00Step_00 // Pre-flight
Lay every part on the table
Before you touch a screwdriver: confirm every part exists, every cable is in its bag, and every manual is open in a tab. The number one cause of midnight build failures is a missing standoff.
Pre-Flight // Parts0 / 12
01Step_01
Prep the bench
Goal //A clean, static-safe workspace that won't eat your screws.
- 1Clear a hard table — not your bed, not the carpet. Static and soft surfaces are how motherboards die.
- 2Lay the motherboard box flat. You'll build the CPU+RAM+cooler on top of it before the case.
- 3Put every screw bag in a magnetized cup or saucer. Group by part: case screws, M.2 screws, fan screws.
- 4Open the motherboard manual. You'll reference it three times in the next hour.
02Step_02
Drop in the CPU + cooler
Goal //Seat the chip, paste it once, mount the cooler — never lift it after.
- 1Lift the CPU socket lever. On AM5/LGA1700, the retention bracket flips up too.
- 2Align the gold triangle on the CPU corner with the triangle on the socket. Drop it in — never push.
- 3Lower the bracket and the lever. The lever is supposed to feel resistant. That's normal.
- 4Apply thermal paste — one pea-sized blob in the center. Stop second-guessing the pattern; pressure spreads it.
- 5Mount the cooler straight down. Tighten the four screws in an X-pattern, two turns each, until they bottom out.
Diagram // ATX_Layout
I/O REAR
CPU
DIMM
DIMM
PCIE x16
M.2 NVMe
CHIPSET
SATA
24-PIN
03Step_03
RAM + M.2 SSD
Goal //Two sticks, two clicks. One screw for the SSD.
- 1Open the clips on DIMM slots A2 and B2 (the second and fourth slots from the CPU).
- 2Match the notch on the RAM stick to the notch on the slot. Press straight down on both ends — listen for the click.
- 3Unscrew the M.2 standoff. Lay your NVMe SSD into the slot at a 30° angle.
- 4Press it flat and screw the standoff back down. Don't force the screw — finger-tight is enough.
- 5If your board ships an M.2 heatsink, peel the blue plastic film off the thermal pad before clamping it on.
04Step_04
Mount the board in the case
Goal //Standoffs aligned, I/O shield in, board screwed down without a flex.
- 1Count the standoffs in the case. Match them to the holes on your motherboard. Add or remove as needed — extra standoffs short the board.
- 2Snap the rear I/O shield into the case from the inside. There's only one orientation; the cutouts match your board's I/O.
- 3Lower the board onto the standoffs at a slight angle so the I/O ports clear the shield.
- 4Start screws in opposite corners. Snug, not torqued. Then fill in the rest in a star pattern.
05Step_05
PSU + the cable rats' nest
Goal //Power delivered. Cables routed behind the tray. No spaghetti.
- 1Mount the PSU with its fan facing the case's bottom vent. The vent has a dust filter — pull it out and rinse it monthly.
- 2Connect the 24-pin ATX to the motherboard. It only fits one way; don't force it.
- 3Connect the 8-pin (or 8+4) EPS to the top-left of the board. This is CPU power — the build won't POST without it.
- 4Run every cable behind the motherboard tray. Use the case's velcro straps if it has them, zip-ties if it doesn't.
- 5Leave the GPU power cable dangling for now — we install the card next.
06Step_06
GPU + extra storage
Goal //Card seated, latched, fed. SATA drives mounted if you have them.
- 1Remove the rear PCIe slot covers that align with your GPU's bracket. Two slots for most modern cards.
- 2Open the PCIe x16 latch on the motherboard.
- 3Lower the GPU straight down into the slot. Press until the latch clicks shut.
- 4Screw the GPU bracket to the rear of the case. Two screws, snug.
- 5Plug the 8-pin (or 12V-2x6) power cable into the GPU. Push until you feel the click — half-seated cables melt.
Diagram // Airflow_Path
MOBO
CPU
GPU
INTAKE
INTAKE
EXHAUST
EXHAUST
07Step_07
Front-panel headers
Goal //Power button, reset, USB, audio — all wired to the right pins.
- 1Find the F_PANEL block on the motherboard, usually bottom-right corner.
- 2Match each tiny 2-pin header against the diagram in your motherboard manual: PWR_SW, RESET_SW, HDD_LED, PWR_LED.
- 3Polarity matters for LEDs (white = ground), but doesn't matter for switches.
- 4Plug in front USB 3.0 (the big blue 19-pin block) and front audio (HD_AUDIO) — these only fit one way.
- 5Plug in any case fan headers to CHA_FAN1, CHA_FAN2, etc. The CPU cooler fan goes to CPU_FAN.
08Step_08
First POST
Goal //Lights on. BIOS screen visible. No magic smoke.
- 1Plug in the AVR. Plug the PSU into the AVR. Flip the PSU rocker to 1.
- 2Connect the monitor to your GPU's HDMI/DP — not the motherboard's, unless you have an iGPU and skipped the GPU step.
- 3Plug in keyboard and mouse via USB.
- 4Press the case's power button. Listen — fans should spin, no continuous beeps.
- 5Hit DEL or F2 repeatedly to enter the BIOS. If you see the BIOS — congratulations, you have a PC.
✓Powered_On // Now what
Don't close the case yet.
You're in BIOS. The build is alive. Resist the urge to install Windows in the next 30 seconds — burn through this checklist first.
- Verify all RAM is detected (e.g., 32GB shown, not 16GB).
- Verify the NVMe SSD shows up in the storage list.
- Set fan curves: CPU fan to PWM, case fans to silent below 50°C.
- Enable EXPO (AMD) or XMP (Intel). Save & exit. Reboot once.
- Update BIOS only if your board doesn't recognize the CPU at all. Otherwise, skip it.
- Create a Rufus USB on another machine: download the latest Windows 11 ISO, write it.
- Boot from USB → install Windows on your NVMe.
- Install chipset drivers FIRST, then GPU drivers, then Wi-Fi/audio. In that order.
!!Common_Failures
Five things that go wrong on first builds.
We've answered every one of these on Discord at least 200 times. Tap a symptom to see the fix.
Likely_Causes //
- ▸RAM not seated fully — push until both clips snap.
- ▸Wrong DIMM slots — most boards want A2/B2.
- ▸Display cable in motherboard HDMI instead of GPU.
- ▸GPU power cables not fully clicked in.
Fix //
Reseat RAM in A2/B2, plug monitor into the GPU's HDMI/DP, double-check the 8-pin or 12V-2x6 connector. 9 out of 10 first builds: RAM.
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