Applying thermal paste to your CPU is a crucial step. Carefully squeeze a tiny, pea-sized ball of thermal paste onto the silicon square on your processor, aiming for the center.
Now, align your heat sink with the screws surrounding your processor and gently lower it into place. The goal is to create a thin layer covering the back of your processor by gently squishing the thermal paste. A little oozing is acceptable, but excessive oozing beyond the processor’s edge indicates overuse. In such a case, clean both the processor and heat sink with isopropyl alcohol and a lint-free wipe, ensuring they are thoroughly dry before retrying.
Examine the shiny silicon square in the center of your processor where the heat sink will be positioned. Your processor typically comes with a heat sink, featuring a copper circle on one side. This copper circle should align perfectly with the silicone square when placing the heat sink on top of the processor.
If everything appears aligned, screw the heat sink into place, being careful not to overtighten. Refer to your motherboard instruction manual to locate the appropriate location near the processor socket to plug in your heat sink’s cooling fan. It should be in close proximity to the processor socket. Once located, plug it in. Congratulations, you’ve just installed a CPU! This is often considered the most challenging part of building a PC.
Installing your memory will feel straightforward after the CPU installation. Typically, there are either two or four slots adjacent to the processor. Consult your motherboard manual to determine the correct slots to use based on your memory kit.
Each slot features small plastic levers at one or both ends. Gently press them down until they click open away from the slot. Align your memory stick, ensuring the off-center notch in the slot matches the notch on the memory sticks. With the stick vertical, gently apply even pressure across the top until the levers on the ends click fully into place.
If you have an M.2 drive (a compact SSD roughly the size of a stick of gum), there should be a dedicated slot on the motherboard. Consult your motherboard’s manual to identify the M.2 slot, which may be located under a heat sink. Insert the end of the drive with the contacts into the slot, then gently push down the other end and secure it in place using the tiny screw.
The next step involves installing the motherboard into your case. Consult the manual for specific details relevant to your motherboard model. Gently lower the motherboard into the case, aligning the ports at the back with the wide slot. Be cautious not to slide the motherboard around excessively while positioning it. Once the screw holes underneath align, turn the screws slightly to set them in place, then fully tighten each screw by hand until snug, ensuring everything is held in place without being overtightened.
Next, you’ll need to install your power supply. It should fit perfectly into a dedicated square space near the top or bottom of the case. If you’re having difficulty locating it, examine the back of your case for a rectangular hole surrounded by three or four screw holes. This is where the power supply goes, and where you’ll plug in your PC once assembly is complete. Once located, slot the power supply in and screw it into place, ensuring the fan is facing either an open area or a vent. Avoid plugging anything in at this stage; we’ll return to the power supply later.
Given its considerable size, installing your graphics card last is advisable, taking into consideration how it fits into the case. Space constraints become more apparent once the GPU is installed.
