A Guide To Building Your Own PC

[Asus]

This article is meant as a guide helping you put together your own PC.

Components you will need:
Case
Power Supply
Motherboard
CPU
Thermal Compound or Thermal Pad
Heatsink/Fan
Memory
Graphics Card
Optical Drive
Hard drive
IDE Cables
SATA Cables
Case Fans

Other supplies you may need:
Table
Phillips Screwdriver
Flathead Screwdriver
Needle-Nose Pliers
Anti-Static Band
Anti-Static Mat
Isopropyl Alcohol
Plastic Card
Cloth

Static
Static is an issue when building a PC. The key to keeping the system safe from static is to construct your PC on a table, not on a carpet or linoleum floor. Keep yourself grounded to the case before getting hands-on with the components and throughout building the PC. Use an Anti-Static Mat or an Anti-Static Band for additional help keeping everything grounded.

Reminder
Inspect the Case to get an idea of any obstructions in the way. This article is taking only the standard Case and system designs into account. Also read the Manual that comes with the Motherboard.

Power Supply
The first part to install is your Power Supply. Orient the unit, in the upper rear corner of the case, so the 4 screw holes line up with the case. There should be 4 screws provided with the Power Supply or Case. Plug the Power Supply into the wall but keep the switch on the back of the unit off. Do Not Touch The Red Voltage Switch.

Standoffs
Second, mount the Standoff Spacers which are provided with the case. They should line up with the holes on the motherboard. Generally there are two vertical rows of three mounted starting closest to the rear of the case.

CPU
I would recommend installing the CPU and mounting the Heatsink/Fan onto the Motherboard prior to installing it into the Case. Lift the lever or plate on the CPU Socket and line up the pins to install the CPU. Look to the corners and other indications for lining up the CPU with the Socket.

Heatsink/Fan
The Heatsink/Fan should include a Thermal Pad and simply place it centered on bottom of the Heatsink. If using Thermal Compound then you will need to remove the Thermal Pad. It’s best to use a Plastic Card and not a knife. You do not want to leave scratches in the Heatsink as it will reduce how well it cools. For removing Thermal Compound, use Isopropyl Alcohol (Mostly Pure) and a cloth.
-Only use a small dot when applying Thermal Compound on a CPU with a Heatspreader, such as an Athlon 64 or Pentium 4. It will spread to create a circle in the center where the Core is beneath.
-Cover the core with a paper thin layer when applying Thermal Compound on a CPU without a Heatspreader, such as an Athlon XP. You do not want it spreading to other parts of the chip as it may short your CPU.

Mounting the Heatsink/Fan is different on a number of boards.
-For Athlon XP systems, one latch has a shoe to use a Flathead Screwdriver and the other does not. The Heatsink/Fan will only go on one direction so make sure you have it facing the right way by looking at the Socket. Hook the plain latch first and then carefully using a FlatHead Screwdriver leverage the other latch into place. Make sure each latch is fully on and snug after you are done with each side. Be careful with the Screwdriver and do not slip.
-For Athlon 64 and Pentium 4 systems, the mounting bracket should already be installed on the board. Simply align the Heatsink/Fan with the Socket and snap the mounting clips.

Make sure to plug in the CPU and Power Supply’s (if needed) Fan into the 3-pin fan header on the Motherboard.

Memory
You may install the Memory now or after you install the Motherboard into the Case. If the system uses Single Channel Memory, simply start with Slot One. If the system uses Dual Channel Memory then consult the Motherboard’s Manual as to which slots to use. Generally they are Slot One and Slot Three and they are usually color coded.

Plastic Standoffs
Use Plastic Standoffs to support the front edge of the Motherboard which are not supported by the metal Standoffs. These snap into the bottom of the Motherboard and not the case. Make sure the points near the Memory slots and IDE connectors are supported.

I/O Shield Panel
The Motherboard will come with its own I/O (Input/Output) Panel to fit the ports on the back of the case. Be careful removing the one which came with the case as well as installing the new panel as they tend to be very sharp.

Motherboard
In the pile of screws that came with the case, be careful and test the screws in the Standoffs. Find the screws with matching threads and avoid stripping the screws and Standoffs. This will save you time rather than fitting the Motherboard in first, then getting the screws stuck and having a terrible time starting over.

Fit the Motherboard in the case and make sure the mounting holes are centered over the Standoffs. It may be tricky fitting the ports on the board with the I/O Panel. Make sure the metal flaps on the I/O Panel fit around and not in the ports. I would recommend not handling the Heatsink/Fan when installing the Motherboard.

Drives
Next, install the Optical and Hard Drives. First, set the drives as Master and Slave. Use Needle-Nosed Pliers if you need help moving the Jumpers on the back of the Drive. If two drives are to share an IDE cable, one must be set as Master and the other Slave. It is set via the Jumper on the back of the Drive, shorting those two pins designating Master or Slave. These two settings do not affect performance but rather think of it as Device 0 and Device 1. As a note, some drives (mainly Optical Drives) can be picky as to the configuration. When mounting the drives, use at least three screws to make sure the drives do not vibrate.

Expansion Cards
Install the remaining Expansion Cards, such as Video or Sound Cards. Simply remove the screw and the plate for that slot and install the Expansion Card. At this time, plug in the 4-pin Molex connectors from the Power Supply to each device. Optical Drives, Hard Drives, Video Card (if needed) and the Case Fans. Also plug in the large ATX and the square 4-pin (if needed) Motherboard power connectors.

POST
Turn on the switch to the Power Supply and enjoy. It should beep once to signal everything tested OK. If it does not beep then something is wrong. Check your power connectors and other parts to make sure everything is securely plugged in. If it beeps more than once check the Motherboard’s Manual or the Bios Manufacture’s website (AMI, Award, MR BIOS, or Phoenix) to determine the beep code and hint at what could be wrong.

Setup and Install
Generally, pressing delete allows you to enter your Bios. Just set the CD Drive to boot first when installing Windows from the CD. Some DVD Drives are not bootable.

To setup Windows on a SATA drive or a SATA RAID array follow these instructions (Thanks blahblahblah):

Be sure to put your motherboard SATA drivers on a floppy disk. You will use that when installing Windows XP.

1) Set up your RAID array according to your motherboard manual.
2) Install Windows 2000/XP is setting up, at the first blue screen hit F6 to load a third party mass storage driver. If you miss this, you will be warned that there are no hard drives attached. Restart the machine and tap the F6 key and complete the routine. It will then prompt you for an OEM disk for your Mass Storage Controller. Insert the floppy your created and load the driver. This will let you use your raid. Leave this floppy in the drive.
3) Choose install to the empty disk and choose NTFS Full format, not quick. If you don't have any other hard drisks on your regular IDE channels, there can be a LONG pause after the format, be patient.
4) If you had a the long pause during install, you will have the same booting into windows. Once the install is all done, go into the BIOS, and change "Auto" to "None" for all channels where there are no devices connected. This is for your regular IDE channels, NOT your RAID array.
5) Let Windows do its thing.

Good Luck.


*Suggestions to modify or add to this guide can be sent to me via PM.

 

[h4vvok]

Don't forget that DVD drives commonly are not bootable....sometimes requires boot disks to start your OS setup

 

[bryanf445]

wow great thread thanks asus

 

[Shamrock]

Just in time, I was about to build my computer and was not sure if I had all the necessary components. Thank you for the thread Asus.

 

[westie]

nice one, im sure this will help load'sa people

 

[SidewinderX]

nice one, im sure this will help load'sa people

the key is wether or not it will keep them from posting

 

[Malfunction]

the key is wether or not it will keep them from posting

Pfft, you give them too much credit. There have been loads of, "Will my PC run HL2 well?!?!?!?!?!11?/" threads even with that great big sticky. So no, it won't, but I'm sure everyone appreciates your work Asus.

 

[bryanf445]

well im sure that some new people dont even know what a sticky is

 

[Sgt.Igneri]

winston ass guide!! nicely modified asus

 

[Ryjalon5k]

nice. i will now try to build my own comp when i get money.

( i did build one a year ago. it was friggen ghettoed up the ass though)

 

[DSDchemE]

I'm new to making computers. I know nothing about setting up the MB, CPU, or power-source (though I know how to install hard-drives, optical-drives, and RAM). I've installed expansion cards, but never anything that had to be powered (except by the PCI/AGP connector).
I'm not too worried about putting it all together. I can do that. However, I'm not sure how to see that everything will fit together properly (and be compatible). I have a few questions:

1. Do I have to worry about matching the MB with the case (size differences for IO panel?, etc.)?

2. How do I make sure that everything is compatible (MB-, CPU-wise)? Does it say on the CPU specs, etc?

3. Should I worry about the MB having enough connections (i.e. power for graphics card, etc.)?

4. Does the MB have support for USB 2.0, firewire, etc? Or do I need to get those separately?

5. Any recommendations for component shopping, or anything else I might need to know?


Thanks in advance.

 

[Asus]

The case and MB should be ATX compatible. Some boards are micro-ATX and are shorter boards with less PCI slots. They work as well. The ATX standard just makes sure the size and where the screw mounts are placed are the same.

The CPU and MB should have the same Socket. Other than that double check that the MB supports that CPU speed. I don't know of any conflicts with current boards and supporting CPU speeds.

The MB just has 1 or 2 power connections (Large ATX power connection and maybe a 4-pin power). The graphic cards get their power through the AGP/PCI slot and then if they have a molex connector for power from the PowerSupply.

The motherboard should have USB2.0 support, some have Firewire.

 

[DSDchemE]

Awesome...Thanks for the info and quick response. Very helpful.

 

[holydeadpenguins]

In some cases you can't fit a motherboard with a heatsink allready installed in. You need to mount the motherboard first then instal the heatsink. But installing the heatsink before mounting is recommended. Also an atx 2.0 motherboard does not require an atx 2.0 powersupply as long as the powersupply has high enough amperage.

 

[Hazar]

What in the world would you need Isopropyl Alcohol or a Plastic Card for?

Good info though

 

[Ripcord]

If you're re-using a processor to which you had already used thermal compund, it must be removed with a suitable solvent. I use isopropyl alcohol from a bottle of gas-line antifreeze since it's close to 100%, not the 70% rubbing alcohol variety. The plastic card is used to spread the new thermal compound into a thin layer on top of the processor - if too much is used, it may ooze into the chip's inner workings when it heats up - this could damage the chip. Very nice post btw, I am ready to build my second computer using an Asus P800C mb. Thanks for the good information.

 

[Phisionary]

If you're re-using a processor to which you had already used thermal compund, it must be removed with a suitable solvent.

Yes. Got to careful using the right cleaner. Many household cleaners use additives which do not evaporate clean. Alcohol is a good one (the 90%+ stuff works a bit better I think), and Goof-off is also good. It's active ingrediant is xylene, and it evaporates completely. Cleans very well.
Stuff is ****ing viscious, though. I think I'm allergic or something, but my hands hurt for days if I touch it. :\

 

[WAITn4HL2]

dont know if this is a good spot to ask this ? but what would be a good mb for gameing (amd64 3200) and what would be good memory for gameing i was looking at these 2.
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-131-510&depa=1
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=20-145-522&depa=0
would the mb be good for OCing the processor with thanx.

 

[Phisionary]

I suggest making a new thread about your question. It will not be seen here, and doesn't belong here either, really.

 

[Phisionary]

Goof-off is also good. It's active ingrediant is xylene, and it evaporates completely.

Oh hey. Figured out where I came up with this. Check out the official Artic Silver instruction page for support of using xylene-based cleaners. As the maker of the arguably best thermal paste around, that's a good word for it.

They do also mention high-purity isopropyl alcohol and acetone, as well, but not in regards to removing thermal pads and such.

 

[Nabobalis]

What is the best way to ground your self so you don't fry any componts(sp) with out using a anti static band or mat?
Also is a hard drive shielded from static?

 

[Phisionary]

Static is not good for anything, hard-drives included. Touching the frame is ok, but touching the PCB or the data pins could be bad...

I do my best to remove any static-producing clothing or materials from the area, and tie up my hair. If you have long hair it could move about and generate static. Multiple layers of clothing that rub together is not a good idea. no wool, no silk, they generate static. Other fabrics may as well, rayon or polyester, I dunno. Cotton is probably the safest.
Other than that, I just make sure to touch a grounded object before handling any parts, and on a preiodic basis in general. The metal of the computer case is usually enough of a ground to keep you from frying things, IMHO. I dunno, maybe that's not good, but it's worked for me. To the best of my knowledge, I've not fried anything yet....

 

[Asus]

Yeah, touching the case is a good way of grounding yourself. Have the powercord plugged into the wall helps too. You don't have to have the PowerSupply on though, the ground is still connected to the wall.

 

[bryanf445]

now your still in danger to getting shocked if the comp is off but the power cord is still connected to the psu? i always take the cord out though

 

[Jellyman]

IT GOOOOOOOOOOOOD

Thank you Come Again
:afro:

 

[dj_flameskull]

I usually install up to three fans on my casing to provide good air circulation.

1 on front : air inwards
1 on the side : air inwards
1 at the back : air outwards

This will help u get rid of the heat, or at least prevent heat build up inside the casing. And i personally recomend this especially if u guys got the big time cpu's.

for improved cooling, try to get a good aftermarket cpu coolers too - the ones that come with bigger fans and faster RPMs.

 

[oni_666]

Personally when building a new computer I always install the power supply in the case last, the stand offs and board go in first.
The reason for this is because of some smaller dimension cases the power supply can actually sit just above the cpu and heatsink.
Also after I've installed everything else, its easier to work out where I want the cables from the psu to go.
Since I can then route the cable around the components and then tidy things up with cable ties, etc.

As for static, well I've built maybe 100's of computers over the last 10 years or so, And I find that periodically going into the bathroom or kitchen and touching the taps (or faucet, for you guys in USA) is the best way to discharge any static to protect against ESD.
But each to his own, I guess.

When I built my Last PC back in June '04, which was about my 4th major upgrade I've done over the last 12 years, I spent 8 hours just on cable management alone.
This may seem excessive, But a case free of untidy cables, not only looks good, but can reduce operating temps of the board, cpu and gpu by 10 degrees or more.
Most if not all of my cables are cable tied behind the motherboard and right case panel, and all bare cables or wires have been shrink wrapped, to prevent shorts.

 

[smsKONG]

Well damnit if I'd read this a week ago I could have saved myself a fair bit of stressing trying to fit my raptor....things weren't made easier by the fact I didn't bother fitting a floppy in my new comp as I didn't think I'd need it!

It's all good tho, what doesn't kill our computers only makes us stronger:E

Now I've just gotta sort out my BIOS properly- got most of it sorted but I'm flying blind again really. Apparently my worst problem is I've got the IO queue depth for the host bus controller(PCI to CPU I think) set to 1 but I've no idea how to change it (also I've got no PCI cards fitted in yet-except my ethernet but that ain't even installed- so it ain't a biggy. In fact maybe thats part of the problem, I'll whack the ethernet drivers and software on to activate the card and see if that does anything. But if anyone has any ideas about changing host bus queue depths manually please still let me know.

thanks, and my system specs (posted partly to help u help me, but mainly for the feeling of enormous pride I get thinking about my first build ) -

XPhome SP2
amd64 3500+ (90nm)
A8V Deluxe (Wi-Fi edition)
1GB Dual DDR (corsair XMS3200C2PRO)
74GB WD Raptor
Gainward 6600GT GLH
NEC-3520A DVD-RW
ENERMAX 420W noisetaker
plus a silly number of fans and sad glowing bits
oh and no damn floppy!

 

[Muhahahaha]

Oh yeah, I almost forgot about the gel stuff for the processor. As you can tell from my sig, I'll be building a new comp soon, so this info will be helpful. I'm not using my old processor or anything like that, so I don't have to worry about solvents. I'll just have to come back later once I get a CPU and find out what to do. I'm pretty experienced with most of the stuff, even though this is only the second computer I've built, I just need help spreading the gel when the time comes.

 

[Muhahahaha]

dont know if this is a good spot to ask this ? but what would be a good mb for gameing (amd64 3200) and what would be good memory for gameing i was looking at these 2.
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=13-131-510&depa=1
http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?description=20-145-522&depa=0
would the mb be good for OCing the processor with thanx.

From what I can tell, those would definitely be good components for gaming. I'm not sure about OCing, but I think most boards will OC pretty well. Only boards made by the same company as the processor may not OC very well. I know that AMD has locked their processors, but is that on the chip or the mobo? It's on the mobo for pentium, so if you don't get an AMD mobo, I think it should be fine.

 

[P43.2/1Gig/X800P]

Would it be a waist for me too upgrade from 2X 512 to 2X1gig sticks .mainly for BF2 loading.

 

[3ssence]

Not really, as you have generic ram, you shouldn't be losing much money. Will definitely make a difference in BF2, up to you though.

 

[sniper wolf]

ok, so i decided to build my own pc but i just want to make sure everything is compatible with everything else cuz this will be my first time.

Case:
Antec LifeStyle SONATA II Piano Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 450Watt SmartPower 2.0 ATX 12V V2.0 for AMD & Intel systems Power Supply - Retail
Model #: SONATA II

Motherboard:
MSI K8N Neo4 Platinum Socket 939 NVIDIA nForce4 Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Model #: K8N NEO4 Platinum

Video card:
ASUS EN7800GTX/2DHTV/512M Geforce 7800GTX 512MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail
Model #: EN7800GTX/2DHTV/512M

CPU:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Manchester 1GHz FSB Socket 939 Dual Core Processor Model ADA4600BVBOX - Retail
Model #: ADA4600BVBOX

RAM:
4x Crucial 512MB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Unbuffered System Memory Model CT6464Z40B - OEM
Model #: CT6464Z40B

Floppy:
MITSUMI Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive - OEM
Model #: D359M3D/D359M3B

Hard drive:
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500KS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: WD2500KS

Keyboard/mouse:
Logitech Cordless Desktop MX3100 967513-0403 2-Tone PS/2 RF Wireless Standard Keyboard Mouse Included - Retail
Model #: 967513-0403

Monitor:
SAMSUNG 204T-Black 20.1" 16ms LCD Monitor - Retail
Model #: 204T BLK

cd/dvd drives:
LITE-ON Black IDE Combo Drive Model SOHC-5236V BK RTL - Retail
Model #: SOHC-5236V BK RTL
&
NEC Black IDE/ATAPI DVD Burner Model ND-3550A - OEM
Model #: ND-3550A BK OEM

cpu cooler:
Thermaltake CL-P0200 Silent 938 K8 - AMD K8 solution w/ Heatpipe Cooling Tech - Retail
Model #: CL-P0200

sound card:
Creative 70SB035000017 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster Audigy 2 - Retail
Model #: 70SB035000017

speakers:
Logitech X-230 32 Watts RMS 2.1 Speaker - OEM
Model #: 970123-1403

OS:
Microsoft Windows XP Professional With SP2 - OEM
Model #: E85-04026


are there going to be any more parts/accessories that ill need? and are these parts compatible with each other, from what i could tell they are but i just want to double check with someone who has experience.

 

[coLE']

Be sure to put your motherboard SATA drivers on a floppy disk. You will use that when installing Windows XP

- didn't bother with a floppy drive bu i got new hard drive, should i just install xp from my disc and everything shall be GRAAAAVY ?

 

[dlandis72]

trying to boot from WINXP cd

...but it's not working. I just installed a new Asus A8N5X motherboard and formatted my harddrives so I need to reinstall windows. I went into the BIOS and set the PC to boot from the CD-ROM. The system reboots and then the CD-ROM starts spinning, but nothing changes on the screen. Any ideas?

 

[Barney Fife]

- didn't bother with a floppy drive bu i got new hard drive, should i just install xp from my disc and everything shall be GRAAAAVY ?

Go into BIOS, in the "Boot Priority" menu, in the first boot, select "Boot from CD" and then later windows formats HD and loads temporary files into the installer, and system boots, deselect "CD" and reselect "HD" so you don't have to go through windows legal agreement and formatting and all that crap.

Good Luck. Hehe.

 

[Lawzt Kawz]

I need a sound card and Ill be set...that and a new monitor