Is it possible to build a PC without experience.

pinkfloydian

I'm told that a build is usually more reliable than an off-the-shelf from a retailer.

I'd love to have a go, but I've no experience, and wouldn't know where to start.

I've a fair idea of the general specification (with exception of the processor and the PSU).

Tommy

ancapailldorcha

I don't know about reliability. Possibly given that you'll be choosing the parts themselves for quality whereas the likes of Dell might be inclined to cut corners on less sexy bits like PSU's which are still really important.

As far as being qualified goes, if I can do it everyone can. Try watching a few videos on Youtube. PCPartpicker might be a good place to start. There are only 2 companies you'll buy processors from, all RAM is inserted in the same way so the basics of putting it together are quite straightforward. It's only troubleshooting that causes issues.

Digital Solitude

Of course, everyone who's built a PC had no experience at some stage

There's a form we have here that people can fill out and we'll give you back a list of stuff to purchase that'll best suit your needs and budget.

Then you click that all together and cross your fingers.

Have a look at a PC building video on YouTube there to get a look at what goes into it, it's very simple

pinkfloydian

Thanks. Any chance of a link to the form?

_Brian

My primary degree is engineering, not electrical.

I did it about 13 years ago just for the experience of teaching myself how to do it.
It’s a desktop, still ran last time I booted it about 4 years ago.

Go for it!!

There’s lots and lots of information on the internet to draw from.

Bacchus

pinkfloydian wrote: »

I'm told that a build is usually more reliable than an off-the-shelf from a retailer.

I'd love to have a go, but I've no experience, and wouldn't know where to start.

I've a fair idea of the general specification (with exception of the processor and the PSU).

Tommy

To answer your core question. Yes, you can. It's quite easy really and is a fairly "paint by numbers" process. The key part is doing your research on the parts and their compatibility with each other. Do the research up front and you'll be fine.

Have fun!

Take your time and be OK. Mostly there's only one way the parts fit togather.

ancapailldorcha

pinkfloydian wrote: »

Thanks. Any chance of a link to the form?

Here you are:

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=74542374

TerrorFirmer

It is easy to build yourself, and these days, it's easier than it's ever been with the likes of YouTube tutorials to guide you.

That said, is it anymore reliable than buying pre-built? Yes, from certain retailers, who use horrible, low end components to cut corners in some aspects - typically the power supply and/or casing, but most other major components are universally reliable. The major companies like Dell, HP, etc are all very reliable and nothing to be concerned about.

With a budget of 500-700, the best value is definitely by self-building though.

pinkfloydian

Thanks. Where do I start (components wise)?

Cordell

You start with the case Specifically, the screw on motherboard risers/spacers. You need to be extra careful to install all the required ones, and only the required ones - do not fill every hole .
Then you fit the I/O shield to the case (the thin metal sheet with holes for various connectors that comes with the motherboard). Put a plaster over that cut, wipe the blood off the case.
Then fit the PSU to the case, it only goes one way.
Now, motherboard, CPU, cooler, RAM, and M.2 SSD if any. Put them together out of the case, it's easier. They only go one way, follow the instructions, make sure the cooler has thermal paste (if it came with the CPU, it does) or apply it yourself (on the CPU, follow user guide). Don't forget the cooler fan cable, tidy up the excess calbe using a zip tie or similar. Make sure that if the cooler had a protective sticker you removed it.
Put the motherboard-CPU-cooler-RAM combo in the case and through the I/O shield, screw on the screws, connect the PSU cables, 2 of them: a big one and a small one, both of them can be split as 20+4 and 4+4 pins, double and triple check here.
Connect the case cables, power and reset buttons, power and disk LEDs, audio, USB.
Idedntify the PCIe slot for the graphics card, in most cases it will be the one closest to the CPU. Identify the required openings in the case, you might need to break them open on most cases, usually 2 of them for virtually all graphics cards. Push the card into the motherboard slot and don't forget the extra power connector, if needed.

At this point, you should be able to power on and see the BIOS. HDD, DVD, soundcard, anything extra you can master now if you reached this point.

Sneak

When you've built it you'll realise how little there was to it.

K.O.Kiki

Sneak wrote: »

When you've built it you'll realise how little there was to it.

Unless something goes catastrophically wrong! :pac:

TerrorFirmer

K.O.Kiki wrote: »

Unless something goes catastrophically wrong! :pac:

mrcheez

pinkfloydian wrote: »

I'm told that a build is usually more reliable than an off-the-shelf from a retailer.

I'd love to have a go, but I've no experience, and wouldn't know where to start.

I've a fair idea of the general specification (with exception of the processor and the PSU).

Tommy

Not more reliable, but supposedly cheaper.

It's not THAT straightforward as building a Lego spaceship, there is a bit of learning and you do need to be careful not to over-force some parts, but then other bits you DO need to force in quite firmly, like RAM modules.

Then there's the joy of trying to fit the small bundle of cables for the LED and PC speaker etc, that's lots of fun (not).

Then you don't want to overdo the thermal paste.

Make sure fans are set to blow hot air out of case not into case (sounds obvious but I missed this one by accident!).

So do it if you want to learn and perhaps save a hundred or so, but I'd reckon reliability is more guaranteed if buying from Dell / HP, plus they came with warranty that a self-build may not.

Pelvis

Do it OP. I did it for the first time last year. Nervy experience first time around, took me hours! But delighted to have done it.

pinkfloydian

The actual assembly is not what worries me. I'd actually really enjoy the challenge.

It's the selecting of the components. When I look at pcpartpicker, there are sometimes dozens of options for any component.

The skill is in knowing what is rubbish and what is not. Also, there always seems to be compatibility issues, no matter what you choose.

Only experience can cross those hurdles.

I'm interested in reliability rather than cost (although I do have a budget) and it seems to me that the best components cost a lot (maybe I'm wrong) and can be more costly than e.g. buying a business machine OTS.

Any advice?

ancapailldorcha

pinkfloydian wrote: »

It's the selecting of the components. When I look at pcpartpicker, there are sometimes dozens of options for any component.

While this is true, things are often simpler than they would appear. Take processors for example. There are only two companies making them which means that choosing one is less complex than you would think. See what your price range is and go from there. If you do not intend to overclock, use the standard cooler that comes with it though some processors do not come with one at all. For example, the R5 1600 and R5 1600X are similar but the X-variant does not include a heatsink.

RAM you only really need to look at the amount of memory, that it is DDR4 and speed. The manufacturer is largely irrelevant though do check reviews and the like. The PSU is a extremely important.

Make sure your motherboard has space for all of the things you want and, most importantly the right socket for your PSU. The R5 1600 uses an AM4 socket so you'll need an AM4 motherboard. If you'd like to use an M.2 SSD, ensure that the motherboard will allow this. Also, make sure your case will be able to accommodate the motherboard. Motherboards come in different "sizes" called form factors. ATX and mATX seem to be the most popular variants. I have an ATX myself. Unless you plan to use multiple graphics cards or specialised hardware, I would say and ATX/mATX would be fine.

Finally, GPU chips are made by nvidia and AMD. Companies like Sapphire and Gigabyte purchase these to make graphics cards. Once you know what's in your price range, choose a chipset you like and see what variants are around. You'll want a card with DDR5 RAM, the more the better.

Or you can just fill out the form and ask the lads here

Samuel T. Cogley

Pink you're just up the road from me. If you get stuck PM me I'm happy to help. I've been building systems for 20 years and it's incredibly easy but you're also always learning something new.

pinkfloydian

Thanks for the comprehensive reply ancapailldorcha

I still think it would be difficult for me, simply looking at a long list of components that are mostly only identifiable by their part name/number, to answer any of the caveats that you mentioned. Only experience could do that.

I would be happy to get some help, and to try and learn in the process. If I give an idea of what I need, then maybe somebody could help.

Processor: I see much written about what NOT to use, but let's say a minimum spec. of Intel i5. I've no idea what AMD is a useful comparison, or even if comparison is possible. Also, there seems to be four parts to each spec, which makes it doubly difficult to understand e.g. Intel Core i5-7400 Processor (6MB Cache, up to 3.00 GHz)

RAM: 8Gb (would like to go higher but cost might prohibit), but what type e.g. DDR4 means zilch to me.

Graphics/Video card: I've no idea whatsoever.

Hard Drive: 1Tb

DVDRW Drive

Windows 10 64-bit

Wireless: Latest spec required (is that 802.11ac?)

Bluetooth: Latest spec. required

Connectivity Front:-
2 USB or better still 3 USB(I've no idea what is the difference between USB2 and USB3). I use as follows - charge phone, wireless dongle for mouse/keyboard, spare for memory sticks or backup drive.

Memory Card Reader

Headphone Jack

Connectivity Rear:
Power

HDMI (for monitor). Possibility of 2 if not too expensive

Ethernet Port

PC Speakers OUT

4 USB - see comments above


NOTE: My main objective is speed/fast responses.

mrcheez

Just curious, where did you hear that pre-builds are unreliable?

That's the main reason you want to self-build correct?

pinkfloydian

The main reason I want to consider a self build is that I am finding it difficult to get all the things I want in a single unit off the shelf, unless I go horrendously expensive.

I was speaking to a friend who recently built his own and he recommended I try it.

I've had two off the shelf units recently, both of which had issues and one of which was returned to manufacturer. The other is a few years old and I want to replace.

Samuel T. Cogley

First thing you'll need for a responsive PC is a Solid State Drive (SSD) as well as or instead of a Hard Disk Drive (HDD).

What are you going to be using the PC for?

pinkfloydian

Not gaming anyway.

Just normal, day-to-day stuff - MS Office and browsing/streaming

Samuel T. Cogley

Perfect so No gaming makes thing much easier. What about photo or video editing will they pay a big part?

pinkfloydian

No photo or video editing really. Once in a blue moon.

Samuel T. Cogley

Great so, what about form factor? Do you want a tiny PC or does that not really matter? Is it going in the livingroom or study or?

pinkfloydian

I've seen form factor mentioned, but have no idea what it means exactly. I assume size. The current case I have is 15"H x 7"W x 16"D, so I assume that would be ok. What is the benefit of going smaller? Would it effect cooling capacity or even capacity to add extra RAM at a later date?

Samuel T. Cogley

pinkfloydian wrote: »

I've seen form factor mentioned, but have no idea what it means exactly. I assume size. The current case I have is 15"H x 7"W x 16"D, so I assume that would be ok. What is the benefit of going smaller? Would it effect cooling capacity or even capacity to add extra RAM at a later date?

Smaller/larger in your case won't really effect anything other than size. Let's go for a medium size which is mATX, the smaller being ITX and the larger ATX. I'm sure the acronyms stand for something but I'm buggered if I know what.

Give me a few minutes to chuck together a build - someone will do a better one but just as a place holder for you.

Digital Solitude

It would make it more important to get better cooling sokutions, but without a GPU you'll have huge advantage in keeping it cool

RAM is limited by your motherboard more than case

Case will effect how many hard drives you can fit, but you can always just buy bigger ones instead of more of them

Fill out the form there and post it back here and someone might do up a quick list for you

Samuel T. Cogley

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/ksv23b

8GB RAM to start - 4 slots for it on the Motherboard so you can add in more later
M.2 SSD for easy mounting - 256GB is relatively small so you might want a HDD too
Low profile cooler and small case.

As I say someone will do a better build for you but it gives you some idea. Add Keyboard, mouse and monitor to taste.

pinkfloydian

Many thanks Samuel T. Cogley

I've plenty to think about

T

sydthebeat

I did one about 3 years ago... Absolutely no IT or PC experience before. Gave over about 5 hours to it... Which is mostly watching videos on line of what to do.

If I can do it, anyone can

Gerrymandering reborn

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/ksv23b

8GB RAM to start - 4 slots for it on the Motherboard so you can add in more later
M.2 SSD for easy mounting - 256GB is relatively small so you might want a HDD too
Low profile cooler and small case.

As I say someone will do a better build for you but it gives you some idea. Add Keyboard, mouse and monitor to taste.

Just a quick question,

Why did you include a cpu cooler?
Does one already not come with the CPU itself?

ancapailldorcha

Gerrymandering reborn wrote: »

Just a quick question,

Why did you include a cpu cooler?
Does one already not come with the CPU itself?

Depends on the CPU. Some don't come with it so you can overclock it but the standard stock cooler is insufficient for that.

Samuel T. Cogley

Gerrymandering reborn wrote: »

Just a quick question,

Why did you include a cpu cooler?
Does one already not come with the CPU itself?

Those intel yokes are loud as... and not very effective. You are right though not strictly needed.

pinkfloydian

Hi, If I specify my full minimum requirements, could somebody help me with components?

Tommy

Samuel T. Cogley

There's a questionnaire yoke to fill out linked further up.

pinkfloydian

Hi Samuel T. Cogley

If you see post #20, it will give an idea. If there is anything missing, I can provide that.

Tommy

Samuel T. Cogley

pinkfloydian wrote: »

Hi, If I specify my full minimum requirements, could somebody help me with components?

Tommy

Did you see the build I posted btw?

Inviere

Deleted User wrote: »

Mostly there's only one way the parts fit togather.

Mostly...:o



But yeah, with some research & homework it's quite straight forward.

pinkfloydian

Samuel T. Cogley wrote: »

Did you see the build I posted btw?

I did thanks. Looks expensive as a starter pack.

Could you edit it for i5 processor and 1TB HDD. Also, I don't see Bluetooth anywhere.

Thanks,
Tommy

Samuel T. Cogley

pinkfloydian wrote: »

I did thanks. Looks expensive as a starter pack.

Could you edit it for i5 processor and 1TB HDD. Also, I don't see Bluetooth anywhere.

Thanks,
Tommy

The new generation i3's are the same as the i5 has been until now. 4 cores 4 threads, i5's are now 6 core 6 threads which is overkill. I can add in a 1 TB HDD but you'd need an SSD also. Let me know if that's okay. What sort of budget are you looking to work to.

Samuel T. Cogley

Bluetooth I cant find but you can buy USB Bluetooth yokes.

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/qxy99J

pinkfloydian

Thanks to everybody for their input.

For reasons I won't go into, I've decided to buy a Optiplex 3050 mini tower.

However, I will need to install wireless and Bluetooth.

I need help with a) selection of component(s) and b) installation.

Is this the right forum, or should I post elsewhere.

Would appreciate your help with this.

Tommy

K.O.Kiki

pinkfloydian wrote: »

Thanks to everybody for their input.

For reasons I won't go into, I've decided to buy a Optiplex 3050 mini tower.

However, I will need to install wireless and Bluetooth.

I need help with a) selection of component(s) and b) installation.

Is this the right forum, or should I post elsewhere.

Would appreciate your help with this.

Tommy

Avoid the Dell Optiplex 3050, you get better value from their Vostro 3268 & Inspiron desktop series (more RAM/better processors for the same money).

In fact, the Inspiron has Bluetooth & wireless built-in.
http://www.dell.com/en-ie/work/shop/desktop-and-all-in-one-pcs/inspiron-desktop/spd/inspiron-3662-desktop

i3-7100 (2cores/4threads): €429.00
i5-7400 (4cores/4threads): €519.00

pinkfloydian

Thanks K.O.Kiki

I've already ordered (i5-7400).

The prices you quote are excluding VAT and delivery, so Inspiron comes in at €638.

The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are a nice to have, as I use Ethernet connection.

However, can you confirm that you can buy a combined wireless and Bluetooth dongle?

Tommy