PC Building Guide

Building your own PC 


So you want to build your own desktop PC? Well, you've come to the right place. Let's look at how to do this. First, you are going to need to purchase everything for the build. See the Purchasing vs. Building blog post to find out what I recommend you use. The links will also help you order the parts. Once you have everything, we can begin. Also, if you already have a hard drive, I would only buy another one if you want an upgrade. 


************STOP! BEFORE YOU START!!!!!****************

Make sure you have backed up your stuff. Using an online cloud service is the best way, but a physical backup is good too. (Unless this is your first pc, in which case, you can ignore this warning.) Also, the tools you'll need are:


1. Screwdriver set, found here

2. Small Rubber Hammer, found here

3. Straight, Needle Nose pliers, found here

4. PC Screws from Newegg, order them here

5. Thermal paste, found here

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Parts you will need: (Some parts do not have a link, only a company suggestion.)


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Let's begin:

1. Make sure all components are what you ordered. I cannot stress the importance of this step. 

2. On the case, check for the holes for the I/O plate and power supply. The case should not have an I/O plate, but if it does, gently tap the I/O plate with the rubber hammer until the plate comes off. You won't need it. 

3. Open the box containing the Motherboard. It should come with it's own I/O plate. Insert the plate into the slot and firmly secure it in place. Some I/O plates require the board to hold it in. If this is the case, use a piece of scotch tape for now. 

4. Insert the power supply and secure it with the screws. 

5. Line up the motherboard with the I/O plate and secure it in place with it's screws. 

6. Go online and lookup the manual for your board (Unless yours came with one) and find out where the cables for the buttons for power and reset are supposed to go. Now is the time to do this before anything else is in the case. Attach the cables to the board that work these buttons and the LED lights that accompany them. Also, make sure you plug in the front USB panel if there is one. The manual can tell you where. 

7. Place the processor in it's slot and put a dime sized drop of thermal paste on it. 

8. Install the heatsink for the processor. 

9. Insert the optical drive into the drive bay and secure it with the screws that come with it. 

10. Insert the hard drive into it's bay and secure it with either the screws from your old PC, or the screws that came with your new one. 

11. Plug the SATA cables into the hard drive and Optical Drive then plug them into the Board. Some Motherboards will want you to place these in specific ports, others don't care. Check the manual to see what your motherboard requires. 

12. Plug the power cable from the power supply into the Optical drive and Hard Drive. 

13. Insert the Graphics card into the PCI-E slot on the motherboard. Secure it with a screw. 

14. Some graphics cards require you to place a plug from the Power Supply into the card. Some don't care. Check the manual for your card to find out. 

15. Place the plugs from the power supply into the motherboard 

16. Insert the RAM into the appropriate slots. 

17. Plug the keyboard, mouse, monitor and speakers into the back of the computer. 

18. Turn on the computer. If it turns on, great! If not, check everything, including connections and cable placement. Double check the manual for the motherboard and graphics card to make sure everything is right. 

19. Once the PC works, close the case and Install your operating system (Separate Guide)

20. Restore your files from the backup and install drivers and updates. 

And your done!


Please note: No person or company paid me to say anything about any of the topics above. These are my opinions and what I have observed using the program personally. Your experience may vary. I am not responsible for any data loss that may occur. Use my guides at your own risk.