Need help don't wanna fry pc

[ppsssooo]

im just starting to build a pc and last time i built one it fryed. now i am building another one, can anyone give me tips on how to not fry my system when i'm installing it. also should i have everything hooked up first - the hard drive and dvd-rom drive before i plug in the power supply? pls give as much tips as you can because i spent a lot of money on my new system.

 

[Diomedes1]

I'm asuming that when you mean 'fryed' you mean ur cpu. I advise you correctly apply thermal paste to ur cpu before placing the heat sink on it, as this is crucial. If you're not experienced i recomended finding someone who is, as the last thing you want is to fry your expensive cpu. Secondly get a good quality Power Supply with plenty of wattage so that all your components are getting good consistant power to them, with no spikes that could potentially fry your whole system. I personally would recomend installing everything into the system before booting up for the first time.

hope this helps

Diomedes

 

[DonNagual]

I'd say the times when you are most at risk of frying are while you are putting it all together. Just be sure to properly ground yourself by touching the inside of the case. Also, be sure your motherboard is attached to the case properly before hooking it up to power. If it is touching the case somewhere it shouldn't be, you are gonna fry it. If it doesn't seem to be fitting properly, chances are you are doing something wrong. The riser pins should line up perfectly. The motherboard output jacks should line up to the back of your case perfectly. The PCI cards etc., should line up perfectly with the back of the case etc. Many people fry their motherboards at this stage.

When handling parts, don't touch the circuitry.

And depending on your CPU and heatsink, it can be REAL tricky to get that heatsink on sometimes. Do not put too much pressure on the CPU when applying the heatsink. And don't wiggle the heatsink (don't rock it back and forth). It does take a fair amount of pressure to get that heatsink on, and with experience you get to know the balance of what is too much. Just be careful...

And yes, you should install the major components first before turning on the power. No need to install unecessary parts at first, just the basics. Vid card, HDD, ram and see if you can post (get into the bios).

Good luck!

 

[zephead]

if you think you're going to mess thigns up again, take the parts to a local pc repair shop or work with a technician. it'll save you from losing more parts to pilot error.