save a bit and afford it.
Now, I've never built a whole system before but I have had my computers open in the past and fitted sound cards, graphics cards, power supplies, memory dvd drives and hard drives etc so I figure that I should be fine building one from scratch. My worry really is mounting the CPU and heatsink, Iv've read about it loads of times and it sounds pretty easy but I'm worried that I'll put too much or too little thermal paste on and toast my cpu, is that likely?
The other concern I have, is the fact that I'd like to slighly overclock the cpu a to give a bit of a boost as I've read that the quads clock really well. Never having done anything like this before and being rather baffled by all these memory timings and things I've read about, is it actually fairly simple to do as long as I'm carefull?
Valve
Now, I've never built a whole system before but I have had my computers open in the past and fitted sound cards, graphics cards, power supplies, memory dvd drives and hard drives etc so I figure that I should be fine building one from scratch. My worry really is mounting the CPU and heatsink, Iv've read about it loads of times and it sounds pretty easy but I'm worried that I'll put too much or too little thermal paste on and toast my cpu, is that likely?
The other concern I have, is the fact that I'd like to slighly overclock the cpu a to give a bit of a boost as I've read that the quads clock really well. Never having done anything like this before and being rather baffled by all these memory timings and things I've read about, is it actually fairly simple to do as long as I'm carefull?
Valve
I always fit the ram before putting the board. It's become tight since DDR...I remember bending an ASUS A7M266 trying to get it in. (one of the first DDR boards)
One thing you might do depending on your case. When you have the motherboard made up and are about to put it in..STOP.
Put your hard drives and optical drives in the case first. Lay the case on it's side and attach any IDE / SATA cables to the drives and lay them over the side of the case. (tape them if you want to be sure)
Ive had a couple of cases that make it awkward to fit hard drives with the motherboard in position, and connecting IDE optical drives on my Lian is fiddly.
I know people who fit IDE cables to the motherboard before putting it in, but they can flop about and damage stuff.
I suppose the rule is to take your time and plan it as much as possible.
Nothing worse than squeezing your hand in trying to get a cable on that you could have done with ease a few minutes (and 9 screws) before.
I use the plug PSU in attach to motherboard with it turned of method, but it can be awkward as you have got to hook up the PSU to the board, and then your limited by the cable length. (applies to putting board in)
If you have an anti static stap....use it.
We all have our own way of doing this..have a look here and you see the thin line.
That would be too much if squeezed from the tube though, so look at the tape method here.
A little goes a long way as shown here on a Socket A chip.
Once youve done that, then think about overclocking depebnding on your cooler and temps.
One thing you might do depending on your case. When you have the motherboard made up and are about to put it in..STOP.
Put your hard drives and optical drives in the case first. Lay the case on it's side and attach any IDE / SATA cables to the drives and lay them over the side of the case. (tape them if you want to be sure)
Ive had a couple of cases that make it awkward to fit hard drives with the motherboard in position, and connecting IDE optical drives on my Lian is fiddly.
I know people who fit IDE cables to the motherboard before putting it in, but they can flop about and damage stuff.
I suppose the rule is to take your time and plan it as much as possible.
Nothing worse than squeezing your hand in trying to get a cable on that you could have done with ease a few minutes (and 9 screws) before.
I use the plug PSU in attach to motherboard with it turned of method, but it can be awkward as you have got to hook up the PSU to the board, and then your limited by the cable length. (applies to putting board in)
If you have an anti static stap....use it.
We all have our own way of doing this..have a look here and you see the thin line.
That would be too much if squeezed from the tube though, so look at the tape method here.
A little goes a long way as shown here on a Socket A chip.
Once youve done that, then think about overclocking depebnding on your cooler and temps.
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well computer up and running posting on it now turned on first time vista 64 bit 8800gt
amd 6400 3.2ghx duel core 2 gig g skil 4 4 4 12 ram 800 mhz asus croshair mobo asus silent knight 2 cpu cooler raptor hds x2 160gb
runs great so impressed with it only took 2 hours to put togeather great first build
oh and its all put in a nzxt lexa blackline case glows a nice red
thanks for all the advice guys helped so much and thank god for magnetic screw driver set
amd 6400 3.2ghx duel core 2 gig g skil 4 4 4 12 ram 800 mhz asus croshair mobo asus silent knight 2 cpu cooler raptor hds x2 160gb
runs great so impressed with it only took 2 hours to put togeather great first build
oh and its all put in a nzxt lexa blackline case glows a nice red
thanks for all the advice guys helped so much and thank god for magnetic screw driver set
Associate
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- 18 Oct 2002
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- 1,691
Random question - why would a sparky have an earth strap?
Last thing in the world I would want is to make a path to earth across my chest....
I know what your thinking.
I wonder...one of these.
That would be an earthing strap to a sparky....maybe he used the word "sparky" loosely
Soldato
- Joined
- 21 Jan 2003
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- 7,110
- Location
- Northamptonshire
I put the mobo on the desk, put in the cpu/cooler, ram (and GFX if it don't have on board) plug in power connections and switch it on, if it posts then all is good. Then I put on the mobo tray and stick it into the case then connect everything else like ODD, HDD, fans and other connections. Electric screwdriver comes in very handy btw, picked one up for 15 quid from argos and it's been a real boon when testing out different components, swapping coolers, taking apart the case etc. Anti static gloves are also good but won't be as nimble as fingers.