Your building routine?

[ellingham]

So All the parts for my new pc will be here some time next week and I will be embarking on my first ever pc build. I have read through greywolf's guide and it was very helpful but there are loads of little questions that need answering! I suppose I'm like all new builders, very nervous about killing bits of my hardware. So I thought it would be a good idea for the more experienced members to share little tips, tricks or their basic routine when putting a PC together to help noobs like me. Such as:

• Do you build it outside the case to check that all the parts work first?
• What kind of surface do you build on?
• What order do you install your parts?
• Do you take off the factory TIM and apply your own?
• How do you avoid static damage to your parts?
• Then what do you do when it's built? are there things to adjust in the BIOS, partition HDD's and all that jazz?

 

[ellingham]

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Thanks for the answers

 

[ellingham]

How do you avoid static damage to your parts?
by wearing an anti-static wristband

Why do people take the mick out of anti static wristbands?

 

[ellingham]

Depends first thing I do is setup the memory timings

See it's little things like this that worry me, is it easy?

Also (this is a question for everyone, how do you check if a CPU cooler is compatible with your mobo?

Thanks for all the answers so far.

 

[ellingham]

CPU cooler will generally fit the mobo as long as it is compatible for the socket you are using. eg 1366 socket mobo will need a 1366 socket compatible cooler. Some of the larger coolers can over hang the memory slots etc but rarely causes trouble.

Okay so the mobo I got is this
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=mb-403-as
the socket is am3?
so would this cpu cooler be compatible?
http://www.thermalright.com/new_a_page/product_page/cpu/tb120/product_cpu_cooler_tb120.html

 

[ellingham]

New question, what do you look for when buying RAM? timings, mhz and all that, how do you make sense of it?

 

[ellingham]

Put the motherboard box with anti-static bag on a table, the board ontop and fire it up.

I'm sure I have seen people say doing that fries the mobo?

 

[ellingham]

Just want to say thanks for all the helpful responses!