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May 16, 2023 · 16 Errors First-Time Builders Make When Building Their PC. 1. Not Building on a Large Clear Space. The very first thing you want to do when you get all of your components ready to be assembled, is to find a large clear space that you can work on. A large table or desk are ideal.
- Spinning motherboard standoff. These days motherboard standoffs largely are similar size and shape—and they’re not very tall. Getting in under a motherboard to access one requires skinny tools.
- Stripped screw head. A stripped screw head is one of the easier issues to deal with. Choose the wrong screwdriver or fail to apply enough pressure when working with a screw, and you can end up with a stripped screw head.
- Damaged CPU or motherboard pins. Just looking at this carnage is painful—this one’s not coming back. But most CPUs with bent pins aren’t nearly this far gone, so take heart.
- Mixing up your power cables. We assume you're smart enough to plug everything in. But not all plugs are created equal -- for instance, your computer's internal power supply has two very different kinds of 8-pin power cables.
- Leaving your graphics card hanging out. If the GPU is screwed into the case and plugged into power, some people assume it's good to go.
- Sticking those tiny stupid motherboard cables in the wrong way. Your computer case has a power button, a reset button, and probably some LEDs.
- Not pushing power cables all the way in. Let me tell you a little story. When I was building our CNET Future-Proof VR Gaming Rig, I couldn't figure out why it wouldn't boot.
- Arol Wright
- Senior Author
- Not Checking Dimensions/Compatibility Before Buying. This is one mistake that happens before actually starting the building process. You go and put together your list of parts, you buy them all, and you get them on your doorstep...
- Not Removing the Plastic Under the CPU Heatsink. It's not obvious to everyone, but many CPU coolers, whether they're air coolers or liquid coolers, will come with a pre-installed protection plastic film right in the heatsink.
- Not Mounting a CPU Heatsink/Cooler Properly. This is one that might be a little tricky, but when you install a CPU heatsink onto a processor, it needs to be installed really tightly to ensure maximum heat transfer.
- Applying Too Much/Too Little Thermal Paste. As a beginner, you're probably unsure about how much (or how little) thermal paste you should apply. Some people tend to go all-out with thermal paste and go at it as if they were icing a cake, while others, knowing to avoid that because it's bad practice, end up doing the opposite thing and applying so little it's not enough to properly cool.
Nov 14, 2024 · Building a custom PC can be a highly rewarding experience, but avoiding common mistakes is crucial to ensure a smooth process and a system that performs optimally. Paying attention to component compatibility, choosing a reliable power supply, managing cooling effectively, installing hardware carefully, and thoroughly testing the build before finalizing it are all essential steps.
Apr 10, 2019 · Treat them gently. Do not get thermal paste all over them. Do not bend them. Do everything you can to ensure that they don’t get bent when you’re doing anything involving the CPU, because one ...
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Sep 6, 2022 · 6. Installing the CPU Wrong. Some beginner PC builders who've never built a PC before may make this mistake. Installing your CPU can damage or even break its pins, depending on how much force you used while installing it. Luckily, it's really easy to know which direction to place and install your CPU.
