The Verge’s $2000 PC Build Reaction Supercut
USB-C cable has entered the chat.
In theory, this is how it should work, but is often not the case.
If you just buy interoperable components without taking into consideration if they’re compatible, you’re running a risk of things not fitting.
What immediately comes to mind is GPU clearance to the case, as well as to the CPU cooling solution. The CPU cooler may not also fit the MOBO you want to use, protrude too much in the case, or have clearance problems with RAM. RAM could fit, but may need to be low profile accommodate the CPU cooler. Power supplies nowadays aren’t as straight forward in compatibility as they used to, since some GPUs may require a special plug(s).
Once that’s sorted, you can assemble like a Lego set, until something doesn’t work. You’re your own support person, so you need to know how to troubleshoot correctly. Did you switch the power supply on? Are the components seated properly? What do the debug LEDs say?
I’m no beginner PC builder, but my current build (first AM5 system) was a nightmare. Everything worked beautifully until I seated the GPU, which was the last item to arrive. MOBO debug LED said VGA issue and no output. Long story short, and two AM5 builds instead of one, it turned out to be a faulty CPU (9800X3D).
Had I gone with what the Internet forums suggested, and with no other AM5 system available to verify, I would have sent the GPU back and still have the issue. Luckily AMD RMA process is pretty straight forward (don’t throw away your boxes until some time after you’re done with the build!) The new CPU worked as expected, but that was the first time I’ve ever had an issue with a CPU. It worked fine via on-board HDMI, but no GPU in any possible configuration with the faulty CPU using two PCs worth of components would provide output. Everything is good now, and a family member made out with a decent 7800X3D system as a present :)
This isn’t building a PC, this is plugging one in.
This is the fastest part after the careful compatibility checks, purchases, opening of packages, attaching heat sink with thermal paste, and screwing in components.
And to the average person, there’s no difference regardless of how right you are.
I’ve always described it as just playing with expensive legos.
Have you seen the cost of Lego nowadays? Those adult sets aren’t far off the cost of a PC!
Good point, the lego death star costs more than I paid for my pc. I guess it’s like playing with slightly cheaper electric legos.
The round peg goes in the…that’s right! It goes in the square hole
Yes!
https://youtu.be/baY3SaIhfl0
One of my favourite videos.You mean the ethernet shaped hole?
Psu cable goes in psu :-D
turns on
finds out that cable was in fact not from that psu
Hmm, maybe I didn’t plug that SSD back in. Everything is connected prop… Oh no…
The only real times where I have to stop and think is when plugging in the case components (like the power button). But many a times have I seen people put a heat sink on a processor with no thermal paste, thankfully sellers have gotten better with packaging to make it obvious so people don’t get hundreds of dollars of components now.
The complexity lies in the when and why, not the where, what, or how.
I mean, when I tried to fit my corebooted Dell Precision T1650 board into a new case and noticed the messed up proprietary front panel terminals, the where/what/how quickly became a factor…
Had to pull 3V from the TPM before to power an LED, but that one doesn’t have a port, so I had to solder an adapter.
Yeahhhh… It’s suuuuper easy!
Nothing can possibli go wrong…
The horror! Seriously, I actually made the courier stand for 3 minutes while I did the CPU pins check.
I usually use a razor blade to scrape all those fuckers off anyway. Don’t want any spikies poking my motherboard!
SMORT!!
Was there, used a plier.
Retract the lead in a mechanical pencil and slide it over the pin to bend it back.
I used the razor blade trick and got everything more or less aligned and upright enough that the processor is okay booting up with a second stick of ram in the machine lol
Tech YouTubers to the rescue lol, especially Linus and jayztwocents
Ugh I had to do this with an internal SCSI drive many years ago, it would only reliably save if you held the back of the cable in, otherwise the pin might short just enough that the operation wouldn’t work. But I was a broke Jr High kid so there was no choice. Bent pins give me nightmares to this day.
Had to do this recently and couldn’t believe it worked. https://lemmy.world/post/16160426
Haha sure, linus
I remember lifting one of these bent pins with a kitchen knife feeling like i probably was making the problem worse… but it ended up working fine
There was a glorious time in the 90s when PC building had enough stuff going on and not yet enough safeguards that I could actually put things in wrong and start a small fire.
Those were exciting days. And sometimes expensive.
Magic smooooke
Those are the gases that made the computer engine run. You let them out and the engine dies.
Any machine can be a smoke machine if you use it wrong enough.
One time it worked to quickly turn off and pull out the smoking chip (cpu cache extender) flip it 180 degrees and try again. No apparent permanent damage.
wait, have they finally fixed the “i can plug in my psu wrong” problem? the stress of that at my job was bad enough i don’t want to do it on my home computers now i can’t afford to replace parts if i bork em
If it was possible I surely would have for my last two computers. At least mine came with nubs and corners that enforced one orientation.
If you mix cables, between power supplies, definitely still possible
I call it “assembling” a PC instead of “building” because I feel like I’m lying otherwise…
are you even good enough to have imposter syndrome?
Love it.
I built my first PC at about 12 years old, while watching a youtube tutorial, with no prior knowledge or experience whatsoever. So I think I can safely say it is pretty easy and straightforward.
Built mine about 12 years old before YouTube existed. Honestly can’t remember where i learned. I think i just guessed. I’d previously taken apart my parents because i was that kind of kid so that’s probably it. There’s not many things that can go in the wrong place and cause damage.
My dad saw me doing it and quit his job as a butcher to start a business doing pc repairs and sales. This was around 2001.
I read that as you took apart your parents because it was missing the possessive.
My kid has a marketable skill. I should quit my job and exploit it.
Gamer move right there
I built my PC in 2006ish so YouTube existed but I doubt anyone was doing PC building tutorials then. The thing that pushed me over the edge to building vs getting a pre built was seeing an episode of How It’s Made where they were building PCs and I was like damn that looks easy as shit, I was not wrong.
The complicated (not really) part that some people skip is doing cross referencing of motherboard and what hardware it supports, and memory tested to work with it.etc. So many posts about "Ive plugged in my ssd drive now my nvme doesn’t work ( or vice versa). Where the motherboard document clearly shows that nvme and sata port may be a shared on certain boards, so you have to use the other sata ports etc.
Or buying a GPU that is too long for the case, or a power supply that doesn’t have the outputs you need, or any of the rest of it.
90% of PC building are the choices you make before anything even goes in your cart.
Especially true if you don’t just care about compatibility but are doing research to get the best performance and value for your money.
Once the boxes arrive it’s just Lego :)
My friend bought a GPU that he had to mount externally bcausr he didn’t check case compatibility. So yah you are right some people make their mind up on choices before research and end up with incompatibility.
Another person ordered nvme and confused why it doesn’t work in m2 sata slot. I had to explain m2 is the form factor not the protocol…and their response is its the same connection it should work. Smh.
I feel like your example is quite contrived, and having been in the trenches often, I feel like this is rare, and probably not even worth it for the average pc builder to know outside of when they need to know.
Even then, thats more of a “people should really try to search before posting for help” than anything else, and that exists everywhere.
No, it was a common question on reddit PC building subs. Or why is my sata ssd slow now I have added an nvme.
Or buying a memory brand that isn’t compatible with the hardware.
Or in my friends case buying a GPU that he had to mount externally because it didn’t fit in the case.
People just order stuff and hope for the best it seems
You have to remember that what you are basing your image of the common PC builder on, contains massive selection bias.
People who are just building their pcs silently, or who run into issues, but solve them themselves aren’t going to be posted.
That leaves the people willing to put forth the least effort outside of posts asking for opinions on builds (as well as completely reasonable people who are stuck).
I do think many people don’t really learn about everything that would be necessary, but thats largely one of the benefits of humanity; people not having to learn about everything.
I think people often ask a tech person they know for opinions, and sometimes that communication is muddied or that person doesn’t know as much as they profess, but I doubt that a sizeable portion of people are just completely yoloing.
This is a good point.
However, anecdotally, I do know a few people that spend tons of time researching the absolute hell out of stuff before purchasing (because they want the best of everything) but skip some important details that creates a no build situation.
But Yes, I will concede there are silent people out there doing stuff you never hear about.
Similar story here. Just no YouTube.
My only mistake was buying the motherboard first, without actually thinking about it or considering what components would go in it. I knew the components needed to match, but I didn’t think “what’s the best performance for the money”.
I was a kid, so I went on eBay and bought the first motherboard I saw, and then researched what components I would need to make it work.
I’ll spare the specifics, but let’s just say I ended up with a system that was significantly aged and underpowered for its time and how much I spent.
Good learning experience though.
I think where it gets complicated and sometimes frustrating is with troubleshooting.
That, and picking out the parts can take ages, especially if you obsess, or have one idiot friend who is stuck in 2013 and still think its intel or nothing.
USB cables fit into Ethernet ports. They will also go into HDMI ports if you force them. Source: Family
USB-C cable also fits into USB-A port. Don’t do it, your pc will shut down. Source: me, trying to blindly plug in the cable, twice.
Yes. I used to work in support… I have seen things you people wouldn’t believe.
I’ve seen computers on fire due to dust buildup. I’ve seen usb cables glitter in the darkness, stuck inside Ethernetports.
All these moments will be lost in time, like a ticket in the support system.
I worked in automotive electronics. Our cables use asymmetrical trapezoid connectors made from heavy duty plastic with metal reinforcement. There are mechanical hinges to put things in place and lock them only if everything is aligned.
We still had to do electrical tests against wrong connections because apparently people somehow still force them wrong way around.
I worked in automotive electronics
But did you work with AUTOSAR?
I resigned about when we started the switch to AUTOSAR. I’m happily in medical tech now.
Nicely dodged a major bullet, apparently.
I work in automotive R&D, it happens here as well.
I used to repair air traffic control radios and other equipment, everything from glide-slopes and runway lights to the air traffic control console itself.
I’m going to stop right there.
Bravo! Beautiful!
I have a universal hole that fits all of those.
So does my ex
We know
deleted by creator
USB cable goes into the USB hole (doesn’t work turn it around)…USB cable goes into the USB hole (still doesn’t want to work you just didn’t want to fiddle enough the first time)…while I’m quite proficient at building computers (haven’t bought an off the shelf one in a few decades) saying it looks like it goes where it says it does doesn’t always work for beginners. Also the colours were for the end user not the builder, green being the speaker output? Not the sound card installation.
Sorry for spoiling the joke but that’s gotta be what this comic was meant for. There’s no coloured indicators on the inside are there? Maybe I overlooked them cause I just know where they go, cause I never wanted to fry a new board.
But I thought this was a slot for X?
Yeah, my current (aging) motherboard also has gotchas like that you have to choose in the bios where to allocate PCIe lanes, so you end up not being able to use some of the SATA drive connections if you want to use both M.2 slots. And there’s the thing about putting the RAM sticks in the right slots to run in dual channel mode. And the switches and LED connectors for the case are all just random 2mm header pins in a clump, so you have to look up how the cables are supposed to tetris in there.
I’m not saying it’s challenging; it really is pretty straightforward. But it’s definitely not just “that’s right! it goes in the square hole!” level stuff.
Then there was mine that you had to put the M.2 in the second slot not the first or it would share bandwidth with the GPU making the GPU only run on 8 instead of 16 lanes. To make it less clear they put the extra cooling for the M.2 on the one you shouldn’t use!
Not colour labels on the inside but actual labels on the plugs (cable) & sockets (motherboard), especially for the case LEDs and buttons.
The case connections are always the worst for me, mean maybe there’s some standard and if you’re not old you can read the tiny print on the board…but I always end up following the manual to be sure. Especially the cases with the single + or - for the device ugh out of all things that aren’t standardized why is it the damn case connections?
Actually out of my decades of doing computers that’s the part that makes me wonder if the computer will turn on when I press the button first level alone the HDD activity light going properly. I couldn’t care less about that but I did like watching it to know my computer was doing something in the 90s.
Case connections are annoying but typically (it’s been a while for me) standardized enough that all plugs fit on the board…
In the 90’s: “Sorry you set the CPU voltage jumpers wrong and you’ve fried it. No refunds.”
In the early 90s, Linux actually let you set hsync on your monitors, not just vsync. With a CRT you could literally fry it with an invalid number. Generally I wasn’t as cautious because I knew I could never really brick a computer, except for that setting.
It warned you about that, but I don’t think actually frying a monitor was common. I was cautious, but I still made mistakes and gave it values that my monitor couldn’t handle, but the worst that happened was a dangerous sound coming out of the monitor and no useful picture on the screen. I immediately shut off my monitor when that happened, but it didn’t do any permanent damage.
Probably a cheaply made monitor might have issues, but well built monitors had hardware protection against invalid settings.
Many of the older monitors could let the smoke out if you gave it the wrong horizontal frequency. The better made monitors would limit the horizontal frequency to a safe value and just not sync if the video signal was outside that range. The later monitors were smart enough to not even try to display and invalid signal and may even show an error message on screen.
Uhm… Won’t
sudo rm -rf /*also brick your modern PC, as it also deletes UEFI variables that are always mounted rw for technical reasons?Generally no. Most of those variables are mounted RO now. Additionally you can factory reset the board and recover. There were some systems a while ago when UEFI first came out that didn’t correctly manage that, but that hasn’t been a problem for years now.
I’m in this comment and I hate it.
I once somehow managed to plug in a molex upside down and got to watch the magic smoke escape from a 2GB Bigfoot drive. Sad day.
