Is leather a good surface for PC building?

[TheRandomGuy7]

Just a quick question here, as I have all my parts ready and over the weekend I will be building a PC for my first time. So I know the main risk of damage to PC parts is electro static discharge, and PCs should be built on preferably a wooden surface with no carpet below to avoid this. I am going to build mine on the dining room table, but this has a leather tablecloth which my parents (I am only 14) do not want me taking off because the table will get damaged. Just want to know, would it be vital that I took the tablecloth off, or would it be fine staying on?

Also, while you're here, is there anything important I need to know before I jump in to the build? I am fairly confident but am a bit worried that I might screw up somewhere and end up with a pile of broken PC parts worth £600.

Thanks

 

[alexoiu]

Hi, use the motherboard's cardboard. Leather tends creating static electricity when rubbed.
Now, regarding the components installing process. It would be good to be assisted by one of your parents. Check on youtube for tutorial videos (use keywords as CPU install or thermal paste apply a.s.o) and carefully read the board's manual for how to install the CPU, the CPU_fan, how to connect everything to the motherboard. If you're not sure about something, just ask in the forum.
What CPU, CPU cooler, motherboard, memory, graphics card and power supply will you install?

 

[obsama1]

Yup, when you're installing parts, do it on top of the mobo's box.

Newegg has a great video series on how to build your own PC.

 

[TheRandomGuy7]

Thanks guys, yeah I will be closely following the Newegg tutorial. I will be putting the parts together on top of the mobo box like the tutorial says to do, but when you say leather creates static electricity when rubbed does that mean I should just take the tablecloth off? By the way, I really don't think it's a good idea to get my parents to help me, they don't know absolutely anything about PC's. Here is my build if you wanted to know:

COMPUTER:

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 @ £75.98
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-401-GI

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W @ £160.10
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007RUZKK6/ref=ox_sc_act_title_6?ie=UTF8&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Video Card: AMD Radeon 7850 2GB Graphics @ £149.99
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sapphire-11200-14-20G-Card-HD7850-GDDR5/dp/B008HV63F0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352730833&sr=8-1

Ram: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 @ £32.63
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00339X1EM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A1F8YGP86NG3IP

Case: Cooler Master Elite 430 @ £34.99
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003OEDJTI/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE

Power Supply: XFX Core Edition PRO650W 650W @ £65.99
http://www.amazon.co.uk/XFX-Edition-Bronze-Certified-Wired/dp/B006ZT8X90/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1352813547&sr=8-1-fkmr0

DVD Rom Drive: ASUS 24X DVD Burner @ £15.99
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asus-DRW-24B5ST-Internal-SATA-Drive/dp/B007IKS7AU/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1349636572&sr=1-1-fkmr0

CPU Cooler: Stock fan @ £0.00

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 @ £59.99
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-257-SE

Subtotal: £599.69

Please don't tell me to change anything, they are all in a box sitting right next to me as I said earlier

 

[manofchalk]

^ That's a pretty good no frills gaming rig.

If your concerned about the table being damaged, take the tablecloth off and use the cardboard box the case came in to cover it. You also get the advantage of cardboard being non-conductive.

 

[TheRandomGuy7]

Alright guys, need some help right now. I have half build my PC, got processor, heatsink, GPU, PSU, RAM all on the motherboard nicely. Tested it and all works, on the monitor too. Attached PSU and HDD to the case, but now I just need to get the motherboard in. STANDOFFS! Please help me with these damn things! How the hell do they work? On the newegg tutorial the guy's case already has standoffs in. I tried doing them for my case and nothing fits the motherboard! Help please, i'm clueless as to what needs to be done.

 

[alexoiu]

You screw them in the chassis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YXro0Gs6Vc according to the motherboard's holes position.
Take care, cause an extra standoff (that doesn't match the board's hole position) would short the board.
What are the standoffs looking like ? http://www.cybergooch.com/tutorials/pages/systembuild_4.htm

 

[TheRandomGuy7]

Yeah i'm having some serious problems with doing that. The motherboard seems to be too short width-wise so there is three unused standoffs, and three unused holes in my motherboard. Would it be ok to just have the 6 standoffs that work? The other three are well away from the board, as it cannot reach them.

 

[alexoiu]

You mean the standoffs were already mounted in the chassis?

 

[TheRandomGuy7]

No, I had to mount all the standoffs.

 

[alexoiu]

I understand now. I've taken a look at the chassis. Not all the holes in the chassis match the board's ones.
Mount standoffs only to the chassis' holes that match the board's holes.
7 standoffs in total (2 top, 3 at middle and 2 bottom)

 

[TheRandomGuy7]

I can actually only fit 6 standoffs. But at the moment I have only got 3 in place, for some unknown reason the screws just won't go in to the standoff holes.

 

[alexoiu]

Don't force them. Take the board out and test if the screws go easy in the standoffs. Use the hand firstly and only in the end a screwdriver.