10 common mistakes you need to avoid while building a PC for the first time

Custom-building a PC can be a fun and rewarding experience. However, it can also be a daunting task, especially if you’re doing it for the first time.

There are so many different components and options to choose from, and it’s easy to make a mistake that could cost you time and money.

Are you interested in building your own PC but unsure where to begin? Or perhaps you've already begun constructing a PC but are unsure if you're doing it correctly. In any case, you're in the right place.

This post covers 10 typical blunders you should steer clear of while constructing your first PC. By avoiding making these mistakes, you can build a PC that will be more reliable and efficient.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the opinions of the writer

Forgetting the I/O shield, improper RAM installation, and 8 other mistakes to steer clear of while building your first PC

1) Buying in-compatible components

Buying components that are incompatible with one another is one of the most frequent errors made while constructing a PC.

Fortunately, there is one great way to determine whether your components are compatible. All you need to do is add all of your chosen components to PCPartPicker, and the program will detect any compatibility problems.

However, it is always recommended that you learn via your own research. This will help you foray into the custom-building scene and make sure that you have a PC with components that best suit each other.

2) Cutting corners while buying PSUs

Purchasing a low-quality power supply is one of the most talked about follies when building a new gaming PC.

You should already have a general notion of how much power the rest of your gear will use when it the time comes to look for this component. Always get a little bit more wattage than you anticipate so that it won't impact your system over time.

To make your shopping easier, there is a rating system known as 80plus where grades range from White to Titanium. Depending on your needs and budget, you'll receive what you need.

There are many reasonably priced power supply units available, but always make sure they provide the necessary power to your system. Try going with a respectable brand that has proper after-sales support and not some cheap OEM stuff, which will probably go kaboom as soon as it is pushed close to its limits.

3) Touching contact pads on CPU, RAM & GPU

While this advice may seem a bit redundant and obvious, both experienced and rookie builders often mishandle memory modules (DIMMs), graphics cards (GPUs), processors (CPUs), and other components.

Your hands contain a variety of substances, including oils, water, moisture, dander, and other foreign objects (like lotions or other topical creams ). All of these things together can contaminate the clean contact area, which can lead to a variety of problems. These include startup errors, a memory that isn't registered entirely or correctly, and system instability.

4) Following incorrect orientation while installing the CPU

This occurs more often than you may imagine. Simply said, a lot of people are unaware that CPUs must be oriented in a certain way. However, it is not completely the builder's fault, especially if they are newbies. This is never made abundantly clear anywhere unless you study every single piece of paperwork that comes with your device.

Fortunately, choosing how to install your CPU is really easy. Each CPU will have some type of marking on one of its corners. In AMD processors, this is often a gold arrow in the bottom-left corner.

The marking on your motherboard's CPU socket, which is typically on the "load plate" holding your CPU in place, must line up with the marking on that component. On rare occasions, this indicator might be found on the motherboard.

5) Not removing the protection on the cold plate and applying thermal grease

Did you know that a little slip of translucent plastic often keeps the thermal paste on your CPU cooler from getting on everything? If not, you should definitely check again to make sure you have removed that protection.

You wouldn't want that piece of plastic to melt and damage your motherboard in addition to producing poor cooling.

You should be aware that even aftermarket CPU coolers have a little piece of plastic on them that reads, in large red letters, "Remove before use." Thankfully, some coolers have covers that are tough to miss since they are so large, and installing the cooler without removing the same would be quite impossible.

6) Forgetting the I/O shield

Another typical rookie error in PC construction is forgetting to install the motherboard's I/O shield before setting it up.

If you don't install the I/O shield, you'll either have to disassemble everything, or you'll have to remove the motherboard and GPU and move them out of the way. This is done to install the I/O shield while the rest of the components are still attached.

Just be sure to attach your I/O shield before inserting the motherboard into the case to save yourself all of this trouble.

7) Missing Cables

Another typical error made by novice first-time PC builders is forgetting to plug in all the cables. Your system won't operate properly or at all if no cords are plugged in.

To avoid this problem, always connect the component's cord to the motherboard while installing it. Write down all the installed components on a piece of paper and plug in all their cords at the end if you believe this will give you problems while assembling the PC.

Make sure everything is plugged in and positioned appropriately if your system doesn't switch on.

8) Improper RAM installation

While the majority of modern motherboards include four RAM slots, you may choose to populate one, two, three, or four memory modules. To ensure that your memory modules work in dual-channel mode, there is a setup that you must adhere to.

To find this information, read the motherboard manual. Install your memory modules, for instance, in the DDR4 A2 and DDR4 B2 slots if you have two. Not in the DDR4 A1 or DDR4 B1 slots either. Install four modules in each slot if you have four.

Otherwise, your memory setup will be forced into the single-channel mode, which is substantially slower than the dual-channel mode, if the wrong slots are used. Additionally, don't forget to enable the correct memory profile in BIOS.

9) Improper fitting of motherboard stand-offs

Standoffs are tiny metal pegs within the case that you use to install your motherboard. Just use them when necessary. Keep any additional standoffs out of your case and set them away at all times.

This error, albeit slightly less frequent than the others we've discussed thus far, can have extremely detrimental outcomes, such as shorting out your motherboard. At best, your PC will power down automatically, and at worst, you might fry anything.

Avoid this problem at all costs and take an extra five seconds to remove any unused motherboard standoffs. If they're difficult to remove, you should use a set of needlenose pliers or something.

10) Plugging the monitor into the motherboard even while using a discrete GPU

The most frustrating issue of them all is, of course, hooking your monitor into the incorrect display output. When this occurs, your computer will start up normally, and everything but your monitor will start to spin and buzz. Your monitor is most likely just going to show a message like "No Source Signal."

Sometimes, you won't have any problems until you start the game because your CPU has an integrated GPU. It's likely to slow down and function poorly in general, leaving you perplexed as to why your computer isn't operating as it should.

Double-verify where your monitor is plugged in before you start to worry.

Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh