How difficult was your first build?

[Legolas8181]

I am planning a first build for February but hopefully sooner and am just worried I'll get the wiring wrong or something. What are some rookie mistakes you made that I can hopefully avoid?

 

[Transmaniacon]

There are dozens of great videos on YouTube that walk you through it step by step. Really if you can read and have a little common sense, things will be fine.

Build your computer on a hard surface like a kitchen table, you don't want static building up from carpet for example.

It takes a little more force than you would imagine to secure the CPU in place, don't be concerned.

Buy a pack of zip ties for cable management, and think about where you want the wires to go before you plug stuff in.

If adding more fans, make sure the airflow points in the right direction. A good rule of thumb is positive air pressure in your case (intake > exhaust), which helps keep dust out. Also, heat rises so you want your exhaust at the top and back and intake at the front and bottom.

 

[Legolas8181]

Is it actually possible to plug stuff in the wrong ports? Like to put a SATA drive into a port that's not even storage related?

 

[Transmaniacon]

No, each connection is unique. The only tricky part can be hooking up the front I/O connections, because those can be put in the wrong slots, you need to check the motherboard manual and make sure you connect the USB/power/LEDs/etc. to the right spots. Some motherboards don't do the best job of labeling it.

 

[Legolas8181]

If I am on the dining room table which is wood and don't do something stupid like touch the underside of the CPU do I really need ESD protection?

 

[Transmaniacon]

I don't think so, just touch the case before you pick up a component to discharge any static. If you want some peace of mind, they are like $5 on Newegg.

 

[logainofhades]

I have never used one of those wrist straps and have yet to have an issue due to static. Do yourself a favor and get a case that has some decent cable management and a semi or fully modular power supply. My HAF 932 Advanced has great cable management, but my gen 1 TX750 PSU isn't modular. The cables are so plentiful and so long that even with the 932 I have trouble stuffing all the cables behind the motherboard tray.