My First build - Not sure I got it right...

[MeineFrauundich]

Out of the gate; I may sound stupid, but I don't think I am. lol

Upgrade needed for university ( Bachelors in Cybersecurity ), from a MSI GS75 Stealth 9SF Laptop with major issues to a Brand-new build for school, gaming, coding, and light editing . Parts researched for months, compared, fit into a budget and reading all the mixed reviews for products that stir up more confusion. here is my build I have- Case, Motherboard, CPU, CPU cooler, and the Ram until I get Paid.

PCPartPicker Part List

CPU: Intel Core i7-13700K 3.4 GHz 16-Core Processor ($399.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Enermax Liqmax III 360 ARGB 72.1 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($89.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z790 AORUS ELITE AX ATX LGA1700 Motherboard ($254.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: TEAMGROUP T-Force Delta RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6000 CL38 Memory ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive ($129.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: Gigabyte WINDFORCE OC GeForce RTX 4070 12 GB Video Card ($599.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Lian Li LANCOOL III ATX Mid Tower Case ($149.99 @ B&H)
Power Supply: Cooler Master G800 800 W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Home OEM - DVD 64-bit ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VG248QG 24.0" 1920 x 1080 165 Hz Monitor ($189.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $2008.92
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-06-07 12:48 EDT-0400

I am pretty sure my case power switch is bottom right motherboard next to the case fans but the labeling makes zero sense to me. The connector fit but "I DON'T WANT TO F SOMETHING UP" when I put in my power supply in 2 weeks, and that alone I'm still unsure about. Am I doing this right ? where do I plug in all the cables from a power supply? Some have no plug is that normal? The Aio instructions had good detail but my motherboard didn't come with an informative manual soo....

 

[Alm]

You can get a manual (choice of languages) on the Gigabyte website. I think this is the correct one:

Z790 AORUS ELITE AX (rev. 1.x) Support | Motherboard - GIGABYTE Global

Lasting Quality from GIGABYTE.GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ motherboards bring together a unique blend of features and technologies that offer users the absolute ...

www.gigabyte.com

The manual shows which connectors go from the case to the motherboard for the power switch, leds etc, in that socket you highlighted above:

https://imgur.com/bjlHYFs

View: https://imgur.com/bjlHYFs

 

[MeineFrauundich]

You can get a manual (choice of languages) on the Gigabyte website. I think this is the correct one:

Z790 AORUS ELITE AX (rev. 1.x) Support | Motherboard - GIGABYTE Global

Lasting Quality from GIGABYTE.GIGABYTE Ultra Durable™ motherboards bring together a unique blend of features and technologies that offer users the absolute ...

www.gigabyte.com

The manual shows which connectors go from the case to the motherboard for the power switch, leds etc, in that socket you highlighted above:

https://imgur.com/bjlHYFs

View: https://imgur.com/bjlHYFs

Thank you! this helps a lot! do they do the online manuals for all of the parts?

 

[Alm]

Each manufacturer should have downloadable manuals. I'm surprised they stopped supplying physical motherboard manuals though. They are pretty essential, especially for 1st time builders.

 

[Brian Boru]

Good source for most/all manuals:
ManualsLib

How to Find Any Instruction Manual for Free Online

You don't know when you might need an instruction manual to run a device. Here are some of the best available resources to find free manuals anytime.

www.makeuseof.com

Total non-expert here, but for what it's worth:

CPU—i5 would probably be fine, if cheaper.

Video Card—depends on your gaming and future-proofing needs, but 12GB VRAM might be a bit on the low side.

Monitor—I'm fairly sure the experts will tell you you're wasting your system's power by using only a 1080p monitor, that you're set for 1440p.

Storage—if you intend to do regular disk images …see my sig… then a say 256GB drive for OS and non-gaming software makes it much quicker. My monthly image is ~35 minutes, with a lot of software installed. You should at least take an image after your initial setup is complete, so you have a good fallback.

You will also need an external drive for image and normal backups.

Btw, Ninite.com is a great place to get a bunch of good free software installed all in one go on a new PC.

 

[MeineFrauundich]

I

Good source for most/all manuals:
ManualsLib

How to Find Any Instruction Manual for Free Online

You don't know when you might need an instruction manual to run a device. Here are some of the best available resources to find free manuals anytime.

www.makeuseof.com

Total non-expert here, but for what it's worth:

CPU—i5 would probably be fine, if cheaper.

Video Card—depends on your gaming and future-proofing needs, but 12GB VRAM might be a bit on the low side.

Monitor—I'm fairly sure the experts will tell you you're wasting your system's power by using only a 1080p monitor, that you're set for 1440p.

Storage—if you intend to do regular disk images …see my sig… then a say 256GB drive for OS and non-gaming software makes it much quicker. My monthly image is ~35 minutes, with a lot of software installed. You should at least take an image after your initial setup is complete, so you have a good fallback.

You will also need an external drive for image and normal backups.

Btw, Ninite.com is a great place to get a bunch of good free software installed all in one go on a new PC.

went with the 13700k because it is the 12900k but a bit better for less money, and the RTX 4070 because I don't plan on gaming higher then 1080p due to not needing the extra edge of 1440p or 4k for gaming at 24 inches. for my OS I have one set up already that is 1TB so the extra is just for games and I do have my backup drive set and ready for the new system. furthermore, I use a paid driver installation tool because my current system has not let me update my drivers without a third party installer and I don't want to deal with the hassle of it all anymore. works wonderfully and is set up on my wife computer and my brother and my current laptop.
Thank you for sharing the link to many manuals I can browse and find what I need!

 

[MeineFrauundich]

Each manufacturer should have downloadable manuals. I'm surprised they stopped supplying physical motherboard manuals though. They are pretty essential, especially for 1st time builders.

yeah, me also! I was shocked when I did not find one in my box of goodies that came with the board.