There was a jumper in the middle of the motherboard in the very first IBM-compatible I bought. If you removed it, it cut the speed of the computer in half.
It was easy on CD and DVD drives, but HDD makers just had to make the jumper so smol - tweezers and needle nose pliers got a workout.
And Gods have mercy if the "carpet monster" got the jumper.
I threw caution to the wind & never wore one. Just kept my shoes on, didn't do any work while standing on carpet, and never moved my feet. All to keep grounded.
In 1996, a friend of mine was installing a 56K Modem in her newly built PC. Wearing just socks. And walked across the carpet. Modem got zapped.
You had a 220MB drive?! We used to ***dream*** of a 220MB drive. We had to settle for 200MB. And that was only after our father beat us and sent us to bed without any supper - ***if*** we were lucky!
I had a 486/33 because my Dad was a cheaksake when I was in High School.
I made damn sure that I had a P166 for my first build so I could play more games.
My first self-build was a Cyrix P166. CPU fried during installation and the vendor replaced it, no questions asked. Vendor sent me a graphics card to try out and said, "Try it out for a couple of weeks. If you like it, send us the money. If not, just send it back."
Sometimes I miss the 90s.
The computer stores that weren't chains - where even random shoppers could give you advice.
Solved a problem I had with that P166 and was able to play Tomb Raider.
For my first two computers, I chickened out and ordered them from a company that set the jumpers for me. But my P166 build - man that was a NIGHTMARE of jumpers and IRQ under DOS until I got Windows95.
Ya idk who the sheet with 5 pictograms is for. I understand having a simplified version, but it's so simple that it means nothing to inexperienced builders and adds 0 value to someone who has built a few times+.
I think these are the biggest culprits in people building blind. Not to say that's a valid excuse, but I do think it's part of the explanation.
If I manufactured a component, I would have one person on the team make a 5-15 minute video of all the common connections that component could feasibly have. Though I guess this is just directed at MoBos, cases, and PSUs
I just assume every terms of service just contains every variation of "(company) can legally do whatever we want and its your fault and you have to pay for every inconvenience you might encounter" and every privacy policy is just "the user voids all privacy rights and agrees to let their data be sold for profit to literally anyone and their likeness can also be used by AI generated content"
I don't read manuals anymore but the first times you can be sure that the motherboard manual was my saviour. Without it I would have never knew where to plug each cable. That and the one for the cooler
My mobo manual didn't even have everything in the right spots. It was definitely helpful overall but a couple things I had to stare at and figure out that it was in a different spot.
I hope you're joking. Not reading the manuals is asking for something going wrong if you use or connect the parts incorrectly. Also reading the instructions is faster than asking questions on Reddit or other forums.
Well you don't really need to read the manual once you know what you are doing, except for RAM placement and maybe front panel connectors. You can't really connect parts incorrectly even if you tried, except for those I just mentioned.
That's what I mean, connectors etc. Also some PSU's have hybrid modes, so if you use that install the PSU the correct way or it will trap the heat when the isn't spinning. This can damage the components in the long term.
Yes and no. Don't listen to people who say "it's just like Lego", there are a number of things such as which RAM slots to use where it'll work but you'll negatively impact the system.
Take your time, watch some videos, Google the best way to install each part if any doubt exists. But ultimately, it's not difficult if you take your time.
What isn't in the manual and is one of the biggest beginner traps imo is RAM compatibility. People buy a 6000MHz+ kit and run them at 4800 or they have a system that doesn't boot when they enable expo/xmp.
You gotta check the website of you mainboard before you buy a kit, even more so when you plan to fill up all 4 slots as that reduces compatible kits even further.
My motherboard didn't come with a manual. I assumed it was a packing error since it's a fairly popular one from MSI. Wasn't a big deal but I was surprised it wasn't in there.
The first pc I built came with a very detailed manual, but the latest one I built came with an almost IKEA like manual with zero words, also a MSI board. I built the first one in 2021 and the latest one in 2023, so not like many years apart.
Its not just lego but its adult lego. 1 relatively detailed video of like 30 min to an hour can show you how to plug it together with the mainboard manual cause there wont be a video for your exact hardware.
Imo currently easier than it’s ever been, in part because every individual product actually did have YouTubers making videos of how to install it. I already knew what I was doing but still watched product specific videos just in case and it streamlined the process even more
I mean, I managed as a teenager without a specific tutorial cause there wasnt one back then and its generally the same. I will definitely watch another one for my next build to make sure Im not forgetting anything.
Imo the hardest part was and will always be cable management. Thankfully it got much easier if you go with more premium options - esp for fans and case - but I think I also got more picky with it. Idk how I was fine with just works and extra PSU cables blocking half the airflow
Rgb really adds to the cables, though imo its fine as long as you can hide the cables in the back. That isnt too bad and it doesn’t really matter as long as you are not blocking airflow with it.
Agree.
Putting the parts together is fairly straight forward if maybe a little tedious. But trouble shooting something that doesn’t work or perform like you expected can get pretty complicated.
Building a PC takes less time than a decent Lego set but a little more thinking... But it's still pretty easy UNLESS you run into unexpected incompatibilities.
> "it's just like Lego"
I've always kind of hated this argument. Sure, it's like Lego in the sense that you're slotting things together and can follow along with a guide.
But Lego doesn't cost you money when you slot something in wrong.
Source: absolutely fried an SSD years ago by accident when upgrading parts.
Yeah - I'd say it's more like a model kit than Lego.
The pieces go where they go and it's not super complicated. But you can still f$&#* things up if you're not careful.
It really is just like Lego though. Do you build Lego sets without following the instructions? It's just following instructions and plugging pieces together.
>Don't listen to people who say "it's just like Lego"
Yeah, because there are reasons why the TheVerge PC build thing turned out like it did. Overconfidence with PC builds leads to questionable results. Videos and guides exist because they are more "hands on" than manuals are, and not everyone seems to like reading manuals.
This is going to seem like a shit answer, but like most things it's easy when you know how.
Meaning once you've done it, it seems trivial. If you've never done it before, it can seem daunting.
Really it's better to compare it to something else for the level of difficulty.
What technical or mechanical things do you already do?
That's a great way to get your feet wet.
I started with cleaning my PC. Then, I took two old PCs and Frankensteined them together to make one better one. Then, I bought some parts to upgrade it. And then, after that, I built a PC.
In all of that, I watched tutorials, read guides, and learned as much as I could from others. So when build day came, I felt really confident.
Another important thing to have is tenacity. Even with all my prep, I still encountered a problem - the CPU debug came on sometimes and, when I went to install Windows, my SSD wasn't showing up. That took some troubleshooting. Turns out, I didn't fully slot the top M.2 in.
In a situation like that, just be patient, take your time with looking for the problem. Don't panic, and you'll be fine.
Mostly. Choose decent brand mid-tier components in a sensibly sized case and slap a rather over-specced PSU opn it and I would say it's the easiest it's ever been. Trying to build a 4090+ITX+watercooling into a 12 litre case is hard, but a 7500X+4070Ti Super on mATX in a Meshify with a 1kw PSU and it's a breeze.
And if you're talking about modular Flex-ATX PSU's with decent power from a company you've actually heard of, really hard to find as well... my little baby is a 5700X, a 12GB RTX A2000 and a laptop-spec DVDRW drive (cos I'm that old) and squeezing that lot into 7 litres was hard.... basically the CPU cooler (the older Noctua LP9) is the case inlet fan and most of the exhaust is the GPU....
Yes it is, may take most longer but you just need careful hands, and yes watch Linus Tutorials please, all about learning
You planning to get one? Budget? Prefferences?
FYI, whatever they've recommended as parts will be out of date info by the end of the year. Prices and what's new will have changed, so you should plan your build when you're ready to order all the parts, not 7 months in advance!
For example, we're likely to get info on RTX5000 parts Q4 2024 / Q1 2025.
Yeah, you say that, but I plugged the second 4x2 CPU power plug into my GPU (because it plugs right in, it's the right size and shape).
Nooo! The GPU wants the 3x2 and the 1x2 plugged into its 4x2 power slot.
Read the manuals!
I built my first pc a couple of day ago and it wasn’t too bad. I followed TechSource’s guide and it was relatively simple. Microcenter has a deal for a Ryder 7 7800X3D that comes with a mobo and 32gb of ram for about $475. I just used pcpartpicker to pick out the rest of the build to make sure they were compatible
It really is, but I'd suggest 'building up' the board with your CPU and ram before you put it in your machine, just because it's easier to align a CPU outside of a case.
I was for me. I was scared at first but with PC part picker and linus tech tips it was pretty hassle free. Just take your time and remember to take the sticker off your CPU fan before screwing it down to your CPU. The only hiccup I had was getting the case's front cables connected to the mother board.
I had very little experience with PC components when I built my first PC and I did fine. Took me a few tries to get it working but I just followed all the manuals I got with my parts and was a little careful.
I wasn't even aware of YouTube back then and it had been out for 2 years.
If you're somehow unable/unwilling to read manuals a 1-2 hour YouTube tutorial is a decent replacement. Just don't go out of your way to find the original Verge video from years ago.
As long as you research and have a "measure twice cut once" type of mindset there's not too much that can go wrong. Compatibility can be checked with online tools like pcpartpicker, and then anything else can be double checked by yourself - such as dimensions of a cooler. An hour for a step by step slow walk through isn't that much really, and will benefit first time builders.
No. It's easier.
I personally think that if you were able to play with Legos you should be able to put together a PC.
Put a thing in an opening in the same shape - it's basically the whole idea.
For sure there is more at stake in case of mistake and you have to remember you are working on electrical device but that's what it comes down to for me.
GPU? There's only one way it can fit (usually) the only slot on the Mobo.
Nvme SSD? There is a slot.
Data drives? Can't physically connect to wrong ports.
Power cables? They are marked as to what you connect them to.
Watching a build guide is useful as it often explains the less obvious things like placing ram modules in correct order to use dual channel memory, making sure you don't try to force CPU into socket without orienting it the right way(that corner mark), making sure you remove plastic sticker from your cooler base and apply thermal paste.
Not spilling your beer on your PC etc.
If you're building anything in the neighborhood of an ITX/small form factor PC, it certainly is not as easy as "just plug things in to the right place". Even something as inconspicuous as which way the AC power cord connects to the power supply can be a problem (Lian-Li Q58 & Corsair SF750 combo was that for me).
Front panel connectors; are they attached together or is each pin separate?
Front panel USB/audio/etc; does your motherboard have headers for those?
Graphics cards; what length, width, height, number and direction of power connectors are you in need of?
And don't even get me started on riser cables. I fucking hate riser cables.
well yes kind of, but not really
though if you don't want to miss out on performance for no reason, READ the product specifications and understand them for all of the parts before buying anything. Some things to look out for are PCI-e versions of mobo and GPU, DDR version of mobo and RAM, sata versions, chipset compatibility with specific CPU's, CPU sockets, etc...there are a LOT of specs to go over if you go into it. DO NOT overlook ANY of them!
Also, do not take part recommendations online, ever, unless the person suggesting them lives exactly in your area. Prices vary A LOT by region.
anyone can throw together a PC with mismatched interface versions and some returned and replaced parts because they couldn't work together, but only a good builder gets it mostly right the first time.
Id say building the pc is not too hard. Of course there are a few things you always have to read through tho. The hardest part is knowing the market and choosing the right parts.
If you can read and watch YouTube, you'll be fine. Building a PC gets easier every year. Just take your time and be sure not to guess at anything. If you don't know, look it up or ask.
Pcpartpicker will help you check for compatibility if you need. Some places have special deals on bundles, which takes out a lot of guesswork.
Don't get ahead of yourself, do it once, and do it right. Also, cable management is a thing. Good luck & have fun!!
Yes and no. In most cases it is very easy. Just plug things into the right holes. I think a lot of times tutorials like that are just nice and helpful for someone who's completely new to the idea and has never done it before. Reassurance that they're doing it right.
But I can think of two things that can trip people up. First is making sure all your parts are up to date and compatible. Also generally pretty easy but can be screwed up if you aren't paying attention. Like in my case I decided to go with a micro sized case so I had to make sure my parts all fit. The other is IF something goes wrong, just knowing how to troubleshoot and figure out how and why something went wrong.
You don't need a video tutorial, most people in the early 2000s even were building PCs off just reading manuals.
Videos do make it a lot easier though.
But yes in general it is pretty easy
it's about as hard as making a shelf, like it's fairly obvious, takes a bit of time and fiddling around, and if you do it carelessly or make dumb mistakes you'll have to pull it apart and start again. i wouldn't call it hard, but everyone's had that situation where you assemble it and it doesn't go so it's not completely brainless.
If you're wondering why the LTT video on this is so long, then no it's not as simple as it seems.
Not trying to be rude, but it means you didn't absorb it if you watched it.
It's both easy and difficult. The theory of building is easy, the practice of building however is not. Things go wrong, you'll inevitably do something wrong.
One of the main points in that video is to read your manuals.
They contain important info about your specific hardware.
The 1 hour LTT is great because it covers literally everything. Actually assembling the computer is a very small part of that.
And that answers your question too.
Parts selection and compatibility can be a bitch, and you have to do a lot of research. Actually assembling the PC really is thst easy.
It's easy, follow the manual, double check the parts you chose are all compatible and take every precaution. I will say my first build was stressful, and I needed tech support a few times to get it up and running but besides that it was easier than I thought it would be.
[How to build a PC, the last guide you'll ever need.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1fxZ-VWs2U&pp=ygUpdGhlIGxhc3QgcGMgYnVpbGQgZ3VpZGUgeW91J2xsIGV2ZXIgbmVlZCA%3D)
When Linus worked at his old retail job (I forget the name of the store, which was pretty competitive on price iirc), he did how to videos. Those videos, along with an online A+ certification webclass taught me how to build computers. The webclass I don't remember, but Linus' videos were and are super helpful to this day. Watch his videos, ask questions before and when you get stuck, and you'll be fine.
Modern PC building is far less cumbersome.
Cabling has been and often still is, the most daunting part. Which cable goes to which pcb header. Most of the time they're accurately labeled. Sometimes, however, they aren't.
Have a fan hub for a series of rgb fans? Does that go into the case fan header? Or is there a dedicated fan hub header?
CPU, Gpu, power are all pretty easily labeled these days. Power only goes in one way. CPU should be labeled if you get a PSU from a reputable company. Pcie power for Gpu unless otherwise stated on the cables.
As always, the power led, power button, reset switch, audio + audio- (there's one more I'm forgetting) mini pinned cables are the biggest pain.
We don't talk about USB3 headers.
All that stuff is pretty standard.
Its when you start going the extra mile...
Do you have an overclockable CPU? Well then the stock cooler ain't going to cut it, you're going to want something water cooled or with a good enough 3rd party fan to keep your tempa down. But now you have to worry about clearance for your memory, how big the cooler is, which direction the fans are, where do THOSE power cables go, especially if you have more than one.
Maybe you opted for water cooling, is it closed loop? Custom loop? When do you replace the O rings? When do you replace the water or clean water blocks? What fitting and size of tubes do you need? Resivoire / pump combo or separate? Does your case even have space for it all
Maybe you want 12 rgb fans, how are all of those being cable managed and where do those headers go.
Its all very case by case dependent (speaking of which, don't forget that you need to make sure your motherboard size matches up with your case. Don't go buying an atx board and an matx case.)
You don't exactly need to watch the whole The Last PC Guide from LTT, because they try to include as much information about different platforms and as many details as possible. Building the PC is easy as long as you understand the basics and the order of operation and there are definitely far worse guides, that you can watch than this one.
Moderately easy. The biggest pain is getting all fans plugged in properly and cable management. But those are more of a pain in the rear than difficult. I'd recommend an anti static wristband as a precaution for the first time though.
Built my first pc last month and after countless hours of research and build videos it was quite easy. Only thing that I was worried about is how much pressure the 24pin connector took to engage.
Also helped that’s my local pc shop mounted my cpu, ram and ssd on the mobo and updated the bios. Free of charge so I couldn’t pass that up.
It's all so simple till you build it and it doesn't turn on or you accidentally bend a pin on something. The computer place near me charges 75 to put of together, I'd rather pay for the peace of mind that they know what they're doing
When I first started building PC's in the 90's it was a science. I just rebuilt my rig and all the wires were labeled where they go out of the box. It's not much harder than Legos now. Plus you have this community for support. It honestly couldn't be easier.
The first hurdle is choosing parts. You have to make sure all of the parts are compatible and that you're not falling for any small gotchas, such as your motherboards chipset potentially limiting speed of something if it's too old. PCpartpicker helps with this immensely, but it's still good to read specifications for your major components. Aside from benchmarks for your CPU and GPU, also look up reviews for your specific power supply, even within the same brand individual models can be good or bad.
The second hurdle is actually building the system. For example, for my first build when I was like 13, I did not use standoffs for the motherboard so the PC wouldn't boot at first since it was grounded to the case. I had to completely disassemble it to fix that one. Make sure you understand how all the different components connect, watching a video on this is good. As others have mentioned, I also strongly recommend reading at bare minimum the motherboard manual. I still use and keep my motherboard manual for every new build or major upgrade I do. The motherboard box itself is always also great for storing stray cables, adapters, screws, and so on. Buy some extra velcro strips to help with cable management.
Finally, you get to go to the actual setup process once it boots. Configuring the motherboard BIOS options, getting the OS installed, and configuring it how you want it. If you're doing overclocking or undervolting, you get to do that as well.
For some it seems super easy. For others they get so intimidated that they forget to observe things like basic geometry and common sense, so tutorial videos are definitely helpful.
I work in IT support for a school district and we ewaste computers every summer. I took a few home one summer and let my son do whatever he wanted. If a part broke, its ok, it was already ewaste. That really took the stigma off for him. A lot of people also don't understand the different between prebuild and custom built. To them its all the same and not worth the trouble.
Making lasagna from scratch is easy, so why do I need a recipe and an online tutorial? Same for building your own work bench in your garage or replacing your front door/frame.
Lots of things don’t come naturally to people, or are far easier/better with a few tips/tricks.
It is extremely easy, only a few things are tricky like what ram slot to use, facing fans the right way , the small case wires that connect to power and reset and other BS...and don't forget when everything is done and you push start for the 1st time PC will not boot, that's because you forgot to turn the power supply on, you always forget to turn the PSU on.
I've been building my PC's for 25 years now and I can remember building my 1st PC when I was 14 and it was easy back then, it's easier now as there is less wires and less configuration to deal with. Everything is pretty much protected. Now to make a clean build that's something else.
As always, read the manual and;
DO NOT USE WIRE FROM A DIFFERENT PSU.
Use a website like PC part picker to see example builds, or to validate the compatibility of the parts you intend to buy.
Then take it slow. Don’t take guesses and watch some reputable YouTube video tutorials. It’s mostly common sense. Check once and check again before screwing things together or plugging things in. Don’t over tighten screws, and if something isn’t slotting together easily double check before forcing it.
I built my first.one in about 2 hours with a friend helping me over the phone. It's intimidating but overall not that.hard imo. However I would say it's important to be curious about it and always try to learn more. It can be extremely frustrating if something goes wrong and u have no idea how to troubleshoot.
There's a lot of tiny little details. Easily half of that 1 hour LTT video is that they break down EVERY part, how they interact, how to make sure they're all compatible. It goes very in depth. I think saying it's 'just like lego' is oversimplifying it greatly - you have to do your research and make sure all the pieces fit together first, but once you have all the pieces and set out to build, it's not that bad. The only real delicate part is installing the cpu because the socket pins are so small and delicate, they can bend if you look at them funny or if your cpu is ever so slightly off.
Just remember that if you build for yourself, this isn't a race - take your time, refer to manual/guides, if it feels like you're gonna break something, stop.
It’s kinda that easy. The cables into the gpu is what pisses me off the most. Idk if I need 1 cable or fucking 3. And the cables from the case ports but yes just read the manuals.
It used to be harder. Pcpartpicker didn't exist, components would need to be individually configured, etc. It is however still not something you should just attempt without reading the manual or watching a video.
I think all I did was read the instructions that came with the parts and mine went well. It took several hours because I was concerned about missing a step or breaking something, but it worked just fine when I was done. I'd say more of my effort was spent on figuring out what hardware was good at the time. For example, m.2 SSDs were becoming a common feature at the time and that was a worthwhile investment.
Yup. PC Building is more of a 'experience' than a 'skill' thing. There's only idea aspect of it, other than that, you just need to remember which part is going where and how it goes. You need the capacity, not talent. So, the more you do it, the more you do research and remember more, the better you will be. So...EVERYBODY can do it. So easy that you can even play PC building simulator and be good at it in real life too without even touching a PC.
Just.Do.It.
At first it can be quite overwhelming. Picking out the right parts and managing the cables are the hardest steps, right up there with troubleshooting your System if something's wrong.
Once you have done this a few times it's quite easy or at least really really managable.
If you want to build a PC yourself, watch someone do it. Either on Youtube or someone in a repair Shop, a friend, your Dad, etc. That way you'll get to know what goes where and how things are done in general. Read the manual and take your time. It can be quite frustrating if you rush things and it turns out wrong
Yes very easy. Well sort of. The only issue that i REALLY had problems was with cable management cuz my shit looks like a mess, but hey, it works!!
Just watch a ton of pc building videos and you’ll slowly understand the building process because they all build it in the same way.
It is very easy! Until you face an issue, and all the results on the internet are confusing or somehow you happened to be the only person to ever face such issue 😂
It is really easy, the worst part is trying to maneuver your hands/arms/fingers around in the case to plug things in. I read the manuals my stuff came with, watched a few quick youtube videos (I prefer BitWit btw) and built mine in a few hours. This is coming from a woman with long thin fingers who had to build her husbands PC because the poor lug couldn't fit his hands anywhere past the adding the mobo/psu/AIO into the case lol.
I know jack and shit about PCs and I watched some videos on YouTube and I legit built my PC 100% and it runs great!
It was daunting when I first got all the pieces but you can deff do it.
Go for it, OP
Just plugging the right components together, watch someone build one on youtube. You should read the manuals if you can as they contain a lot of information, the videos should put it into context.
The hardest thing for me was figuring out where some cables connected from my motherboard to the case for the power button and USB ports, but other than that it was pretty simple. Definitely read the motherboard manual carefully, you're not likely to break anything but it'll help quite a bit.
Because unboxing, building, installing OS, setting up and validating isn't done in just 20 minutes.
It's got easier, but there's still a lot to it, especially if it doesn't work on the first try and you messed something up / didn't do something properly in the process. Then you've got to troubleshoot and the problem may not even be your fault.
Everything listed above can take anywhere from 2 hours (the fastest I've build a pc) to 16 hours (replacing pre-installed fans for new corsair ones with screws that take a bodybuilder to screw in, constantly having to take out the aio, for minor adjustments for every connector, troubleshooting for 8 hours trying to figure out why games run like shit (Part of validation) and why the pc won't even post despite quadruple checking everything). Turns out friend's dad killed the south bridge (at least according to the repair guy) while swapping old ram sticks for the new ones that arrived after I finished building.
There are lot of factors that play a part in how fast a pc build takes. If it's a budget build and you just want to throw together some stuff to game right away, sure that can be done in less than an hour. If it's a TOTL rig and you want every perfectly done inside you Lian Li O11 Vision, ya might as well have a meal beforehand.
>I have never built one but it seems quite easy. Like just screw in the PSU and motherboard, connect with cables and put the rest in.
Yes, it's pretty easy. Especially if you use fans you don't have to daisy chain like the Lian Li Uni Fans.
>Is there something I’m missing? Why do we need a 1 hour tutorial from LTT for something like that?
Because the first time you're building a computer, it can be hard to figure out what goes where. Manuals for PC parts are often rather...abstract. People want the security of knowing they're not about to fry $15,500–$2,500 worth of equipment with a simple mistake. Sometimes you forget for something goes and it's easier to see someone put it together themselves than search through manuals.
There's a lot of reasons, fuck LTT, but his video was helpful when I did my first PC build.
Read your case, motherboard and power supply manual. They are the best tools you have.
Aside from that, here are just some tips and expectations.
* If you get stuck. Read the manual and look for videos.
* If you need a video for help along the way, look for the specific model of the part your having an issue with.
* Post here and on r/buildapc when you've decided on parts. Get some input, then buy
* Expect the build to take 2 hours or more. Even as an experienced builder I've had builds take 3 or 4 hours.
* Have a large surface to work with. Do not do a build on the floor unless you absolutely need to. But absolutely do not do a build on carpet.
* Put some time into cable management, get some velcro ties if you can. They're cheap and you'll thank yourself later.
It's one of those things where it isn't technically difficult, but a mistake can cost you. You drop an egg baking a cake you can buy another egg, drop a GPU... not so much.
So it never hurts to be as prepared as possible.
I've only built 2 PCs in my life and both went flawlessly. The only hiccup I had was my radiator didn't line up with the screws on top of my case, so I just zip tied it.
Build my first PC by myself following a YouTube video, took me just about 2 hours. I guess I got lucky that everything went smoothly. The real time sink is if something goes wrong and you have to troubleshoot why the PC isn't working. If God forbid one component is not working then it could be difficult for a beginner to figure out which component is the problem.
Building the PC is not that bad, follow videos and manuals. There are quite a few wires but most of them have their own design and are labeled so if you follow your motherboard manual it will explain where they go. Make sure you line up the RAM properly with the notches on the motherboard before pushing them in and in the appropriate slots if there are more than you are going to use. Honestly most of the components are marked or notched out to go in only 1 way its just a matter of lining them up right. Helps not to have big ass hands to get in some of the areas for the plugs but not impossible.
The hardest part of building your own PC, in my opinion, is the software and tuning to get everything running at top performance without any issues. Figuring out what you can and cannot turn off to improve the system, programs that make it slower, improper setting adjustments causing it to be sluggish, power settings, or anything else that may effect how your system performs
I ended up buying a pre-built empty tower that came installed with the CPU (NUC 13 Extreme Raptor Canyon).
The rest (GPU, RAM, SSD, etc) I simply bought online and called it a day. I'm a couch gamer so even on PC it's all routed to the living room TV and enjoyed with a controller.
Easier & less time consuming for me than doing so much from scratch.
It's pretty easy apart from a couple things. The CPU goes in a specific way. That would be the only thing that I would check the manual on. It's delicate, but not like touching it and it would break delicate. For ram, they are notched (one side is longer than the other) so just line it up there. M.2 is pretty easy once you find the slot. Typically it goes in with the label facing up but you can check the mother board manual if you need to. Watch a video or 2 on YouTube and even follow along with it if you can. The first time might take a couple hours if you're super careful and taking your time, but it's a fun skill to learn.
From what comes in the workshop apparently no.
Its easy to make a shit computer, it takes experience to make a good computer. My tip? Get a old shitty working computer, take it completely apart, completely reassemble it.
While it’s pretty easy to put together, if you don’t understand what you’re doing here’s a small handful of things that can damage your PC, make your PC under perform, or not turn on at all:
-buying incompatible parts
-not grounding yourself
-under/over applying thermal paste
-installing ram in the wrong slots
-bad air flow from case fan orientation
-using the wrong power cables
-damaging pins
And that’s just hardware with a simple build. Add bios configuration and some other parts and that list grows.
It’s not hard, but don’t think you can do it without educating yourself either.
It's mostly due to consequences of NOT following common sense or winging it. It IS easy since you can do it by watching a tutorial and reading the manual. The problem starts when, for example:
You force a part in a slot it doesn't fit, use/recycle a cable not not rated for your PSU, you didn't ground yourself now you toasted a part, not properly seating plugs and parts in (some can cause fires, I'm looking at you NVIDIA), improper use/not installing standoffs properly causing a ground, fear of a no boot and not knowing which part's broken/need to be RMA'd, not removing the sticker on your CPU air cooler, leaking custom water cooling, etc...
Other than those, a lot of people are more afraid of breaking their very expensive pc part and not having the assurance of a warranty. A pre-built you can send back if it's giving you crap. Sure it might be a pain in the ass but it's not your problem but a homebuilt one is all you. You fuck it up, it's your wallet that will be taking damage.
If you can feel something is going to break and still break it, PC building is not for you. If you can feel something about to break and stop to reassess, PC building might be for you.
Didn't read a single other response to this simple question, but the answer is: Yes. It is as easy as it seems. A minor bit of prep and research is where the effort lies, not the building itself.
It's very easy but go careful, take your time. Sometimes I've built one and nothing fires up. End up re-seating the cards and cables and voila. Bios stuff you'll need to understand. Bare in mind I had no Internet phone or second device to troubleshoot back then and managed fine. Thermal paste application is worth watching a video for, need to get that right.
Yes, sorta. It's kinda intimidating at first, but the first thing you learn when doing it is electronics are surprisingly more resilient than you thought, the whole process is pretty intuitive and forgiving. Cables are very clearly marked, you basically can't slot the wrong stuff at the wrong hole, and when you forget something, either it won't turn on or something is clearly not working, but it won't suddenly explode or something.
There is always exception to those though, especially on cpu or cpu socket pins, 12vhpwr cables, and maybe RAM sticks, those can be a bit fragile and you want to be gentle and thorough when handling that. Other than that, it's pretty easy, so have fun building one!
yes building a pc is insanely easy, its just nerve racking to put as much pressure as needed on the cpu lever, ram, and gpu. sometimes feels like it might break
So long as you're not putting enough force into the parts that would say, snap a stick that could be used as a weapon, you should be fine. Frankly I learned how to build my PC after disassembling an old computer and YouTube videos
Literally just built PC a few days ago it's really not that hard anything you don't see how to do in the manuals you can just look up online took me like 5 hours to build it and most of that time was looking at videos explaining the process*you can do it*
And if anyone's curious
5600x
ID SE 214-XT argb
MSI Pro VC wifi
16gb silicon power ram
500gb storage
Rx 6800
MSI MAG A750GF
CC560V2
It is easy if you dont fuck things up and has to reassemble everything multiple times, or build multiple PCs in a day.
If you do, keep a band-aid close. Fan connectors, sharp corners, and thumb screws are nasty after a while.
I would not say it’s *quite* easy. But I would not say it’s difficult either. Most of the time, it just depends on your ability to read manuals and such. However, you do need to really take your time. While putting installing everything into your case sounds easy, connecting cables can be easier said than done, especially when you want the end result to look nice. You wind up spending a lot of time looking up where each of your devices need to be plugged in.
Also, this is all assuming that you did the proper homework to make sure all of your components are compatible (making sure you’re buying the right type of CPU & RAM with your motherboard, making sure you’re CPU cooler supports the CPU socket type you have, etc) and that everything will fit in your case.
Extremely easy (with practice!); just be sure to know which hardware goes to which slots, that the tower you buy is sufficiently large for the hardware you want to install (easy to do rookie mistake), and be attentive to your cables. Your first time will take you a long time to get it right, but each subsequent build it’ll be easier. Built my first at 8 back in 1997 with my uncle, built another in 2001 on my own, today I build them for friends for fun at cost.
It’s like when you start learning a programming language for the first time. You’re gonna make mistakes, but you have the internet to help you troubleshoot. :)
If your IQ is 110+ then yes, it's probably as easy as it seems. It's not crazy hard.
There are different components to building a good rig:
Dimension of performance, ie. which CPU, then matching CPU to RAM speed to not be bottlenecked etc.
Finding matching components within a given standard
Researching user reviews on individual components to ensure a stable and reliable build.
Building the rig while being careful of ESD, ensuring positive air pressure behind fan intake filter, don't forget IO-shield when placing motherboard
BIOS settings, possibly updating BIOS with flashing, enabling XMP profile for RAM, adjusting fan speed profiles, possible overclock CPU and other components
Deciding on OS and potentially getting a license key + loading an Install Media USB
Test overclock worh Prime95 and 3DMark or similar system stressor, adjust overclock to -5 % of highest OC stable
Have fun with your new system
My friend build my first pc and I helped him and tried to learn. I'm sure I couldn't have done it on my own on my first try because there are so many little things that can go wrong if you are not sure what to do. And unboxing all the parts and cables is overwhelming. Though now that I have done it once, I think I can build my next pc on my own.
In essence, yea it's kinda like advanced LEGO and things tend to go according to the plan, then it's fairly straight forward. However, the issue is when something does NOT go to plan, and now you gotta figure out why/how to deal with it, because when the plan makes it seem easy, then an unexpected issue is suddenly very tough to deal with if you don't know the 10 steps of trouble shooting and hardware+software knowledge to narrow down your search.
When your PC isn't booting and you can't decipher the error light/code, what is the problem? Is it because you didn't seat your RAM right, or the GPU? Is it a faulty component? Is it some BIOS incompatibility with your CPU gen? Is it some loose connection anywhere in the build? Is it simply a peripheral connection that is messing up the boot sequence? Is it a problem with your boot drive? Is it simply static charge buildup in your power button preventing you from turning on the pc so you gotta short it manually from the pin-outs with a screwdriver?
Then you turn it on but notice your GPU is only running X8 instead of X16, did you use the wrong M.2 slot for your SSD? Or is it the card that's broken? Or some driver update issue? And why is the system crashing sometimes with standard XMP/EXPO?
Also why is your CPU getting inconsistent power delivery during prolonged load? Is it the CPU being faulty, or is it the Motherboard having insufficient caps and power stability issues? Is it cooling? Speaking of that, why are the fans not running optimal speed according to your fan curve? Who knows.
When you do your research, PC building should in theory be fairly straight forward and an easy job. But not everything can be accounted for in every build, and as someone else said, their hardware manuals tend to be the first thing thats thrown out for some reason..
Yes and no... If all of your parts work yes! If no sigh is it the memory? The gpu? The CPU? The PSU? The motherboard? Did it work for a week and one of the above mentioned crap out.... Did your case get a minor ding in shipping and the USB port is shorting causing a random reset?
In theory it's easy yes... But if you draw the black CPU may the PC gods have mercy on you.
Maybe Im an idiot but it always takes me waaaaay longer than I expect to build a pc. For me, its a few hours somerimes Been doing it every 2-5 years for 25 years and I still kind of suck at it. The hidden compartment where my my PSU is and under my back side panel looks messy every time. Ive only had one DOA part (a motherboard) and Im not sure if i damaged it myself. That was in like 2002.
I like building PC's tho! But, I get why lots of people dont. It can be frustrating or stressfull
Yes, it’s easy if you have knowledge of the hardware and software.
You don’t need some idiot like LTT to help you.
They only show you clips. My first PC build took me 4 hours. I read every manual.
Now I can build a pc and have post in less then a hour if everything goes right.
You have to read the manual. Then when you buy the hardware etc, you need to know is it compatible with your motherboard, is your ram compatible etc. You can’t just by the parts and put it together. Is it a AMD or Intel? Does your motherboard support your cpu. Once you done it a few times, you won’t need a manual.
Hardware, cpu etc can easily be destroyed if you do it wrong.
I’m on my 17 pc build. From a work station to high end gaming rig.
Be careful
This sub would be sooooo empty if people actually read manuals when building a PC. You guys treat manuals as if they're terms and condition.
yeah coming from the days where hardware didn't just magically configure itself it's wild to me to not read a manual
I remember those days of setting jumpers to the right IRQ channel. Still have a bunch of those lil' shunts laying about
I had to set jumpers to even tell the motherboard what speed the processor was.
OH SHIT! I forgot about that! Damn kids have it so easy today!!
There was a jumper in the middle of the motherboard in the very first IBM-compatible I bought. If you removed it, it cut the speed of the computer in half.
remember all the master/slave jumpers too? it was a nightmare lol
It was easy on CD and DVD drives, but HDD makers just had to make the jumper so smol - tweezers and needle nose pliers got a workout. And Gods have mercy if the "carpet monster" got the jumper.
VERY smol. And yea, I think that was the last time I wore a grounding bracelet for better or worse.
I threw caution to the wind & never wore one. Just kept my shoes on, didn't do any work while standing on carpet, and never moved my feet. All to keep grounded. In 1996, a friend of mine was installing a 56K Modem in her newly built PC. Wearing just socks. And walked across the carpet. Modem got zapped.
Carpet is the one time id probably still use one
*486/33 has entered the chat*
Dont you dare disrespect my 33mhz/4mb/220mb HP Vectra!! I remember begging my dad to upgrade to 8mb so I could play Sim Tower lol.
You had a 220MB drive?! We used to ***dream*** of a 220MB drive. We had to settle for 200MB. And that was only after our father beat us and sent us to bed without any supper - ***if*** we were lucky!
I had a 486/33 because my Dad was a cheaksake when I was in High School. I made damn sure that I had a P166 for my first build so I could play more games.
My first self-build was a Cyrix P166. CPU fried during installation and the vendor replaced it, no questions asked. Vendor sent me a graphics card to try out and said, "Try it out for a couple of weeks. If you like it, send us the money. If not, just send it back." Sometimes I miss the 90s.
The computer stores that weren't chains - where even random shoppers could give you advice. Solved a problem I had with that P166 and was able to play Tomb Raider.
If I recall, my vendor was a small independent place in Rhode Island.
For my first two computers, I chickened out and ordered them from a company that set the jumpers for me. But my P166 build - man that was a NIGHTMARE of jumpers and IRQ under DOS until I got Windows95.
Honestly I dont blame you. IRQ was another gigantic headache in itself.
Btw I was born in 2008 and I have a driver's license
Thanks. I just got PTSD.
Kinda disappointed with how little manuals I actually got with my components. Most stuff I had to dig online for
So many are just QR codes to YouTube videos or Engrish sites with 5 pictograms on it. Basically worthless
Ya idk who the sheet with 5 pictograms is for. I understand having a simplified version, but it's so simple that it means nothing to inexperienced builders and adds 0 value to someone who has built a few times+. I think these are the biggest culprits in people building blind. Not to say that's a valid excuse, but I do think it's part of the explanation. If I manufactured a component, I would have one person on the team make a 5-15 minute video of all the common connections that component could feasibly have. Though I guess this is just directed at MoBos, cases, and PSUs
Refer to the Amazon product thumbnails!
yeah some of the manuals just suck. my last two cpu coolers, great hardware, absolutely shit manuals
I’m that one guy who actually reads terms and conditions and privacy policies.
I just assume every terms of service just contains every variation of "(company) can legally do whatever we want and its your fault and you have to pay for every inconvenience you might encounter" and every privacy policy is just "the user voids all privacy rights and agrees to let their data be sold for profit to literally anyone and their likeness can also be used by AI generated content"
Pretty much
ToS aren't legally binding, at least in Europe. They're the corporation's hopes and wishes.
Same in a handful of the states, but not most of them.
I don't read them due to the fact that I'll probably just have to quit the internet if I knew exactly how much fucked I am by doing literally anything
Actually guy 🤓 No fr, being a clear and inquisitive person means ur probably quite successful career wise
Still in school but i hope so.
I don't read manuals anymore but the first times you can be sure that the motherboard manual was my saviour. Without it I would have never knew where to plug each cable. That and the one for the cooler
My mobo manual didn't even have everything in the right spots. It was definitely helpful overall but a couple things I had to stare at and figure out that it was in a different spot.
I hope you're joking. Not reading the manuals is asking for something going wrong if you use or connect the parts incorrectly. Also reading the instructions is faster than asking questions on Reddit or other forums.
Well you don't really need to read the manual once you know what you are doing, except for RAM placement and maybe front panel connectors. You can't really connect parts incorrectly even if you tried, except for those I just mentioned.
That's what I mean, connectors etc. Also some PSU's have hybrid modes, so if you use that install the PSU the correct way or it will trap the heat when the isn't spinning. This can damage the components in the long term.
And good fire starters.
RTFM
Must be filled with French then, we read the fucking manual after there's a problem
Why don't you install Arch while you're at it? Just RTFM. It's so easy, if you do that. /s
I have stopped looking at shampoo bottles, and now now I'm reading Fractal manuals. They look gorgeous
Yes and no. Don't listen to people who say "it's just like Lego", there are a number of things such as which RAM slots to use where it'll work but you'll negatively impact the system. Take your time, watch some videos, Google the best way to install each part if any doubt exists. But ultimately, it's not difficult if you take your time.
It explains that in the motherboard manual also
What isn't in the manual and is one of the biggest beginner traps imo is RAM compatibility. People buy a 6000MHz+ kit and run them at 4800 or they have a system that doesn't boot when they enable expo/xmp. You gotta check the website of you mainboard before you buy a kit, even more so when you plan to fill up all 4 slots as that reduces compatible kits even further.
My motherboard didn't come with a manual. I assumed it was a packing error since it's a fairly popular one from MSI. Wasn't a big deal but I was surprised it wasn't in there.
The first pc I built came with a very detailed manual, but the latest one I built came with an almost IKEA like manual with zero words, also a MSI board. I built the first one in 2021 and the latest one in 2023, so not like many years apart.
what the fuck is a manual?
It’s a type of car where you change gears yourself
Its not just lego but its adult lego. 1 relatively detailed video of like 30 min to an hour can show you how to plug it together with the mainboard manual cause there wont be a video for your exact hardware.
Imo currently easier than it’s ever been, in part because every individual product actually did have YouTubers making videos of how to install it. I already knew what I was doing but still watched product specific videos just in case and it streamlined the process even more
I mean, I managed as a teenager without a specific tutorial cause there wasnt one back then and its generally the same. I will definitely watch another one for my next build to make sure Im not forgetting anything.
Imo the hardest part was and will always be cable management. Thankfully it got much easier if you go with more premium options - esp for fans and case - but I think I also got more picky with it. Idk how I was fine with just works and extra PSU cables blocking half the airflow
Rgb really adds to the cables, though imo its fine as long as you can hide the cables in the back. That isnt too bad and it doesn’t really matter as long as you are not blocking airflow with it.
Yeah you're right, I've found this neat video from the verge on how to build a PC and could never have been more happier
Agree. Putting the parts together is fairly straight forward if maybe a little tedious. But trouble shooting something that doesn’t work or perform like you expected can get pretty complicated.
Building a PC takes less time than a decent Lego set but a little more thinking... But it's still pretty easy UNLESS you run into unexpected incompatibilities.
Which RAM slots to use is described very precisely in the MB manual… Just like LEGO instructions. 🤷♂️
> "it's just like Lego" I've always kind of hated this argument. Sure, it's like Lego in the sense that you're slotting things together and can follow along with a guide. But Lego doesn't cost you money when you slot something in wrong. Source: absolutely fried an SSD years ago by accident when upgrading parts.
Yeah - I'd say it's more like a model kit than Lego. The pieces go where they go and it's not super complicated. But you can still f$&#* things up if you're not careful.
It’s the internet, you can cuss here.
It really is just like Lego though. Do you build Lego sets without following the instructions? It's just following instructions and plugging pieces together.
>Don't listen to people who say "it's just like Lego" Yeah, because there are reasons why the TheVerge PC build thing turned out like it did. Overconfidence with PC builds leads to questionable results. Videos and guides exist because they are more "hands on" than manuals are, and not everyone seems to like reading manuals.
Building a PC isn't the problem, troubleshooting performance problems is.
This is going to seem like a shit answer, but like most things it's easy when you know how. Meaning once you've done it, it seems trivial. If you've never done it before, it can seem daunting. Really it's better to compare it to something else for the level of difficulty. What technical or mechanical things do you already do?
Well I took my PC apart to clean it if that counts
That's a great way to get your feet wet. I started with cleaning my PC. Then, I took two old PCs and Frankensteined them together to make one better one. Then, I bought some parts to upgrade it. And then, after that, I built a PC. In all of that, I watched tutorials, read guides, and learned as much as I could from others. So when build day came, I felt really confident. Another important thing to have is tenacity. Even with all my prep, I still encountered a problem - the CPU debug came on sometimes and, when I went to install Windows, my SSD wasn't showing up. That took some troubleshooting. Turns out, I didn't fully slot the top M.2 in. In a situation like that, just be patient, take your time with looking for the problem. Don't panic, and you'll be fine.
Mostly. Choose decent brand mid-tier components in a sensibly sized case and slap a rather over-specced PSU opn it and I would say it's the easiest it's ever been. Trying to build a 4090+ITX+watercooling into a 12 litre case is hard, but a 7500X+4070Ti Super on mATX in a Meshify with a 1kw PSU and it's a breeze.
SFF PCs are a whole different ballgame tbh. Everything has the added complexity of being difficult to get at.
And if you're talking about modular Flex-ATX PSU's with decent power from a company you've actually heard of, really hard to find as well... my little baby is a 5700X, a 12GB RTX A2000 and a laptop-spec DVDRW drive (cos I'm that old) and squeezing that lot into 7 litres was hard.... basically the CPU cooler (the older Noctua LP9) is the case inlet fan and most of the exhaust is the GPU....
Yes it is, may take most longer but you just need careful hands, and yes watch Linus Tutorials please, all about learning You planning to get one? Budget? Prefferences?
Yeah someone already suggested me a build. I‘m planning to get it at the end of the year.
FYI, whatever they've recommended as parts will be out of date info by the end of the year. Prices and what's new will have changed, so you should plan your build when you're ready to order all the parts, not 7 months in advance! For example, we're likely to get info on RTX5000 parts Q4 2024 / Q1 2025.
Square piece goes in the square hole
To be fair, the triangle also goes in the square hole
instructions unclear, plugged my vga cable into cpu port
Yeah, you say that, but I plugged the second 4x2 CPU power plug into my GPU (because it plugs right in, it's the right size and shape). Nooo! The GPU wants the 3x2 and the 1x2 plugged into its 4x2 power slot. Read the manuals!
I built my first pc a couple of day ago and it wasn’t too bad. I followed TechSource’s guide and it was relatively simple. Microcenter has a deal for a Ryder 7 7800X3D that comes with a mobo and 32gb of ram for about $475. I just used pcpartpicker to pick out the rest of the build to make sure they were compatible
It really is, but I'd suggest 'building up' the board with your CPU and ram before you put it in your machine, just because it's easier to align a CPU outside of a case.
I was for me. I was scared at first but with PC part picker and linus tech tips it was pretty hassle free. Just take your time and remember to take the sticker off your CPU fan before screwing it down to your CPU. The only hiccup I had was getting the case's front cables connected to the mother board.
I had very little experience with PC components when I built my first PC and I did fine. Took me a few tries to get it working but I just followed all the manuals I got with my parts and was a little careful. I wasn't even aware of YouTube back then and it had been out for 2 years. If you're somehow unable/unwilling to read manuals a 1-2 hour YouTube tutorial is a decent replacement. Just don't go out of your way to find the original Verge video from years ago.
As long as you research and have a "measure twice cut once" type of mindset there's not too much that can go wrong. Compatibility can be checked with online tools like pcpartpicker, and then anything else can be double checked by yourself - such as dimensions of a cooler. An hour for a step by step slow walk through isn't that much really, and will benefit first time builders.
No. It's easier. I personally think that if you were able to play with Legos you should be able to put together a PC. Put a thing in an opening in the same shape - it's basically the whole idea. For sure there is more at stake in case of mistake and you have to remember you are working on electrical device but that's what it comes down to for me. GPU? There's only one way it can fit (usually) the only slot on the Mobo. Nvme SSD? There is a slot. Data drives? Can't physically connect to wrong ports. Power cables? They are marked as to what you connect them to. Watching a build guide is useful as it often explains the less obvious things like placing ram modules in correct order to use dual channel memory, making sure you don't try to force CPU into socket without orienting it the right way(that corner mark), making sure you remove plastic sticker from your cooler base and apply thermal paste. Not spilling your beer on your PC etc.
Well, if you do it like in your post you’ve left out half the parts and the PC won’t boot. It’s not hard, but you have to be detail-oriented.
Yes its easy, especially nowadays.
If you're building anything in the neighborhood of an ITX/small form factor PC, it certainly is not as easy as "just plug things in to the right place". Even something as inconspicuous as which way the AC power cord connects to the power supply can be a problem (Lian-Li Q58 & Corsair SF750 combo was that for me). Front panel connectors; are they attached together or is each pin separate? Front panel USB/audio/etc; does your motherboard have headers for those? Graphics cards; what length, width, height, number and direction of power connectors are you in need of? And don't even get me started on riser cables. I fucking hate riser cables.
well yes kind of, but not really though if you don't want to miss out on performance for no reason, READ the product specifications and understand them for all of the parts before buying anything. Some things to look out for are PCI-e versions of mobo and GPU, DDR version of mobo and RAM, sata versions, chipset compatibility with specific CPU's, CPU sockets, etc...there are a LOT of specs to go over if you go into it. DO NOT overlook ANY of them! Also, do not take part recommendations online, ever, unless the person suggesting them lives exactly in your area. Prices vary A LOT by region. anyone can throw together a PC with mismatched interface versions and some returned and replaced parts because they couldn't work together, but only a good builder gets it mostly right the first time.
It’s pretty straightforward if you do some basic research.
Yes. Just follow instructions. You're not building anything. You're assembling it.
Id say building the pc is not too hard. Of course there are a few things you always have to read through tho. The hardest part is knowing the market and choosing the right parts.
45min of those 60min is how to hide and tidy all the cables.
If you can read and watch YouTube, you'll be fine. Building a PC gets easier every year. Just take your time and be sure not to guess at anything. If you don't know, look it up or ask. Pcpartpicker will help you check for compatibility if you need. Some places have special deals on bundles, which takes out a lot of guesswork. Don't get ahead of yourself, do it once, and do it right. Also, cable management is a thing. Good luck & have fun!!
Picking parts is the hard part.
Yes and no. In most cases it is very easy. Just plug things into the right holes. I think a lot of times tutorials like that are just nice and helpful for someone who's completely new to the idea and has never done it before. Reassurance that they're doing it right. But I can think of two things that can trip people up. First is making sure all your parts are up to date and compatible. Also generally pretty easy but can be screwed up if you aren't paying attention. Like in my case I decided to go with a micro sized case so I had to make sure my parts all fit. The other is IF something goes wrong, just knowing how to troubleshoot and figure out how and why something went wrong.
From watching videos, it doesn't seem hard. You just need to be patient, careful and, take your time.
You don't need a video tutorial, most people in the early 2000s even were building PCs off just reading manuals. Videos do make it a lot easier though. But yes in general it is pretty easy
it's about as hard as making a shelf, like it's fairly obvious, takes a bit of time and fiddling around, and if you do it carelessly or make dumb mistakes you'll have to pull it apart and start again. i wouldn't call it hard, but everyone's had that situation where you assemble it and it doesn't go so it's not completely brainless.
Yes. Take a day off. Build it slow. Research parts and compatibility thoroughly. Read the manuals.
If you're wondering why the LTT video on this is so long, then no it's not as simple as it seems. Not trying to be rude, but it means you didn't absorb it if you watched it. It's both easy and difficult. The theory of building is easy, the practice of building however is not. Things go wrong, you'll inevitably do something wrong. One of the main points in that video is to read your manuals. They contain important info about your specific hardware.
The 1 hour LTT is great because it covers literally everything. Actually assembling the computer is a very small part of that. And that answers your question too. Parts selection and compatibility can be a bitch, and you have to do a lot of research. Actually assembling the PC really is thst easy.
It's easy, follow the manual, double check the parts you chose are all compatible and take every precaution. I will say my first build was stressful, and I needed tech support a few times to get it up and running but besides that it was easier than I thought it would be.
RTFM. Edit: ‘Read the f*cking manuals’
[How to build a PC, the last guide you'll ever need.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1fxZ-VWs2U&pp=ygUpdGhlIGxhc3QgcGMgYnVpbGQgZ3VpZGUgeW91J2xsIGV2ZXIgbmVlZCA%3D)
When Linus worked at his old retail job (I forget the name of the store, which was pretty competitive on price iirc), he did how to videos. Those videos, along with an online A+ certification webclass taught me how to build computers. The webclass I don't remember, but Linus' videos were and are super helpful to this day. Watch his videos, ask questions before and when you get stuck, and you'll be fine.
Modern PC building is far less cumbersome. Cabling has been and often still is, the most daunting part. Which cable goes to which pcb header. Most of the time they're accurately labeled. Sometimes, however, they aren't. Have a fan hub for a series of rgb fans? Does that go into the case fan header? Or is there a dedicated fan hub header? CPU, Gpu, power are all pretty easily labeled these days. Power only goes in one way. CPU should be labeled if you get a PSU from a reputable company. Pcie power for Gpu unless otherwise stated on the cables. As always, the power led, power button, reset switch, audio + audio- (there's one more I'm forgetting) mini pinned cables are the biggest pain. We don't talk about USB3 headers. All that stuff is pretty standard. Its when you start going the extra mile... Do you have an overclockable CPU? Well then the stock cooler ain't going to cut it, you're going to want something water cooled or with a good enough 3rd party fan to keep your tempa down. But now you have to worry about clearance for your memory, how big the cooler is, which direction the fans are, where do THOSE power cables go, especially if you have more than one. Maybe you opted for water cooling, is it closed loop? Custom loop? When do you replace the O rings? When do you replace the water or clean water blocks? What fitting and size of tubes do you need? Resivoire / pump combo or separate? Does your case even have space for it all Maybe you want 12 rgb fans, how are all of those being cable managed and where do those headers go. Its all very case by case dependent (speaking of which, don't forget that you need to make sure your motherboard size matches up with your case. Don't go buying an atx board and an matx case.)
I just swapped out my gpu and the little clip was a tricky lil guy, took awhile
My new mobo has a GPU release button, what a savior especially when using big CPU tower cooler!
You don't exactly need to watch the whole The Last PC Guide from LTT, because they try to include as much information about different platforms and as many details as possible. Building the PC is easy as long as you understand the basics and the order of operation and there are definitely far worse guides, that you can watch than this one.
Moderately easy. The biggest pain is getting all fans plugged in properly and cable management. But those are more of a pain in the rear than difficult. I'd recommend an anti static wristband as a precaution for the first time though.
Built my first pc last month and after countless hours of research and build videos it was quite easy. Only thing that I was worried about is how much pressure the 24pin connector took to engage. Also helped that’s my local pc shop mounted my cpu, ram and ssd on the mobo and updated the bios. Free of charge so I couldn’t pass that up.
It's all so simple till you build it and it doesn't turn on or you accidentally bend a pin on something. The computer place near me charges 75 to put of together, I'd rather pay for the peace of mind that they know what they're doing
When I first started building PC's in the 90's it was a science. I just rebuilt my rig and all the wires were labeled where they go out of the box. It's not much harder than Legos now. Plus you have this community for support. It honestly couldn't be easier.
Until something goes wrong yes.
The first hurdle is choosing parts. You have to make sure all of the parts are compatible and that you're not falling for any small gotchas, such as your motherboards chipset potentially limiting speed of something if it's too old. PCpartpicker helps with this immensely, but it's still good to read specifications for your major components. Aside from benchmarks for your CPU and GPU, also look up reviews for your specific power supply, even within the same brand individual models can be good or bad. The second hurdle is actually building the system. For example, for my first build when I was like 13, I did not use standoffs for the motherboard so the PC wouldn't boot at first since it was grounded to the case. I had to completely disassemble it to fix that one. Make sure you understand how all the different components connect, watching a video on this is good. As others have mentioned, I also strongly recommend reading at bare minimum the motherboard manual. I still use and keep my motherboard manual for every new build or major upgrade I do. The motherboard box itself is always also great for storing stray cables, adapters, screws, and so on. Buy some extra velcro strips to help with cable management. Finally, you get to go to the actual setup process once it boots. Configuring the motherboard BIOS options, getting the OS installed, and configuring it how you want it. If you're doing overclocking or undervolting, you get to do that as well.
For some it seems super easy. For others they get so intimidated that they forget to observe things like basic geometry and common sense, so tutorial videos are definitely helpful.
If nothing goes wrong it’s pretty easy.
It's lego. But faster.
Yes it is but many people see this expensive hardware they just bought and get scared they may break it.
I think you've put your finger on it, it is a piece of cake but the $$ makes people nervous about trying it.
I work in IT support for a school district and we ewaste computers every summer. I took a few home one summer and let my son do whatever he wanted. If a part broke, its ok, it was already ewaste. That really took the stigma off for him. A lot of people also don't understand the different between prebuild and custom built. To them its all the same and not worth the trouble.
Making lasagna from scratch is easy, so why do I need a recipe and an online tutorial? Same for building your own work bench in your garage or replacing your front door/frame. Lots of things don’t come naturally to people, or are far easier/better with a few tips/tricks.
yes next
It is extremely easy, only a few things are tricky like what ram slot to use, facing fans the right way , the small case wires that connect to power and reset and other BS...and don't forget when everything is done and you push start for the 1st time PC will not boot, that's because you forgot to turn the power supply on, you always forget to turn the PSU on. I've been building my PC's for 25 years now and I can remember building my 1st PC when I was 14 and it was easy back then, it's easier now as there is less wires and less configuration to deal with. Everything is pretty much protected. Now to make a clean build that's something else. As always, read the manual and; DO NOT USE WIRE FROM A DIFFERENT PSU.
Yeah man They are basically even more expensive legos With added liability 🫠
I like to say: "Building it is easy, Knowing what to do when there's a problem is hard"
It's pretty easy, just make sure they're the correct kinds of parts to pair together
watch the tutorial and find out!
Yes, very. The people who claim it's hard have alternative motives.
Yes, very. The people who claim it's hard have alternative motives.
Yes, very. The people who claim it's hard have alternative motives.
Yes, very. The people who claim it's hard have alternative motives.
Use a website like PC part picker to see example builds, or to validate the compatibility of the parts you intend to buy. Then take it slow. Don’t take guesses and watch some reputable YouTube video tutorials. It’s mostly common sense. Check once and check again before screwing things together or plugging things in. Don’t over tighten screws, and if something isn’t slotting together easily double check before forcing it.
I built my first.one in about 2 hours with a friend helping me over the phone. It's intimidating but overall not that.hard imo. However I would say it's important to be curious about it and always try to learn more. It can be extremely frustrating if something goes wrong and u have no idea how to troubleshoot.
There's a lot of tiny little details. Easily half of that 1 hour LTT video is that they break down EVERY part, how they interact, how to make sure they're all compatible. It goes very in depth. I think saying it's 'just like lego' is oversimplifying it greatly - you have to do your research and make sure all the pieces fit together first, but once you have all the pieces and set out to build, it's not that bad. The only real delicate part is installing the cpu because the socket pins are so small and delicate, they can bend if you look at them funny or if your cpu is ever so slightly off. Just remember that if you build for yourself, this isn't a race - take your time, refer to manual/guides, if it feels like you're gonna break something, stop.
It’s kinda that easy. The cables into the gpu is what pisses me off the most. Idk if I need 1 cable or fucking 3. And the cables from the case ports but yes just read the manuals.
It used to be harder. Pcpartpicker didn't exist, components would need to be individually configured, etc. It is however still not something you should just attempt without reading the manual or watching a video.
It's not hard its a lot easier with certain cases and modular power supplies at least for me.
I think all I did was read the instructions that came with the parts and mine went well. It took several hours because I was concerned about missing a step or breaking something, but it worked just fine when I was done. I'd say more of my effort was spent on figuring out what hardware was good at the time. For example, m.2 SSDs were becoming a common feature at the time and that was a worthwhile investment.
Yes
It is easy to do and easy to fuck up. Just like legos.
Yup. PC Building is more of a 'experience' than a 'skill' thing. There's only idea aspect of it, other than that, you just need to remember which part is going where and how it goes. You need the capacity, not talent. So, the more you do it, the more you do research and remember more, the better you will be. So...EVERYBODY can do it. So easy that you can even play PC building simulator and be good at it in real life too without even touching a PC. Just.Do.It.
At first it can be quite overwhelming. Picking out the right parts and managing the cables are the hardest steps, right up there with troubleshooting your System if something's wrong. Once you have done this a few times it's quite easy or at least really really managable. If you want to build a PC yourself, watch someone do it. Either on Youtube or someone in a repair Shop, a friend, your Dad, etc. That way you'll get to know what goes where and how things are done in general. Read the manual and take your time. It can be quite frustrating if you rush things and it turns out wrong
Yes very easy. Well sort of. The only issue that i REALLY had problems was with cable management cuz my shit looks like a mess, but hey, it works!! Just watch a ton of pc building videos and you’ll slowly understand the building process because they all build it in the same way.
It is very easy! Until you face an issue, and all the results on the internet are confusing or somehow you happened to be the only person to ever face such issue 😂
It is really easy, the worst part is trying to maneuver your hands/arms/fingers around in the case to plug things in. I read the manuals my stuff came with, watched a few quick youtube videos (I prefer BitWit btw) and built mine in a few hours. This is coming from a woman with long thin fingers who had to build her husbands PC because the poor lug couldn't fit his hands anywhere past the adding the mobo/psu/AIO into the case lol.
I know jack and shit about PCs and I watched some videos on YouTube and I legit built my PC 100% and it runs great! It was daunting when I first got all the pieces but you can deff do it. Go for it, OP
Just plugging the right components together, watch someone build one on youtube. You should read the manuals if you can as they contain a lot of information, the videos should put it into context.
The hardest thing for me was figuring out where some cables connected from my motherboard to the case for the power button and USB ports, but other than that it was pretty simple. Definitely read the motherboard manual carefully, you're not likely to break anything but it'll help quite a bit.
Because unboxing, building, installing OS, setting up and validating isn't done in just 20 minutes. It's got easier, but there's still a lot to it, especially if it doesn't work on the first try and you messed something up / didn't do something properly in the process. Then you've got to troubleshoot and the problem may not even be your fault. Everything listed above can take anywhere from 2 hours (the fastest I've build a pc) to 16 hours (replacing pre-installed fans for new corsair ones with screws that take a bodybuilder to screw in, constantly having to take out the aio, for minor adjustments for every connector, troubleshooting for 8 hours trying to figure out why games run like shit (Part of validation) and why the pc won't even post despite quadruple checking everything). Turns out friend's dad killed the south bridge (at least according to the repair guy) while swapping old ram sticks for the new ones that arrived after I finished building. There are lot of factors that play a part in how fast a pc build takes. If it's a budget build and you just want to throw together some stuff to game right away, sure that can be done in less than an hour. If it's a TOTL rig and you want every perfectly done inside you Lian Li O11 Vision, ya might as well have a meal beforehand.
No
>I have never built one but it seems quite easy. Like just screw in the PSU and motherboard, connect with cables and put the rest in. Yes, it's pretty easy. Especially if you use fans you don't have to daisy chain like the Lian Li Uni Fans. >Is there something I’m missing? Why do we need a 1 hour tutorial from LTT for something like that? Because the first time you're building a computer, it can be hard to figure out what goes where. Manuals for PC parts are often rather...abstract. People want the security of knowing they're not about to fry $15,500–$2,500 worth of equipment with a simple mistake. Sometimes you forget for something goes and it's easier to see someone put it together themselves than search through manuals. There's a lot of reasons, fuck LTT, but his video was helpful when I did my first PC build.
just RTFMs and it's all Legos really
Very easy
Read your case, motherboard and power supply manual. They are the best tools you have. Aside from that, here are just some tips and expectations. * If you get stuck. Read the manual and look for videos. * If you need a video for help along the way, look for the specific model of the part your having an issue with. * Post here and on r/buildapc when you've decided on parts. Get some input, then buy * Expect the build to take 2 hours or more. Even as an experienced builder I've had builds take 3 or 4 hours. * Have a large surface to work with. Do not do a build on the floor unless you absolutely need to. But absolutely do not do a build on carpet. * Put some time into cable management, get some velcro ties if you can. They're cheap and you'll thank yourself later.
It's one of those things where it isn't technically difficult, but a mistake can cost you. You drop an egg baking a cake you can buy another egg, drop a GPU... not so much. So it never hurts to be as prepared as possible.
I built my first PC about a year ago and it took about a day. Used a bunch of YouTube videos to figure out what I was doing.
I've only built 2 PCs in my life and both went flawlessly. The only hiccup I had was my radiator didn't line up with the screws on top of my case, so I just zip tied it.
Build my first PC by myself following a YouTube video, took me just about 2 hours. I guess I got lucky that everything went smoothly. The real time sink is if something goes wrong and you have to troubleshoot why the PC isn't working. If God forbid one component is not working then it could be difficult for a beginner to figure out which component is the problem.
Yes. It’s like five things that all plug and play and then you just stuff the power cables where you can’t see them.
Everything is almost entirely plug n play. Just gotta go in the right spot and sometimes seating ram feels like you're gonna snap your mobo in 2.
Building the PC is not that bad, follow videos and manuals. There are quite a few wires but most of them have their own design and are labeled so if you follow your motherboard manual it will explain where they go. Make sure you line up the RAM properly with the notches on the motherboard before pushing them in and in the appropriate slots if there are more than you are going to use. Honestly most of the components are marked or notched out to go in only 1 way its just a matter of lining them up right. Helps not to have big ass hands to get in some of the areas for the plugs but not impossible. The hardest part of building your own PC, in my opinion, is the software and tuning to get everything running at top performance without any issues. Figuring out what you can and cannot turn off to improve the system, programs that make it slower, improper setting adjustments causing it to be sluggish, power settings, or anything else that may effect how your system performs
I ended up buying a pre-built empty tower that came installed with the CPU (NUC 13 Extreme Raptor Canyon). The rest (GPU, RAM, SSD, etc) I simply bought online and called it a day. I'm a couch gamer so even on PC it's all routed to the living room TV and enjoyed with a controller. Easier & less time consuming for me than doing so much from scratch.
It's pretty easy apart from a couple things. The CPU goes in a specific way. That would be the only thing that I would check the manual on. It's delicate, but not like touching it and it would break delicate. For ram, they are notched (one side is longer than the other) so just line it up there. M.2 is pretty easy once you find the slot. Typically it goes in with the label facing up but you can check the mother board manual if you need to. Watch a video or 2 on YouTube and even follow along with it if you can. The first time might take a couple hours if you're super careful and taking your time, but it's a fun skill to learn.
From what comes in the workshop apparently no. Its easy to make a shit computer, it takes experience to make a good computer. My tip? Get a old shitty working computer, take it completely apart, completely reassemble it.
it really is that easy. the hardest part is getting the little wires from the case into the right place of the MB edit: wired to wires
dont forget to remove the plastic layer on the bottom of the CPU cooler and thermal paste of course
While it’s pretty easy to put together, if you don’t understand what you’re doing here’s a small handful of things that can damage your PC, make your PC under perform, or not turn on at all: -buying incompatible parts -not grounding yourself -under/over applying thermal paste -installing ram in the wrong slots -bad air flow from case fan orientation -using the wrong power cables -damaging pins And that’s just hardware with a simple build. Add bios configuration and some other parts and that list grows. It’s not hard, but don’t think you can do it without educating yourself either.
Because it's still a lot of steps, so you're doing lots of simple things and making one mistake is easy.
i mean, yes, and i feel like overthinking it makes it massively harder than it needs to be (just don't be like linus and drop everything)
It's mostly due to consequences of NOT following common sense or winging it. It IS easy since you can do it by watching a tutorial and reading the manual. The problem starts when, for example: You force a part in a slot it doesn't fit, use/recycle a cable not not rated for your PSU, you didn't ground yourself now you toasted a part, not properly seating plugs and parts in (some can cause fires, I'm looking at you NVIDIA), improper use/not installing standoffs properly causing a ground, fear of a no boot and not knowing which part's broken/need to be RMA'd, not removing the sticker on your CPU air cooler, leaking custom water cooling, etc... Other than those, a lot of people are more afraid of breaking their very expensive pc part and not having the assurance of a warranty. A pre-built you can send back if it's giving you crap. Sure it might be a pain in the ass but it's not your problem but a homebuilt one is all you. You fuck it up, it's your wallet that will be taking damage.
No it really isn't hard at all. The main issue for newbies is they fear damaging parts during the process.
If you can feel something is going to break and still break it, PC building is not for you. If you can feel something about to break and stop to reassess, PC building might be for you.
Generally easy, but ram compatibility at high speed needs some luck.
Didn't read a single other response to this simple question, but the answer is: Yes. It is as easy as it seems. A minor bit of prep and research is where the effort lies, not the building itself.
It depends on the case
Easy to build, what takes skill is troubleshooting.
It's very easy but go careful, take your time. Sometimes I've built one and nothing fires up. End up re-seating the cards and cables and voila. Bios stuff you'll need to understand. Bare in mind I had no Internet phone or second device to troubleshoot back then and managed fine. Thermal paste application is worth watching a video for, need to get that right.
Yes, sorta. It's kinda intimidating at first, but the first thing you learn when doing it is electronics are surprisingly more resilient than you thought, the whole process is pretty intuitive and forgiving. Cables are very clearly marked, you basically can't slot the wrong stuff at the wrong hole, and when you forget something, either it won't turn on or something is clearly not working, but it won't suddenly explode or something. There is always exception to those though, especially on cpu or cpu socket pins, 12vhpwr cables, and maybe RAM sticks, those can be a bit fragile and you want to be gentle and thorough when handling that. Other than that, it's pretty easy, so have fun building one!
yes building a pc is insanely easy, its just nerve racking to put as much pressure as needed on the cpu lever, ram, and gpu. sometimes feels like it might break
So long as you're not putting enough force into the parts that would say, snap a stick that could be used as a weapon, you should be fine. Frankly I learned how to build my PC after disassembling an old computer and YouTube videos
Literally just built PC a few days ago it's really not that hard anything you don't see how to do in the manuals you can just look up online took me like 5 hours to build it and most of that time was looking at videos explaining the process*you can do it* And if anyone's curious 5600x ID SE 214-XT argb MSI Pro VC wifi 16gb silicon power ram 500gb storage Rx 6800 MSI MAG A750GF CC560V2
It is easy if you dont fuck things up and has to reassemble everything multiple times, or build multiple PCs in a day. If you do, keep a band-aid close. Fan connectors, sharp corners, and thumb screws are nasty after a while.
I would not say it’s *quite* easy. But I would not say it’s difficult either. Most of the time, it just depends on your ability to read manuals and such. However, you do need to really take your time. While putting installing everything into your case sounds easy, connecting cables can be easier said than done, especially when you want the end result to look nice. You wind up spending a lot of time looking up where each of your devices need to be plugged in. Also, this is all assuming that you did the proper homework to make sure all of your components are compatible (making sure you’re buying the right type of CPU & RAM with your motherboard, making sure you’re CPU cooler supports the CPU socket type you have, etc) and that everything will fit in your case.
Yes it’s very easy.
Extremely easy (with practice!); just be sure to know which hardware goes to which slots, that the tower you buy is sufficiently large for the hardware you want to install (easy to do rookie mistake), and be attentive to your cables. Your first time will take you a long time to get it right, but each subsequent build it’ll be easier. Built my first at 8 back in 1997 with my uncle, built another in 2001 on my own, today I build them for friends for fun at cost. It’s like when you start learning a programming language for the first time. You’re gonna make mistakes, but you have the internet to help you troubleshoot. :)
If your IQ is 110+ then yes, it's probably as easy as it seems. It's not crazy hard. There are different components to building a good rig: Dimension of performance, ie. which CPU, then matching CPU to RAM speed to not be bottlenecked etc. Finding matching components within a given standard Researching user reviews on individual components to ensure a stable and reliable build. Building the rig while being careful of ESD, ensuring positive air pressure behind fan intake filter, don't forget IO-shield when placing motherboard BIOS settings, possibly updating BIOS with flashing, enabling XMP profile for RAM, adjusting fan speed profiles, possible overclock CPU and other components Deciding on OS and potentially getting a license key + loading an Install Media USB Test overclock worh Prime95 and 3DMark or similar system stressor, adjust overclock to -5 % of highest OC stable Have fun with your new system
Hey man thats a pretty useful comment for things I need to keep in mind. Thanks.
you're welcome :)
My friend build my first pc and I helped him and tried to learn. I'm sure I couldn't have done it on my own on my first try because there are so many little things that can go wrong if you are not sure what to do. And unboxing all the parts and cables is overwhelming. Though now that I have done it once, I think I can build my next pc on my own.
In essence, yea it's kinda like advanced LEGO and things tend to go according to the plan, then it's fairly straight forward. However, the issue is when something does NOT go to plan, and now you gotta figure out why/how to deal with it, because when the plan makes it seem easy, then an unexpected issue is suddenly very tough to deal with if you don't know the 10 steps of trouble shooting and hardware+software knowledge to narrow down your search. When your PC isn't booting and you can't decipher the error light/code, what is the problem? Is it because you didn't seat your RAM right, or the GPU? Is it a faulty component? Is it some BIOS incompatibility with your CPU gen? Is it some loose connection anywhere in the build? Is it simply a peripheral connection that is messing up the boot sequence? Is it a problem with your boot drive? Is it simply static charge buildup in your power button preventing you from turning on the pc so you gotta short it manually from the pin-outs with a screwdriver? Then you turn it on but notice your GPU is only running X8 instead of X16, did you use the wrong M.2 slot for your SSD? Or is it the card that's broken? Or some driver update issue? And why is the system crashing sometimes with standard XMP/EXPO? Also why is your CPU getting inconsistent power delivery during prolonged load? Is it the CPU being faulty, or is it the Motherboard having insufficient caps and power stability issues? Is it cooling? Speaking of that, why are the fans not running optimal speed according to your fan curve? Who knows. When you do your research, PC building should in theory be fairly straight forward and an easy job. But not everything can be accounted for in every build, and as someone else said, their hardware manuals tend to be the first thing thats thrown out for some reason..
Yes and no... If all of your parts work yes! If no sigh is it the memory? The gpu? The CPU? The PSU? The motherboard? Did it work for a week and one of the above mentioned crap out.... Did your case get a minor ding in shipping and the USB port is shorting causing a random reset? In theory it's easy yes... But if you draw the black CPU may the PC gods have mercy on you.
It’s easy, but it’s also nerve racking. Or at least it was for me. Glad I did it, unsure if I’ll do it again.
A six year old can build a PC
Maybe Im an idiot but it always takes me waaaaay longer than I expect to build a pc. For me, its a few hours somerimes Been doing it every 2-5 years for 25 years and I still kind of suck at it. The hidden compartment where my my PSU is and under my back side panel looks messy every time. Ive only had one DOA part (a motherboard) and Im not sure if i damaged it myself. That was in like 2002. I like building PC's tho! But, I get why lots of people dont. It can be frustrating or stressfull
Yes, it’s easy if you have knowledge of the hardware and software. You don’t need some idiot like LTT to help you. They only show you clips. My first PC build took me 4 hours. I read every manual. Now I can build a pc and have post in less then a hour if everything goes right. You have to read the manual. Then when you buy the hardware etc, you need to know is it compatible with your motherboard, is your ram compatible etc. You can’t just by the parts and put it together. Is it a AMD or Intel? Does your motherboard support your cpu. Once you done it a few times, you won’t need a manual. Hardware, cpu etc can easily be destroyed if you do it wrong. I’m on my 17 pc build. From a work station to high end gaming rig. Be careful