Building a PC From Scratch

Last updated: February 13, 2025

Build a PC from scratch: check your parts, fit the CPU, cooler, RAM and SSD, mount the motherboard, PSU and graphics card, then install Windows and stress test.

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What this helps with

What to expect: Advanced difficulty • usually about 2-3 hours.

This is one of 61 Hardware Diagnostics & Repair fixes in the WindowsHelper library. The full step-by-step fix for this is in the WindowsHelper app.

Related fixes in Hardware Diagnostics & Repair

• 🌡️ CPU Overheating & Thermal Paste Replacement

  Diagnose CPU overheating and replace thermal paste to fix shutdowns.

  Hard45-60 minutes
• 🧠 Diagnose & Fix Failing RAM

  Test RAM for errors, reseat sticks, find the failing one.

  Medium30-45 minutes
• 💾 Hard Drive & SSD Health Check

  Check storage drive health with SMART data before data loss.

  Medium20-30 minutes
• ⚡ Diagnose Power Supply Problems

  Identify PSU failures and test your power supply safely.

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• 🔋 Swollen Battery Detection

  Detect and safely handle swollen laptop batteries.

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• 🌬️ Dust Cleanup & Fan Maintenance

  Deep clean your PC to fix overheating and loud fans.

  Easy20-30 minutes
• 🎮 GPU Issues & Diagnosis

  Fix graphics card artifacts, crashes, and no display.

  Hard30-45 minutes
• 🖥️ Motherboard Diagnosis

  Diagnose motherboard failures with beep codes and visual inspection.

  Hard30-60 minutes
• 🖥️ Monitor & Display Hardware Issues

  Fix no signal, dead pixels, flickering, and cable issues.

  Medium15-30 minutes
• ⌨️ Keyboard & Mouse Hardware Fix

  Fix sticky keys, double-clicking mice, and hardware problems.

  Easy15-25 minutes