How do i convince my parents to letting me build a pc?

[Michael_Sku]

I have tried to convince my mom and dad for a long time now that building a pc is a lot cheaper than buying a prebuilt. At least that is how it is in Norway, where i live. I can't find a prebuilt in Norway that isn't charging over 50% of the total cost of the machine, in building fees. I have tried to show them a comparisont between an example machine and setting it up on pcpartpicker, but they still don't believe me. They say "Don't you have to have some sort of computer education to build one?" But when i try to reply to their answer they, just say I'm wrong.

My build list:
AMD Ryzen 5 2600
Asus TUF B450M-PLUS GAMING
Crucial Ballistix 16 GB (3200 mhz)
Seagate BarraCuda 2 TB 3.5" 7200RPM
Crucial P1 500 GB M.2-2280
MSI GeForce RTX 2060 Super
Metallic Gear Neo Micro V2 MicroATX Mid Tower Case
Cooler Master MWE Gold 650 W 80+ Gold

Any replies would be amazing

 

[USAFRet]

When my grandson was 11, he built one.
I bought it all.
Pile of boxes on the kitchen table, and all the user manuals.
I said "Go, dude". (The only part I did was putting the CPU in. If you screw that up...you're done)
4 hours later, PC booting up.
3 years later, still runs fine.


But....moving parents off their current viewpoint can be near impossible.

 

[bit_user]

Does PC Part Picker's compatibility checker confirm all the parts are compatible? That would be a help.

The biggest areas to watch out for are probably:

1. Avoid ESD (Electro-Static Discharge) - always ground yourself to the case, before touching any components. Then, I touch the component by some part or area that's connected to its ground plane. Using an anti-static mat is also a good idea.
2. When your Power Supply is hooked up, ensure the hard-switch (the one on the PSU, itself) is off, prior to opening your PC. I prefer this to physically unplugging it, since leaving the power cord connected grounds the case. But you can unplug it, if it makes you or your parents feel better.
3. Ensure your memory is compatible with your motherboard - best accomplished by consulting the motherboard's web page, for the most current list of supported memory modules.
4. Ensure your PSU is sufficient quality and capacity (yours seems fine).
5. Ensure the case provides adequate clearance for the graphics card. The case's detailed specifications will list the longest graphics card that it can fit. The graphics card will specify its length. Height can sometimes be a problem, as well.
6. Make sure you connect all of the power connectors on your motherboard and graphics card! Usually, it won't hurt anything if you miss one, but it's one of the most common causes of PC not booting or having no video output.
7. Get the correct spec video cables for your monitor. For DisplayPort, this usually means HBR, HBR2, or HBR3 cables. For HDMI, you probably want "High Speed", "Premium High Speed", or "Ultra High Speed". The wikipedia pages have resolution vs. bitrate charts. Since the DisplayPort one only lists 8-bits per channel (in case you have a HDR monitor), you'll have scale up the Gbps by 1.25 to get the 10-bit speeds.
   • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DisplayPort#Resolution_and_refresh_frequency_limits
   • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDMI#Refresh_frequency_limits_for_standard_video

For the most part, stuff is basically plug-and-play. These days, you don't have to worry about setting cable-select jumpers or terminating your SCSI chains. You just hook everything together and go. Maybe a couple BIOS settings to tweak, but the defaults usually work fine.

I'd encourage you to read through all of the BIOS settings, for the learning experience if nothing else. You can even do this right now, by downloading a copy of the motherboard's User Manual, from their web site. Look up any terms you don't know.

If you can demonstrate to your parents that you've done your diligence to avoid the most common pitfalls, it might help make the case that you know what you're doing and are ready to build a PC.

 

[bit_user]

BTW, applying heatsink compound is probably the only thing requiring skill. You can watch plenty of youtube videos, to get the idea, but there's no substitute for just doing it. Sometimes, I'll redo it, just to see if I've gauged the correct amount.

I didn't list it as a pitfall, because it's very low-risk. Most compound is non-conductive, so there's little risk from applying too much. About the only thing that can go wrong is your CPU doesn't clock as high as if you do it optimally. Either too little or too much will have this effect.

 

[jadenwoolworth]

When my grandson was 11, he built one.
I bought it all.
Pile of boxes on the kitchen table, and all the user manuals.
I said "Go, dude". (The only part I did was putting the CPU in. If you screw that up...you're done)
4 hours later, PC booting up.
3 years later, still runs fine.


But....moving parents off their current viewpoint can be near impossible.

i've seen you around a lot and I have to say i love your profile picture. I grew up on the Neverhood.

 

[kanewolf]

Show them you are serious by using ALL your own money. You are taking all the risk of it failing.

 

[jadenwoolworth]

Maybe you should show them these threads. I built my first pc when I was 14. I had no education aside from a few linus tech tips videos. Three years later, I've made over 4 laptop repairs, 2 desktop repairs, 2 workstation upgrades, and built 5 gaming pcs. All of which were successful. Not only that, but my practice in repairing laptops allowed me to save over 1000$. I've never taken any training or had any professional help. I even replaced my own smartphone screen when I was 15. With a good toolkit and all the parts a pc takes little skill to build. Also, if Michael_Sku's parents are reading this, PC building is an incredible experience, and good practice in the field will make you a desirable asset in all kinds of jobs.