On our last article we discussed the Budget Grunty PC Build under US$1500.00 but never showed you how it was built, so for today’s article we will explain how we built that PC and this will be a good guide for those who haven’t done one or haven’t done for a while as we will show step by step how to do them. Building a PC from scratch is easier than you might think, if you built Lego’s from the past, it is almost similar, just put things where it can fit, some needs screws and that’s about it.
The process might be long but as mentioned it is straightforward even those without experience can do it. So here you go.
Before we begin here are the items you need.
- Case
- CPU
- CPU Cooler (Fan or Water Cooling)
- Motherboard
- Hard drive or solid-state drive (SSD)
- RAM
- Power Supply
- Video Card (optional)
- Monitor
- Screwdriver
- Anti-Static Wristband (recommended if you are in an area full of static)
Let’s start
1. Prepare your Case, open the required areas so you can fit your motherboard, cables and power supply. This varies by manufacturer and all of them usually supply a manual. Each manufacturer also follows a standard like where the screws are mounted and the size so everything can fit in. Having said that buy a Case that fits your motherboard and there are 4 sizes to choose from which I will enumerate below. For this sample we are using a case that can support Mini-ITX, Micro-ATX, ATX, E-ATX so regardless what motherboard I buy it would fit on it.
Mini-ITX – The smallest motherboard, they tend to have less features and only comes with two RAM DIMM slots, so don’t buy this if you intend to use a lot of Memory. PCI-E slots are reduced as well compared to others. Good to use if you want a small desktop
Micro ATX – Most common size for motherboard, a good balance between size and features. It comes with a standard 4 RAM DIMM Slots and multiple PCI-E slots. You will have multiple M.2 slots for your SSD and definitely lots of IO connections.
ATX – This is the standard size bigger than Micro ATX also gets more features.
E-ATX – This is the largest of all, also called Extended ATX, usually these are the high-end motherboards with lots of features and more PCI-E Slots. No point of using this if you will just build a day-to-day PC or even a powerful one, they are meant for enthusiasts. A good example of these GODLIKE motherboards like the ones from MSI.
XL-ATX – Well this is actually the largest and wides, it’s also the rarest. Usually used for powerful workstations as it can have 8 RAM DIMM slots.
When choosing a motherboard, you will need to check first what Processor you will be using like 12th Generation Intel i7 will use a LGA1700 while AMD Ryzen 7 5800X uses an AM4 socket. Each motherboard will be compatible only to the processor you are using.
Set this case aside.
2. Unbox your motherboard then place your motherboard in a flat surface.
3. Unbox your processor your processor.
4. Plug in your CPU into the CSP socket, in our example we are plugging in a 12th Generation Inter i7 into the LGA1700 socket. There is a notch on the CPU’s so it won’t go in if it’s not in the right orientation.
5. Unbox your M.2 SSD if using one, plug it into the M.2 slot. Secure the M.2 SSD.
6. If you have more M.2 SSD’s add the succeeding slots of your motherboard. Secure the additional M.2 SSDs.
7. Unbox your SATA SSD’s if using. Secure it in your case then plug the SATA
8. Unbox your CPU fan or AOI water cooler, get the support bracket which you will place at the backside of the motherboard. Turn over your motherboard, place the necessary support bracket along with its screws, secure. Turn it over again.
9. Unbox your RAM, place your RAM into the DIMM slots. Check motherboard manual if there is a preferred slots to fill up first in case you only have 2. Also check what RAM speed your Motherboard can handle, for our sample it can use RAM up to 4800 MHz and I am installing a 3600 MHz RAM.
10. Grab your PC Case, lay it flat on a sturdy surface then screw the motherboard in to the case’s body.
11. Unbox your Power Supply, if you are using a modular one, plug the necessary cables into the sockets of the power supply. Secure your Power Supply into the case then arrange your cables.
12. Unbox your fan or AIO Cooler. Secure fan or AIO Cooler. If using AIO Water Cooler, its best to secure your radiator first into the case as this is heavy. For AIO Orientation here is a useful guide on how to orient your AIO Water Cooler
13. Unbox your fans, if you are using multiple ones. Secure fans into the Case. For a guide on Case airflow here is a good article on how you place your fans into your case to get the best airflow.
14. Plug the cables into the motherboard. Here what you need to plug.
- CPU Power (1 and 2 from the Power Supply)
- ATX Power (from the Power Supply)
- Case FP1 (from Case Cables)
- CPU Fan (from the CPU Fan)
- Pump Fan (if using AIO Water cooling)
- Audio Cables (from the Case Cables)
- USB’s (from the Case Cables)
- System Fans (from the Fans)
- RGB (If you are using RGB lighting in your fans and/or AIO Water Cooler)
- Rainbow (If you are using Rainbow lighting in your fans and/or AIO Water Cooler)
- SATA Cables (from your SATA SSD)
15. Plug cables to your SATA if you are using one.
16. Apply thermal paste into the CPU then secure your fan or AIO Water Cooler into the CPU and the bracket.
17. Unbox your Graphics Card if using one, remove the backet cover at the back of the case. Plug your Graphics Card into the PCI-E slot. Plug power cable into the Graphics Card.
18. You’re done with the build, do not cover your Case yet in case you forgot something to plug. Plug the computer then turn it on. If the fans work and if any of the RGB lights turn on, most probably you are finished with the hardware build.
19. Cover the case then plug a monitor and verify that it shows something on the screen.
20. If you see the BIOS screen then congratulations you built your PC all you need to do is install an OS.
