HOW TO BUILD A GAMING PC ( STEP BY STEP GUIDE) PART 2

I. Pre-Build Prep

Before you jump into putting your new computer together, there’s a couple of items you should have, a few things you should do, and a number of things you should take into consideration before getting started.

1. Make Sure You Have the Following…
All of the components necessary to build your computer. (Need full part lists? Check out our pre-made build guides: high-end builds, budget-friendly builds)
A #1 or #2 Phillips-Head screwdriver (if you can get a screwdriver with a magnetic tip, that would be ideal.)
USB flash drive with Windows 10 on it (click here for how to install Windows 10 from a USB drive)
Zip ties for cable management (and wire cutters or scissors to trim them off)
Extra SATA cables if you’re installing multiple storage devices and/or an optical drive
A flashlight or some kind of light source (the light from your smart phone will work) can be helpful
Access to the internet to help you troubleshoot any problems that may arise during the build
2. Read Through Our Guide on the Most Common PC Building Mistakes
We’ve put together a list of the most common mistakes first-time builders make when building their PC. This list will help you know what not to do—which can be just as useful as knowing what to do.

Check out the list here.

*NOTE: If you’ve already selected your components you can skip down the list to the section specifically related to the building process.

3. Read Through Your Motherboard’s Manual
Nobody likes reading a manual. But, if it’s your first time building a PC, the manual that comes with your motherboard contains a lot of information you must know in order to build your computer correctly.

So, while you probably want to jump right into building your computer, if you’re a first-timer, it will be a good idea to take the time to read through your motherboard’s manual before you get started.

At the very least, be sure to read the section on RAM installation (correct RAM placement can vary from motherboard to motherboard) and take note of the section that tells you how to install the front panel connector from your case—you’ll need to come back to that page when it’s time to connect the front panel connector to your motherboard.

*NOTE: Your case’s manual is worth reading through as well.

4. Clear a Space to Build On—Preferably On A Large Table
There are a lot of parts that go into building a computer, whether it’s the components themselves, or the screws, standoffs, and cables that secure and connect everything together. So, it’s important to give yourself plenty of room to not only assemble your computer, but to also keep track of all of your components and the parts and cables that go with them.

And, if you can organize your components and the screws/cables that go with them, you’ll have a much easier time assembling your system. You don’t want to get the screws that secure your motherboard in place mixed up with the screws that mount your power supply to your case.

Ultimately, the ideal place to build your system is on a large well-lit table.

And, make sure you avoid building your system on carpet, as the static electricity build-up in the carpet can damage your components. If the table you’re building your computer on is located on carpet, it’d be a good idea to wear an anti-static wrist band during the build as well to ensure that you don’t transfer any static electricity to your components.

5. Think About Cable Management BEFORE You Build
Many guides mention something like “Don’t forget about cable management!” towards the end of the guide. However, cable management should be taken into consideration from the very beginning.

This will be difficult to do for first-time builders who aren’t familiar with where all of their cables will end up going. But, it can be done if you plan accordingly.

Here are some tips you can use to help you get youself more familiar with cable management before you start building your computer.

Tip #1: Check out this list of good cable management examples.

Tip #2: Read through your motherboard’s manual. This will give you a good idea of where everything will plug in.

Tip #3: Skim through this guide before you build to get a sense of when you will install each component.

Tip #4: Before you start building, temporarily place your motherboard inside of your case so you can get an idea of where the ports line up in relation to where cable cutouts on your case are. This will give you a good idea of where you should run your cables so that they will come out closest to the ports they need to be plugged into.

Tip #5: As a general rule of thumb, you want to run as much of your cables behind the motherboard tray and storage cages as possible.

Tip #6: The length of your PSU’s cables and the size of your case will play a big role on cable management. In some instances, your cables may not be long enough to where they can be routed behind the motherboard tray. After you mount your PSU, it’s a good idea to do a test run, by running the cables behind the motherboard tray and through the cutouts nearest to where you think they’ll end up. That way, you’ll have a good idea on whether or not you can run them behind the tray before you start installing components.

Tip #7: Most modern cases have hooks and cutouts that you can use to tie your cables down with a zip tie. Use them!

Tip #8: While modular and semi-modular power supplies are more expensive than non-modular power supplies, they are much easier to do cable management with as you won’t have to figure out where to hide/secure excess cables.

Tip #9: If you are going to use a non-modular power supply, you can place your excess cables inside hard drive/SSD cages or underneath PSU shrouds (if your case has one).

Tip #10: Bundle cables together that are going in the same direction.

It will be tough to get your cable management perfect on the first try. And, really, your cable management doesn’t have to be perfect. The goal is really just to ensure that you don’t have a mess of cables that restrict airflow going into and out of your case.

But, having some sort of plan on cable management before you start building is half the battle.