How hard is it to build your own computer?

How hard is it to build your own computer, how long does it usually take, and what's a good website that can walk me through the steps on how to build one?

Thanks. :D

Assembly on your first time shouldn't take more than 6 hours if you don't encounter any major problems.

Corsair has a pretty good guide - between that and the manuals, you should be okay.

Hang around here for a bit. Read the comments people make so you can build up your own framework of how a computer can be built, that is actually the best way. Closer to when you build your own look on sites like youtube for bits like "how to install your mobo". I'll give you a start... 2nd post down this guy describes the steps on roughly how to plug everything in, this is later on (first you need to decide what bits you want for the price) but you can see in your mind how its actually done from here...

http://forums.gametrailers.com/showthread.php?t=309974

How hard is it to build your own computer, how long does it usually take, and what's a good website that can walk me through the steps on how to build one?

Thanks. :D

death919

Look at it this way. Building your own system is easier than beating a video game. As far as the duration of the process goes, most likely 20 minutes to half an hour until you can boot up and start installing Windows. If I were you, I'd search on Google for computer building guides.

1. its not that hard at all espically since you can ask questions here and theres tons of guides if you meet the age requirements for this site you should be able to do it

2. to put all the parts together takes around 40minutes to an hour and a half

3. watch the first guide and read the other two and you should be set

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1NxsHpaL_s

http://tools.corsairmemory.com/systembuild/report.aspx?report_id=12472&sid=1

http://tools.corsairmemory.com/systembuild/report.aspx?report_id=78237&sid=1

Assembly on your first time shouldn't take more than 6 hours if you don't encounter any major problems.

Corsair has a pretty good guide - between that and the manuals, you should be okay.

RayvinAzn

Six hours? What?! It took me less than two on my first build. As for difficulty, anyone who can build with LEGOs can build a computer; it works on the same principles.

Assembly on your first time shouldn't take more than 6 hours if you don't encounter any major problems.

Corsair has a pretty good guide - between that and the manuals, you should be okay.

RayvinAzn

Six hours? What the hell... lmao. Are you trying to scare the guy? My first build took me about a good half hour until the system booted up, and I was installing XP. If its taking you six hours, you're seriously messing up somewhere.

Six hours? What the hell... lmao. Are you trying to scare the guy? My first build took me about a good half hour until the system booted up, and I was installing XP. If its taking you six hours, you're seriously messing up somewhere.

nforce-

Figuring in proper cable routing, OS installation, drivers and utilities, spyware/antivirus programs aftermarket fans, etc. yes, I'd say 6 hours is a fair and safe estimate for a game-ready computer.

Figuring in proper cable routing, OS installation, drivers and utilities, spyware/antivirus programs aftermarket fans, etc. yes, I'd say 6 hours is a fair and safe estimate for a game-ready computer.

RayvinAzn

Okay, let's say that the actual construction takes about 1 1/2 hours. I think that's a little much, but you can always run into problems. It takes about 30 minutes to install XP, I'm not sure about Vista. The only programs I'd get would be Spybot, Zone Alarm, AVG Free, and Firefox. Depending on your connection speed, I'll say about 30 minutes to get them downloaded and installed. Video card drivers go quick, maybe 5 minutes. If you have a Creative sound card, that's probably about 20 minutes of installing software. So, by my estimation, it'd take about 3 1/2 hours before you'd have a computer fully operational and running. If you're taking your time or having trouble connecting to the internet, I could see 6 hours before you'd want to play game. However, most people would have it done before then.

it took me an hour to build once i got the parts(not including the OS etc).and i spent about 3 weeks looking up parts and researching

just check and double check that all the parts will work with each other b4 you buy them

im interested in building tooxfactor19990

This guide is very good.reyad-u

Seconded. Was my bible when I built mine. Read and re-read about 4 times till I'd memorised it. Then built it off the top of my head :).

[QUOTE="RayvinAzn"]

Assembly on your first time shouldn't take more than 6 hours if you don't encounter any major problems.

Corsair has a pretty good guide - between that and the manuals, you should be okay.

nforce-

Six hours? What the hell... lmao. Are you trying to scare the guy? My first build took me about a good half hour until the system booted up, and I was installing XP. If its taking you six hours, you're seriously messing up somewhere.

you must be doing a real piss poor job. all my builds have taken at least two hours.

Okay, let's say that the actual construction takes about 1 1/2 hours. I think that's a little much, but you can always run into problems. It takes about 30 minutes to install XP, I'm not sure about Vista. The only programs I'd get would be Spybot, Zone Alarm, AVG Free, and Firefox. Depending on your connection speed, I'll say about 30 minutes to get them downloaded and installed. Video card drivers go quick, maybe 5 minutes. If you have a Creative sound card, that's probably about 20 minutes of installing software. So, by my estimation, it'd take about 3 1/2 hours before you'd have a computer fully operational and running. If you're taking your time or having trouble connecting to the internet, I could see 6 hours before you'd want to play game. However, most people would have it done before then.

kodex1717

Decent cabling (that alone will take a good hour if you really want to get it right), BIOS flash, initial burn-in before overclocking, setting up partitions (becase pretty much anyone building a new rig will have a hard drive big enough to warrant at least a dual partition for OS/games/programs as well as a separate partition for music/porn), and for those of us with decent cases and aftermarket fans, a few little tests to make sure those are all in the ideal configurations.

Sure, 6 hours is a high-ball estimate, but that's how much time I'd set aside in your day if you want to build a computer. Will it take that long? Most likely not, but it's better to have the time and not use it (and spend it gaming) than end up having to go to work/school/your mother's house for Sunday dinner right in the middle of a build.

you must be doing a real piss poor job. all my builds have taken at least two hours.

Andrew0987

I agree - the people that rush though their first rig are often the ones that get overconfident and screw up rig two or three because they thing it's easier than masturbating standing up.

[QUOTE="Andrew0987"]

you must be doing a real piss poor job. all my builds have taken at least two hours.

RayvinAzn

I agree - the people that rush though their first rig are often the ones that get overconfident and screw up rig two or three because they thing it's easier than masturbating standing up.

[QUOTE="Andrew0987"]

you must be doing a real piss poor job. all my builds have taken at least two hours.

RayvinAzn

I agree - the people that rush though their first rig are often the ones that get overconfident and screw up rig two or three because they thing it's easier than masturbating standing up.

masturbating standing up? that's not even fun...

[QUOTE="reyad-u"]This guide is very good.death1505921

Seconded. Was my bible when I built mine. Read and re-read about 4 times till I'd memorised it. Then built it off the top of my head :).

Nice guide.

From my experiences the time it takes will also depend on what all you get. I have had builds that I was able to finish the actual construction in under an hour easily.

Simple mobo, single DVD, single HD, decent modular PSU, stock CPU fan (that installs smooth), There ain't much too that kind of PC.

I have had some builds, that everything just went to hell on, LOL. I was helping my buddy build his, he had a Tuniq Tower and a Foxconn Mars mobo. It took about an hour just to install the Tuniq, cause the mobo's NB HSF was too big, eventually we notices a part could be removed. But that was after trying it in EVERY possible way.

My rig took a quite a while to build, but thats not a fair comparison with the water cooling.

Really the average PC should not take more than 2-4 hours to fully do everything. But take your time, hell who cares if it takes you 10 hours over 2 days, moths (**EDIT LOL, moths, I meant months**) later when you are playing on it won't matter.

Assembly on your first time shouldn't take more than 6 hours if you don't encounter any major problems.

Corsair has a pretty good guide - between that and the manuals, you should be okay.

RayvinAzn

6 hours? Wtf? Surely i could only ever take that long if your tarded or you run into many problems.

[QUOTE="RayvinAzn"]

Assembly on your first time shouldn't take more than 6 hours if you don't encounter any major problems.

Corsair has a pretty good guide - between that and the manuals, you should be okay.

rb2610

6 hours? Wtf? Surely i could only ever take that long if your tarded or you run into many problems.

I took about 4 hours building my very first rig. Sure it dosent need to take that long. But once you build it, work out in "real life, not pictures" what part is what, were they are going, how to slot it. what it does. Plugging the motherboard in (case pins...) setting up cables etc etc. Sure that time is perfectly good.

On my first time i took ages. Not because i was retarded(not trying to offened...) but because i wanted to double check my investment to make sure i didnt do it wrong. And having a nice beer at the same time is great.

But now though. i can wip through a pc, build in 20-40 mintues, install windows, hotfixis, esential apps and anti virus etc takes about 2 hours.

6 hours? Wtf? Surely i could only ever take that long if your tarded or you run into many problems.

rb2610

If all you're doing is slapping the bare minimum of parts in some budget case with stock fans and don't do a proper cabling job? Sure, it'll take you half that time as a high-end estimate. Building like that is for people who just get the absolute minimum, and just want a rig that runs. Call me crazy, but I like having a clean, well assembled machine with cables nearly invisible, fan controllers installed and hooked up if required, multiple peripherals with their own drivers and software, complex coolers with backplates to help prevent stress on the motherboard, testing out different fan configurations and all that jazz.