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Explainers
Seven mistakes people make on a first build
Collected from hundreds of "it will not start" reports. All are reversible, and most take a minute to fix.
1 min readPublished March 19, 2026Dawid Olko
A first build runs into trouble more often than it should, but the list of causes is short and repetitive. Here are seven that cover most cases.
- The monitor plugged into the motherboard rather than the graphics card. Number one on the list, uncontested.
- Memory in the first and second slots rather than the second and fourth — it works, but loses half the bandwidth.
- A memory module not pressed in until it clicks. This shows up as no display on first boot.
- The EPS cable near the processor left unconnected. Without it many boards give no reaction at all.
- A forgotten I/O shield — the one part that cannot be added without unscrewing the board again.
- A standoff under a spot with no mounting hole, shorting the board.
- The EXPO or XMP profile left off — the memory works, but far slower than the box claims.