Guides

Step-by-step instructions written for someone doing this for the first time.

Assembly

8 min read
Building a PC step by step
A complete walkthrough from unboxing to first boot. Order matters — the sequence here saves a lot of backtracking.
10 steps
2 min read
First boot and BIOS setup
What to do once the case is closed: the memory profile, boot order, and the settings genuinely worth changing.
3 steps
1 min read
Cable management
This is not only about looks. Tidy cables improve airflow and make every later change to the build far easier.
2 steps

2 min read
The computer will not start — diagnostics
An ordered list of causes from most to least common. In most cases the problem is in the first three entries.
3 steps

1 min read
How to choose a CPU cooler
Air or liquid — the decision is simpler than online debate suggests. What matters is CPU power draw and case dimensions.
2 steps
1 min read
Thermal paste — how much and how
A topic surrounded by myths. In practice the application method matters marginally, and the quantity moderately.
2 steps

1 min read
Choosing a power supply
The one component whose failure can take the rest of the system with it. This is the worst place to economise.
2 steps

5 min read
Installing Windows 11 step by step
From an empty USB stick to a working system: preparing the media, BIOS settings, partitioning, working around the Microsoft account, and the first tidy-up afterwards.
5 steps
1 min read
Drivers: what, from where, and in what order
Driver installation order matters, and most problems after a fresh install come from ignoring it.
1 steps
2 min read
Linux as an alternative or a second system
When Linux makes sense, how installing it differs from Windows, and how to run both side by side without losing data.
2 steps

3 min read
The BIOS settings actually worth changing
A BIOS has several hundred options and around a dozen that matter. This walks through the ones that make a difference, and says plainly which to leave alone.
3 steps
2 min read
Memory overclocking — what it gains and how to start
Memory is the one component where overclocking still gives a measurable gain in games. This shows where the point of diminishing returns sits.
2 steps
2 min read
How to build a quiet computer
Noise comes from a handful of specific sources and each can be reduced. The order matters, because the cheapest fixes give the most back.
2 steps
1 min read
Cleaning and maintenance
Dust is the most common reason temperatures climb and a machine gets louder after a year. Cleaning takes half an hour every few months.
1 steps