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Easy things include installing M.2 drives, RAM, hard drives. (Just read the motherboard manual to ensure you use the right slots/ports for optimal performance.)
by neogodless 4y ago
Easy things include installing M.2 drives, RAM, hard drives. (Just read the motherboard manual to ensure you use the right slots/ports for optimal performance.)
Medium difficulty might be installing the motherboard into the case (getting the rear I/O ports aligned just right) or installing the CPU with thermal paste into that motherboard, along with the heatsink.
Hard difficulty is just getting all the wires run without obstructing airflow (or just looking "ugly"), and the little wires from the case to the motherboard in all the right places. Also if you install AIO (all-in-one cooling), you may have to try a few things to make sure everything lines up and it all fits nicely in your case.
None of the above are difficult if you're experienced, but on your first run it might be tricky. And this doesn't include setting up the OS, tweaking and optimizing things... or knowing what to do if something doesn't work as expected. Sometimes you'll get a bad stick of RAM, but that usually gives off symptoms of half a dozen other issues, though with experience you start to default to that assumption, and find ways to rule it out earlier.
Having done it dozens of times, I find it quite easy, but I also know that when things go wrong, they can be scary, and occasionally expensive. (A friend once dropped a CPU and bent the pins irrecoverably!)
- glenneroo 4y agoI love building PCs and haven't bought a pre-built system ever in 30+ years. That said, thankfully, for inexperienced folk there are innumerable videos on YouTube explaining each step of the process. I admit I sometimes watch these videos to see if there are any new tips/tricks/secrets that builders have figured out for e.g. working with a new case and getting all that wiring done correctly.
- systemvoltage 4y agoDisagree. None of it is even moderately "hard". PC Building is the easiest thing out there. Right along with soldering, which has a similar reputation being "hard". If you can wear pants in the morning, you can build a pc and solder anything, even 0402 components and sot-23 packages with zero experience. You can't fuck it up even if you tried. Millions of people build IKEA furniture. PC Building is much easier than that.
- alfalfasprout 4y agoTo a certain degree, yes. Insofar as getting a computer assembled and functional. If you want to get fancy with the cooling, design/aesthetics, etc. that becomes another art form of its own. Diminishing returns obviously apply.
- mrcheesebreeze 4y agoI wouldn't say easiest. Its definitely no where near as hard as a layman can think, but I remember my pc causing me some stress when building it due to fixing random issues or trying to fit things in properly. Its not very hard but its not easy either.
- fomine3 4y ago> the little wires from the case to the motherboard in all the right places This is often underrated difficulty, especially for whose hands aren't small. I've never failed, but just physically difficult. I get sweat while plugging connector located to small space, and takes bunch of time, especially with bigger air cooler. ASUS Q-connector is great tool but it's not widely adopted.