You sir are a god send and a fountain of information. I just finished my very first PC build at age 61. I used PC parts picker to sus out my parts and then used several of your videos to put it together. I installed Windows 10 Pro and used a grey site key. It is working flawlessly. And I too spilled blood during the installation 👍😃 PS- I’d love to see a video on doing the little tweaks to ensure your gaming PC is running smoothly. TY.
Did you thoroughly stress test it? I typically use Furmark and run both the CPU and GPU burner simultaneously while monitoring GPU and CPU temps with GPUZ. A lot of builds will 'work flawlessly' until you subject them to an intense load. I am very wary of new components these days because QC has not been good since COVID. I got a GPU awhile back that 'worked flawlessly' until I ran some benchmarks and saw that it was severely underperforming. I sent it back and got another one that was fine. I like to use Passmark and 3DMark for benchmarking because the averages are easy to look up and they are widely used so there are large sample sizes.
Very cool, congrats! I use Winaero Tweaker to turn off Microsoft's built in data collection/telemetry. I've found it can have a massive improvement on the responsiveness of lower power machines. Make sure you watch something involving how to set up and update your BIOS, which I believe Paul has done a video on. Also some people might think it obvious but lots of poeple don't know about Nvidia/AMD graphics card drivers and/or how to install their relevant motherboard ulilities to control fans. These things can have a big impact on the stability of your system long term.
I thought the tip was to never close the case panel until you have successfully performed the first POST, otherwise the PC God will smite you for your hubris
And PSU cables are not interchangeable between manufacturers, or sometimes between PSUs of the same manufacturer. Been there done that, destroyed the SSD, got the T-shirt.
Important point, thanks. About time there were standards for the PSU connectors and therefore the PSU ends of PSU cables. Would make PSU swaps/upgrades oh so much easier.
6 месяцев назад+3
@@Karlston I'd be glad if they at least put their name (and the PSU name/type) on the cable. But no, they're usually -unmarked- unhelpfully marked. So you need to keep all cables in the box, or in some container marked with PSU identifying info.
This always seemed like a logical start for any build! Not sure why we don't see more build advice centered around monitor resolution and refresh rate.
Sort of, but I would amend that by saying this: build to the experience you want to have. That means sought-after FPS, settings, and resolution in the games you want to play. If you play CP77 and need 60FPS, full RT, ultra settings @ 4K, don't buy hardware that can't do that. There is ZERO value in a PC that does not meet your needs, no matter how good the supposed bang-for-buck of your parts. If your budget can't support that, rethink your needs.
LAY THE CASE DOWN. Too many youtuber's dont show that you need to be laying it down. They'll show cable management and everything else standing up, but don't focus on LAY THE PC DOWN to put the mobo in. Now that crap goes through the backs of cases you have to keep flipping the stupid thing over. No one shows that.
Can I offer an alternative to this... "Don't be afraid to HAVE to lie the case on it's side". Gravity is a fickle mistress, for she will punish those who freely ignore her existence with a stark reminder of such oversights by randomly hurling (one of) your new acquisitions to the ground at a seconds' notice. Be mindful of production limitations that do not allow for instructional videos to be created with multiple cameras.
Ah yes, the blood sacrifice. Discovered that one on my build last month as I attempted to use a finger to depress that PCIE clip on an installed graphics card. Aluminum cooler fins and knuckles participated in that sacred rite. It will be the wooden chopstick from now on though.
One thing for a new builder to consider if buying a system from a place like microcenter is to pay a little extra to make sure your motherboard, cpu and memory posts before you leave the store. Especially if you live far away.
TechYes actually called Microsoft and asked if his Windows key bought in gray market was OK and they told him it was perfectly fine. So if Microsoft doesn't care, neither should you.
One poor support guy might not always give the right answers and represent Microsoft. I would recommend to stay away from volume licenses and only buy retail licenses.
How is that specific CS tech going to know that his chinese license key has been bought with a stolen credit card credentials ... MS support just sees a windows key that has been activated.
I sent a Windows 10 activation code from a refurb COA sticker to a friend. It came from a discard PC. He used it to activate his Windows 11 installation on his new PC. I didn't expect this would work. Because I was sure it is a licence tied to the mobo of the old PC. It dis and still is working. This confirms what Paul's says at 3:40. A new key is assigned to that activation by Microsoft. Apparently they don't check if the old key was tied to one PC/mobo
I have never paid full price for windows10/11. Either "grey" market, or without activation. Anyway It is crazy how much fear mongering over Grey market keys there is. Probably the same type of people that say to never buy used...
I've bought probably 8-10 keys through Kinguin since that old video came out. All have worked without issue, it's literally saved me hundreds. Thanks Paul!
The "Blood Sacrifice" is an acceptable part of the building process unless you're taking a blood thinner and then bleed all over your new components. Been there, done that. Luckily after the clean up and transfusion 😄everything worked just fine.
I always advise to route the EPS cable before installing the IO shield and platform. Sometimes the clearance for the EPS cable at the top of a case is limited. Get it through before the mobo lessens the clearance for the EPS connector to come through.
Second that. My Meshify C Case and the Dark Rock Pro 4 Cooler are a tight Fit and as my first PC Build that Knowledge would be helpful because i pleased the PC God with Blood. Lessons learned. Next Time will be without Blood lost.
Grey market keys are hit or miss but all the ones I've used for my person computers have been fine. I also bought probably 30 or 40 from various sites for people I built PCs for and no one has ever complained that Windows became unactivated. However, I have heard stories of keys getting deactivated. And those OEM keys are tied to your motherboard, so if you upgrade your mobo it will need a new key.
Also, if you upgrade too many parts, you will need a new key. And to make matters worse, the new Key may not work (but may still be valid). My hardware setup was upgraded with a new GPU, time passed and then a new CPU, more time passed and finally some new RAM and my Key was deactivated. I bought a new Key and my current Windows doesn't want to take it. I tried removing my old Key using Command Prompt (you can search online for the steps) and the old was removed but Windows would not take the new Key. The point I'm trying to make here is you will need to do a fresh Install of Windows before you can use your new Key. I will do just that when I upgrade my Windows 10 to Windows 11. The "Activate Windows" watermark is not too bad... mostly.
@@blazinmobAnd on the flip side of that. I have swapped CPU, ram, GPU,s OS drives, in effect the whole PC, several times, on several boards with windows activated via a "grey" market key. And never once encountered an error.
dont forget to keep grounded and remove all the peels, if u noob/newb dont use aio, use gloves for sweaty, bloody, micro hairy hands, if got tons of nano hair use nets too . . . get paul hairstyle, and no pets around site especially cobras and scorpions . . . iknow they love u so much . . .
Your difinition of units is no longer true. To day we have KB and KiB, MB and MiB and so on. *B is devided by 1000 whereas *iB is diveded by 1024. This is particular important when getting SSD's and HDD's as it differs what they use, and it does make a difference getting a 1TiB SSD rather than a 1TB SSD.
I "ALWAYS" install a tiny little SPEAKER, when connecting the Power Button to the MB. That way, I can HEAR the POST beeps. Just last night in fact, I was building an OLD i7-4460 with 16GB (x2 x 8GB) of DDR3 1866Mhz RAM. Well, that's some really old hardware. And, I was HEARING that RAPID BEEPING, indicating that there wasn't any RAM installed. So, I broke out my trusty ERASER and CLEANED the gold contacts on the RAM. After some agressive ERASING, the contacts were clean enough that I got that Heavenly ONE/SINGLE beep, indicating that POST had indeed completed successfully. Speakers and erasers are ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, when working with "old" hardware. Also, the build above uses a Kingspec (MT-512) 512MB, mSATA drive on a PCIe x1 Adapter Card. PCIe x1 is rated 6Gbps, the same as all of the SATA 3 ports (in older hardware). So, if you manage to come across an old laptop, that HD can be repurposed into a desktop, with one of those Adapter Cards. They are VERY compact, and eliminate the need for SATA cables cluttering your build.
Agreed. I'll never forget a coworker who had just built a PC and wasn't sure why it wasn't working. I got him to plug in the PC speaker and we heard a single beep, a successful post. So I looked at how he had plugged in his cables at the back of the computer and it was a classic case of "plugged the video cable into the motherboard instead of the graphics card"
I still use grey market keys. To date ive not had one declined or rescinded. My nephew however has had one suddenly stop working and become invalid after a year. So they work but your mileage may vary. At worst you just go buy another cheap key and carry on.
9:02 This is very, very true. Sometimes things just don't go right. Sometimes parts don't fit, or arrive damaged. My latest example: I am a very seasoned builder. I've been building computers since about 2009. I've assembled probably close to 100 PCs at this point, just for myself and all my friends and family, and their friends and families. Over the summer I got stumped by a new build that would boot the first time then never power back on. Turns out I got 3 bad EVGA power supplies sent to me in a row, and they were taking out motherboards. One of them even burst into flames! Never had so many part failures from a (now no longer) reputable brand. Sometimes shit happens, and that's why I buy new parts with warranties and money back guarantees.
Yep, I'd say you probably have a 5-20% chance each part you order will arrive dead on arrival (or with worse even more insidious issues). And if you're ordering 10+ parts chances are almost guaranteed that at least one of them will be bad. And sometimes it's your own fault for not reading closely enough (order wrong size or forget to check dimensions on something etc)
I always add a PC speaker to the front panel IO connectors, at least during the build. No need for expensive Debug displays (although I wish they were included), a simple beep code tells you if anything is faulty. You can always remove it after a successful POST
One thing I'm almost ashamed to admit, is that I sometimes do repeat my mistakes. For example, even though I checked, I didn't get my RAM fully seated. NO BUENO. It wouldn't POST. The second time I've committed this very basic blunder. Which leads to another life lesson. If nothing is going right, and you're absolutely stumped, it's usually because you have overlooked something really basic. Didn't check that RAM was fully seated. Forgot to plug in the power to the SATA hard drive. Didn't plug in the motherboard power. Forgot to turn on the power supply switch. Stuff like that.... I don't do it vary often any more, but still get caught sometimes. Usually due to getting distracted by some shiny object.
I built my wife’s and my own PC in the last 12 months. My first ever PC builds after a lifetime of buying prebuilds. Your videos not just helped me with the build process (one was intel and the other AMD so thank you for having guides both ways!), but you inspired me to even try building my own PC You’re a gem and an asset to the tech community
Ah yes, the blood sacrifice. I remembered my first build, I accidently scraped the skin off of my pointing finger's skin that's on top of the nail with the hard part of the velcro as I was trying to tie down my cables. (Yes it was painful) It was my first build and it turned on on FIRST TRY! My second build also turned on on FIRST TRY so it seems the blood sacrifice buff carries over to subsequent builds. FEAR THE BLOOD SACRIFICE'S POWER!
Say Paul, next time you build a computer you should try installing Linux. If you haven't used Linux in a while, it's worth doing just for kicks. Linux Mint and Pop_OS! both work remarkably well, Steam installs easily, and Steam games just work (once you enable compatibility mode). I always say, regarding operating systems, you have three choices... one of them is free and doesn't spy on you.
1) Expect to RMA something. Expect to recieve at least one bad part, every build I've ever made has always required at least one RMA. This means you should not put yourself on a hard deadline until after you've ensured each part you've recieved is fully functional. It might be a bad stick of RAM, a motherboard with an outdated BIOS/UEFI instruction set that cannot be updated without another CPU, a broken capacitor or a CPU with bent pins, maybe your video card has fans that don't work, or your AIO cooler is missing the correct mounting bracket, or a case fan has a stripped screw socket. PC parts are delicate and shipping companies are never kind, and manufacturing processes are still very flawed when it comes to PC parts, chances are very high you'll recieve at least one dead part. Each part has probably a 1/10 chance of being dead on arrival. Thankfully most manufacturers are reasonable and willing to replace the bad part free of charge, but its going to take time l, so give your PC extra time for RMAing. Keep all your receipts/boxes/packages for at least 30 days after you've built the pc, if something hasn't gone wrong/stopped working by that point you probably won't need them anymore - but make sure you keep a digital copy of your proof of purchase/receipt of purchase, in case you ever need to make a warranty claim. Feel free to recycle all of the boxes and packaging once you've done that, but be aware of the warranty terms, as some stupid companies will require idiotic things (eg: to provide the original packaging) to make a valid claim. There are some manufacturers that are just plain worth avoiding because of how difficult they make it to make a claim. (And these companies should probably be class action lawsuited out of business.) 2) Test Each Component Thoroughly test each component (individually as possible). Try to elliminate variables if it does not behave as expected, for example if your new monitor isn't working try using it with another known working PC to discover what the real issue is, eg: it might be the cable, GPU, drivers, or BIOS settings that is the root cause, rather than the monitor itself. There's a million things that can go wrong and it is best to test after you have eliminated as many variables as possible that could be influencing the results. Before completely assembling the PC test components, for example plug your Powersupply, RAM, CPU, and cooler into your MB and make sure you can POST outside of the case. If everything works, then proceed to put it in your case. Save things like cable management and cleanup for later, until you can test that it all works. After you get your PC up and running, benchmark and test components to make sure they're behaving as expected (eg: if your ssd is supposed to have 7000Mbps read/write speed, but is getting 2000, then you need to do more testing or consider an RMA if you didn't just do something dumb like forget to update a driver). 3) Document your PC Document information about your PC build (sites like pcpartpicker are great for this kind of thing), and record your benchmarks, date of assembly, costs, and take pictures of the PC, etc. This will be extremely helpful to yourself if you ever need to refer back to that information or if you want to resell it or recommend things to others. 4) Document Problems Documemt unusual/difficult issues you encounter and fix in a public forum (not a walled garden that requires a sign in). Did you have a really weird error with your RAM that took two weeks to figure out? Write down how you fixed it and post your solution, because someone else might have the same problem - they will be very grateful you were willing to share and help, and it's just the right thing to do. 5) Setup Backups Once everything is working/updated/setup etc, make sure you figure out how to back your data up and have a disaster plan in place. Consider what will happen to your data in the event of several scenarios including: power surge, hardware failure, malware, cloud company data breach, flooding, tornado/fire/war and figure out how to mitigate around these issues while staying within your means. Some data is not worth backing up (game installs, applications, etc) others are critical to preserve (passwords/sign in information), and deserve more care. Once you've figured it out, make sure it actually gets backed up!
Third party activation keys work, and they're not risky in legal terms. Microsoft knows these sites exist, and they could stop them, but they don't stop them. They give 10 and 11 away for free, do they not? They just want you to use Windows. But if they can get you to pay
If its late at night and you've just finished your build THEN GO TO BED. Don't switch it on until the morning. I've had too many all-nighters not following this advice !!
Hmmm, much less of a 'grey' area here, but you can (attempt to) activate Windows for free with a script. It has worked for me and any friends I tell to use it on Windows 10 (have not tried for Windows 11). I shan't link to or name the site with this script, if you're curious enough I'm sure you can find it with some searching. But again, kind of a loss of the greyness here.
Take a picture of the case interior before upgrading the motherboard and CPU. I have found case instruction manuals do a poor job of explaining which wires go where when connecting the case and motherboard.
10:51 once i used a 220v fan ( plugged to the wall ) and i had an opened case next to it don't remember what i needed that fan there , but "i was working on the case" i accidentally put a finger in the fan my finger was fine , little bleeding ; but i was worried about breaking a PC component thankfully not pfiu
Windows 7 is no longer accepted, some random yet rare cases it has worked but i believe as of Jan this year Microsoft stated that the license from 7 will not work for an update to 10. I have a few 7’s and just last week i updated an acer laptop from 7 to 10 and used the key that has been with the laptop since day 1. And no good. Watermark it is.
I can safely say that I too have joined the group of individuals that have offered their blood to the PC gods. I cut my fingers on my cooler when installing a new CPU very early this month.
Who pays $130 for a Windows license? Licenses going back as far as Windows 7 are still valid for activating Windows 10 and 11. If you have an old PC, you can do a registry check to find a license key and just reuse it. And of course, you can still use nearly all of Windows without a key (they lock you out of customization and they put a watermark in the corner of the desktop). Heck, since Windows is collecting your data for Microsoft to sell and profit from, I wouldn't even feel bad about buying a cheap key from a gray market seller. I'd never do it to an indie game developer, but f*** Microsoft. If they stop collecting our data while we use their OS I'll change my opinion on gray market keys, until then I say go nuts with them. There's also other operating systems other than Windows that are free. People who say "DoNt FoRgEt $130 FoR wInDoWs" are just being obnoxious and disingenuous.
To add to the list of components that can be reused or salvaged: (1) case fans (2) CPU cooler if the mounting mechanism is the same (eg all AM3/4/5 motherboards have identical physical mounting requirements.) (3) CD/DVD/Blu-Ray drives, if that’s relevant to you. (4) PCIe or external (read:USB) audio and microphone devices such as DACs, microphones, webcams, etc. (5) and if custom water cooling is your jam, radiators, pumps, reservoirs, tubing, and sometimes even waterblocks can be reused from one build to the next provided it’s all in good working order and doesn’t have any leaks, corrosion, or microbial growth.
Dont forget to depres the PCI - Express lock on your motherboard when changing a GPU, as my little brother found out the Expensive way by ripping the PCI - Express Slot and GPU of the Motherboard.😅🤣
I always forget how daunting it is to start building pcs I could afford to build my first in 98' but started building for offices and businesses in 91'. It paid $250 per build up to $400 then prebuilt's got really inexpensive to purchase.
I finally gave in and upgraded my computer. I bought a prebuilt "gaming" pc from newegg. 500 bucks for a basic a520m k motherboard and 5600g processor in a tiny case. It's still miles ahead of the first gen i7 it's replacing and I was able to reuse the couple of HDD drives from that computer. It's good for sata cables and screws, but not much more. I suppose I could snag the optical drive if I need it. I've upgraded the case and power supply so far so I can do future upgrades
These days in most places, bytes use SI units correctly (i.e. 1kB = 1000B). There's a separate "binary" prefix, for example "1KiB = 1024B", but, for example on all disks you'll see the normal SI units. The exception is the JEDEC standards which allow the use of, say, 1GB = 2^30B, but have a polite note on them saying this causes confusion and shouldn't be used anymore.
@@or2krI actually had to go and check that, because KB refers to the infrequently used Kelvin-Byte for the temperature of stored information. I kid though; by convention, KB actually does refer to powers-of-two, and kB is SI units, so that's not ambiguous. The rest of the Windows examples is basically MS being obtuse and sowing confusion, which is pretty much par for the course, really. The binary notations KiB/MiB/GiB etc. were standardised in late 1998, so it's not like they haven't had time to sort it out.
I think it's important to mention that you might get stuck on the internet connection screen when trying to install Windows 11. There are RUclips videos showing how to bypass that. I buy Asus motherboards. Armoury Crate pops up to install all my drivers once I get to the desktop. One of the most frustrating parts of building a system for me is plugging in the CPU 8-pin cable. It's not a fun experience. I always end up getting it with a flashlight and some patience. 😩😂
If you buy a full copy you can transfer it to a new computer, My computer has gone through around 4 CPUs, 4 graphics cards over around 6 different builds, with hard drives added removed as required all on the same Win 7 Pro key (running Win 11 Pro now) i bought for £15 in a MS mad sale the did. If you buy an OEM key it is more complicated but can still work. if you are reusing stuff it may transfer, I know someone who who replaced a MoBo, CPU, and RAM, Graphics card and hard drive over several years and is still using the original win 7 OEM key (for Windows 10 now). So Trigger's broom exists as far as MS are concerned.
6:09 This graph is so wrong... Lower/upper-case B only tells you, if it's bits or bytes. It has nothing to do with the base that's being used. That's what an i (or a missing i) in front of it is for. For example: 1 MB = 1000 kB = 1000000 B 1 MiB = 1024 kiB = 1048576 B Windows shows it incorrectly since forever, that's why we have the misconception of 4 TB HDD's "only" having ~3.64 TB. Cuz it really is ~3.64 TiB, not TB. Confuses the heck out of a lot of inexperienced PC users. It even get's really annoying for me, when i need to send files via e-mail, but got an upper file size limit of -let's say- 25 MB: Instead of just copying the files into a folder and just looking over the file sizes in details view (and adjusting files, if needed), i have to select them all and open up the properties to check, if the bytes (not MB!) aren't exceeding 25000000. Another thing Linux does better. They show everything properly. 4000000 Bytes are 4MB, end of story. EDIT: And don't get me started on partitioning in Windows...
I'm feeling part 4 so hard right now. I bought a 14900k, 4090, and an Asus Z790e board and they were all bad (confirmed by the respective RMA departments). Building it was very fun but when things stopped working a month later holy shittttt working out all the problems from those faulty hardware examples was not fun. I'm absolutely getting the Microcenter warranty thing next time because wow.
Idk but "googling" errors these days is often absolutely worthless. 9 out of 10 times you're finding some fake website with copy-pasted articles that just want to promote their own software or reddit posts that basically say "use google". Thanks I guess.
Even you have got confused with bit to byte conversions. You don't multiply one bit by 8 to get a byte. You need 8 bits to get a byte. So one bit is 1/8th byte... # Byte x8 = # bits
@6:40 The arrows are going the right way. They're showing you what you do to the *number* when converting. "1 TB = 1024 GB" means that when you convert GB to TB you divide the number by 1024, or when you convert TB to GB you multiply by 1024.
You forgot a few. First is have highly purified alcohol (I prefer isopropyl, 70 percent, not proof) minimum on hand, and lint-free and clean microfiber towels. NOT paper towels or TP or w/e is common in a household. I've saved the OEM's that pay me for next-day on-site service quite a lot just being prepared. Second, if anything (besides lifting an assembly) takes more than 5 pounds of force, something is wrong. Third: enjoy it! Manual labor that challenges our wonderful brain is why we're this advanced. I trust myself to clean the pins/LGA board more than the person that initially assembled the thing.
I've used gray market Windows keys a few times and never had a problem with them. I've even reinstalled Windows many times and transferred to a different computer.
I activated a new build for a friend with a kinguin windows 10 key. I activated windows 11 without a hitch. Also picked up office 2021 too. Still my go too.
I have used kinguin about a half dozen times since your video about it. I've purchased windows 10 and 11 keys, most recently about 3 months ago, all with no issues
My latest, having had to do a Windows reinstall was that all my problems came from a bad firmware update. Just a buggy version. Many times, the hardware is perfectly okay, but something like Xbox game bar will cause stuttering in full screen. Or a new Bluetooth driver is just worse than the old one. The point is that software can make perfectly good hardware seem broken, when it's still in great shape. To that end, be wary of any tools or software that automatically upgrades firmware. There is a Windows setting that allows Windows Updates to just install them whenever they come out. A very, very good tip is to never upgrade firmware unless you know from the vendor that it will fix your specific issue. And another tip--before making a change, be sure you have a rollback plan! Be sure you have the tools and your data is backed up and the backups are good!
I would add this tip: don't overlook case airflow! Modern CPUs run very hot, and it's crucial having a good airflow even if you go full custom loop. It makes a huge difference.
Windows OS license can also be linked to your Microsoft account. If you then rebuild your PC, add that account to "email and account" (no need to log into into PC with it, the user account itself can still be local) and your Windows OS should be able activate with that license. And oddly enough, after this UEFI BIOS should also store the key, meaning another reset on same hardware hash doesn't need Microsoft account anymore. Done it once, unsure of details or limitations
I bought an OEM license key for Windows 10 for my personal use from Newegg for the standard price in 2020, but in the intervening time I've gotten grey market keys to put together computers from spare parts for my niece and nephew without any trouble (they're thrilled to have their own computers, too). The keys worked fine and Microsoft hasn't deactivated those licenses in the few years those systems have been running for. Worth it for the $13 or so I paid for each of them. I don't remember where I bought them from, but it wasn't Kinguin.
I bought a Windows 10 Pro key from Kinguin based on your video. It ended up being a legit OEM key and I haven't encountered any issues. I would highly recommend it over paying full retail price or not activating at all.
I found it funny/great you mentioned the "blood sacrifice". I gave up some blood on my first PC build, was pushing a stubborn 5.1in plate out the front that eventually gave way and cut myself deep on the case; still have the scar. This led me down the rood for a time where I wound up helping many people (was in the Navy living in the barracks) build and troubleshoot their own computers. Was a great time those many years ago, but still help family build from time to time now.
I have a scar on my hand where I had to get stitches from when I was building a desktop in a horizontal white case back in the early 1990s. I swear they sharpened the edges in those things back then! Those cases were tough though. They had to be to support the weight of a CRT monitor sitting on top of them.
#5 is a lot less these days then when I started some twenty five years ago, all those sharp edges and burrs you used to get even on brand cases, nevermind the cheaper no name cases. (That said, the Meshroom S v2 bit me when putting together the other day and I have a lovely bruise on my arm from it..)
If, like me, you were trained in ESD prevention, you can get a "spudger: that is ESD safe for about $5. It has a chisel tip, the other end is pointed, it has a nifty little notch to help with positioning jumper wires during circuit board repairs, and it's made of ESD-safe materials. It also won't shed tiny splinters into your case. I use mine all the time, and also have a "cheap insurance" ESD wrist strap that I plug into the ground point on an unused outlet, via an extension I made. I'm a bit of an ESD obsessive, but I'd rather not risk a $2000+ build for lack of a few cheap accessories.
You should consider getting more people to try using a mainstream linux distribution like Linux Mint or Ubuntu. Most PC builders enjoy the tinkering involved with setting up their computers and in many ways running Linux feels like an extension of that. There are pros and cons of course but going through the process of learning how to overcome the challenges can be an enjoyable / frustrating / educational experience. (and of course you can thus avoid the whole paying for a windows key issue, as mentioned)
Great video Paul! Just chiming in on the 3rd party "grey sites". I have had nothing but success purchasing keys from ENEBA. In fact more than half my steam library is from there. Not saying nothing can happen but this guy here hasn't had any issues.
In the past I would always upgrade the 1) Video card and the 2)Motherboard/Processor/Memory separately as in either one or the other. So it would be like upgrade Video Card and then wait 12-18 months to upgrade the Processor/Mobo/Memory, and then wait another 12-18 months to once again upgrade the video card. Other components would be upgradable / added whenever necessary
My fingers have been bleeding for 40+ years. Vic24 vic64 vic128, Amiga, 286, 386, 486,, Cyrix, Pentium p2, p3, p4., core2 ... Now it's only my wallet who is bleding...
I've had to buy keys for customer builds 4 times in the last year, Win 11 Pro for less than 30 bucks every time. my second pc has been upgraded multiple times as far as storage, ssd,s video cards case power supply go, its now time to figure out were to find the money to upgrade the MB, CPU and RAM I have an ASROCK Phantom Gaming ARc a770 16gb O.C card I want to build around,l still looking for an 11th gen or newer i7 and motherboard to match
Would like to see a PC Build, with AMD Ryzen 9 7900x, CPU . for streaming and wildlife Photography Editing use. along with everyday normal use... somewhat over build for longterm use..
Thanks Paul for covering that Vital Portion of PC Building for 1st Timers! I still remember how my 1st (2) Builds went Horribly Wrong!! Back in 2005 I attempted 'Twin Builds' for a Friend & myself. At the Time we chose the Intel Pentium 4 platform. (Huge Mistake!) that lead to my Undying Hatred of the LGA Socket & that Shitty Intel CPU Fan/Heatsink!!! Those PC's became Obsolete just 1 year later with the introduction of Intel's Dual Core Core Duo CPU's. Anyway, long story short: I failed to seat the CPU's correctly into the Sockets on both PC's resulting in a 'Black Screen - No Post'! Not a great start to my PC Building Hobby! However, every AMD Build since 2009 have been 95% Flawless! TEAM RED Forever!!
It might have been worth covering gibibytes (GiB) vs gigabytes (GB). For those who don't know, a gigabyte (GB) is 1000 megabytes (MB), but computers often work in gibibytes (GiB) which is 1024 mebibytes. This is why you will buy a "1TB" SSD and it will show up as ~900GB. Windows nowadays incorrectly uses "GB" but it's still actually "GiB".
Been building PCs for years. Flash a ASUS Strix motherboard BIOS for Ryzen 5000 CPU compatibility and it completely bricked the board, solid DRAM debug light. Never had a problems updating BIOSs before on Gigabyte or ASRock boards so I was very confused.
So far this has worked twice for me, some of you may well cringe and throw-up in your mouths a little but I've used my Microsoft account to get my install of Win 10 & Win 11 activated. 1) I needed to upgrade to a 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD from the meager 128GB SSD in my Surface Pro X. Downloading the Win 11 .iso and installing via a thumb drive and activating Win 11 with my Microsoft account was too easy. 2) I salvaged my old AMD Phenom 2 x4 powered desktop machine by reinstalling Win 10 on it and reactivating it with my MS account . BONUS - by installing a 2.5 in swappable drive tray in my 3.5 in the front drive bay, Win 10 is installed on it's own SSD and Debian 12.5 Bookworm running the KDE Plasma desktop enviro also has it's own SSD.
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Never put the side on before 1st power up
Putting the side panel on before testing will curse a PC to be ...
#4 = a build that goes horribly wrong.
Always plug in the monitor before booting... so you don't sweat waiting for a post screen that will never come 😂
I'll go you one better. Build up the mobo on its box and boot to BIOS without putting anything in the case. Saves a lot of headaches.
@@rangersmith4652i did that to update the bios to support my cpu, but disconnecting the 24 pin cable afterwards was a nightmare
Amen
You sir are a god send and a fountain of information. I just finished my very first PC build at age 61. I used PC parts picker to sus out my parts and then used several of your videos to put it together. I installed Windows 10 Pro and used a grey site key. It is working flawlessly. And I too spilled blood during the installation 👍😃 PS- I’d love to see a video on doing the little tweaks to ensure your gaming PC is running smoothly. TY.
congratulations, welcome!
My first build back like 15 years ago was built on Paul’s Newegg videos, he’s the goat 🎉
Did you thoroughly stress test it? I typically use Furmark and run both the CPU and GPU burner simultaneously while monitoring GPU and CPU temps with GPUZ.
A lot of builds will 'work flawlessly' until you subject them to an intense load. I am very wary of new components these days because QC has not been good since COVID. I got a GPU awhile back that 'worked flawlessly' until I ran some benchmarks and saw that it was severely underperforming. I sent it back and got another one that was fine. I like to use Passmark and 3DMark for benchmarking because the averages are easy to look up and they are widely used so there are large sample sizes.
Very cool, congrats! I use Winaero Tweaker to turn off Microsoft's built in data collection/telemetry. I've found it can have a massive improvement on the responsiveness of lower power machines. Make sure you watch something involving how to set up and update your BIOS, which I believe Paul has done a video on. Also some people might think it obvious but lots of poeple don't know about Nvidia/AMD graphics card drivers and/or how to install their relevant motherboard ulilities to control fans. These things can have a big impact on the stability of your system long term.
I thought the tip was to never close the case panel until you have successfully performed the first POST, otherwise the PC God will smite you for your hubris
And PSU cables are not interchangeable between manufacturers, or sometimes between PSUs of the same manufacturer. Been there done that, destroyed the SSD, got the T-shirt.
Important point, thanks. About time there were standards for the PSU connectors and therefore the PSU ends of PSU cables. Would make PSU swaps/upgrades oh so much easier.
@@Karlston I'd be glad if they at least put their name (and the PSU name/type) on the cable. But no, they're usually -unmarked- unhelpfully marked. So you need to keep all cables in the box, or in some container marked with PSU identifying info.
Build to the monitors you want to end up with
Why is Paul crying again ?
You need his store ?
Bought a Bad monitor, why, gamers never need it ?
This always seemed like a logical start for any build! Not sure why we don't see more build advice centered around monitor resolution and refresh rate.
Sort of, but I would amend that by saying this: build to the experience you want to have. That means sought-after FPS, settings, and resolution in the games you want to play. If you play CP77 and need 60FPS, full RT, ultra settings @ 4K, don't buy hardware that can't do that. There is ZERO value in a PC that does not meet your needs, no matter how good the supposed bang-for-buck of your parts. If your budget can't support that, rethink your needs.
Yes that is a smart way to plan your build, or rather the price range of monitor you can afford some cost as much as the pc these days 🙄
Learned that the hard way. Upgraded to 3 2560X1440 monitors and paying for it after the fact.
LAY THE CASE DOWN.
Too many youtuber's dont show that you need to be laying it down. They'll show cable management and everything else standing up, but don't focus on LAY THE PC DOWN to put the mobo in.
Now that crap goes through the backs of cases you have to keep flipping the stupid thing over. No one shows that.
i never lay the case down to install a mb. all mb and case i use have a peg the mb sits on while i get the 1st screw started.
There are some coolers that require the case to NOT be laid down
which ones? I genuinely don't know@@JeskidoYT
@fiatfan83 sounds like a fun job. How does one get such a job?
Can I offer an alternative to this... "Don't be afraid to HAVE to lie the case on it's side".
Gravity is a fickle mistress, for she will punish those who freely ignore her existence with a stark reminder of such oversights by randomly hurling (one of) your new acquisitions to the ground at a seconds' notice.
Be mindful of production limitations that do not allow for instructional videos to be created with multiple cameras.
Ah yes, the blood sacrifice. Discovered that one on my build last month as I attempted to use a finger to depress that PCIE clip on an installed graphics card. Aluminum cooler fins and knuckles participated in that sacred rite. It will be the wooden chopstick from now on though.
I have spilt many pints of blood over the years on my and others PCs as I help my friends and family.
One thing for a new builder to consider if buying a system from a place like microcenter is to pay a little extra to make sure your motherboard, cpu and memory posts before you leave the store. Especially if you live far away.
I didn't know Microcenter had that service. That's awesome. How much does it cost?
@platt_mallar I am not sure it seems to change
TechYes actually called Microsoft and asked if his Windows key bought in gray market was OK and they told him it was perfectly fine. So if Microsoft doesn't care, neither should you.
One poor support guy might not always give the right answers and represent Microsoft.
I would recommend to stay away from volume licenses and only buy retail licenses.
I will gladly pay full retail when MA removes all telemetry from their OS. Until then it’s $5 licenses. Thankfully most of the time I can use Linux.
How is that specific CS tech going to know that his chinese license key has been bought with a stolen credit card credentials ...
MS support just sees a windows key that has been activated.
I sent a Windows 10 activation code from a refurb COA sticker to a friend. It came from a discard PC. He used it to activate his Windows 11 installation on his new PC. I didn't expect this would work. Because I was sure it is a licence tied to the mobo of the old PC. It dis and still is working. This confirms what Paul's says at 3:40. A new key is assigned to that activation by Microsoft. Apparently they don't check if the old key was tied to one PC/mobo
I have never paid full price for windows10/11. Either "grey" market, or without activation. Anyway It is crazy how much fear mongering over Grey market keys there is. Probably the same type of people that say to never buy used...
I've bought probably 8-10 keys through Kinguin since that old video came out. All have worked without issue, it's literally saved me hundreds. Thanks Paul!
The "Blood Sacrifice" is an acceptable part of the building process unless you're taking a blood thinner and then bleed all over your new components. Been there, done that. Luckily after the clean up and transfusion 😄everything worked just fine.
Since I am a blood cancer survivor I cannot give blood to humans. Instead I sacrifice it to my computer every few years.
I always advise to route the EPS cable before installing the IO shield and platform. Sometimes the clearance for the EPS cable at the top of a case is limited. Get it through before the mobo lessens the clearance for the EPS connector to come through.
Second that. My Meshify C Case and the Dark Rock Pro 4 Cooler are a tight Fit and as my first PC Build that Knowledge would be helpful because i pleased the PC God with Blood. Lessons learned. Next Time will be without Blood lost.
Been there. Very frustrating.
@@rainerbehrendt9330 No! the sacrifice to the PC gods is a requirement. One does not simply build a computer with a blood sacrifice.
Grey market keys are hit or miss but all the ones I've used for my person computers have been fine. I also bought probably 30 or 40 from various sites for people I built PCs for and no one has ever complained that Windows became unactivated. However, I have heard stories of keys getting deactivated. And those OEM keys are tied to your motherboard, so if you upgrade your mobo it will need a new key.
Also, if you upgrade too many parts, you will need a new key. And to make matters worse, the new Key may not work (but may still be valid). My hardware setup was upgraded with a new GPU, time passed and then a new CPU, more time passed and finally some new RAM and my Key was deactivated. I bought a new Key and my current Windows doesn't want to take it. I tried removing my old Key using Command Prompt (you can search online for the steps) and the old was removed but Windows would not take the new Key. The point I'm trying to make here is you will need to do a fresh Install of Windows before you can use your new Key. I will do just that when I upgrade my Windows 10 to Windows 11. The "Activate Windows" watermark is not too bad... mostly.
I upgradedy mobo and cpu and was able to use my Microsoft account login to use the same windows license.
@@blazinmobAnd on the flip side of that.
I have swapped CPU, ram, GPU,s OS drives, in effect the whole PC, several times, on several boards with windows activated via a "grey" market key. And never once encountered an error.
dont forget to keep grounded and remove all the peels, if u noob/newb dont use aio, use gloves for sweaty, bloody, micro hairy hands, if got tons of nano hair use nets too . . . get paul hairstyle, and no pets around site especially cobras and scorpions . . . iknow they love u so much . . .
Paul always seems grounded
Don't forget the Tweezers, the Swiss Army Knife that hopefully has a Philipshead Screwdriver in it and a Thermopaste Applicator........
@@rainerbehrendt9330 - And a LED 'headlight' comes in handy when you don't have that third-hand available.
And for God's sake, DON'T PUT ALL THE CASE SIDES ON!!!
@@rainerbehrendt9330 we're not fighting static, we're fighting cancer!
I swear that blurb was the best thing to come out of that whole debacle.
Your difinition of units is no longer true. To day we have KB and KiB, MB and MiB and so on. *B is devided by 1000 whereas *iB is diveded by 1024. This is particular important when getting SSD's and HDD's as it differs what they use, and it does make a difference getting a 1TiB SSD rather than a 1TB SSD.
Don’t forget THE VERGE did an amazing PC build beginners guide
Sweaty palms and a defective motherboard were my highlights for my first computer build.
Nice. I’m my first build I had a problematic RAM stick that lead to all kinds of weird issues. Took me 4 months to figure out it was the ram stick.
I "ALWAYS" install a tiny little SPEAKER, when connecting the Power Button to the MB. That way, I can HEAR the POST beeps. Just last night in fact, I was building an OLD i7-4460 with 16GB (x2 x 8GB) of DDR3 1866Mhz RAM. Well, that's some really old hardware. And, I was HEARING that RAPID BEEPING, indicating that there wasn't any RAM installed. So, I broke out my trusty ERASER and CLEANED the gold contacts on the RAM. After some agressive ERASING, the contacts were clean enough that I got that Heavenly ONE/SINGLE beep, indicating that POST had indeed completed successfully. Speakers and erasers are ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY, when working with "old" hardware.
Also, the build above uses a Kingspec (MT-512) 512MB, mSATA drive on a PCIe x1 Adapter Card. PCIe x1 is rated 6Gbps, the same as all of the SATA 3 ports (in older hardware). So, if you manage to come across an old laptop, that HD can be repurposed into a desktop, with one of those Adapter Cards. They are VERY compact, and eliminate the need for SATA cables cluttering your build.
I say old school and find one of the bigger ones, they have a much nicer tone than the shrill piezo buzzers.
Agreed. I'll never forget a coworker who had just built a PC and wasn't sure why it wasn't working. I got him to plug in the PC speaker and we heard a single beep, a successful post. So I looked at how he had plugged in his cables at the back of the computer and it was a classic case of "plugged the video cable into the motherboard instead of the graphics card"
I have bought like 10x Windows 10/11 Pro keys online, and they all worked fine. The most I have paid was around $5.
I still use grey market keys. To date ive not had one declined or rescinded. My nephew however has had one suddenly stop working and become invalid after a year. So they work but your mileage may vary. At worst you just go buy another cheap key and carry on.
Blood for the blood gods!
Just go watch Moore's Law is dead podcast and I'm sure you find yourself a reputable windows key distributor.
9:02
This is very, very true. Sometimes things just don't go right. Sometimes parts don't fit, or arrive damaged.
My latest example: I am a very seasoned builder. I've been building computers since about 2009. I've assembled probably close to 100 PCs at this point, just for myself and all my friends and family, and their friends and families. Over the summer I got stumped by a new build that would boot the first time then never power back on. Turns out I got 3 bad EVGA power supplies sent to me in a row, and they were taking out motherboards. One of them even burst into flames! Never had so many part failures from a (now no longer) reputable brand. Sometimes shit happens, and that's why I buy new parts with warranties and money back guarantees.
I've had the same problem with PSUs. Before I connect PC cables to a new PSU, I test the PSU with a Power Supply Tester IV.
What brand were they?
@@jesus607 EVGA
Yep, I'd say you probably have a 5-20% chance each part you order will arrive dead on arrival (or with worse even more insidious issues). And if you're ordering 10+ parts chances are almost guaranteed that at least one of them will be bad. And sometimes it's your own fault for not reading closely enough (order wrong size or forget to check dimensions on something etc)
I always add a PC speaker to the front panel IO connectors, at least during the build. No need for expensive Debug displays (although I wish they were included), a simple beep code tells you if anything is faulty. You can always remove it after a successful POST
One thing I'm almost ashamed to admit, is that I sometimes do repeat my mistakes. For example, even though I checked, I didn't get my RAM fully seated. NO BUENO. It wouldn't POST. The second time I've committed this very basic blunder. Which leads to another life lesson. If nothing is going right, and you're absolutely stumped, it's usually because you have overlooked something really basic. Didn't check that RAM was fully seated. Forgot to plug in the power to the SATA hard drive. Didn't plug in the motherboard power. Forgot to turn on the power supply switch. Stuff like that.... I don't do it vary often any more, but still get caught sometimes. Usually due to getting distracted by some shiny object.
Yep me too
I bought a Windows key from Kinguin ages ago, around 2015 at a guess. It has been used for four systems now, no issues.
I built my wife’s and my own PC in the last 12 months. My first ever PC builds after a lifetime of buying prebuilds.
Your videos not just helped me with the build process (one was intel and the other AMD so thank you for having guides both ways!), but you inspired me to even try building my own PC
You’re a gem and an asset to the tech community
Ah yes, the blood sacrifice. I remembered my first build, I accidently scraped the skin off of my pointing finger's skin that's on top of the nail with the hard part of the velcro as I was trying to tie down my cables. (Yes it was painful) It was my first build and it turned on on FIRST TRY! My second build also turned on on FIRST TRY so it seems the blood sacrifice buff carries over to subsequent builds. FEAR THE BLOOD SACRIFICE'S POWER!
Say Paul, next time you build a computer you should try installing Linux.
If you haven't used Linux in a while, it's worth doing just for kicks.
Linux Mint and Pop_OS! both work remarkably well, Steam installs easily, and Steam games just work (once you enable compatibility mode).
I always say, regarding operating systems, you have three choices... one of them is free and doesn't spy on you.
I broke a side panel by dropping a screwdriver once.
1) Expect to RMA something.
Expect to recieve at least one bad part, every build I've ever made has always required at least one RMA. This means you should not put yourself on a hard deadline until after you've ensured each part you've recieved is fully functional. It might be a bad stick of RAM, a motherboard with an outdated BIOS/UEFI instruction set that cannot be updated without another CPU, a broken capacitor or a CPU with bent pins, maybe your video card has fans that don't work, or your AIO cooler is missing the correct mounting bracket, or a case fan has a stripped screw socket. PC parts are delicate and shipping companies are never kind, and manufacturing processes are still very flawed when it comes to PC parts, chances are very high you'll recieve at least one dead part. Each part has probably a 1/10 chance of being dead on arrival. Thankfully most manufacturers are reasonable and willing to replace the bad part free of charge, but its going to take time l, so give your PC extra time for RMAing.
Keep all your receipts/boxes/packages for at least 30 days after you've built the pc, if something hasn't gone wrong/stopped working by that point you probably won't need them anymore - but make sure you keep a digital copy of your proof of purchase/receipt of purchase, in case you ever need to make a warranty claim. Feel free to recycle all of the boxes and packaging once you've done that, but be aware of the warranty terms, as some stupid companies will require idiotic things (eg: to provide the original packaging) to make a valid claim. There are some manufacturers that are just plain worth avoiding because of how difficult they make it to make a claim. (And these companies should probably be class action lawsuited out of business.)
2) Test Each Component
Thoroughly test each component (individually as possible). Try to elliminate variables if it does not behave as expected, for example if your new monitor isn't working try using it with another known working PC to discover what the real issue is, eg: it might be the cable, GPU, drivers, or BIOS settings that is the root cause, rather than the monitor itself. There's a million things that can go wrong and it is best to test after you have eliminated as many variables as possible that could be influencing the results. Before completely assembling the PC test components, for example plug your Powersupply, RAM, CPU, and cooler into your MB and make sure you can POST outside of the case. If everything works, then proceed to put it in your case. Save things like cable management and cleanup for later, until you can test that it all works. After you get your PC up and running, benchmark and test components to make sure they're behaving as expected (eg: if your ssd is supposed to have 7000Mbps read/write speed, but is getting 2000, then you need to do more testing or consider an RMA if you didn't just do something dumb like forget to update a driver).
3) Document your PC
Document information about your PC build (sites like pcpartpicker are great for this kind of thing), and record your benchmarks, date of assembly, costs, and take pictures of the PC, etc. This will be extremely helpful to yourself if you ever need to refer back to that information or if you want to resell it or recommend things to others.
4) Document Problems
Documemt unusual/difficult issues you encounter and fix in a public forum (not a walled garden that requires a sign in). Did you have a really weird error with your RAM that took two weeks to figure out? Write down how you fixed it and post your solution, because someone else might have the same problem - they will be very grateful you were willing to share and help, and it's just the right thing to do.
5) Setup Backups
Once everything is working/updated/setup etc, make sure you figure out how to back your data up and have a disaster plan in place. Consider what will happen to your data in the event of several scenarios including: power surge, hardware failure, malware, cloud company data breach, flooding, tornado/fire/war and figure out how to mitigate around these issues while staying within your means. Some data is not worth backing up (game installs, applications, etc) others are critical to preserve (passwords/sign in information), and deserve more care. Once you've figured it out, make sure it actually gets backed up!
Third party activation keys work, and they're not risky in legal terms. Microsoft knows these sites exist, and they could stop them, but they don't stop them. They give 10 and 11 away for free, do they not? They just want you to use Windows. But if they can get you to pay
Great advice, also if you are having issues, take a break and come back to it later, or get some sleep and troubleshoot tomorrow.
If its late at night and you've just finished your build THEN GO TO BED. Don't switch it on until the morning. I've had too many all-nighters not following this advice !!
Hmmm, much less of a 'grey' area here, but you can (attempt to) activate Windows for free with a script. It has worked for me and any friends I tell to use it on Windows 10 (have not tried for Windows 11). I shan't link to or name the site with this script, if you're curious enough I'm sure you can find it with some searching. But again, kind of a loss of the greyness here.
@paul's hardware - your wordsmithing is legendary, I am in awe of the "humorously biblical slant" that some of your commentary is delivered with.
Take a picture of the case interior before upgrading the motherboard and CPU. I have found case instruction manuals do a poor job of explaining which wires go where when connecting the case and motherboard.
10:51
once i used a 220v fan ( plugged to the wall ) and i had an opened case next to it
don't remember what i needed that fan there , but "i was working on the case"
i accidentally put a finger in the fan
my finger was fine , little bleeding ; but i was worried about breaking a PC component
thankfully not
pfiu
MS disabled the use of Win7 and Win8 keys back in 2023. I tried a Win7 in a Win10 install back in Dec 2023 and it refused to activate.
Windows 7 is no longer accepted, some random yet rare cases it has worked but i believe as of Jan this year Microsoft stated that the license from 7 will not work for an update to 10. I have a few 7’s and just last week i updated an acer laptop from 7 to 10 and used the key that has been with the laptop since day 1. And no good. Watermark it is.
I can safely say that I too have joined the group of individuals that have offered their blood to the PC gods. I cut my fingers on my cooler when installing a new CPU very early this month.
i am learning to live with Arch Linux with encrypted drive. it's free and no telemetry to share with anyone. Learn Linux TV is better.
Who pays $130 for a Windows license? Licenses going back as far as Windows 7 are still valid for activating Windows 10 and 11. If you have an old PC, you can do a registry check to find a license key and just reuse it. And of course, you can still use nearly all of Windows without a key (they lock you out of customization and they put a watermark in the corner of the desktop). Heck, since Windows is collecting your data for Microsoft to sell and profit from, I wouldn't even feel bad about buying a cheap key from a gray market seller. I'd never do it to an indie game developer, but f*** Microsoft. If they stop collecting our data while we use their OS I'll change my opinion on gray market keys, until then I say go nuts with them.
There's also other operating systems other than Windows that are free.
People who say "DoNt FoRgEt $130 FoR wInDoWs" are just being obnoxious and disingenuous.
Blood sacrifice is no joke. Just look at what it did for Timothy Chalamet and Henry Cavill.
Oh shit. I just realized I did not give blood to my last pc build. Umm. I don't know what to do. It was 2 years ago.
Can confirm. There's still bloodstain on my motherboard. There was, indeed, bloodshed.
Yep got a windows key for like 20 bucks from whatever ad pc builder throws up
Grey market still works. Friend got a win 11 key for thirty bucks about 3 months ago
To add to the list of components that can be reused or salvaged:
(1) case fans
(2) CPU cooler if the mounting mechanism is the same (eg all AM3/4/5 motherboards have identical physical mounting requirements.)
(3) CD/DVD/Blu-Ray drives, if that’s relevant to you.
(4) PCIe or external (read:USB) audio and microphone devices such as DACs, microphones, webcams, etc.
(5) and if custom water cooling is your jam, radiators, pumps, reservoirs, tubing, and sometimes even waterblocks can be reused from one build to the next provided it’s all in good working order and doesn’t have any leaks, corrosion, or microbial growth.
They even make external HDD drive bays intended for INTERNAL HDDs these days. They come with a power cord and a USB cord.
PCIe Adapter Cards for NVME's, for older MB's, that don't have NVME slots. SATA cable clutter is one of my OCD triggers. 😂
Addendum to number 2 - Also if it's a Noctua cooler. Those guys will ship you a bracket for anything, it seems.
Dont forget to depres the PCI - Express lock on your motherboard when changing a GPU, as my little brother found out the Expensive way by ripping the PCI - Express Slot and GPU of the Motherboard.😅🤣
Paul introduced me to Kinguin in 2016, I now have an 8 year old account there😂
I always forget how daunting it is to start building pcs I could afford to build my first in 98' but started building for offices and businesses in 91'. It paid $250 per build up to $400 then prebuilt's got really inexpensive to purchase.
If I see Fostex T-series headphones, I instantly like and subscribe
Ok, . . so, . . . . . what the hell does 64-bit operating system . . even _Mean?_
I finally gave in and upgraded my computer. I bought a prebuilt "gaming" pc from newegg. 500 bucks for a basic a520m k motherboard and 5600g processor in a tiny case. It's still miles ahead of the first gen i7 it's replacing and I was able to reuse the couple of HDD drives from that computer. It's good for sata cables and screws, but not much more. I suppose I could snag the optical drive if I need it. I've upgraded the case and power supply so far so I can do future upgrades
No wonder the PC is running slow forgot to re-up the blood sacrifice
good info here even if they are just reminders for people that already know.
These days in most places, bytes use SI units correctly (i.e. 1kB = 1000B). There's a separate "binary" prefix, for example "1KiB = 1024B", but, for example on all disks you'll see the normal SI units. The exception is the JEDEC standards which allow the use of, say, 1GB = 2^30B, but have a polite note on them saying this causes confusion and shouldn't be used anymore.
Crucially, Windows says KB, MB etc. even though they calculate it as KiB, MiB etc.
@@or2krI actually had to go and check that, because KB refers to the infrequently used Kelvin-Byte for the temperature of stored information.
I kid though; by convention, KB actually does refer to powers-of-two, and kB is SI units, so that's not ambiguous. The rest of the Windows examples is basically MS being obtuse and sowing confusion, which is pretty much par for the course, really. The binary notations KiB/MiB/GiB etc. were standardised in late 1998, so it's not like they haven't had time to sort it out.
@@habilainAh yes, forgot about that. Brb, checking my -257,15CB large files
One I'd add is don't forget the IO shield. I had to remove a motherboard (and all its various cables) because I forgot the IO shield.
Stole my tagline... grrrrr.. It's a good tag line though
I think it's important to mention that you might get stuck on the internet connection screen when trying to install Windows 11. There are RUclips videos showing how to bypass that. I buy Asus motherboards. Armoury Crate pops up to install all my drivers once I get to the desktop. One of the most frustrating parts of building a system for me is plugging in the CPU 8-pin cable. It's not a fun experience. I always end up getting it with a flashlight and some patience. 😩😂
If you buy a full copy you can transfer it to a new computer, My computer has gone through around 4 CPUs, 4 graphics cards over around 6 different builds, with hard drives added removed as required all on the same Win 7 Pro key (running Win 11 Pro now) i bought for £15 in a MS mad sale the did.
If you buy an OEM key it is more complicated but can still work.
if you are reusing stuff it may transfer, I know someone who who replaced a MoBo, CPU, and RAM, Graphics card and hard drive over several years and is still using the original win 7 OEM key (for Windows 10 now).
So Trigger's broom exists as far as MS are concerned.
6:09 This graph is so wrong...
Lower/upper-case B only tells you, if it's bits or bytes. It has nothing to do with the base that's being used. That's what an i (or a missing i) in front of it is for.
For example:
1 MB = 1000 kB = 1000000 B
1 MiB = 1024 kiB = 1048576 B
Windows shows it incorrectly since forever, that's why we have the misconception of 4 TB HDD's "only" having ~3.64 TB. Cuz it really is ~3.64 TiB, not TB. Confuses the heck out of a lot of inexperienced PC users.
It even get's really annoying for me, when i need to send files via e-mail, but got an upper file size limit of -let's say- 25 MB:
Instead of just copying the files into a folder and just looking over the file sizes in details view (and adjusting files, if needed), i have to select them all and open up the properties to check, if the bytes (not MB!) aren't exceeding 25000000.
Another thing Linux does better. They show everything properly. 4000000 Bytes are 4MB, end of story.
EDIT: And don't get me started on partitioning in Windows...
I'm feeling part 4 so hard right now. I bought a 14900k, 4090, and an Asus Z790e board and they were all bad (confirmed by the respective RMA departments).
Building it was very fun but when things stopped working a month later holy shittttt working out all the problems from those faulty hardware examples was not fun.
I'm absolutely getting the Microcenter warranty thing next time because wow.
Idk but "googling" errors these days is often absolutely worthless. 9 out of 10 times you're finding some fake website with copy-pasted articles that just want to promote their own software or reddit posts that basically say "use google". Thanks I guess.
^ This. Google search is becoming increasingly useless.
I remember when this dude worked at new egg and was camera shy 😂
Even you have got confused with bit to byte conversions. You don't multiply one bit by 8 to get a byte. You need 8 bits to get a byte. So one bit is 1/8th byte...
# Byte x8 = # bits
And when it comes to communications, divide by 10, because it's probably a serial protocol with start and stop bits using up some of the bandwidth.
I use grey Market stores, my key has lasted thus long.
Just did a clean install of Windows 11 on a desktop I refurbished. I used a key off a Windows 7 disk and had no problem with activating.
Blood for the blood god.
@6:40 The arrows are going the right way. They're showing you what you do to the *number* when converting. "1 TB = 1024 GB" means that when you convert GB to TB you divide the number by 1024, or when you convert TB to GB you multiply by 1024.
He was talking about the other set of arrows (bits bytes) and is still wrong there. The video he's talking over has it correct.
You forgot a few. First is have highly purified alcohol (I prefer isopropyl, 70 percent, not proof) minimum on hand, and lint-free and clean microfiber towels. NOT paper towels or TP or w/e is common in a household. I've saved the OEM's that pay me for next-day on-site service quite a lot just being prepared. Second, if anything (besides lifting an assembly) takes more than 5 pounds of force, something is wrong. Third: enjoy it! Manual labor that challenges our wonderful brain is why we're this advanced. I trust myself to clean the pins/LGA board more than the person that initially assembled the thing.
I'm still using a Windows 7 ultimate key to activate my 11 pro without issue
I've used gray market Windows keys a few times and never had a problem with them. I've even reinstalled Windows many times and transferred to a different computer.
I activated a new build for a friend with a kinguin windows 10 key. I activated windows 11 without a hitch. Also picked up office 2021 too. Still my go too.
Have a least 100 to 200 zip ties ready.
I have used kinguin about a half dozen times since your video about it. I've purchased windows 10 and 11 keys, most recently about 3 months ago, all with no issues
My latest, having had to do a Windows reinstall was that all my problems came from a bad firmware update. Just a buggy version. Many times, the hardware is perfectly okay, but something like Xbox game bar will cause stuttering in full screen. Or a new Bluetooth driver is just worse than the old one. The point is that software can make perfectly good hardware seem broken, when it's still in great shape.
To that end, be wary of any tools or software that automatically upgrades firmware. There is a Windows setting that allows Windows Updates to just install them whenever they come out. A very, very good tip is to never upgrade firmware unless you know from the vendor that it will fix your specific issue.
And another tip--before making a change, be sure you have a rollback plan! Be sure you have the tools and your data is backed up and the backups are good!
I would add this tip: don't overlook case airflow! Modern CPUs run very hot, and it's crucial having a good airflow even if you go full custom loop. It makes a huge difference.
Two Thumbs Up just for mentioning ......THE BLOOD SACRIFICE! Mwa-hahaha!
Windows OS license can also be linked to your Microsoft account. If you then rebuild your PC, add that account to "email and account" (no need to log into into PC with it, the user account itself can still be local) and your Windows OS should be able activate with that license. And oddly enough, after this UEFI BIOS should also store the key, meaning another reset on same hardware hash doesn't need Microsoft account anymore.
Done it once, unsure of details or limitations
I've been doing this since Windows 8 and haven't had to buy a new key no matter what changes I make to the computer.
I bought an OEM license key for Windows 10 for my personal use from Newegg for the standard price in 2020, but in the intervening time I've gotten grey market keys to put together computers from spare parts for my niece and nephew without any trouble (they're thrilled to have their own computers, too). The keys worked fine and Microsoft hasn't deactivated those licenses in the few years those systems have been running for. Worth it for the $13 or so I paid for each of them. I don't remember where I bought them from, but it wasn't Kinguin.
I bought a Windows 10 Pro key from Kinguin based on your video. It ended up being a legit OEM key and I haven't encountered any issues. I would highly recommend it over paying full retail price or not activating at all.
I found it funny/great you mentioned the "blood sacrifice". I gave up some blood on my first PC build, was pushing a stubborn 5.1in plate out the front that eventually gave way and cut myself deep on the case; still have the scar. This led me down the rood for a time where I wound up helping many people (was in the Navy living in the barracks) build and troubleshoot their own computers. Was a great time those many years ago, but still help family build from time to time now.
I Always Forget To Mention These PC Building Tips... Anything that saids MICROSOFT on it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have a scar on my hand where I had to get stitches from when I was building a desktop in a horizontal white case back in the early 1990s. I swear they sharpened the edges in those things back then!
Those cases were tough though. They had to be to support the weight of a CRT monitor sitting on top of them.
#5 is a lot less these days then when I started some twenty five years ago, all those sharp edges and burrs you used to get even on brand cases, nevermind the cheaper no name cases. (That said, the Meshroom S v2 bit me when putting together the other day and I have a lovely bruise on my arm from it..)
If, like me, you were trained in ESD prevention, you can get a "spudger: that is ESD safe for about $5. It has a chisel tip, the other end is pointed, it has a nifty little notch to help with positioning jumper wires during circuit board repairs, and it's made of ESD-safe materials. It also won't shed tiny splinters into your case. I use mine all the time, and also have a "cheap insurance" ESD wrist strap that I plug into the ground point on an unused outlet, via an extension I made. I'm a bit of an ESD obsessive, but I'd rather not risk a $2000+ build for lack of a few cheap accessories.
You should consider getting more people to try using a mainstream linux distribution like Linux Mint or Ubuntu. Most PC builders enjoy the tinkering involved with setting up their computers and in many ways running Linux feels like an extension of that. There are pros and cons of course but going through the process of learning how to overcome the challenges can be an enjoyable / frustrating / educational experience. (and of course you can thus avoid the whole paying for a windows key issue, as mentioned)
Great video Paul!
Just chiming in on the 3rd party "grey sites".
I have had nothing but success purchasing keys from ENEBA. In fact more than half my steam library is from there. Not saying nothing can happen but this guy here hasn't had any issues.
I needed a windows license a while ago and simply bought an oem key for w10 pro. If I remember correctly it cost me around 10 € and worked flawlessly
i remember the old PC cases in the late 90s and early 2000s, it was like those internal steel edges were razor blades
They were “cutting edge” technology.
In the past I would always upgrade the 1) Video card and the 2)Motherboard/Processor/Memory separately as in either one or the other. So it would be like upgrade Video Card and then wait 12-18 months to upgrade the Processor/Mobo/Memory, and then wait another 12-18 months to once again upgrade the video card. Other components would be upgradable / added whenever necessary
My fingers have been bleeding for 40+ years. Vic24 vic64 vic128, Amiga, 286, 386, 486,, Cyrix, Pentium p2, p3, p4., core2 ... Now it's only my wallet who is bleding...
Bench test the componets separately before putting it in the case.
Good advice for those who can do this, although some can't.
I've had to buy keys for customer builds 4 times in the last year, Win 11 Pro for less than 30 bucks every time. my second pc has been upgraded multiple times as far as storage, ssd,s video cards case power supply go, its now time to figure out were to find the money to upgrade the MB, CPU and RAM I have an ASROCK Phantom Gaming ARc a770 16gb O.C card I want to build around,l still looking for an 11th gen or newer i7 and motherboard to match
Would like to see a PC Build, with AMD Ryzen 9 7900x, CPU . for streaming and wildlife Photography Editing use. along with everyday normal use... somewhat over build for longterm use..
Thanks Paul for covering that Vital Portion of PC Building for 1st Timers! I still remember how my 1st (2) Builds went Horribly Wrong!! Back in 2005 I attempted 'Twin Builds' for a Friend & myself. At the Time we chose the Intel Pentium 4 platform. (Huge Mistake!) that lead to my Undying Hatred of the LGA Socket & that Shitty Intel CPU Fan/Heatsink!!! Those PC's became Obsolete just 1 year later with the introduction of Intel's Dual Core Core Duo CPU's. Anyway, long story short: I failed to seat the CPU's correctly into the Sockets on both PC's resulting in a 'Black Screen - No Post'! Not a great start to my PC Building Hobby! However, every AMD Build since 2009 have been 95% Flawless! TEAM RED Forever!!
It might have been worth covering gibibytes (GiB) vs gigabytes (GB). For those who don't know, a gigabyte (GB) is 1000 megabytes (MB), but computers often work in gibibytes (GiB) which is 1024 mebibytes. This is why you will buy a "1TB" SSD and it will show up as ~900GB. Windows nowadays incorrectly uses "GB" but it's still actually "GiB".
Been building PCs for years. Flash a ASUS Strix motherboard BIOS for Ryzen 5000 CPU compatibility and it completely bricked the board, solid DRAM debug light. Never had a problems updating BIOSs before on Gigabyte or ASRock boards so I was very confused.
So far this has worked twice for me, some of you may well cringe and throw-up in your mouths a little but I've used my Microsoft account to get my install of Win 10 & Win 11 activated.
1) I needed to upgrade to a 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD from the meager 128GB SSD in my Surface Pro X. Downloading the Win 11 .iso and installing via a thumb drive and activating Win 11 with my Microsoft account was too easy.
2) I salvaged my old AMD Phenom 2 x4 powered desktop machine by reinstalling Win 10 on it and reactivating it with my MS account . BONUS - by installing a 2.5 in swappable drive tray in my 3.5 in the front drive bay, Win 10 is installed on it's own SSD and Debian 12.5 Bookworm running the KDE Plasma desktop enviro also has it's own SSD.