If you’re looking to build your first PC, this guide will help get you started. We’ll review the basics of picking the right components, putting everything together, and troubleshooting common issues. By the end of this guide, you’ll be ready to start gaming, streaming, and doing pretty much anything else your new PC can handle.
What to consider before building
Building your first PC can be a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be. With a little planning and forethought, anyone can put together a great system. Here are a few things to keep in mind when building your first PC.
- First, decide what you want to use your PC for. Are you a gamer? A power user? A casual user? This will help you determine what kind of components you’ll need. For example, gamers will need a powerful graphics card, while casual users can get away with an integrated graphics solution.
- Next, take a look at your budget. How much money do you have to spend on this project? Remember that the more money you spend, the better the performance will be. You’ll find that the sweet spot for most builds is between $800-$1500. This amount will get you a solid system with decent performance.
Gathering the right components for a PC
When it comes to building your PC, the most important factor is choosing the right components. With so many options on the market, it can be difficult to know where to start.
A good starting point is this website: https://pcpartpicker.com/
It’ll help you to explore the parts and compatibility and also select the components.
Here are a few tips for gathering the components you need for your new PC:
Decide what type of PC you want to build. There are three main types of PCs: gaming, workstation, and home theatre. Each type has different requirements in terms of components.
- Enclosures: The first thing you’ll need to do is choose a case. There are many different types of cases, from small form-factor cases to full tower cases.
- Full Tower Case This is a large case that has enough room to hold up to ten hard drives. The power supply can be over 500 watts and often has built-in fans.
- Mid-Tower Case This is a smaller case that still offers enough room to hold up to five hard drives. The power supply can be up to 300 watts and often has built-in fans.
- Choose a CPU that fits your needs. The CPU is the PC’s brain, so it’s important to choose one with enough power for your needs. If you’re planning on doing a lot of video editing or other resource-intensive tasks, you’ll need a more powerful CPU than someone who just wants to surf the web and check email.
- The motherboard: A motherboard is one of the most important parts of a computer. It is the main circuit board that everything else in the computer is connected to. It can be very overwhelming for a first-time PC builder to try and figure out which motherboard to buy. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing a motherboard.
- The first thing you need to do is figure out what socket type your CPU uses. This will narrow down the choices of motherboards significantly. Then you need to decide what chipset you want. .
- The two most common chipsets are Intel and AMD. Each has its benefits and drawbacks. Once you’ve decided on a socket type and chipset, you can start looking at specific models of motherboards.
- Storage: Assuming you’re starting with a blank slate, these are the must-have components for a custom PC build. When it comes to storage, there are really only two options: a hard drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD).
- HDDs are cheaper and have more storage capacity, while SSDs are faster and more reliable. If you can afford it, I recommend getting an SSD for your operating system and programs, and an HDD for your files and media. That way, you’ll get the best of both worlds.
- If you’re on a budget, however, an HDD is the way to go. Just make sure to get one with at least 1TB of storage space, so you don’t have to worry about running out of room.
- Memory: When you are choosing memory for your PC, you need to make sure that it is compatible with your motherboard.
- The two main types of memory are DDR3 and DDR4.
- Most motherboards will support one another, but some newer ones support both.
- Graphics card: A graphics card is one of the most important parts of a PC, especially if you’re looking to game on it. A good graphics card can make all the difference in image quality and framerate. For first-time PC builders, it’s important to understand the different types of graphics cards and how they perform. T
- here are two main types of graphics cards: AMD and NVIDIA. Both offer a variety of models at different price points.
- In general, NVIDIA cards are more expensive but offer better performance, while AMD cards are cheaper but may not perform as well. It’s important to compare benchmarks and reviews before making a decision.
- When choosing a graphics card, it’s also important to consider the power requirements. Some high-end cards can require up to 500 watts of power!
- Cooling: There are a few different ways to cool your PC.
- The most common is using air cooling, which uses fans to circulate air around the components.
- You can also use water cooling, which uses water to dissipate heat. Whichever method you choose, make sure you have enough cooling for all of your components.
- Another important factor in cooling is airflow. Ensure there is enough airflow inside your case so that hot air can escape and cool air can enter. You can achieve this by adding more fans or by using a bigger case. Finally, pay attention to the orientation of your components.
- Power supply unit: A power supply unit (PSU) is one of the most important components in a computer. It supplies power to all the other components and ensures that they operate smoothly. Choosing a good PSU is essential for a first-time PC builder.
- There are two main types of PSU: internal and external. Internal PSUs are installed inside the computer case, while external PSUs are mounted outside the case. External PSUs are more expensive, but they offer more flexibility and easier installation.
- When choosing a PSU, it is important to consider its wattage, efficiency, and modularity. The wattage rating indicates how much power the PSU can deliver. A higher wattage means that the PSU can power more components or larger ones. Efficiency ratings indicate how much of the power drawn from the wall socket is converted into usable power for the components.
- Cables and connectors: Cables and connectors are an important part of any computer build. Without them, you wouldn’t be able to connect your various components. Most of the cables will be supplied with Motherboard or the parent component, but other cables you want to buy could be HDMI or Display Port.
How to assembly your PC components
- Check your case for any sharp edges
- Remove all the components from their packaging
- Place the motherboard in the case
- Install the CPU and CPU cooler
- Install the RAM
- Install the Graphics Card.
- Install the storage drives
- Connect the components as per motherboard specs.
Make sure your PC is working properly
Before you do anything else, you should test your PC to make sure everything is working properly. This is especially important if you’re a first-time PC builder. To do this, you’ll need to connect all of your components and turn on your PC. Once it’s on, check that the fans are spinning and that there aren’t any error messages on the screen. Then, open up a few different programs to ensure they work properly. If everything looks good, then you’re ready to start using your new PC!