PC Step-By-Step Build Guide

Learn how to build a functioning PC from individual parts.

Tools required:

1. Screwdriver
2. Antistatic wristband / mat
3. Thermal paste

Materials:

1. PC Case
2. Motherboard
3. Compatible CPU
4. Memory modules (RAM)
5. NVMe Drive
6. Power Supply

Make sure that your materials are all placed upon the antistatic mat. Put on your antistatic wristband and, depending on the connection, connect it to the case with the alligator clip or connect it to the mat with the button.

Using the thumb screws on the corners of the large faces of the case, remove both the front and the back panel. You may need to loosen the screws initially with a screwdriver. Set the panels aside.

The power supply is relatively easy to install. Place it inside the case from the back into the shaft at the bottom. The on/off button and the socket for the power cord should point outwards, so they can be accessed from the outside. All of the cables should point into the case. You can leave them there for now.

Open up the metal socket in the center of the motherboard. On your CPU, there is a golden triangle in the corner. There is also a triangle on the corner of the socket lid. Orient the CPU's triangle with the one on the socket and place the CPU into the socket. It should fit flatly into the socket, and line up with the notches on the edge. You can now push down on the lever on the right side of the socket to lock the CPU in. It will take some force to push the lever down. Push it down and stick it underneath the claw at the bottom.

Apply a small glob of thermal paste in the center of the CPU. It should be about the size of a pea, as seen in the image. This will be plenty of thermal paste to keep your system cool.

Take the CPU cooler and identify the four rotating arrows on the corners. Rotate them so that the arrows all point 90 degrees clockwise away from pointing inwards. Place the cooler on top of the CPU. The four feet at the bottom should fit into the holes in the motherboard around the CPU. Push every foot down so that they click into the motherboard, going diagonally across to evenly apply pressure. Rotate all of the arrows 90 degrees counterclockwise to fit them. If this step is difficult, watch this short video as a reference.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcQgZX-4W0o&authuser=0

Locate the DIMM slots, located to the right of the CPU. Open up the latches on the sides. There might only be a latch on one side, so don't break the side that doesn't move. Place the RAM into the DIMM slots. Line up the notch in the slot with the notch in the RAM module. Press down evenly from both sides until the RAM module clicks into the slot.

Plug the cable coming out of your CPU Cooler into the header on the motherboard that is labeled "CPU Fan" or something similar. It should only fit one way, but you can line up the plastic bumps on the cable with the connector on the motherboard.

Lay the case on its side. Locate the standoffs in the case, which look like screw holes that stick out of the case. Place the motherboard in the case so that the standoff holes on the motherboard line up with the standoffs. You may have to insert the motherboard at an angle in order to get it to fit into the IO shield in the case. Once the motherboard is in the case, put screws into the standoff holes to secure the motherboard.

Take the power cable that has 20 pins, and the smaller cable that extends off of it with 4 pins, which extends off of the power supply, and plug it into the socket with a matching 24 pin connecter. It is usually on the right edge of the motherboard. Ensure the cable is seated firmly. For every cable, you will need to find a route through your case that works for it. This varies from case to case, so there is no rule for cable management.

Locate the cable from the power supply that has two segments of 4 pins. Ensure that you do not use the one that has a section of 6 pins, and a section of 2 pins, as that will not deliver the amount of power that you need. Plug the 8 pin connecter into the 8 pin socket that is located right above or to the right of the CPU. Make sure it is connected securely.

Find the bundle of connectors that connect from the front of the case. These connectors control the functions of the case, like the lights, power button, and USB ports. The locations of the headers that these plug in to varies from board to board, but you have two options. You can either find the motherboard's manual from the manufacturer's site, or you can locate the correct headers from the text on the motherboard.

REGARDING THE FRONT PANEL CONNECTORS:

These connectors will have a diagram next to the header, that specifies which pin each cable should plug into. You can also find this diagram in the manual. If your PC does nothing when you push the power button, it is very possible that you simply did not correctly connect the power button cable. Make sure that you refer to the diagram when connecting these cables.

Each of your case fans should have its own cable. You can either daisy chain these cables with splitters, or you can plug them into individual headers. The headers on the motherboard will likely be labeled "Sys_Fan_#". These are exactly the same headers as the CPU fan.

It is time to boot your PC. Plug the PC into a power cord, and connect the monitor to the motherboard's IO panel on the back of the PC. Flip the power switch on the back of the power supply, and push the button on the front of your case to turn on the PC.

If you have correctly (or at least mostly correctly) assembled the PC, you should see a POST (Power On Self Test) screen similar to the one in the image. If so, congratulations! You have successfully built a PC.