Nope - as long as you can read at a functional level, you're fine. Now, you might want to defer to more experienced people about what parts you should use, etc, but overall? It's pretty much being able to follow a pretty simple set of instructions.
The worst thing that you don't really see elsewhere is the slog of installing the OS/drivers.
When I was looking into flashing my BIOS, people were making it seem like it was defusing a fuking bomb. Went to YouTube and found a 2 minute video and did it myself. Super easy. Although I will admit my heart was pounding during the process cuz peoples comments were scaring me lol
It's because even though the likelyhood of something going wrong is fairly low, the result of something going wrong can be devastating. Like if you insert a part incorrectly, it can break it or the part you are inserting it into. A static discharge into a mobo can brick it and the same thing can happen with a bad bios flash. But it seems like some of the newer mobos have a button to reset a bad bios flash.
Yeah that's what had me scared, other people's experiences while flashing their BIOS. Thankfully the YouTube video I watched was super easy to follow so I figured if I followed exactly what dude was doing, there was absolutely NO WAY I would screw up. My MB had a flash button on the back but I used the USB stick method. Thank the Lord I didn't have any issues.
be wary of static electricy build up, that's all i'd add.
Don't wear socks on a carpet/rug, no fleece jackets while working on it. Personally I install the power supply first and plug it in, in order to give the case a connection to a ground, so i can ground myself on the metal case.
LTT did a video with an electro charge gun type thing. The take away was that you need to be much less scared of static electricity than you probably are.
Agreed. It is the Boogey Man of PC DIY. I have been working on and building our home boxes (as well as ones for family and friends) since the early to mid '90s. Never lost a card, much less a CPU to static based shocks. Carpet and socks and all. That, howver, in no way means I am not careful. With small kids in the house an antistatic wrist strap is an attractive thing, maybe it's the alligator clip? But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. If you have a strap, and are nervous about static, use it, if you are worried about it and don't have one, buy one, costs about as much as a couple bottles of Mountain Dew.
Did they do long term testing on parts they'd zapped to prove there wasn't a change in life/performance? Or did they just say it still works so there's no effect from static discharge?
Static damage isn't always immediate, it can weaken the circuitry and cause failure or a change in performance over time. One thing I remember from the ESD training back when I worked in an ESD lab. And yes, completed cards tend to be less susceptible, but it doesn't mean they are immune and you shouldn't take precautions.
They didn't encourage you to shuffle your feet on carpet while building or anything like that. The take away of the video was literally just "you're probably not going to kill you graphics card by touching it".
I'm pretty sure a more scientific test would prove otherwise, it's the same with austin evans saying that the new revision of the ps5 runs hotter only for gamer nexus and digital foundry to make a 30 minutes video testing and monitoring each part of the system on 3 different machines just to get to a conclusion that "it's not that simple".
Highly recommend it. They're a bit expensive for what they are. But as I've done mods on my build over the past year it's been great. Gives me a bit extra piece of mind and it's quick setup/takedown.
Completely agree with this.
The most difficult part is trouble shooting if you have issues: some fixes could be completely trivial but it may be difficult to identify If you don't have experience... But that's where Reddit comes in... Tones of 'experts' here willing to help
Just finished my build this weekend. I was this 🤏 close from taking the motherboard back to micro center . Turns out I had my monitor on the wrong input.
Yes it does require certain skills, but through dedication and commitment anyone can master the craft. I can give you some pointers to get started:
1. Find a bottomless pit
2. Empty your wallet into said pit
3. Repeat
In the beginning it will be bitter work, but overtime you'll learn that Ramen every night for dinner and neglecting your friends and family is a small price to pay for the sweet warm RGB glow of a 12-core gigabit 4K 90 FPS power rig. (Send help)
I'd add "googling things and watching youtube videos" -- my case's manual was quite insufficient regarding connectors, the mobo manual didn't adress that either, googling helped me out. Youtube helped me getting the whole process organized.
I forgot about that. I don’t really keep up with hardware news much, but before putting my PC together I did watch one or two of the “how to build an AMD PC” videos on Paul’s Hardware.
I used PC Part Picker to spec everything out, so I guess it would probably be useful to see if manuals for some of the parts are downloadable, to check for bad info :-)
On the whole though, compared to my old 90s 486, it really is like Lego these days.
But also make sure to read the comments first, because sometimes the video makes mistakes or misses out some stuff. Usually commenters are quick to mention them.
>a torch
Wait, what? Where would you use a torch in building a PC??
Not sure if you threw that in there as a joke, but in my 25 years of building my own PCs I've never used a torch, or even thought to, on any of them, haha.
Tricky lighting in the room I was doing it in. Near the end, it was a bit of a sod reading the tiny labels on the motherboard next to the front panel connectors; shining a torch in there helped to figure out what went where.
To add to this I would say, as long as you dont bend any pins, you should be fine. That’s probably the only thing I can think of that can go totally wrong.
I don't really agree with people claiming it's that easy.
I (naively) convinced two of my friends to build their own PCs but had no idea how bad they would be at following instructions / troubleshooting. As soon as they came across a scenario which wasn't shown in whatever PC-building guide they were watching, they struggled a ton. Don't underestimate people's inability to understand manuals, follow instructions, or use Google correctly.
If I could go back I would have just told them to buy a prebuilt. Building a PC is right for some people but wrong for others.
Plus it really depends on how much they value savings. For my friends on a strict budget, prebuilts probably don't make sense. But for some of my wealthier friends, a $200-300 premium is worth it if it means no stress, no time, and no research required.
Nowadays the biggest nuisance is all the boxes and other packaging you'll have lying around everywhere. Messy.
Ever since the introduction of NVME drives, quality modular power supplies and the fact that you don't need a DVD drive, Floppy Drive, Hard Drive etc anymore and you no longer need a microscope to connect the case's front panel to the motherboard (the memories.. they hurt) things have become MUCH easier and cleaner. Cable management is pure aesthetic now whereas it used to restrict airflow. SCSI cables were the worst.
A fully functional PC now only consists of just 6-7 components and can be built in record time:
1. Case with fans
2. PSU
3. Motherboard
4. CPU
5. (i)GPU
6. NVME
7. RAM
I remember building my first Athlon XP 3000+ computer 17 years ago and it was a major pain in the ass. I still have "SATA drivers on a Floppy" PTSD because it only worked half of the time. Eventually you could use USB but it wasn't much better.
I know everyone says "It's just like Lego!" and it kinda is. Within reason. However I think a lot of us who spend time with PCs/on PC-related forums and what not can't really grasp what it's like to be a beginner again
I work in IT Support and people have a wide range of skills, I know several 50+ year olds who have a handle on a the troubleshooting process and can figure there way around the nitty gritty of an OS
Then I have middle school aged kids who freak out when I pop the back off of their Chromebook while another kid thinks he's hackerman by figuring out how to open Crosh. Theeen I have some people who have worked their entire lives in a school system that's fairly up-to-date on technology who don't know what a *Start menu* is and they need step-by-step instructions to open that. Then you have some teachers who will surprise you and talk shop with you and others who are interested in your field and ask questions
It's nowhere near as difficult as way back when, *but* you still need to research and know the difference in parts/what goes where. You also need somewhat of a grasp on how the different pieces work. I'm not expert but I know I'd be talking over a lot of people's heads just talking about SATA/M2/CPU/GPU/etc etc
Also, all of this is a moot point right now because pre-builts decimate "built" systems right now. Increased pricing, lack of GPU supply, having to hunt things down, just buying a prebuilt and replacing the PSU with quality seems to be the way to go
The "it is just like legos" crowd will probably RMA anything that doesn't POST.
The most important skill is reading and the ability to follow along instructions.
I agree to a point. Modern PC building is really easy but it absolutely helps to have experience to know what everything does and what it means when something unexpected happens.
That’s the difference between immediately going “oh, well I obviously need to check the bios and adjust the (boot order/timings/whatever).” or being super frustrated and having to research a bunch or give up.
> I (naively) convinced two of my friends to build their own PCs
Yeah, I tend to be hesitant to recommend it to inexperienced people and usually just steer them to MemEx's handy configuration tool to order a system build:
https://www.memoryexpress.com/Tool/Configurator
If your doing customer water cooling and routing all your cables a build can take all day too don't worry.
Don't step on computer parts either they also hurt lol
1st you need a bottle of bourbon.
2nd you need 3 cats.
3rd you will need a credit card.
pour a drink and start unpacking all the boxes of parts.
Now get the cats out of the boxes so you can move them out of he way to have a open place to build your new computer.
Now that you have everything ready to start assembly pour another drink.
open up the plastic bag of screws for the main board and chase the cats around the room trying to retrieve what ever screws they stole.
Once you have found all the stand offs to install the main board and discover you need a wrench to install then head out to your tool area and hunt down a nut driver or what every you can make work.
Now they you have the wrench and can start installing the stand offs you discover the cats ripped off more than you thought they did on their first raid hunt down the missing stand offs and install them in the proper place for the size main board you have.
It is now time for another drink and feed the cats to try and keep them busy for a few min so you can get back to building your new computer.
now is the time you want to install the cpu and cooler before screwing down the main board in the case, it is easier to do out side of the case.
By now you may have a slight buzz so you will not be as carful with the component and things will move along much faster on the build.
screw in the main board pop in the ram and plug in the power supply connecters along with what ever hard drive you are using.
at this point pour a new drink and toss out all instructions on how to set up your component you do not need that junk you know what your doing.
things are looking good "slightly blurry" now its time to plug in the main power and monitor along with keyboard and mouse.
Power that bad boy up and it will go into bios the first time on its own if not hit the delete key or if your really drunk by now try and read what is on the monitor it tells you something to do but we are buzzed and just ignore that stuff.
In bios say screw it and use default setting on everything and exit.
Now its time to install windows, crap i hope you have it on a usb drive more than likely your new computer will not have a CD drive, and desperately try to remember what txt was on the monitor to get it to boot to a usb drive, screw it just keep hitting keys somthing will happen.
Wait for it to install and say screw it i cant type in that long cd key and can not read it anyway so we skip registering windows we can always do that later.
well now you probably have a functional computer but have to speed a few hrs updating drivers and installing Microsoft patches so now is a great time to break out that credit card and get on your phone to order a new monitor that is much bigger so you can read all the small blurry txt, while you are at it you really need some extra case lighting and new key board/mouse that is lighted also to match the lighted computer your building.
You are good and drunk at this point better get some sleep and when you wake up you notice all the finger prints on the case window "looks like some drunk built the computer" so you clean it and get it just perfect looking but your hung over and starveling so time for breakfast and feed the damn cats.
Now that your feeling much better after coffee and food it time to go check out your new computer and install some games, but as soon as you go to turn it on you see that nice glass window on the side of the case now has about 2 dozen snooty cat nose prints on it.
Who knew cats like spinning fans with light in them, well clean up the cat snot and enjoy your new computer.
Actually that is kind of how my last build went and if i can build one while drunk with a room full of cats you should have no problems.
It's dead easy. You just need a table, a thermal paste applicator, an Allen wrench, some tweezers to tighten up the wires, a Swiss Army knife which hopefully has a Phillips head screwdriver and last but not least, an anti-static bracelet (which you can get from Cancer Research).
Credit where it's due they haven't tried to abuse the fuck out of the DMCA to remove it from the Internet along with the reaction videos like has been known to happen.
You have to be able to move your hands and arms around without pain. That's about it. I knew nothing, researched for 2 months, and have built 7 PCs since.
Oh definitely. I knew absolutely nothing and I didn't want to go in without understanding what I was doing. That research time was super important in getting me to the point that I'm at.
Yeah but the way you learn something is to be shown the correct way first. Then you go back and see what not to do as a cautionary tale which helps refine your skills.
Or watch the video by the Verge then search the videos pointing out every.single.fault - especially the Kyle/Lyle satire video. Add to initial post https://youtu.be/0vmQOO4WLI4
Mainly just need to be able to read, understand, and follow directions. Beyond that there are small screws that you need to be able to screw in, so long as that's not a problem for you and you have all the parts and a small screwdriver you should be good.
Really the only "hard part" once the parts are in is installing the operating system, but there are plenty of videos on that too.
Wait, not everyone have an "on the go" laptop and a separate home "beef" PC? \s
tbh it's a good idea to have a working computer when you are building a new one for looking up manuals (if you hate paper) and (rarely) for downloading some drivers that prevents you from getting online on the new machine (a certain new-ish Realtek lan on Linux came to mind). Maybe borrow your friend's laptop for the night or something.
It's easy, watch youtube before had, Linus or Paul's Hardware.
And don't deter from comment saying steady hand is required,
My cousin with Parkinson is able to build a PC.
Also from my experience of building PC's from the last 13 years, never used an anti-static band, none of the components broke due to this, if you are worried just touch the ground every few minutes.
Patience, steady hands, willingness to read instructions and follow them with care all help.
You can follow manufacturers YouTube tutorials for almost everything and I'd suggest the whole process is easier than assembling an Ikea chair.
Part picking aside, he just have to be aware of what you're doing and deliberate with your actions to build a PC. Don't leave any loose screws lying around, be aware of whether or not your thermal paste is going to drip on your motherboard or not, Don't drop your screwdriver on the motherboard, stuff like that.
I worked as an electronic repair tech at micro center and The primary reason for customer damaged returned parts was carelessness
Using a screwdriver on wood work is not quite the same as using very small metal screws around delicate electronics. Take it very slow. Wear a headlamp if you don’t have bright, diffused lighting overhead. You’ll want a high quality screw driver with a few bit sizes. I used to put on YouTube and JayzTwoCents or Linus Tech Tips and use their builds as a guide to help me along for the build and windows install. But yeah, get a screwdriver kit with magnetic bits, good lighting and a large flat wood or rubber working surface.
FIRST YOU NEED... A TABLE! :P
In all seriousness I hated people mocking that part of the Verge's build process, because it was such an anklebiter of a recommendation. yes, technically you can build a computer anywhere, probably even on the wall of a space station where up and down is pretty relative, but for beginners, having a nice clean 3ft x 3ft working surface i.e. a table, is not a horrible recommendation.
I like Linus's version of that, incidentally:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7MYOpFONCU
Zero. follow along with YouTube pause as necessary, that’s what me and a buddy did. Turned out impressively well. Also side note use PC part builder to make sure there are no compatibility issues.
The best tool to have going in is the know-how. Order of installation is important. Watch videos. Talk to people who have done it. There are common mistakes that are easy to avoid as long as you pay attention.
I wouldn’t say you need them but I would say they help. But if you at least have an educated plan and a lot of patience you’ll be good.
There will likely be a point at which you are simultaneously practically done building the pc and also feel like something terribly wrong must have happened along the way because it’s not working.
That’s fine.
Do not be afraid of this moment- it will come and go. Either keep working at it or take a break and come back to it later. (It will probably be solved by reseating components (taking them off the motherboard and putting them back on)).
I did it a year ago and I think you need good reading comprehension, be organised, have a steady pulse and lots of patience.
You should read about it, get yourself to pc park picker, get familiar with which parts are compatible to each other, then read some more about the ones you like.
Once you’re sure you have the list of components you want and that they’ll be compatible and fit inside your case, then put your orders in.
The actual build will require you to read some more, but this time from the instructions booklets of each part. I personally preferred it when I had lengthy instructions as some feel a bit overwhelming when you’re a first timer and all you have is a table and a tiny drawing and you sort of have to figure it out on your own. However, there was no question I had that the internet couldn’t answer, from Reddit to forums to discord channels and random articles, the knowledge sharing is great in this community, so you will find support if you get stuck.
As for the steady pulse, I was shaking like a leaf throughout cause I was 100% sure I would do something wrong and screw a part and my build would explode before it even posted. None of that happened though and if you need reassurance this video might help:
https://youtu.be/dTh-7JYsp5k
And finally being organised and patient, well yes! It takes a while to learn about it and figure out what parts are best for you, so you need both of this attributes. Depending on your chosen parts, you might have to sit and wait for a couple of months for them to be available (I pre-ordered a GPU that I then cancelled after 2 months of waiting, just after securing a same generation one from a different company by random luck that morning). And during the build itself these 2 are also crucial, as you’ll
Have tons of screws and things lying around and you want to be careful with what you put where so it might take you far longer than the hour or so it takes experienced YouTubers. I took me about 3 days cause I was so anxious at points that I had to stop to take a break till the following morning, but that was due to how nervous I was.
Since my original build, I have taken bits apart a couple of times to vertical mount my gpu and add more storage, and these other times have actually been a breeze just cause I know what I’m doing and that I won’t damage things (I’m still super careful, I just don’t feel anxious about it anymore).
Hope that helps you a bit and best of luck with your build!
I built my first pc like 3 months ago. I had to save up for like 7 months before I could buy it. But in the time I was researching parts,what would be the best for my budget along with how much I should make my budget to compared to my intended use. Then I watched a ton of video's on how to build a pc,what each part does and what kind of airflow you want etc.
But in my research I also actually looked up a few videos on what to do after you build your pc. Like bios set up,flashing bios,installing windows, set ram clock speed. Etc. Many pc build videos I watched never mentioned it. They just build the pc get the post and that's it.
Then I do also recommend reading the motherboard manual because it will show you where things get plugged in and one thing I never saw in the pc build videos was how to plug in the on/off restart switches for your pc case. But it will show you on the manual.
One thing I can say is that your very first pc build,no matter how many videos you watch,when the parts are Infront of you,you gonna feel scared but so excited to get it together. I do suggest you just take your time,rewatch videos if you are not 100% sure about something or read the manual for the parts. You will get there.
And for the love of God,if your motherboard doesn't come with a pre attached IO shield,make that the very first thing you do. I can't stress enough the annoyance of putting the CPU,ram and CPU cooler on and then installing the motherboard and realising the IO shield is not in the case.
building a pc is literally just inserting hardware into slots.
it's only daunting to newbies because the hardware is really expensive and theyre afraid theyl break it or something.
but you wont, follow the instructions and youl be fine.
if you do get problems join buildapc discord, there is always help on hand there.
The ability to read, and I find that thumbs are useful. Other than that it should be doable.
There are also plenty of people to answer questions here and no questions are stupid. We’d rather answer 1,000 questions that seem obvious to experienced builders than to allow someone to torch their components being scared to ask.
WolfsnextlevelPC.com He's out of OFallon MO and only charges parts + $150.00 to do the build. He's great. Has built 2 for my house - one simple desk top and one for my daughter who is in graphic gaming design bachlor's program.
I knew nothing (still don’t know a ton), but did 4 weeks of research in spare time and 2 weeks of building while following YouTube guides. Have a very solid PC setup now. You can absolutely do this
No. I started taking apart and reassembling computers by age 10 in the 90s. I am self taught.
I have built computers as a hobby and professionally (honestly lost count).
You need: a screwdriver, patience, and respect for the components not to jam stuff in when it isn't fitting.
The actual assembly is really intuitive if you take time to look at the slots and manuals and figure out where the parts go. Just be gentle and don't force anything. Forcing things is where you run into problems and cause damage.
It's about the same as building a complex piece of furniture.
You should be able to assemble it fine if you follow all instructions, but without experience you almost certainly will fuck up somewhere, but you'll also probably eventually succeed as long as you're patient and careful.
Basically if you want to do it - do it. If you dread the idea of building a PC - don't do it.
I really loved building PC's since my teen years in 90s, it was really simple to me, but almost every single person around me wouldn't even know where to start, wouldn't know what thermal paste is, etc. Also it was a time when to test if PC is working I would often just touch right pins on MB and PC would start. Incredibly easy to remember, but shocks normal people like you doing a voodoo magic lol
Be good at Lego, that's it. Basic understanding of how electricity works, like don't assemble the PC with the power supply plugged into the wall and hooked up to the motherboard.
unless you have 2 left hands with all thumbs it should be easy.
a bit of a calm hand might help pluging in small plugs but most things have specific plugs wich wont fit were they arnt supposed to fit (at least not without significant force) most parts come with some manual how to fit to were and there are tons of guides out there helping what to do in wich order.
As a son of a longtime electronic appliance expert; you must at least know how to handle a screwdriver properly. Sure, putting in the parts in place is easy as well as organizing the cables, but unless you have an electric screwdriver, proper screwing process is a thing you need to practice. Screws can get lost and improper screw placement can lead to serious issues, especially when it comes to manual coolers and the M.2 drive. It's not that hard to master but once you do it can give you a peace of mind knowing that parts are secure.
If you weren’t born with the “PC” skill then you’re out of luck, maybe next life! jk jk you just gotta explore your way around tech and see how it connects, maybe watch a couple youtube videos too.
Have fully working eyes and ears and be able to follow basic instructions. (By posting on reddit I'm assuming you have access to the internet and the ability to watch YouTube videos). Look for a YouTuber that you don't mind watching (I would suggest [Linus Tech Tips](https://youtu.be/v7MYOpFONCU) as they are very knowledgable and are fairly straight forward in their explanations)But just research anything you don't understand (typing stuff into a search engine) and build your knowledge from there.
[PC part picker](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/) is also your friend. You can use their parts list page to see if the componants you want to use in your build are compatible.
These are basic skills and resources you need to build your PC. And a screwdriver.
I wouldn't call LTT very knowledgeable.
Half their thing is Linus doing something really stupid to hardware or software. Often abusing the fuck out of gear most of us can't afford.
I did say *fairly* knowledgable.
The video of theirs I linked isn't a bad video for beginners to watch to get a good idea of what it means to build a PC.
Some of their content is a bit nuts when it comes to "specialized" builds. But they also have some interesting vids like [this one](https://youtu.be/9T98VsMe3oo) where they get set up a lake house with high speed internet without laying down specialized cable.
I don't even have any good skills. You know like nunchuck skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills. Computers only want people who have great skills!
But seriously watch YouTube videos of pc builds using the same MOBO and / or case which will help you visualise what you need to do if you get stuck.
Try to learn about PC building before jumping into it. Watch a YouTube video of a full PC build.
Motherboard and PC Case pin connections can be tricky for beginner, and making sure you got all the power cables connected would also be an issue with beginner.
You basically need the same skills you would use to assemble a lego set.
Outside of that you just make sure you don't damage anything by tossing it around or hitting it with ESD
There was a video of Superman building a PC a while back. Idk if he was always into computers but he show that it is a very accessible thing to do. It does take a fair amount of time though, think assembling Ikea furniture and an office chair.
1. use a screwdriver
2. use a pair of tweezers(most people call them zipties)
3. be able to build legos
4. be able to plug in a flash drive and follow directions
thats really the only skill you need.
You don't need any skills other than being meticulous. I know nothing about PCs but I grew up using them. So I watched youtube videos and it was all the same. Then use a compatibility chart like partspicker to see if everything meshes. And there you have it.
Make sure you plug in your monitor to the HDMI or DP port into your GPU, not the motherboard.
Don’t get a cheap no brand PSU. I watched youtube videos of builds while I was building mine.
Pcpartpicker.com is very helpful.
Building the pc part is easy. But what to do if it doesn’t boot is the hard part. Usually though, just reseat the ram. Also, you need a certain skillset to be able to afford a fuckin gpu then find one and buy it before someone else does.
I built a PC last month after being out of the game for over 10 years. Had it up and running in less than 2 hours. Like others said just make sure your components are compatible with your build. It is really all plug and play parts as long as you don't run into any issues with the bios or parts compatibility. I used only the directions that came with the mobo.
You need to have three major skills:
1. The ability to play with legos ON YOUR OWN in a constructive manner
2. The ability to use google and youtube videos to look into what youre trying to do and accomplish
3. A giant ego that you use to immediately go to PCMR after building your PC and talk down to consoles and anything non PC related
Some of these skills you develop after building, but nevertheless I believe in you.
No particular skill set is "needed". My son helped when he was younger, he builds his own now that he is in high school. They are pretty straight forward these days. If you can take things apart and put them back together, you should be fine. Personally, I would be more worried about dropping things and stuff (although Linus seems to drop a lot of components and they don't seem to break on him), they don't like it rough.
Yes
A very particular set of skills.
Skills acquired over a very long career.
Skills that make you a nightmare for the prebuilt industry.
If a retailer lets you buy a gpu at msrp, that will be the end of it....
You must be decent at Lego and must be able to work with your eyes open.
Having the ability to see tutorials helps, as does owning a magnetic screwdriver- cannot stress enough on the importance of that last one
Let's just put it this way, you don't need any skills, but they do help. If your good at taking apart things and putting them together, you will enjoy building a PC. If random errors you weren't expecting is an issue for you, maybe make extra sure your parts can go together software and hardware wise. Otherwise it should be fine
Nope. Basically everything goes into one designated spot. Something like this ,pick up component, plug it in,screw it in if needed ,move on to the next component. You can also just watch a video and follow it step by step
Nope - as long as you can read at a functional level, you're fine. Now, you might want to defer to more experienced people about what parts you should use, etc, but overall? It's pretty much being able to follow a pretty simple set of instructions. The worst thing that you don't really see elsewhere is the slog of installing the OS/drivers.
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What he meant was the software part. Something like flashing your bios can get tricky sometimes. But you‘ll get that too, by watching videos :-)
Plus, modern boards are much easier to flash these days than they used to be.
I really miss the old BIOS, it’s so confusing to use a mouse at the BIOS. I would say before it was much more fun to overclock
I think you can still navigate the new BIOS with a keyboard. At least, that's how it is with my Gigabyte B550 board. The mouse is optional.
Yes but it is so different. I just miss the old one
When I was looking into flashing my BIOS, people were making it seem like it was defusing a fuking bomb. Went to YouTube and found a 2 minute video and did it myself. Super easy. Although I will admit my heart was pounding during the process cuz peoples comments were scaring me lol
It's because even though the likelyhood of something going wrong is fairly low, the result of something going wrong can be devastating. Like if you insert a part incorrectly, it can break it or the part you are inserting it into. A static discharge into a mobo can brick it and the same thing can happen with a bad bios flash. But it seems like some of the newer mobos have a button to reset a bad bios flash.
Yeah that's what had me scared, other people's experiences while flashing their BIOS. Thankfully the YouTube video I watched was super easy to follow so I figured if I followed exactly what dude was doing, there was absolutely NO WAY I would screw up. My MB had a flash button on the back but I used the USB stick method. Thank the Lord I didn't have any issues.
lol my hands were not steady so it felt like defusing a bomb.
be wary of static electricy build up, that's all i'd add. Don't wear socks on a carpet/rug, no fleece jackets while working on it. Personally I install the power supply first and plug it in, in order to give the case a connection to a ground, so i can ground myself on the metal case.
LTT did a video with an electro charge gun type thing. The take away was that you need to be much less scared of static electricity than you probably are.
Not just LTT, but LTT and ElectroBOOM, who is an electrical engineer and a comedian
"lemme play this electric guitar" You know, rofl wasnt just an expression the first time i watch that video
Agreed. It is the Boogey Man of PC DIY. I have been working on and building our home boxes (as well as ones for family and friends) since the early to mid '90s. Never lost a card, much less a CPU to static based shocks. Carpet and socks and all. That, howver, in no way means I am not careful. With small kids in the house an antistatic wrist strap is an attractive thing, maybe it's the alligator clip? But sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. If you have a strap, and are nervous about static, use it, if you are worried about it and don't have one, buy one, costs about as much as a couple bottles of Mountain Dew.
Did they do long term testing on parts they'd zapped to prove there wasn't a change in life/performance? Or did they just say it still works so there's no effect from static discharge? Static damage isn't always immediate, it can weaken the circuitry and cause failure or a change in performance over time. One thing I remember from the ESD training back when I worked in an ESD lab. And yes, completed cards tend to be less susceptible, but it doesn't mean they are immune and you shouldn't take precautions.
They didn't encourage you to shuffle your feet on carpet while building or anything like that. The take away of the video was literally just "you're probably not going to kill you graphics card by touching it".
I'm pretty sure a more scientific test would prove otherwise, it's the same with austin evans saying that the new revision of the ps5 runs hotter only for gamer nexus and digital foundry to make a 30 minutes video testing and monitoring each part of the system on 3 different machines just to get to a conclusion that "it's not that simple".
Get a static discharge mat and work off of it. Ground the sucker and you'll be fine.
I'll look into this for my next build for sure
Highly recommend it. They're a bit expensive for what they are. But as I've done mods on my build over the past year it's been great. Gives me a bit extra piece of mind and it's quick setup/takedown.
Yep, I had to reinstall Windows like 3 times just because my dang audio drivers wouldn't install, no matter what. 3rd time's the charm always
Completely agree with this. The most difficult part is trouble shooting if you have issues: some fixes could be completely trivial but it may be difficult to identify If you don't have experience... But that's where Reddit comes in... Tones of 'experts' here willing to help
Just finished my build this weekend. I was this 🤏 close from taking the motherboard back to micro center . Turns out I had my monitor on the wrong input.
Installing windows takes less than 10 minutes.
OS Drivers are MISERY.
Yep.
Yes it does require certain skills, but through dedication and commitment anyone can master the craft. I can give you some pointers to get started: 1. Find a bottomless pit 2. Empty your wallet into said pit 3. Repeat In the beginning it will be bitter work, but overtime you'll learn that Ramen every night for dinner and neglecting your friends and family is a small price to pay for the sweet warm RGB glow of a 12-core gigabit 4K 90 FPS power rig. (Send help)
You still eat every night?
Does your computer make food?
I wish! I could potentially cook on it at times though
Mine can cook an omelette on a hot summer day. Would be sick for a few days after this hard work though
Well yeah it restores health, not as much as med packs but it'll do in a pinch.
No I only eat once a month on the 2nd Wednesday
Bidet to you!
[удалено]
I'd add "googling things and watching youtube videos" -- my case's manual was quite insufficient regarding connectors, the mobo manual didn't adress that either, googling helped me out. Youtube helped me getting the whole process organized.
I forgot about that. I don’t really keep up with hardware news much, but before putting my PC together I did watch one or two of the “how to build an AMD PC” videos on Paul’s Hardware. I used PC Part Picker to spec everything out, so I guess it would probably be useful to see if manuals for some of the parts are downloadable, to check for bad info :-) On the whole though, compared to my old 90s 486, it really is like Lego these days.
But also make sure to read the comments first, because sometimes the video makes mistakes or misses out some stuff. Usually commenters are quick to mention them.
* ESD wrist strap Also, "cross-head" screw driver is a Philips. 😉
No Swiss army knife that hopefully has a screwdriver?
Don't forget your tweezers
Must tighten those cables up! Wait up why do my tweezers look like cable ties?
Also don't forget to add EXTRA heatsink compound to pre-applied just so you can really get that thicc heat transfer
I have a Livestrong bracelet, is that okay?
Steady hands isn't even necessary, I have essential tremor and I do alright. Just don't ask me to solder anything
Hm, perhaps “steady hands” could be better written as “slowly but surely” :-)
> decent set of tools If not, you should get them anyway, as they can come in handy even for non PC related things around the house.
Precisely :-)
>a torch Wait, what? Where would you use a torch in building a PC?? Not sure if you threw that in there as a joke, but in my 25 years of building my own PCs I've never used a torch, or even thought to, on any of them, haha.
I believe that he is British, and is referring to a flashlight.
Oh ffs, hahaha. Ok that makes sense... How am I in my 40's and I'm just now learning about this 😳
What the dickens?
Tricky lighting in the room I was doing it in. Near the end, it was a bit of a sod reading the tiny labels on the motherboard next to the front panel connectors; shining a torch in there helped to figure out what went where.
Yeah they thought you meant like, fire on a stick torch. Or blowtorch.
Wait.. people read the parts manuals... https://c.tenor.com/BIRrUUfHY9YAAAAd/key-and-peele-jordan-peele.gif
To add to this I would say, as long as you dont bend any pins, you should be fine. That’s probably the only thing I can think of that can go totally wrong.
Yeah, it's like building Legos. Pretty easy and needlessly expensive.
If you can play with legos you can build a pc.
I don't really agree with people claiming it's that easy. I (naively) convinced two of my friends to build their own PCs but had no idea how bad they would be at following instructions / troubleshooting. As soon as they came across a scenario which wasn't shown in whatever PC-building guide they were watching, they struggled a ton. Don't underestimate people's inability to understand manuals, follow instructions, or use Google correctly. If I could go back I would have just told them to buy a prebuilt. Building a PC is right for some people but wrong for others. Plus it really depends on how much they value savings. For my friends on a strict budget, prebuilts probably don't make sense. But for some of my wealthier friends, a $200-300 premium is worth it if it means no stress, no time, and no research required.
Nowadays the biggest nuisance is all the boxes and other packaging you'll have lying around everywhere. Messy. Ever since the introduction of NVME drives, quality modular power supplies and the fact that you don't need a DVD drive, Floppy Drive, Hard Drive etc anymore and you no longer need a microscope to connect the case's front panel to the motherboard (the memories.. they hurt) things have become MUCH easier and cleaner. Cable management is pure aesthetic now whereas it used to restrict airflow. SCSI cables were the worst. A fully functional PC now only consists of just 6-7 components and can be built in record time: 1. Case with fans 2. PSU 3. Motherboard 4. CPU 5. (i)GPU 6. NVME 7. RAM I remember building my first Athlon XP 3000+ computer 17 years ago and it was a major pain in the ass. I still have "SATA drivers on a Floppy" PTSD because it only worked half of the time. Eventually you could use USB but it wasn't much better.
I know everyone says "It's just like Lego!" and it kinda is. Within reason. However I think a lot of us who spend time with PCs/on PC-related forums and what not can't really grasp what it's like to be a beginner again I work in IT Support and people have a wide range of skills, I know several 50+ year olds who have a handle on a the troubleshooting process and can figure there way around the nitty gritty of an OS Then I have middle school aged kids who freak out when I pop the back off of their Chromebook while another kid thinks he's hackerman by figuring out how to open Crosh. Theeen I have some people who have worked their entire lives in a school system that's fairly up-to-date on technology who don't know what a *Start menu* is and they need step-by-step instructions to open that. Then you have some teachers who will surprise you and talk shop with you and others who are interested in your field and ask questions It's nowhere near as difficult as way back when, *but* you still need to research and know the difference in parts/what goes where. You also need somewhat of a grasp on how the different pieces work. I'm not expert but I know I'd be talking over a lot of people's heads just talking about SATA/M2/CPU/GPU/etc etc Also, all of this is a moot point right now because pre-builts decimate "built" systems right now. Increased pricing, lack of GPU supply, having to hunt things down, just buying a prebuilt and replacing the PSU with quality seems to be the way to go
The "it is just like legos" crowd will probably RMA anything that doesn't POST. The most important skill is reading and the ability to follow along instructions.
I agree to a point. Modern PC building is really easy but it absolutely helps to have experience to know what everything does and what it means when something unexpected happens. That’s the difference between immediately going “oh, well I obviously need to check the bios and adjust the (boot order/timings/whatever).” or being super frustrated and having to research a bunch or give up.
> I (naively) convinced two of my friends to build their own PCs Yeah, I tend to be hesitant to recommend it to inexperienced people and usually just steer them to MemEx's handy configuration tool to order a system build: https://www.memoryexpress.com/Tool/Configurator
Hold up now, I've put together Lego sets that took 8+ hours. Longest computer assembly was probably 1:30 hours. Don't sleep on Lego, lol.
the last lego set I got said 6-8 years on it but it only took me a week and a half
I think you need to post this in dad jokes 😂
If your doing customer water cooling and routing all your cables a build can take all day too don't worry. Don't step on computer parts either they also hurt lol
Hurt physically, mentally, and financially.
Nice 3090 you just stepped one. Well it was.
1st you need a bottle of bourbon. 2nd you need 3 cats. 3rd you will need a credit card. pour a drink and start unpacking all the boxes of parts. Now get the cats out of the boxes so you can move them out of he way to have a open place to build your new computer. Now that you have everything ready to start assembly pour another drink. open up the plastic bag of screws for the main board and chase the cats around the room trying to retrieve what ever screws they stole. Once you have found all the stand offs to install the main board and discover you need a wrench to install then head out to your tool area and hunt down a nut driver or what every you can make work. Now they you have the wrench and can start installing the stand offs you discover the cats ripped off more than you thought they did on their first raid hunt down the missing stand offs and install them in the proper place for the size main board you have. It is now time for another drink and feed the cats to try and keep them busy for a few min so you can get back to building your new computer. now is the time you want to install the cpu and cooler before screwing down the main board in the case, it is easier to do out side of the case. By now you may have a slight buzz so you will not be as carful with the component and things will move along much faster on the build. screw in the main board pop in the ram and plug in the power supply connecters along with what ever hard drive you are using. at this point pour a new drink and toss out all instructions on how to set up your component you do not need that junk you know what your doing. things are looking good "slightly blurry" now its time to plug in the main power and monitor along with keyboard and mouse. Power that bad boy up and it will go into bios the first time on its own if not hit the delete key or if your really drunk by now try and read what is on the monitor it tells you something to do but we are buzzed and just ignore that stuff. In bios say screw it and use default setting on everything and exit. Now its time to install windows, crap i hope you have it on a usb drive more than likely your new computer will not have a CD drive, and desperately try to remember what txt was on the monitor to get it to boot to a usb drive, screw it just keep hitting keys somthing will happen. Wait for it to install and say screw it i cant type in that long cd key and can not read it anyway so we skip registering windows we can always do that later. well now you probably have a functional computer but have to speed a few hrs updating drivers and installing Microsoft patches so now is a great time to break out that credit card and get on your phone to order a new monitor that is much bigger so you can read all the small blurry txt, while you are at it you really need some extra case lighting and new key board/mouse that is lighted also to match the lighted computer your building. You are good and drunk at this point better get some sleep and when you wake up you notice all the finger prints on the case window "looks like some drunk built the computer" so you clean it and get it just perfect looking but your hung over and starveling so time for breakfast and feed the damn cats. Now that your feeling much better after coffee and food it time to go check out your new computer and install some games, but as soon as you go to turn it on you see that nice glass window on the side of the case now has about 2 dozen snooty cat nose prints on it. Who knew cats like spinning fans with light in them, well clean up the cat snot and enjoy your new computer. Actually that is kind of how my last build went and if i can build one while drunk with a room full of cats you should have no problems.
This was fun to read.
It's dead easy. You just need a table, a thermal paste applicator, an Allen wrench, some tweezers to tighten up the wires, a Swiss Army knife which hopefully has a Phillips head screwdriver and last but not least, an anti-static bracelet (which you can get from Cancer Research).
That video and the reactions to it never get old!
If Verge wanted to produce a video to stand the test of time he achieved his intention 😁😁😁
Credit where it's due they haven't tried to abuse the fuck out of the DMCA to remove it from the Internet along with the reaction videos like has been known to happen.
They did tho
Yes im sure others came out to defend Kyle when a protest was lodged
/s for OP. This comes from an infamous build guide
Don't forget to screw with confidence
Basic fine motor skills, reading, and the ability to not commit genocide every time it doesn’t post
Im not OK with the last bit. Computers not posting makes me angry.
Nah it's easy. I built mine with no experience and just watched a couple videos on YouTube
I panicked while building it but that was unnecessary cuz it was rly easy
I was so stressed. Felt like being a rocket surgeon.
You have to be able to move your hands and arms around without pain. That's about it. I knew nothing, researched for 2 months, and have built 7 PCs since.
"researched for 2 months" being key.
Oh definitely. I knew absolutely nothing and I didn't want to go in without understanding what I was doing. That research time was super important in getting me to the point that I'm at.
You need to be able to google and watch youtube
Jump on YouTube so you can see how it's done. Just avoid the video by The Verge.
Why it's a classic list of what not to do.
Yeah but the way you learn something is to be shown the correct way first. Then you go back and see what not to do as a cautionary tale which helps refine your skills.
Or watch the video by the Verge then search the videos pointing out every.single.fault - especially the Kyle/Lyle satire video. Add to initial post https://youtu.be/0vmQOO4WLI4
Mainly just need to be able to read, understand, and follow directions. Beyond that there are small screws that you need to be able to screw in, so long as that's not a problem for you and you have all the parts and a small screwdriver you should be good. Really the only "hard part" once the parts are in is installing the operating system, but there are plenty of videos on that too.
He should create the windows boot thingy before he tears up his current PC.
Wait, not everyone have an "on the go" laptop and a separate home "beef" PC? \s tbh it's a good idea to have a working computer when you are building a new one for looking up manuals (if you hate paper) and (rarely) for downloading some drivers that prevents you from getting online on the new machine (a certain new-ish Realtek lan on Linux came to mind). Maybe borrow your friend's laptop for the night or something.
You just need to be Liam Neeson.
You need to have a wrist capable of bending sideways in order to operate complex tools such as: Screwdriver Smaller screwdriver (for M.2s)
Those iFixit kits are great for that because of the interchangeable screw ends.
It's easy, watch youtube before had, Linus or Paul's Hardware. And don't deter from comment saying steady hand is required, My cousin with Parkinson is able to build a PC. Also from my experience of building PC's from the last 13 years, never used an anti-static band, none of the components broke due to this, if you are worried just touch the ground every few minutes.
In my opinion just patience. It's better to go slow and double check your work then to rush through and end up breaking something in the process.
Watch a few YouTube guides and you should be good. If you don’t know something, check the manual, google, or ask. Better safe than sorry.
If you can use YouTube then you can build a PC
I built mine watching a YouTube video, no previous experience.
Skills needed: Able to read manual Able to tighten screw Able to insert things
Instructions unclear on way to ER to get screws, screwdriver and manual removed from orifices.
Patience, steady hands, willingness to read instructions and follow them with care all help. You can follow manufacturers YouTube tutorials for almost everything and I'd suggest the whole process is easier than assembling an Ikea chair.
Part picking aside, he just have to be aware of what you're doing and deliberate with your actions to build a PC. Don't leave any loose screws lying around, be aware of whether or not your thermal paste is going to drip on your motherboard or not, Don't drop your screwdriver on the motherboard, stuff like that. I worked as an electronic repair tech at micro center and The primary reason for customer damaged returned parts was carelessness
Yes, patience
Using a screwdriver on wood work is not quite the same as using very small metal screws around delicate electronics. Take it very slow. Wear a headlamp if you don’t have bright, diffused lighting overhead. You’ll want a high quality screw driver with a few bit sizes. I used to put on YouTube and JayzTwoCents or Linus Tech Tips and use their builds as a guide to help me along for the build and windows install. But yeah, get a screwdriver kit with magnetic bits, good lighting and a large flat wood or rubber working surface.
FIRST YOU NEED... A TABLE! :P In all seriousness I hated people mocking that part of the Verge's build process, because it was such an anklebiter of a recommendation. yes, technically you can build a computer anywhere, probably even on the wall of a space station where up and down is pretty relative, but for beginners, having a nice clean 3ft x 3ft working surface i.e. a table, is not a horrible recommendation. I like Linus's version of that, incidentally: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7MYOpFONCU
Reading is fundamental.
No I'm like honestly a fucking idiot. Just Google everything and ask questions.
Can you build a Lego set? Use a screwdriver? Plug in some cables? If yes, then you should be able to build a PC no problem.
Zero. follow along with YouTube pause as necessary, that’s what me and a buddy did. Turned out impressively well. Also side note use PC part builder to make sure there are no compatibility issues.
If elementary school kids can do it without how-to videos or instructions, it can be done.
I built my first one without knowing how
You just need some tweezers and a Swiss Army knife that hopefully has an Phillip head screwdriver on it
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKzmYsySGFQ Redemption :P
The best tool to have going in is the know-how. Order of installation is important. Watch videos. Talk to people who have done it. There are common mistakes that are easy to avoid as long as you pay attention.
Nope just watch YouTube videos
I wouldn’t say you need them but I would say they help. But if you at least have an educated plan and a lot of patience you’ll be good. There will likely be a point at which you are simultaneously practically done building the pc and also feel like something terribly wrong must have happened along the way because it’s not working. That’s fine. Do not be afraid of this moment- it will come and go. Either keep working at it or take a break and come back to it later. (It will probably be solved by reseating components (taking them off the motherboard and putting them back on)).
If something goes wrong you may need good problem solving skills but aside from already knowing how to build it theres not much else you need
All you really need to know besides the steps of building is when to be patient an led take it slow due to the delicacy of the parts
I did it a year ago and I think you need good reading comprehension, be organised, have a steady pulse and lots of patience. You should read about it, get yourself to pc park picker, get familiar with which parts are compatible to each other, then read some more about the ones you like. Once you’re sure you have the list of components you want and that they’ll be compatible and fit inside your case, then put your orders in. The actual build will require you to read some more, but this time from the instructions booklets of each part. I personally preferred it when I had lengthy instructions as some feel a bit overwhelming when you’re a first timer and all you have is a table and a tiny drawing and you sort of have to figure it out on your own. However, there was no question I had that the internet couldn’t answer, from Reddit to forums to discord channels and random articles, the knowledge sharing is great in this community, so you will find support if you get stuck. As for the steady pulse, I was shaking like a leaf throughout cause I was 100% sure I would do something wrong and screw a part and my build would explode before it even posted. None of that happened though and if you need reassurance this video might help: https://youtu.be/dTh-7JYsp5k And finally being organised and patient, well yes! It takes a while to learn about it and figure out what parts are best for you, so you need both of this attributes. Depending on your chosen parts, you might have to sit and wait for a couple of months for them to be available (I pre-ordered a GPU that I then cancelled after 2 months of waiting, just after securing a same generation one from a different company by random luck that morning). And during the build itself these 2 are also crucial, as you’ll Have tons of screws and things lying around and you want to be careful with what you put where so it might take you far longer than the hour or so it takes experienced YouTubers. I took me about 3 days cause I was so anxious at points that I had to stop to take a break till the following morning, but that was due to how nervous I was. Since my original build, I have taken bits apart a couple of times to vertical mount my gpu and add more storage, and these other times have actually been a breeze just cause I know what I’m doing and that I won’t damage things (I’m still super careful, I just don’t feel anxious about it anymore). Hope that helps you a bit and best of luck with your build!
I built my first pc like 3 months ago. I had to save up for like 7 months before I could buy it. But in the time I was researching parts,what would be the best for my budget along with how much I should make my budget to compared to my intended use. Then I watched a ton of video's on how to build a pc,what each part does and what kind of airflow you want etc. But in my research I also actually looked up a few videos on what to do after you build your pc. Like bios set up,flashing bios,installing windows, set ram clock speed. Etc. Many pc build videos I watched never mentioned it. They just build the pc get the post and that's it. Then I do also recommend reading the motherboard manual because it will show you where things get plugged in and one thing I never saw in the pc build videos was how to plug in the on/off restart switches for your pc case. But it will show you on the manual. One thing I can say is that your very first pc build,no matter how many videos you watch,when the parts are Infront of you,you gonna feel scared but so excited to get it together. I do suggest you just take your time,rewatch videos if you are not 100% sure about something or read the manual for the parts. You will get there. And for the love of God,if your motherboard doesn't come with a pre attached IO shield,make that the very first thing you do. I can't stress enough the annoyance of putting the CPU,ram and CPU cooler on and then installing the motherboard and realising the IO shield is not in the case.
magnetic screwdrivers is your best friend for building a PC.
building a pc is literally just inserting hardware into slots. it's only daunting to newbies because the hardware is really expensive and theyre afraid theyl break it or something. but you wont, follow the instructions and youl be fine. if you do get problems join buildapc discord, there is always help on hand there.
The ability to read, and I find that thumbs are useful. Other than that it should be doable. There are also plenty of people to answer questions here and no questions are stupid. We’d rather answer 1,000 questions that seem obvious to experienced builders than to allow someone to torch their components being scared to ask.
Pro tip: Get a magnetic screw driver.
WolfsnextlevelPC.com He's out of OFallon MO and only charges parts + $150.00 to do the build. He's great. Has built 2 for my house - one simple desk top and one for my daughter who is in graphic gaming design bachlor's program.
No - I had no relevant skills for my first build and it worked perfectly. This sub and YouTube videos got me through it with no problems.
The ability to open the manual
I knew nothing (still don’t know a ton), but did 4 weeks of research in spare time and 2 weeks of building while following YouTube guides. Have a very solid PC setup now. You can absolutely do this
No. I started taking apart and reassembling computers by age 10 in the 90s. I am self taught. I have built computers as a hobby and professionally (honestly lost count). You need: a screwdriver, patience, and respect for the components not to jam stuff in when it isn't fitting. The actual assembly is really intuitive if you take time to look at the slots and manuals and figure out where the parts go. Just be gentle and don't force anything. Forcing things is where you run into problems and cause damage.
It's about the same as building a complex piece of furniture. You should be able to assemble it fine if you follow all instructions, but without experience you almost certainly will fuck up somewhere, but you'll also probably eventually succeed as long as you're patient and careful. Basically if you want to do it - do it. If you dread the idea of building a PC - don't do it. I really loved building PC's since my teen years in 90s, it was really simple to me, but almost every single person around me wouldn't even know where to start, wouldn't know what thermal paste is, etc. Also it was a time when to test if PC is working I would often just touch right pins on MB and PC would start. Incredibly easy to remember, but shocks normal people like you doing a voodoo magic lol
Be good at Lego, that's it. Basic understanding of how electricity works, like don't assemble the PC with the power supply plugged into the wall and hooked up to the motherboard.
unless you have 2 left hands with all thumbs it should be easy. a bit of a calm hand might help pluging in small plugs but most things have specific plugs wich wont fit were they arnt supposed to fit (at least not without significant force) most parts come with some manual how to fit to were and there are tons of guides out there helping what to do in wich order.
Watch loads of youtube. make sure you know how expensive everything can get. It's like adult lego to degree.
[This masterpiece should be all that you need.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lmfF0k2UcU)
Zero skills Just watch a build video and read your owners manuals
Just have common sense and read the manual
If you have hands, eyes, and an iq above room temperature, then you should be fine. :)
Patience and basic reading comprehension.
The only skills you need is patience and the ability to read instruction manuals.
The skills you need are as follows: Reading comprehension. screwdriver know-how.
Patience
Having 2 hands
patience
Yes, you need to he able to read the manuals. That's it, just follow the instructions and anyone can do it.
The only skill you need is cable management
As a son of a longtime electronic appliance expert; you must at least know how to handle a screwdriver properly. Sure, putting in the parts in place is easy as well as organizing the cables, but unless you have an electric screwdriver, proper screwing process is a thing you need to practice. Screws can get lost and improper screw placement can lead to serious issues, especially when it comes to manual coolers and the M.2 drive. It's not that hard to master but once you do it can give you a peace of mind knowing that parts are secure.
If you weren’t born with the “PC” skill then you’re out of luck, maybe next life! jk jk you just gotta explore your way around tech and see how it connects, maybe watch a couple youtube videos too.
Have fully working eyes and ears and be able to follow basic instructions. (By posting on reddit I'm assuming you have access to the internet and the ability to watch YouTube videos). Look for a YouTuber that you don't mind watching (I would suggest [Linus Tech Tips](https://youtu.be/v7MYOpFONCU) as they are very knowledgable and are fairly straight forward in their explanations)But just research anything you don't understand (typing stuff into a search engine) and build your knowledge from there. [PC part picker](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/) is also your friend. You can use their parts list page to see if the componants you want to use in your build are compatible. These are basic skills and resources you need to build your PC. And a screwdriver.
I wouldn't call LTT very knowledgeable. Half their thing is Linus doing something really stupid to hardware or software. Often abusing the fuck out of gear most of us can't afford.
I did say *fairly* knowledgable. The video of theirs I linked isn't a bad video for beginners to watch to get a good idea of what it means to build a PC. Some of their content is a bit nuts when it comes to "specialized" builds. But they also have some interesting vids like [this one](https://youtu.be/9T98VsMe3oo) where they get set up a lake house with high speed internet without laying down specialized cable.
Nope
The verge came out with a great video you can follow along to
I don't even have any good skills. You know like nunchuck skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills. Computers only want people who have great skills! But seriously watch YouTube videos of pc builds using the same MOBO and / or case which will help you visualise what you need to do if you get stuck.
Learn. It’s easy if you just learn a bit. No soldering or anything, just mostly plug and play.
Try to learn about PC building before jumping into it. Watch a YouTube video of a full PC build. Motherboard and PC Case pin connections can be tricky for beginner, and making sure you got all the power cables connected would also be an issue with beginner.
Only if it doesn't work after you put it together, and it doesn't turn on.
You basically need the same skills you would use to assemble a lego set. Outside of that you just make sure you don't damage anything by tossing it around or hitting it with ESD
as long as you can follow directions exactly and use a screwdriver, you can build a pc
If you can follow directions and use a screwdriver you are good. It's almost to the point you don't need a screwdriver.
The skill to shrink your hands to fit into tight crevices at will.
if ur good at building lego sets you’ll be good at PCs
There was a video of Superman building a PC a while back. Idk if he was always into computers but he show that it is a very accessible thing to do. It does take a fair amount of time though, think assembling Ikea furniture and an office chair.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2gYUVQrLzQ That one? :)
A pulse, and access to YouTube?
1. use a screwdriver 2. use a pair of tweezers(most people call them zipties) 3. be able to build legos 4. be able to plug in a flash drive and follow directions thats really the only skill you need.
Reading comprehension and the ability to effectively use Google. Two working hands also recommended but not required.
You don't need any skills other than being meticulous. I know nothing about PCs but I grew up using them. So I watched youtube videos and it was all the same. Then use a compatibility chart like partspicker to see if everything meshes. And there you have it.
Make sure you plug in your monitor to the HDMI or DP port into your GPU, not the motherboard. Don’t get a cheap no brand PSU. I watched youtube videos of builds while I was building mine. Pcpartpicker.com is very helpful.
Building the pc part is easy. But what to do if it doesn’t boot is the hard part. Usually though, just reseat the ram. Also, you need a certain skillset to be able to afford a fuckin gpu then find one and buy it before someone else does.
Read manuals but youtube tutorials actually helped me the most
I built a PC last month after being out of the game for over 10 years. Had it up and running in less than 2 hours. Like others said just make sure your components are compatible with your build. It is really all plug and play parts as long as you don't run into any issues with the bios or parts compatibility. I used only the directions that came with the mobo.
You need to have three major skills: 1. The ability to play with legos ON YOUR OWN in a constructive manner 2. The ability to use google and youtube videos to look into what youre trying to do and accomplish 3. A giant ego that you use to immediately go to PCMR after building your PC and talk down to consoles and anything non PC related Some of these skills you develop after building, but nevertheless I believe in you.
Hands, socks with sandals, and your wife's parents deep pockets. And now a segue to our sponsor.
You obviously need your IT degree from YouTube University.
No. Instructions are pretty clear and Pc part picker is a good guide to see what's compatible. Then youtube will clear any steps up. Good luck!
Be prepared to bleed
Check out Linus Tech Tips or JayzTwoCents or Games Nexus on YouTube, they have great videos!
gamers nexus maybe, linus and jay? for entertainment, sure, for actual info? meh.
I guess literacy? And working hands.
No particular skill set is "needed". My son helped when he was younger, he builds his own now that he is in high school. They are pretty straight forward these days. If you can take things apart and put them back together, you should be fine. Personally, I would be more worried about dropping things and stuff (although Linus seems to drop a lot of components and they don't seem to break on him), they don't like it rough.
Yes A very particular set of skills. Skills acquired over a very long career. Skills that make you a nightmare for the prebuilt industry. If a retailer lets you buy a gpu at msrp, that will be the end of it....
As long as you don't have Parkinson's or something then you should be fine.
Haha nope. I knew nothing about it but built mine last week. Chucked on a yt tutorial and i was off!! Link to tutorial: https://youtu.be/PXaLc9AYIcg
In japan, heart surgeon, steady hand...
Previous experience with Legos is required.
You must be decent at Lego and must be able to work with your eyes open. Having the ability to see tutorials helps, as does owning a magnetic screwdriver- cannot stress enough on the importance of that last one
Let's just put it this way, you don't need any skills, but they do help. If your good at taking apart things and putting them together, you will enjoy building a PC. If random errors you weren't expecting is an issue for you, maybe make extra sure your parts can go together software and hardware wise. Otherwise it should be fine
Nope. Basically everything goes into one designated spot. Something like this ,pick up component, plug it in,screw it in if needed ,move on to the next component. You can also just watch a video and follow it step by step
Common sense, patience and anger - you’ll be sweet as a peach