How To Build A PC: Powering On Your PC for the First Time

Here's the final step on our PC building journey! Now that all of the parts have been properly installed, you'll want to double check that everything is securely fastened (all cards are fully pushed into their respective PCI or AGP slots, everything is screwed in to the case securely, nothing is loose, etc.)

Next, connect everything that needs to be hooked up to the motherboard. This includes:

• CD-ROM and/or DVD-ROM drive
  If it has an IDE connector, connect the IDE Master end to the top-most drive, the IDE Slave end to the drive under it, and the end of the cable to the motherboard itself (check your manual if you don't see the connector - it is most likely on the central right hand side of the board). If they're SATA drives, connect one SATA cable to each drive individually, and connect the other end of the SATA cable directly to the motherboard (once again, check your motherboard manual if you don't see the SATA sockets...they are usually below the IDE socket, in the central/lower right side of the board).


• Hard Drive(s)
  Follow the same exact directions above, depending on if your hard drives are IDE or SATA.

Above: Hooking up SATA cables to SATA hard drives.

Now that everything is properly hooked up to the motherboard, it's time to get those power cables in place. First, connect everything that has its own power cable to the motherboard. These are typically the smaller parts that use motherboard-based power sockets:

• CPU Cooling Fan
  We went over this step before, but make sure your CPU cooling fan has its tiny power cable hooked up to the socket on the motherboard. It's typically located at the top of the board, right next to the area where you installed the CPU fan.


• PC case fans
  All of the fans that came with your PC case will need individual power connections. Some of them have tiny connectors that you can simply plug into the motherboard. Reference your manual to make sure you know where they are. They are typically all the same: tiny two-prong outlets with a white piece of plastic that fits the shape of the fans' plugs. You basically can't miss them.


• PC case LCDs
  You'll have to look at your PC case manual to see where you have to plug in the LCD lights (they're those flashy lights that some cases have, near the front and/or fans, the hard drive activity light, and anything else it may have such as a temperature indicator). These LCD lights typically have tiny little power connectors that look like match sticks, and they usually hook up to one-prong outlets on a box near the bottom of the motherboard.


• Anything else
  If you're using a cooling fan for your RAM cards, that will need a power connection to the motherboard (see above: it's the same tiny little plug/socket combo). Depending on what you've bought, some video and sound cards require their own power connection. Be sure to hook these up, or else, you'll get a nasty surprise when they overheat.


• Finally: the motherboard power connector
  Don't forget the most important connection of all: the one that connects a power plug directly to the motherboard! I've actually made the mistake of not putting this in, and freaking out when my PC never powered on for the first time. I guess it's one of those obvious things that are easy to overlook. This power connector is usually a very long plug that goes into a corresponding socket on the motherboard (check the motherboard manual to make sure you know where it is, if you don't see it for some reason). Sometimes, power supplies have the motherboard cable split in two, where you have to plug two plugs into one socket on the motherboard. It's a complete mystery why they do this, but don't worry: even though it may seem illogical to plug two plugs into one socket, it is actually correct.
  

There are several different kinds of power source connectors as well. Simply find the right size plug to go into the right size socket, it's rather simple. Here's what you'll need to look for:

• CD-ROM and/or DVD-ROM drive
  These drives will need individual power connections directly from the power source. Simply find the right size plug ends, and insert them right into the back of these drives.


• Hard Drive(s)
  See above, as hard drives and CD/DVD drives have similar hookup instructions! Your hard drives need individual power plugs hooked up to them, from the power source.


• PC case fans
  While some case fans have their own power plug that goes into a tiny socket directly on the motherboard, others require a big plug directly from the power source itself. Be sure to hook these up.

Suddenly, your spacious case is looking a little intestinal inside. All of those power cords tend to block airflow and crowd the case. Remember the golden rule of keeping a case cool: airflow needs to be unhindered as it enters the front of the case, and travels through and out of the back. Therefore, it's a best practice to get those cables out of the airflow's way by using some twist-ties, and bundling them together. Here are a few tips!

• Electrical or Duct Tape: When looking inside your case, the fans at the rear of the case probably have power cables going to them, and they're probably suspended in mid-air right about now. Simply take piece of electrical or duct tape, and neatly tape it to the inner rear wall of your PC case to keep it out of plain sight.


• Twist or Zip Ties: The obvious problem is probably located at the bottom and right-hand side of the inside of your PC case: wires everywhere! Get out some twist ties and bundle these wires together. Then, use additional twist ties to fasten them to the right side column of your case, where the hard drive bay is located (now you know why they've drilled extra holes there - it's exactly for this purpose!) Some people use zip ties, but I prefer not to, as they have to be cut off if you wish to remove them. Twist ties are easier to take on and off.

Above: You can see how I used twist ties to bundle those bulky power cables together, and fasten them to the right-hand column on the inside of the case. As a result, air from the frontal fans is able to breeze through the center of the case, and out the back.

Don't ignore this step! You'll save yourself from a big headache when you doublecheck and correct any issues you've spotted, like plugs that you've neglected to connect, or anything else that is not firmly in place. Remember: if you power on your computer and it doesn't work, you'll be scrambling to find these stupid little mistakes, so it's better to look for them before hand!

This is it - all of the blood, sweat and tears (or something like that) put into hand-building this great new PC now rests on the fate of that little power button! Feel the excitement! Perform the following:

• Switch the power supply to the "on" position.
  It's a simple step to forget. The computer itself won't turn on if the power supply is off! Insert the power cord from your power supply into the wall. Look at the rear of your case where you've connected the power supply. Simply flip the switch on the power supply to the "on" position.


• Make sure everything else is plugged in.
  This includes your monitor and speakers. Your mouse and keyboard should also be connected to either their respective ports, or USB ports.


• Power on the PC!
  This is it! Push the big power button somewhere on the front of your case (the location of the button depends on the case, but that is where it's usually located). Either it works, or something wrong will happen. We'll go over both scenarios right now!

Let's be optimistic and say it worked...CONGRATS! You've done it! The PC powers up and cycles through its ROM data. You'll probably be taken to a black screen with a cursor, since your PC has no operating system yet. The good news is that everything appears to have been a success! Of course, it's not really time to celebrate yet, as you'll have to get through the operating system install to truly know if your PC is working properly!



Above: Awesome! The new PC works like a charm, and I'm checking out the BIOS options.

At this point, you'll need to insert your operating system disk, and reboot your computer with that disc in the main drive. If it can't locate the drive, reboot the system and look for the key you have to press for the BIOS menu. You'll have to make sure the PC's boot hierarchy makes the computer look at the CD-ROM drive first, so that it can find the disc. This is usually default, and you probably won't have to worry about it, though.



Above: Setting up Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit edition for the very first time.

Once you insert your operating system disc, it's a matter of following instructions. In my case, I am using Windows Vista Ultimate Edition. Don't fall for the negativity, I have nothing but praise for Vista Ultimate 64-bit Edition, and it is probably the most celebrated version of Vista. With my quad-core processor and 8 gigs of RAM, my system flies!

Yikes! It looks like there could be one of three issues:

• Something wasn't plugged in.
  Are you sure that all of your internals have a power cable hooked up to them?


• There's an incompatibility.
  This is the most grim scenario. For instance, if you're using the incorrect RAM type -- the computer will not power on correctly, but will shut down the monitor, and you'll see the monitor's power light blink on and off. Or, if you're having an issue between the motherboard and processor chip (such as a board that does not support quad core chips), then you will probably encounter some other sort of horrifying error. This is why it's so important to do your homework and make sure that everything is compatible BEFORE you purchase your parts!


• The hardware is shot.
  I've had it happen before: a DOA motherboard that was shot, right out of the box. It's a sad fact that motherboards, RAM, or hard drives were defective right off the assembly line. The bad news is that it can be really difficult to determine which of these hardware units is defective. You may need to contact the manufacturers and describe what happened. It gets worse: most of these manufacturers have God-awful tech support.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to write a truly helpful tutorial for these cases, if any of the aforementioned issues above are not the case. The fact is that there are so many possibilities in times of bad computer starts, depending on the mix and match of hardware, or any other "stupid little mistake" that may have been performed, such as an un-secured connection or failure to plug in a power cable.

Also, revert back to my old note about computers using 4GB of RAM or more: you'll have to use a 64-bit operating system for it to be recognized. Failing to do so may cause undue harm to your system.

That's the end of my long tutorial on how to build a PC! I truly hope it was as informative as it was fun. The best part about your new PC (besides the bragging rights you'll have, when you tell everyone that you've built it yourself) is that you'll be outperforming any of those pre-built systems, and will be able to expand and upgrade to your heart's content. This is the true spirit of building your own PC, to your own standards!

Now, all I have to do is ditch those crappy speakers and get a great sound system ;)

Good luck, and happy computing!