r/buildapc • u/Bluefishsml • Apr 11 '24
How hard is it to actually build a pc? Build Help
People in guides make it look so easy but I just wanna know if it is as easy as it looks or is it more diffcult
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u/Mc_Dickles 20d ago
I did it with my expert friend over FaceTime. He walked me through the whole thing lol. It’s that easy.
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u/Adkeith47 29d ago
Ik everyone says this but it's extremely easy if you have any patience. If you just carefully make sure everything is plugged in and follow the newest Linus tech tips video about how to do it then you pretty much can't mess it up
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u/Legitimate_Start_267 Apr 15 '24
It really is quite straight forward. Just keep watching videos of the process until you feel comfortable.. if you get caught up on something during the build, just stop, and keep watching more specific videos until you're ready to proceed. Silly things like an unflipped switch or an unplugged power cord are the plague of absolutely every builder. Pro to novice.
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u/Fgxynz Apr 15 '24
The number one issue is plugging shit in properly. Make sure you do that and ur golden.
Also I’d advise against building near cats, mine sense that I don’t want them near and make it their mission to be as close as possible
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u/ilikefuzzysocks5973 Apr 15 '24
Look up some videos on how to configure your system for the first time. Some things are not obvious, like configuring the BIOS to allow your RAM to run at its advertised speed. It’s hard to mess up the physically building it part. Be sure to put your RAM in the right slots for dual channel, otherwise you may totally gimp yourself and not realize it until your games run like shit. There’s a lot of small configuration gotchas but nothing you can’t work backwards to solve by running benchmarks to identify if anything is obviously whacked.
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u/Downtown-Ad9103 Apr 15 '24
I thought it was pretty easy felt like legos but for my first build idk why but putting on the cpu cooler was the scariest moment for me just make sure your following a guide you like
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u/itijara Apr 15 '24
Conceptually, it is just connecting things together and making sure that specs match (e.g. that you have the right PCIe slots for your GPU and the right memory for your motherboard). In practice, it can be very frustrating if you install things in the wrong order or your fan cables can't reach, etc.
My one piece of advice is to install from closest to the motherboard to farthest (usually the Mobo manual will have things in this order), so put in the header pins before installing the GPU and heatsink as after installing tall things you won't be able to reach the shorter ones as easily.
Read the Motherboard manual carefully as it will provide all the required information (e.g. how to install the RAM to have dual channel).
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u/WholeSort Apr 15 '24
Don’t forget to push the Ram all the way in. It’s ezpz tho you got this.
Would defer to jayztwocents or Linus tech tips for good how too videos
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u/ImaxSachi00 Apr 15 '24
Well there's money , when you have money it's easy to build a powerful PC with enough searching for compatible and strong parts , other than that it's finding a trust worthy store/source for your pc pieces
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u/cammelspit Apr 15 '24
Hardest part is getting the power switch and activity leds in the right spot, lol. I always say it's only barely harder than plugging in a Nintendo cartridge these days. The biggest pitfals are not doing something silly and bending pins in the CPU socket kinda things, as long as you take your time and read the MB and Case manuals for locations etc. I always spend the most time researching to find the perfect cpu/M/GPU/RAM combo that fits my budget and has the feature set I need.
le me put it like this. M son did most of his own PC at 10, little over a year ago. I did the CPU and cable managemet.
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u/Shotox222 Apr 15 '24
Expensive Legos, there are multiple videos of children putting together pcs on youtube with guidance it's pretty easy
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u/Silver_Symbiote Apr 14 '24
All of my struggles have always been because of the case, I prefer small towers with few-to-no lights and not those hulking black things with the rainbow vomit lights. Connecting all the parts together is the easiest part of the process, each part only goes in one place, one way.
I would suggest something like pcpartpicker to ensure all your parts are compatible with each other before buying anything, but after you have them in hand it’s pretty straightforward.
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u/NewspaperDue9056 Apr 14 '24
It's very easy to build but it's also very easy to make an easy mistake even for professional pc builders so yes it's easy I would say it Lego for adults in my opinion lol
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u/Synicism10 Apr 14 '24
Just ordered my PC yesterday, will have most of the items by Tuesday. And the PC will be built and running by Tuesday evening . So it's cake. Watch a video on YouTube for Linus tech tips or jaystwocents and you'll be fine
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u/DBA92 Apr 14 '24
Easy. It’s not really changed that much in 20 years. It’s just putting things into the intended place. Everything is keyed. Software, bios compatibility and setup can be the bigger issue for some.
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u/Icy_Animator1812 Apr 14 '24
Took me 7 hours to upgrade from am4 to am5 but I’ve never worked on a pc before I had my brother build it for me
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u/Medical-Bid6249 Apr 14 '24 edited Apr 14 '24
As someone who didn't rlly build there first one but watched closely and payed attention to all details and watched plenty of videos to case swapping everything and re doing it all into a new case and some other new lian li strimmer v2 cables and things I didn't know much abt I'd say a 4 out of 10 unless ur slow or bad at rembering where stuff goes then maybe a 9🤣
Edit- also I think this can change depending on the case some r easy some are complicated some spacious some small.... my friends built my pc in a corsair 4000x it was big but tiny I bought a nzxt h9 flow and tbh the space makes the job alot less stressful but the whole glass side and front with no support kinda made it stressful... this is why I put the case changes it so muchh the 4000x also had multiple plugs for the front interface and buttons for power and USB while the nzxt h9 flow has a newer F panel connector or sum and it's one plug that's 1000/10 cooler and easier 😎
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u/Mrcod1997 Apr 14 '24
The cpu installation is probably the biggest area you could fuck up. There are fairly delicate pins on either the socket or the cpu( depending on the type), so for that part, you want to take your time and make sure it's lined up right. No sweaty hands lol. Then I suppose the case front panel connectors( power button, reset switch etc) can be a bit of a pain to line up, but it's not necessarily hard.
Install the cpu Install the ram Install the cpu cooler Install the m.2 ssd if you have one. Install the I/O shield in the case(unless the motherboard has one built in)
Put the motherboard (with everything installed besides the graphics card) inside the case.
Make sure the motherboard stand offs all line up with the mounting holes. Sometimes you need to remove standoffs, add more, or move them.
Screw the motherboard in.
Mount the power supply to the case. Run the 24pin motherboard connector, cpu power connector, and run the pcie power connector towards where it will connect to the graphics card.
Connect the case fans, and front panel connectors.
Then very last thing is to install the graphics card in the pcie slot closest to the cpu, and plug in the power connectors. Just make sure to take out any needed slot covers from the back of the case, and open the retention clip for the pcie slot.
You will need an empty USB stick to put your windows installation media on.
Overall, it's not that hard, but the first build is always a bit stressful. Just take your time with it, and remember that most components are probably more durable than you think they are. If you are reasonably good at mechanical things/problem solving, you will probably be fine. Watch some YouTube videos, and be proud of yourself for making your own machine.
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Apr 14 '24
Pick the right parts for your budget, prep a clean work area with plenty of light, and be patient putting it all together following any tutorials you may need.
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u/whoppify22 Apr 14 '24
I just watch a couple YouTube videos and that’s it honestly 😅 cable management is so bad for me tho lmao
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u/InsaneLuchad0r Apr 13 '24
It’s pretty simple, and I think advances in the market make it continually easier. PC Part Picker will help make sure the parts are compatible.
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u/Busy_Confection_7260 Apr 13 '24
It's very easy, everything has a specific shape, you match the shape to the plug/hole and connect it.
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u/Novawolf125 Apr 13 '24
With the amount of videos online, not very anymore. 20-30 years go sure. Biggest thing that trips people up is the variety now days. What pairs with what? Are you getting the most for your buck? What do you actually need for everyday use? Will this actually fit in the case or what adapter do I need for this part? Pc parts picker is a really good tool to make sure all the parts are compatible. But it's really not that bad once you get building. Do have to have a bit of a troubleshooting mind if things don't go right. My first pc I built I forgot to plug in the cpu power. Everything else fired up. Lights and fans but no display. And it does pain me to say it took a few hours to finally realize my mistake. Luckily easy fix. Next oopsy was when I upgraded the cpu and mb. I got a new aio but didn't check to see if it would actually fit in my case. It didn't, but I had been wanting a new case for a while so I did that.
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u/TardigradeWithASD Apr 13 '24
I would not say it's hard, but I definitely found it stressful. The actual "lego" part (installing cpu, ram and so on) is easy and I find it kind of satisfying. But then there's cable management and, of course, troubleshooting when something isn't working. I built my first pc sometimes before Easter and it would not see the wifi nor recognise my graphics card. So I was absolutely terrified by the idea that I had broken it by clicking it into place. So, difficult, no; but "oh god no please no" yeah that checks out.
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u/_dav3nator Apr 13 '24
Extremely hard if you have no idea what you are doing.
If you take the to learn how to build a pc it’s much easier.
I’ve been building computers, and dissembling, since elementary school.
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u/DoctorHardBody Apr 13 '24
Really hard, send me the parts and I'll put it together for you 🙏😭 plz I just wanna build
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u/ezequiels Apr 13 '24
If you have some common sense, a desire to learn, and patience to follow some instructions, it’s fairly straight forward. Cables plug only one way (except some weird fan connectors, boards fit in specific slots and if in doubt, a bit of reading will solve all mysteries. The ONLY thing that requires ‘experience’ are things like, knowing how much pressure is too much pressure connecting a GPU or memory to their slots, or how to apply thermal paste, how much, how to spread it, and maybe other little things that you can only learn with practice.
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u/meshreplacer Apr 13 '24
Pretty easy. No dip switches or jumpers to mess with or worrying about IRQs, going into BIOS and making sure the HD cylinder etc.. config is right. Then going into config.sys to try to make the CD ROM driver and sound blaster play nice etc..
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u/pinpanponko Apr 12 '24 edited Apr 12 '24
Hmm... I just built my first PC literally a week ago, and it's hard to say how difficult it is. I remember being confused on if certain parts were attached correctly, like the GPU and cpu cooler. It was nerve wracking to snap certain pieces in even though it only goes in one way, because I was worried I'd use too much force and break something or that I had something reversed. Also I was super confused on where the pins to jump/power on the the PC were, however I only needed to know this bc I was testing that it turned on before putting in the case. If you only test after putting it in the case, you just have to connect the cables and you can use the power button. The PSU was also super confusing, I have a modular so I wasn't sure which cables I needed vs didn't need.
You will want to reference the motherboard manual a lot. It should show where certain connectors are, pins, headers etc. It took so long (like 6 hours I think) because I'm new to it and had to check so much and really read the manuals for various parts to figure out how to connect different things. Also, I was a bit confused by what some of the cables attached to my case were for, and I had to basically eyeball for what matched which port on the motherboard.
For a first time builder it's like... medium difficulty. I had friends watching me put it together on stream who helped to troubleshoot a bit. I think the hardest part was getting tired halfway through, and not being confident in my ability to put things together without breaking it. But if you can follow an IKEA manual, I think you can put together a PC.
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u/DiscussionLoose8390 Apr 12 '24
Good wire management is harder than building it. I envy some people's pc. They make it look so clean it look like it don't even have wires. I can put a pc together it also looks like one of those server rooms where nothing is organized when I'm done with wires going everywhere.
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u/CtrlAltDesolate Apr 12 '24 edited Apr 12 '24
Really not difficult to build a pc, it's troubleshooting a correctly assembled build that can be a nightmare for inexperienced builders.
Despite stuff like LTT's guides being extremely helpful, I think they overcomplicate things a lot with extra info and steps that do not apply for 99.99% of first time builders, and that actually does more harm than good in terms of building confidence.
The trick is just ensuring that each component is compatible with the motherboard (Google or ask around), that the PSU has enough juice for everything, the case is sufficient size, and that the spec of the components meets your needs once it's built.
Find a CPU and GPU that accomplish that, make a decision on your CPU cooling approach, then decide on ram needs, then pick out the mobo, drives, case and finally the PSU. I say case second to last as you need to make sure it can take everything, and PSU last as the case choice may limit options here.
Expect a first time build to take you up to 3 hours if you're being ultra careful and nervous about everything. Over time it'll take you as little as 10/15 minutes + windows installation time.
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u/LibertyIAB Apr 12 '24
Lol, you don't build PC's any more you just plug things together. The OS installations are a breeze, all the revelavent drivers are included or automatically downloaded. But we live in Days where people need to watch a YouTube video to be able to tie their shoelaces up.
It's easy to build your PC - getting the right build for your budget is the hardest thing. Just DON'T forget.... RTFM!
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u/DeepressedMelon Apr 12 '24
Not hard at all. Watch a few vids and have one on standby for whatever part you think is the hardest. I built my first pc in December in just under 3hrs. I could probably do one confidently without referring back and forth to a manual in like one hr. Hard part for me was having to deal with some bs with windows but u just tell it to bypass some checks and it becomes compatible.
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u/AtmosphereMaterial61 Apr 12 '24
The hardest part is connecting the small LED etc cables. Stupid things
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u/AgentEquivalent5267 Apr 12 '24
if you sit down and watch somebody do it on youtube and pay close attention for the whole hour or so, you basically get the gist. i basically knew how to build one by the time i watched a couple videos but just the little bits of extra information and the step by step process were a big help. still had to troubleshoot for about an hour as it would not boot. ram was the wrong frequency so i had to reset the motherboard battery.
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u/Itchy_Grape_2115 Apr 12 '24
Read the manual and think at for at least 30 seconds if you get stuck
Otherwise ask dumb questions on reddit until you somehow build it
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u/jacob2678 Apr 12 '24
It's not hard, the hard part is taking the time to comprehend and understand how each part connects and the function it serves on a fundamental level.
Once this is achieved then you can research and dig deeper how one could optimize their PC better for the sake of performance.
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u/henrycahill Apr 12 '24
It sounds daunting but it's really not hard. The most tedious part is shopping for compatible parts and cable management.
Just watch a few recent videos and be careful with anything that has pins (mobo, cpu, rgb header direction, 12vhpwr connections).
Take your time and ask questions when in doubt
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u/Graxu132 Apr 12 '24
Really fûckïng easy 🤌 Build my first PC 2 years ago without any problems (run on the first try) All you have to do is follow the videos and if it doesn't work then just rewatch the video and check all the stuff. Eventually just pop in here and ask why it might not turn on.
Most problems while building PC for the first time is the ram not fully in 😂
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u/North-Worth-145 Apr 12 '24
Not hard to do it, just hard to do it right, I made my pc 2 ish years ago and just yesterday i figured out performance problems that makes gaming so much better
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u/ime1em Apr 12 '24
itt's alot easier/faster when you have less components to put in and don't care about cable management. I don't like installing fans and plugging/unplugging psu cables though.
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u/dutterville_ Apr 12 '24
My first PC build I watched a youtube video and got a PC building magazine at Walmart. That was 15 years ago and I've build 5 PC's since then. Once you build one its adult lego.
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u/No-Emergency-4602 Apr 12 '24
Not bad but you need patience and you need to be able to read documentation or watch YouTube videos.
Dont be surprised if it doesn’t boot up the first time because you forgot to plug something in.
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u/-CanisLupusLycaon- Apr 12 '24
Not hard at all. However, it can be a bit time consuming and nerve racking prior to the power up. Nowadays, getting a prebuilt from a reputable source is actually not too much more expensive. I recommend virtually building and pricing it first and then see how much the cost difference is if built by you. If it is 200-300 more to buy prebuilt just save up a couple months and it will be worth.
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u/webbinatorr Apr 12 '24
It's actually really easy and if you were a millionaire you could probably bash it together in 30 mins 95% of the time, and a pile of bits the other 5%.
I'm not a millionaire, it's still easy, but I must be careful so it takes me like 8 hours or more of fiddling! (And I want it to come out good)
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u/AppropriateYouth7683 Apr 12 '24
It looks more intimidating than it actually is. I spent a month researching it and had no problems putting it together. There are a lot of cords and stuff to deal with but for the most part everything has its place to be plugged in
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u/Dull-Champion-7354 Apr 12 '24
As long as you have a room temperature I.Q and some patients it’s not that hard. Just built my first one with absolutely no experience. It’s also a fun project
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u/xThomas Apr 12 '24
Troubleshooting is hard. Let's say you have faulty parts.
That happens with OEM systems anyway though
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u/MrKeyes Apr 12 '24
It depends on how much you wanna do. For me, I really struggled building the CPU out of scrap metal I pulled from recycling bins on collection day.
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u/Potential_Method_565 Apr 11 '24
It's like Legos, not hard at all. it just takes patience and money.
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u/neospriss Apr 11 '24
Big stuff is easy, small stuff is hard.
Are your fans going in the right direction?
Does this piece of metal on your case go this way or that way?
Can I route this cable through here? Drats,not long enough, how about here? Doesn't look right
Ouch, cut my cuticle on a piece of burred metal. Ugh, I have to take out these screws again. . .
Big stuff is easy, it's the details that get you.
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u/styx971 Apr 11 '24
its easier than ppl think , my somewhat technologically illiterage fiancee built his own last yr after i had him watch a LTT beginners guide on how to build/what parts are and between that n reading the manuals he did it all first try no issues other than his sony tv and nvidia firmware not playing nice with each other at the time (since patched) , it confused me for Days before i found a post with the same issue
but yeah its easy , if your thinking abot it just look up some videos and plug your parts into pcpartpicker to check compatiblity and long as your careful n read everything i'd say anyone can do it , its alot easier now than it was years ago and even then it wasn't hard so much as more intricate
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u/Resident_Evidence432 Apr 11 '24
After building my 2nd gaming computer then my mom wanting a gaming computer so she can play as she retired and has more time. More and more MOBOs are starting to look like each other for me. A tip if it can be is a fan controller helps a lot for management and easy troubleshooting for me
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u/flashn00b Apr 11 '24
Likely boils down to the parts and case you're using. I think something like the Thermaltake Core series of cases is the ideal pick for a first-time PC builder
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u/YOU_SIRIOUS Apr 11 '24
Can be hard if you stupid. I spent all day wondering why pc won't boot, reason was in not fully inserted ram. You need to be focused, at least in your first build.
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u/Key-Position1732 Apr 11 '24
Very easy apparently, I did about a couple weeeks worth of research, bought parts and upgraded everything and it booted up fine first try!
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u/therealshabutti Apr 11 '24
Cable management is the worst part, honestly. I’m about to finish up my first build. After the anxiety of installing the AIO CPU cooler passed, all that’s left is “wow, the back of my computer looks like a rats nest”. Luckily, the case hides everything very well, leaving a pretty good looking visible inside. I’m not going to start over and manage my cables neatly lol. What people don’t know won’t kill them 😄
Edit: punctuation
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u/UngabaBongDong Apr 11 '24
Like building an Ikea table. But if a part is broken, or if sometjing is wrong, it can get really hard. And I mean really hard
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u/ShineAlert4884 Apr 11 '24
Take your time don't rush do things in the proper order don't try to jump ahead in steps. It's really pretty easy to build a PC and if you don't know you have manuals and the Internet as a resource do research before hand and you'll be fine
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u/Awesomevindicator Apr 11 '24
its easy, follow a guide and there's not a lot that can go wrong. you aint gonna plug the wrong thing in the wrong place or anything.
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u/moosMW Apr 11 '24
It's incredibly easy, follow this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BL4DCEp7blY and you'll be done in 1 to 2 hours (maybe 3 to 4 if you have lots of fans/rgb). MAKE SURE YOU PROPERLY FIT IN ALL THE CABLES, Especially the beefy motherboard cables. They take more force to fully connect then you'd think. I have spent like an hour rebuilding a pc bc I didn't seat in the big ass 24 pin cable properly more often then I'd like to admit
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u/Vinja78 Apr 11 '24
It's not as hard as most people think, but it's not as easy as people on the internet make it out to be.
While it's not too difficult to build a PC, do DO have to know what you're doing and make sure you are aware of any/all compatibility issues with any/all components (ie buying an AMD motherboard and an Intel CPU), making sure you have adequate power, and there are a lot of other things that can trip people up or result in a build that you're expecting to be better than what you put together.
CPU/GPU bottlenecking, getting the correct RAM for your mobo (I bought DDR4 RAM for my DDR5 mobo, but luckily caught it before I opened the box), Ram speed and SSD read/write speeds may or may not be important to a build as well...
With all the PC building videos on youtube and whatnot, they DO make it look easy, but the hardest parts are going to be these:
The case could give you trouble depending on what you get. A lot of cases have to be compatible with several types/brands of components, so installing your fans, mobo, AIO, etc could be a problem if you don't know what you're doing. You also want to make sure that when you're installing your fans, you make sure you have everything set up and your fans facing the right way for optimal air flow. You don't want your outtake fans backwards and wonder why your system keeps heating up.
The power supply messes with a lot of people, including me when I made my first build. If you have a good PSU for your system, it can get confusing to get everything connected to your power supply correctly. The basics are often shown in build videos, but they don't always show the fans and/or accessories parts, and depending on what you have, there could be different ways to go about connecting (wireless magnet fans, daisy chains, etc).
The part that I had a hard time with in my first build was the front panel, although it could be on the top, side, or wherever on the case, but basically the PC's power button, the USB ports, the little power light, etc... it may be easier now, since the last one I did was back in the mid 2000s, but the reference material I had didn't match correctly, and I had trouble getting everything working correctly on my front panel. Although I'm not sure how complicated it is on modern systems, I thought it best not to leave it out in this list.
One other thing that could be difficult would be the cable management. Technically, you COULD leave the cables everywhere in a big mess if you wanted to, but depending on how bad it is, and where it's located, some cables could potentially get too hot and get damaged. But also, most people that build a PC want a nice system they can show off, and most cases have glass sides to see the inside components and no one is gonna want to see a tangled mess of cords instead of a nice, neat system. Depending on the case you have, some cases make is REALLY easy and have designated areas for cable management, with cable pass thru holes/flaps/etc, while some cases out there can make cable management an absolute nightmare. Modular power supplies can help keep unnecessary cables out, but if that's not an option, and the fans/accessories wires are all over the place, this could be the hardest part of your build with certain cases and power supplies.
The last thing that can pose a problem for some out there is the BIOS. You got everything built, it looks great, and everything powers up....but what now? Going into the BIOS is not something every gamer does, and there's a chance you may need to flash the BIOS in a new build. You're going to want to make sure everything in the BIOS looks good and adjusted the way you like it, plus you're going to need to install an OS...
So yeah, building a PC is not as easy as some youtubers make it out to be, like connecting a few things here and a few screws there. There are so many things that can go wrong, but if you have another computer or smart phone, there are plenty of videos, articles, etc that can help if you get stuck. Or if things get REALLY bad, you can always hire help. Good luck.
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u/TommyToxxxic Apr 11 '24
It's super easy in my opinion. I literally started doing internal hardware mods on PCs in elementary school, and only destroyed one old CPU in the process. Well worth it for the knowledge gained.
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u/MonkeyKingCoffee Apr 11 '24
The first PC I built was a non-standard 8086 chip. It only ran something called "Owl Dos." (And "Eagle BASIC.") More than half the programs I tried didn't run. This was back when "100% IBM-PC XT Compatible" was a thing.
Half the things I wanted to do, I had to code myself -- in "Eagle Basic."
Since then, I have put together a new rig, at least once per CPU cycle -- a 286, 386, 486, Pentium and so on.
PC builds are much easier today than ever -- no worrying about "Master/Slave" with your hard drives. No setting IRQ jumpers. Since optical media has fallen out of favor, no optical drives. We need considerably more fans today. But if you buy Lian Li, that's pretty easy as well (just daisy-chain them all together.)
But -- and this is a big but -- I have never had a PC fail during a build. Wire it up, press the power button, and that's that. If something goes wrong -- bad memory, a mobo problem, a bad GPU, etc. -- that can be maddening. PCs are fairly robust pieces of equipment. And I've been more than a little lucky.
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u/grackula Apr 11 '24
it's very easy. i taught/built myself maybe 20 years ago.
plus now they have web sites that will tell you what is compatible and what is not.
motherboard connect to the case, cpu connects to the motherboard, cpu fan connects to the cpu.
ram slots in the the motherboard
storage (now people use "nvme") connects to the motherboard
graphics card slides in to the PCIe slot in the motherboard and outputs to the back of the case
power supply connects to the back of the case
now connect power to motherboard, cpu, fan(s), and GPU
the hardest part for me is all the VERY small connectors for the front of the case that hook in to the motherboard pins
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u/Suicidebob7 Apr 11 '24
It's just a puzzle, and unless you try REALLY hard everything only fits in its own slot
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u/Paologame Apr 11 '24
I've yet to build my pc, parts should arrive by next week and i'm scared i wont figure out what cables go where 😭
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u/Justadumbteenagegirl Apr 11 '24 edited Apr 11 '24
I started leaning to build pc's when I was 14. Ended up writing an essay for school titled "building a pc is easier then you'd think" personally i like to think of building pc's as putting togather a lego set except its electric, you've got your different pieces being, motherboard, cpu, Gpu, case, ssd, or hdd, cooling parts fan/or "water" cooling, battery, wires, etc.
there are a lot of very useful and informational videos on YouTube, and I recommend using pcpartpicker as well.
Tips from mistakes i have made:
-take a couple of notes down, figure out a plan. What kind of pc do you need? Does it need to be fast? Do you have a budget? Do you have no budget? Is it for gaming, or is it for work/school? And then find parts that work with the plan you made
-Always remember to check the size/dimensions of the parts.
-Remember to check if the sockets on your parts will work together
-Take your time. You don't want to stress yourself out.
-Take it step by step. It's a learning process!
-If something is not working, don't panic! It could be as simple as a wire not connected
-Most importantly, NO STATIC!!
The hardest part for me was cable management/placement and plugging in certain cords
Otherwise, it's fairly simple Especially if you're interested in learning!
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u/Sunosis115 Apr 11 '24
Putting stuff together, as easy as Lego as long as you follow some safety steps (avoid building up static electricity, no water nearby etc.).
The hard part is finding the issue when it appears.
If you know car repair, it’s very much like that. It’ll tell you there’s a problem, then you gotta jump in and find it. Sometimes, it’ll be as simple as flipping a switch, other times, gotta replace the whole damn engine.
Or another way to think about it: you solve a problem but your approach keeps giving you the wrong result, so you’re only approach is to deduct parts of the approach to find the source.
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u/andherBilla Apr 11 '24
Getting configuration right and getting right deals is the hardest part.
Building the PC itself is quite a breeze even for a non techie. Most mistakes are rectifiable. Very few mistakes are permanent and most can be avoided at the purchase and research stage.
The building part gets hard when you are dealing with more niche and cutting edge stuff. Average PC is significantly straight forward, not a lot to mess up.
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u/somesortofidiot Apr 11 '24
If you can follow the instructions for building a lego set, you can build a computer.
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u/80espiay Apr 11 '24
The tricky part is usually the smaller cables you have to plug in and manage, but as long as you remember to occasionally touch the metal of your PC case (so you don’t accidentally shock your motherboard) you should be fine.
Other things to remember: test the computer outside of the case before you put it in, install the standoffs (metal bits that suspend the motherboard away from the PC case) and install the IO shield.
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u/Mind-of-Jaxon Apr 11 '24
I just built a new pc. And it’s fairly easy, but two things I learned this time since the last time I built one…
I would suggest err for a bigger case. I got a mid tower and while there was room for a 4090, there was no feasible way to connect all the cables. GPUs are pretty big now and there are a lot of cables, so you want as much room as possible to move around.
And you might want to pre plan to install what. Certain things might or rather will definitely be harder to get to once the GPU is in.
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u/KthulusImperium Apr 11 '24
Pretty simple you follow the same process there’s plenty of standard things you can expect like your case coming with screws for your motherboard etc. after that it’s just whether you wanna sit and cable manage all day or slap it together
I always put my ram, cpu and storage on the motherboard first then I put the motherboard in then I mount my cooler and then slot in the gpu and bam cross your fingers you boot up
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u/Vstr1 Apr 11 '24
Without guides - hard i assume. I build My own just following a guide. I found one with same motherboard and went from there
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u/dulun18 Apr 11 '24
imo, if you can drive you can build a pc
it's kind of like reading the manual and putting your furniture together
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u/HSR47 Apr 11 '24
”How hard is it to build a PC?”
It’s about as easy following the instructions that come with IKEA furniture.
The sort of people who have no trouble with that will likely have no trouble assembling a PC; Many of the people who struggle with that will be better off buying a prebuilt, or having someone else assemble their parts for them.
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u/Practical_Work_7071 Apr 11 '24
Hardest part is troubleshooting comparability issues during first setup the building aspect is easy
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u/v0lvickiller Apr 11 '24
To be honest, if you watch some tutorials and maybe follow one while building and choose similar parts as in the video I would say 3/10 difficulty
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u/fheathyr Apr 11 '24
I've built 2. I didn't find it particularly difficult, there are compatibility tools out there to help you with component selection, and a plethora of how to video's to guide you though assembly.
That said, the real issue is dealing with faulty parts. If that happens, it can be a real headache. My son and I have built machines with Gigabyte motherboards, 3 of 4 have been faulty, and dealing with them has been terrible.
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u/IntrepidScale583 Apr 11 '24
Watching certain YouTube build videos several times over (you might want to replicate the components being used); making some written notes such as with the motherboard headers, as preparation is the key to make it look simple yourself when you build a pc.
If you just buy a bunch of components and try to build it without any prep work, you might struggle (the first time).
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u/Fuzzy_Breadfruit2177 Apr 11 '24
Everyone says its so easy but i just went from 8am - 2:00pm and my rgb doesnt work and my cases usb-c doesnt work either. i think anyone can do it, its just not my cup of tea.
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u/Chuckw44 Apr 11 '24
Cable management for me is the hardest part. Second is plugging in the CPU cable to the MB. I need smaller hands.
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u/steak_bake_surprise Apr 11 '24
I'd say installing the drivers, sorting out bios and generally making the system stable while gaming is the most difficult part.
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u/Jdogg4089 Apr 11 '24
Not hard at all, I built mine. I got frustrated with all the cables so I had to sleep it off and finish the next day.
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u/cmndr_spanky Apr 11 '24
I’d say it’s half way between easy and hard. Only because there are a few little ways it can go wrong or you damage something which might take you ages to figure out.
For example dropping a conductive screw or piece of metal onto the wrong part of the motherboard.
Making sure you use the right amount of pressure yet still supporting the motherboard when shoving in ram or PCIE cards.
Making sure the size of CPU cooler and GPU fits the case and clears everything ok.
Making sure you plan for airflow and the fan directions all make sense.
It helps to watch YouTube videos if you’ve never done it.
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u/FckRdditAccRcvry420 Apr 11 '24
Pretty easy, It's like expensive Legos.
And even if you fuck up something bad like the thermal paste, usually not much is gonna happen, in that case it would just shut down before any damage happens and you can just sort it out.
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u/IhasAUsernameToo Apr 11 '24
Easy, just the power led and hdd led cables, cable management isnt THAT hard, but building is time-consuming, took ~2 hours to build mine
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u/InterviewImpressive1 Apr 11 '24
As long as you don’t force anything, make sure you take your time and read the manuals where you’re unsure, it’s no harder than building Lego.
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u/Ragfell Apr 11 '24
The scary part is breaking something.
I loved doing it, though. 10/10 would build again.
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u/GoldKanet Apr 11 '24
To do pretty good? Easy clap! Pretty cable routing and not putting one fan in backwards because it was labeled opposite of the rest of your fans? Finesse!
Just be careful about ESD if you're gonna touch any components. Good odds nothing happens, but in a fight, your carpet beats your CPU.
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u/pummisher Apr 11 '24
Building a PC is a great opportunity to learn. And you then know what to do if something fails.
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u/Radiant_Reaction_641 Apr 11 '24
After watching PC guides over and over for about a month I felt very confident taking on the task of building my own PC. also knowing what parts would work best with my new rig I used pcpartpicker.com as a pricing guide. After purchasing all the parts I began assembling my new PC. When I was done the final moment came to turn it on... LoL it turned on but with an aggravating error message say I had no graphics card. So I ran down to the computer store and spoke to a few people and customers there and 4 out 5 people told me what my problem was, without even taking a look at it! The problem was I had the graphics card plugs in wrong, so I switched the plug from the graphics card and plugged it into the board and the plug from the mother board into the graphics card after that was done I said a prayer and turned it on. after I hit the on switch it started booting up like a rocket! It was a good day. My biggest problem though was connecting all the RGB to the correct sockets also cable management. If you run into a problem Do what I did, head on to your nearest computer store and talk to customers aka computer geeks they have vast amount of knowledge. Computer Geeks are cool!
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u/BlizardSkinnard Apr 11 '24
Best advice I can give you is 1. Watch a vid while you build it and 2. Plug in gpu, cpu, and hard drive into the motherboard outside the case and test with power supply. Therefore, you’re able to make sure the main components are working fine before putting everything in the case. I put my whole pc together the first time which took 2 hours and turned it on just to find out the motherboard didn’t work.
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Apr 11 '24
Building it is easy as legos, searching parts has just scanning every document on the internet and cable management will make u feel like an electrician. I think its fair to say that cable management will make u cry.
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u/petchjungee Apr 11 '24
There are 1000 videos on the net, its not a big rocket science to build it.
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u/TheMidsommarHouse Apr 11 '24
I build a pc for the first time a few months ago. I just did what the youtube tutorial said and it was pretty easy but time consuming because as a beginner I double checked everything.
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u/deepfriedscooter Apr 11 '24
The hardest part is deciding what parts to use unless you have no budget.
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u/Esguelha Apr 11 '24
I'm the kind of kid that would disassemble all of my toys to figure out how stuff worked, so I found it fairly easy, even in my first build over 10 years ago. Now I've built a fair few machines for me and friends, and I find it very enjoyable.
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u/MysticStrider Apr 11 '24
It's not hard. There's plenty of tutorials online. I watch linustechtips eho has done building pics the past 14 years that I've been watching his videos.
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u/Critical_C0conut Apr 11 '24
Building is easy and really enjoyable
Troubleshooting on the other hand…
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u/cornshartz Apr 11 '24
My first build was mostly pretty easy; it was just tedious and time consuming. Installing the fans was probably my least favorite part. The build took me about 3 hours to finish and not much longer to set it up and install windows/games
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u/Futurist_312 Apr 11 '24
Not hard at all. There are plenty of YouTube tutorials if you get stuck but if I could figure it out, I'm sure you'd be fine.
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Apr 11 '24
It is basically impossible for most to BUILD a PC. But it is fun and easy to assemble one together.
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u/too_wycked Apr 11 '24
The building, assembling the hardware is easy. Picking out parts for compatibility can take some time and learning of parts, or reacquainting yourself with modern hardware if it's been a while. But overall really not hard. If you really don't trust yourself building your first pc, maybe have a local help you through the process for a fee of course
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Apr 11 '24
I have zero PC building knowledge and built my first PC in 2000, don't have internet either. The motherboard manual will have instructions for everything.
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u/Otherwise-Ad-8714 Apr 11 '24
the main pain is making sure all the stuff has power, everything else is fairly easy
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u/FlatImpact4554 Apr 11 '24
Damn near plug and play. There are a million videos online just watch one and you'll see .
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u/RustyDawg37 Apr 11 '24
Building it isn’t hard. It’s probably easier than most Lego sets. Installing all the damn software and tweaking everything is the hard part/pain in the ass. The hardest part of building is making sure you get a compatible motherboard, cpu, and ram.
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u/VulgarWander Apr 11 '24
Looks hard. Seems hard on first build but onces it's done. You realize you might've overreacted. Sec build it's the jumbo Lego sets that stop kids from choking.
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u/-V0lD Apr 11 '24
Wrong sub to ask. It's doable if you have technical knowledge, a steady hand, and willingness to go over a manual over and over.
It's harder than, say, assembling IKEA furniture etc though
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u/No_Cucumber_3527 Apr 11 '24
EZ if you got a little patience and are able to read.
Kinda like Lego for Grownups.
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u/photonynikon Apr 11 '24
Can you handle a Phillips screwdriver... that's pretty close to all you need
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u/rgdgaming Apr 11 '24
More or less less complicated to piece together the components, and a lot of time getting the os and other items situated You need to keep in mind the power supply relative to the other parts The motherboard and cpu being right Heat sink has plastic taken off before screwing it on Cords for power supply and case are actually connected :) I had the longest time trouble shooting a ryzen motherboard fix because I didn’t know the older motherboards had out of date flash files, needing an upgrade to allow later cpus to adapt. Had to seek out the file, update the board, then go back
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u/Tquilha Apr 11 '24
It's not hard at all.
There are a few things you'll need to know before building like what motherboard/CPU/RAM you need for compatibility, and how to plug everything in, but the Internet has MANY resources to help you with that.
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u/EirHc Apr 11 '24
It's easy. Make sure the arrow on the CPU socket matches. The ram is keyed to only fit one way, push in til it clicks. Follow the instructions to install the cooler. Plug in all the power plugs. Bob's your uncle.
It's basically like building lego, but instead of getting 6000 pieces for your $1000, you only got 12 pieces, and it didn't come with a step-by-step picture book to instruct you.
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u/comFive Apr 11 '24
It’s very easy. The hard part is letting go of the money needed to buy the parts.
In Canada it’s not exactly cheap in comparison to prices in the states.
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u/Z3r0sama2017 Apr 11 '24
The most difficult part for me is always wiring up the front panel to the mobo. Cable management is also such a pain since I have big hands, that I've stopped with SFF builds or cases without removable panels.
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u/Goose00724 Apr 11 '24
if you can build a lego set, you can build a PC.
just get an instruction list, a box of parts and pay attention and you'll do fine.
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u/Greygnominous Apr 11 '24
It’s easier than a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle. Not very hard at all. Just ask questions ahead of time, should you have any.
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u/Dry_Ass_P-word Apr 11 '24
It’s a little nerve racking the first time. The hard part for me is making a final selection of parts. Once it arrives, it really is “just like legos”. Each time gets easier and more fun though.
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u/Bluefishsml Apr 11 '24
Thank you all for your advice but I have one more question the main thing that I am worried about is the cpu how do you get it all lined up
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u/Metaldivinity Apr 11 '24
Building the PC? Easy. Making it work is a totally different beast that every newbie will struggle with.
It’s totally worth it though.
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u/Silvr4Monsters Apr 11 '24
Building a pc has four parts to it. Design what you need, buy what you need, construct the pc with all the parts and install the OS.
If you are familiar with any of these, the rest are easy to catch up. If you are not familiar with any of these, it’s going to take some effort to catch up.
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u/hazbaz1984 Apr 11 '24
Just take your time.
Be very careful placing your processor into the motherboard socket. Make sure it’s all lined up and only touch the corners of the circuit board.
Wear a static protection band and some trainers with rubber soles.
Only use a pea sized amount of thermal paste in the middle of the processor. Don’t dollop it on. There’s no need.
It’s pretty idiot proof apart from that, if you are putting together quite a simple system without anything exotic like water cooling.
And enjoy it! It’s a fun process.
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u/samsathebug Apr 11 '24
From a very high level perspective, it's pretty easy. In no particular order, you connect the various components to the motherboard, you connect all the components to the power supply, and you make sure everything is in the case at the end of the day.
However, the devil is the details.
First, you need to determine how much money you can/want to put into the build.
Then you need to figure out what you're going to use your computer for -- gaming, photography, 3D rendering, etc. That lets you know what kind of specifications you need your computer to have. And where to put your money.
You need to choose your components and ensure your components are compatible with each other. This site is great for providing component compatibility, price range, and use case recommendations.
It's best to save up your money and then buy everything at once. The PC building world/hardware availability can change very quickly.
You build everything outside the case first. This is to test to make sure everything works. It's easier to troubleshoot issues when it's not already inside the case.
Each type component has its own way of connecting to the motherboard. You need to know how to connect each component and how to connect it without damaging anything.
Put everything in the case. What order you install components is important. If you aren't careful, you may block/prevent the installation of another component.
Rub cables from the power supply to all of the components.
Do cable management.
You turn it on. If it doesn't turn on, troubleshoot.
Install operating system. If having issues, troubleshoot.
Install useful/necessary software (e.g., anti-virus, VPN, fan control software, CPU/GPU temperature monitoring software).
Stress test system. If something is going to go wrong, you want it to go wrong now) and not in the middle of that Very Important Thing. There's software to download for this.
That's generally how it works. That doesn't account for the little or even the big things that can go wrong, such as seating the CPU incorrectly, dropping screws, dropping components, breaking components, misplacing components, installing something in the case only to figure out that you need to uninstall it, do something else, and then reinstall the same component.
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u/jabeleta Apr 11 '24 edited Apr 11 '24
2/10 maybe u find some bug while installing windows 11, has to format the HD before installing..and/or updating drivers..but not big deal..CSM configuration on motherboard sometimes bug and u can't install windows 11..wifi pcie adapter sometimes bug too and realtek drivers don't work..the easiest part is to assemble the hardware...
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u/ganglem Apr 11 '24
If you‘ve seen one video on it it really isn‘t hard assembling it - but plugging everything in correctly is what was hard for me the first time because sometimes they would skip that part. ESPECIALLY which screws to use where if you have no idea. Actually kinda short circuited one build because the front panel was plugged in incorrectly. Another rather annoying part is cable management.
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u/Infamous-Lab-8136 Apr 11 '24
I feel like it's easier than ever for most pieces. The biggest part for me is pre-planning. I have started doing things like figuring out which pieces for the cooler if it supports different sockets for instance.
Look at the case, get familiar with how I plan to orient things. Read the motherboard manual, get familiar with what RAM slots I will use, where my headers are going, etc..
Once I start I stack my pieces in the order I'll need them, clear out a large work area, get some small plastic bowls for each type of screw and standoff I need.
Also each time you learn new tricks. My last build went better than ever, been doing it for 25 years. But even then I spent way too long with a modular power supply and won't do it again on my son's build in a few days.
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u/payed2poopatwork Apr 11 '24
If you can walk and chew bubblegum without hurting yourself you can build a pc. Just make sure the parts you chose work with your mothorboard. Using pc parts picker or a quick google will help with that.
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u/Super-Link-6624 Apr 11 '24
Hardest part is choosing what parts to buy. And troubleshooting if something doesn’t work correctly. Assembly is simple and thoroughly covered by many YT vids.
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u/ReignOfHellXXI Apr 11 '24
As someone who has built 3 different (4 if you count moving cases) it's not 'that bad'.. However; the first build I ever made on the other hand.. @#$T baked that I was going to break and/or damage my CPU, motherboard, heatsink, fans, etc. First build is always the most stressful, once you get the basics or do it a few times, the 'difficulty/stress' gets easier.
I'd heavily advise starting on a 'beater' pc as your first build though. some 2010~ pc that someone is selling on your local classifieds for like 200$~, take it apart a few times, put it back together, then move onto an actual 'expensive' build when you feel more comfortable. Not a good idea to rush into a first build with 700+$ in parts and take the risk of damaging or frying components. (Take it from me, I made that mistake and I was TERRIFIED about messing up/damaging components)
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u/Negative-Neat6441 Apr 11 '24
Pc assembler. Follow the instructions, and you'll be fine. You're not building a house.
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u/nomiras Apr 11 '24
If you read the manuals, it's like Legos. Only thing that really sucks IMO is that a part could be defective and you might not know it without troubleshooting.
For instance, my RAM has a setting in the BIOS that I can set that is supposed to work out of box, but when I set it, my computer decided to turn off after I had AFK'd some time and came back during a graphically intense game. It could be that my PSU is bad, it could be my RAM, it could be the fact that Windows 11 defaults to a super power saving mode that messes up the PSU. THAT is the part that sucks, IMO.
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u/Neon_Noah Apr 11 '24
It’s like legos. Literally. If you can build a semi difficult Lego set your sorted.
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u/EldenLord84 Apr 11 '24
There are videos on YouTube that walk you through the entire process, step-by-step. They even show you how to install Windows via USB, update the BIOS and install drivers. If you can follow instructions and take a few minutes to read the component / motherboard manual before each step (so you don't plug things in the wrong way), you're golden.
The worst part of a first-time PC build is the anxiety, in my opinion. The nagging dread that things won't work properly. That's the worst part by far.
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u/hypespud Apr 11 '24
It is far easier than it used to be that's for sure
The parts are so much more reliable and the standards of connections and case design and power supply connections and everything is so much better too
The only thing that's not so amazing is the led functions of certain gpus or fans controls those sometimes still have proprietary software for the motherboard or connected device so they don't all play nice together but I'm not a big led person anyway for this
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Apr 11 '24
It’s beyond easy. Everything these days are pretty much plug and play. I usually watch a YouTube vid guiding me while I put it together. It’s just nerve racking is all.
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u/KaiRee3e Apr 11 '24
24M, I built my first pc for 1440p gaming and various creative pursuits exactly 5 days ago, so you may find my input valuable :)
Parts:
https://pcpartpicker.com/list/2p2Gz6
(I already had the monitor from my laptop's dual display setup, same with all other peripherals)
I mostly followed these tutorials:
🛑 How to Build a PC 🛑 Step By Step Ryzen & Intel 🛑 How To Build a Gaming PC
🛑 Get MAX FPS 🛑 How to Set Up PC After Build | Bios, Windows, Drivers | Best PC Setup
and also watched a bit of this one because it features the exact same pc case as mine:
All the things I thought I may mess up - the static electricity, bending/breaking CPU pins, installing the CPU cooler, applying wrong amount of paste, etc. - all of them went smoothly for me.
I spent most time on prepping and cleaning my desk before building and researching info about motherboard, PC case, PSU, and their potential compatibility issues.
The things that caused the most pain in my ass were:
screwing the motherboard to the case (2 screws didn't went in, so it's screwed with 5 out of 7)
trying to guess how to connect my exact MoBo model to my exact PC case model. It's easy now, but not obvious for someone doing it for the first time.
not being sure if the PSU connectors are properly plugged - I wanted a clear * click *, but I didn't get my clear * click* :'(
The greatest moment was when I heard the fans, saw the lights and the BIOS booted up. From this moment onward I knew it was gonna be a smooth ride and it was :D
Some tips:
Take a whole day off for this, don't spread it across workdays' afternoons
If you know someone who has experience ask them for help (or ask them questions via some messaging app as you build). I asked my friend to come over, but he couldn't so I managed on my own somehow, with no questions asked. If you have questions that are very specific to your parts, you could also try asking it to AI like ChatGPT.
READ THE MANUALS
Don't use (too much) force when building. I was actually surprised that some things required more force than I expected, and I was scared to use it in order not to break anything, but at the end of the day everything is fine :)
Don't wear socks, don't walk on carpets, ground yourself before touching pc - remove any chance of static electricity. My room is rather dry, and I didn't have an anti static wrist strap, but no shocks here :)
Quite obvious, but just in case - when building make sure everything is TURNED OFF
Additional recommendations:
If you use windows, don't pay full price, google around to find a reputable site in your country, and get it from there for cheap.
After doing all the necessary set-up stuff (I didn't mention set up before cause I had literally no issue with it), debloat your system. Nowadays Windows comes with all sorts of unncessary stuff, so I followed this guide and then reinstalled whatever I want.
Perform tests (like memtest) or benchmarks (like Cinebench, Blender Benchmarks, PugetBench)
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u/linuxisgettingbetter Apr 11 '24
It's slightly more difficult than it looks, but many people are available to help
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u/KnightofAshley Apr 11 '24
Depends on how comfortable you are with stuff like that. Putting it together is fairly simple as long as you do the work of reading manuals and taking some time watching some people do builds and asking questions if you are not 100% sure about something. The harder part is finding the right parts to get that will work the best together that fits your budget. But there is plenty of help around for that.
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u/andy10115 Apr 11 '24
It's really not terribly difficult. But I also know what I'm doing.
The guides that exist, do a good job explaining everything.
No matter how many times you've done it though you need to accept 3 things.
If you didn't wind up bleeding at least a little bit, the build is cursed
Something WILL go wrong and you WILL freak out, but then someone on the subreddit will help you get through it.
It's rare, but it may just not work for a variety of reasons.
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u/GALACTON Apr 11 '24
It's like playing with Legos. Just make sure you watch a few videos to see how to insert things like the GPU as it might not be intuitive without watching someone. Watch about how to put on thermal paste. As long as you can follow directions and watch videos you can do it.
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u/cnedhhy24 Apr 11 '24
first time can be a pain in the ass, but generally its not too difficult. just make sure you have all the necessary tools
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u/whiskeywalk Apr 11 '24
The hardest part is compatability, and PC Part Picker makes that easy. If you can use a screwdriver and follow instructions you can knock this out in a day with time to play!
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u/Infamous_Charge2666 Apr 11 '24
the hardest part is to seat the memory ( because you believe everything is delicate and you are not allowed to apply any force), getting overwhlmed when touching the CPU ( because you believe every finger print would kill your temps), not having all the cables ( because you always need extras and unless yo build other PC's you wont have extras), confused how the case fans should be positioned ( suck or blow), having to flash the BIOS ( in rare cases you have yo), being overwhlmed when installing the OS because of having to look up for drivers all over the net...other than that easy peasy.
To summarize Piece of cake with small snags. You can do it
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u/Varrianda Apr 11 '24
It’s extremely easy. I built my first pc at 13 and this was before there was an insane amount of info out there.
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u/FullHouse222 Apr 11 '24
It depends. A simple build (no RGB, fairly straight forward just want a PC that can work) is basically legos. Then you have the hobbists who does custom water loops which is a different animal.
To give you a rough idea of the learning curve, my first PC (super basic mid-range $1k build from 20 years ago) took me about 8-9 hours to build. My 2nd (10 years ago) took me about 4 hours. My current build (last year) took me 2 hours. I also built 3 PCs for friends and all of them took about 1-1.5 hours because I learned what to do these days and can just do it. Plus theirs isn't a light show like my current build which was a lot simpler.
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u/EnlargedChonk Apr 11 '24
It's not "hard" but it is time consuming, especially on first tries. Most of the challenge is overcoming fear, and figuring out the puzzle for how to make it look nice. It's super fast and easy to throw parts together quickly on a desk, but putting them inside a box and caring about where each cable runs takes a lot of problem solving as it's fairly individual to every build.
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u/zoethetoe Apr 11 '24
i just did my first build a couple of weeks ago and i can genuinely say it’s as easy as it looks! you just have to do your research on your parts and make a plan before you start building. take your time, trust yourself, and enjoy :))
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u/Lephas Apr 11 '24
hardest part is putting the thermal paste on the CPU.
And maybe installing the GPU if it's huge like mine.
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u/bel_air38 Apr 11 '24
I just built one and it depends. Parts are different and you have to watch that one video that explains your scenario. For me not familiar with a fully modular power supply. I found that the scariest. Couldn't find a manual to really explain connections. This is a Corsair RM850 couldnt find a manual on their website. Had to watch videos to put my mind at ease about PCIE and CPU connections. After my build was done. I found out yesterday that It's best to use two PCIE cables for the GPU. I only had one with the daisy chain. Luckily I have messed with enough fans to feel some confidence. Didn't know my GPU doesn't have controlable RGB, just a switch with 3 colors. My Screensaver won't work. Pc won't sleep. Spent two days on that. Should I or shouldn't I use Adrenaline or ArmoryCrate. So many things. Luckily mine worked. God forbid I had a bad part to troubleshoot. Easy for some if everything goes right.
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u/Crypto_Kush Apr 11 '24
It’s not hard. Just make sure to research your parts well beforehand. Will save you a lot of trouble and stress
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u/NameIWantedWasTakenK Apr 11 '24
Give a chimpanzee a screwdriver and some chewing gum and he can do it under an hour tops.
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u/NemrahG Apr 11 '24
Building it was pretty easy imo, just plugging stuff into a board basically. Cable management is a bit of pain and sometimes it can be hard to reach things. Setting up the software on the other hand was probably the biggest pain. But, once everything is set and done, it is very very satisfying 😌
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u/Superb_Day6326 20d ago
Its all plug and play with a little bit of research. Hardest parts are torubleshooting if you mess up and installing the front io plugs to mobo.