What I Learnt From My First PC Build

My very first PC build is now complete, and BOY do I have some stories to share. Surprisingly, it did turn on at the end. But just about everything I was worried about in my initial post, DID go wrong. However here I stand, with a PC that somehow is in working order. So today, I’d like to impart my wisdom from what I have learnt on my journey. Here are some things I learnt from my first PC build!

Confidence is key – back yourself

So here’s the big one. Knowing full well I’m about to go ‘The Secret‘ on you – manifest your reality with positive thoughts here. I think the main reason things went wrong with my first build was because I was worried things were going to go wrong.

So come time to build, all I could think about was NOT stuffing it up. Which meant of course I obviously did. So instead, go into your build with the utmost confidence you’re going to crush it. (Even if you have to fake it for the first hour or so). Hesitation and second thoughts can only lead to trouble, as you might unintentionally become too dainty when handling your equipment. Show that PC who’s boss!

Cable management isn’t just for aesthetics

So I used to peer up at Jono from the highest of horses, snickering at his horrific cable management. (Seriously, the back side of the PCs he builds looks like the remains of a bombsite.) Therefore I waltzed into my first PC build vowing to not do the same. I would manage my cables so damn nicely, with all the zip ties and velcro boys keeping everything looking all sleek. But uh, that didn’t happen. I became the very thing I hated most.

My build had some the the most horrific cable management you’ve ever seen. And it didn’t just hurt your eyeballs, it made the whole build so much more tedious! Seriously, don’t think you can skimp on managing cables. Because you only need a few to begin overlapping, getting in each others space before things become an absolute nightmare for you. Cables that were easily routed suddenly became slide puzzles as I had to loop six other cables first before getting the one I needed through. So do your research, and make sure to stay on top of them every step of the way!

Unless things are literally snapping off, you can almost always fix it

So, if you have yet to check out the video of my first PC build, the big boo boo I made is that I bent the CPU pins as it wasn’t seated correctly. Meaning the whole thing got ultra smooshed upon screwing the water block onto it. Oh boy.

But for as devastated as I was in the moment when my PC didn’t turn on, holding back tears as I feared I had done the equivalent of throwing away hundreds of dollars within the bin, we (big thanks to our resident pro builder Nick) were still able to get the PC back up and running. Which leads me to the point that no matter how dire the obstacles you face seem when attempting your first build, more often than not than can be fixed! Whether something just needs to be slightly adjusted, or reapplied, and placed with a bit more (or less) force, just about anything can be tinkered with to get it back in working condition!

I’m a filthy RGB boy

Dang it. There I was living my pre-Thermaltake life at the start of 2021, vowing to never purchase RGB should I ever build a PC. It just wasn’t necessary, it doesn’t even make your RAM go faster! However, upon seeing it in my case at work, I had quickly been swooned by its dazzling display of pretty colours. I can’t imagine owning a PC without a glass side panel now. I’m no better than a magpie.

Presenting is hard!

The only thing worse than having to build in front of other people who knew what they were doing, was the fact that the whole thing was being recorded! So forget my desperate struggle to insert the motherboard into the right spot, thinking of stuff to say while I did it was even harder!

Hosting and presenting is no joke people. All the props to Sarah for having the mad skillz that i clearly lack. I am eternally grateful that the next time I build it will most likely be in the comfort of my own home, without the judging eyes of the masses!

So, that was my list of things I learnt on my PC building journey thus far!

What about you dear friend?  Be sure to share your experiences in the comments below! Check out the rest of our Tech posts HERE, or check out my first PC build video HERE!