Here is the story on how I built my first PC.

Planning the Build

I built my computer because my HP Envy laptop was running slow. The laptop was turning five, so I needed a new system. My choices were a MacBook Pro or a custom PC. I chose to build my PC because it was cheaper, had more capabilities, and I was able to play games with friends and family. The reason I wanted a MacBook Pro was mainly for portability, but I decided to just build a pc and just used my old laptop.

Picking Parts

With the help of family and resources like Reddit and PCPartPicker, I was able to pick out my parts within my budget. What also help was that I bought everything around Black Friday, and everything was on sale. I got even more value for great components.

Build Specifications

CPU: Ryzen 7 2700x

GPU: Nvidia 1070 TI

Motherboard: MSI-X470 Gaming Plus

Memory: G. Skill-Ripjaws V Series 16GB DDR4-3000

Storage: 2x Samsung Evo 500GB SSD

Case: Fractal Meshify Dark TG ATX Mid

PSU: EVGA- SuperNOVA G3 750 W 80+ Fully-Modular

Accessories:

-MSI Optix MAG24C 144Hz Monitor

-Logitech G Pro Bundle

-Sony Wireless WH-1000XM2 Headphones

-Blue Yeti Blackout Microphone

The Process

Building the computer took about 6 hours, and the process was not that bad. I had some trouble with some parts because it was my first build, but I managed to get over them. The first obstacle was the CPU cooler, I had trouble latching the cooler onto the cpu. It took me a while to attach because I was afraid of breaking the latch. The next problem was putting in the io shield, I had difficulty lining up the motherboard and io shield together. When I was done with that, I had a hard time plugging in the USB4 connector because I bents some pins and the socket was at an angle. It would have been easier if I plugged the USB4 connector to the other socket, but I did not see it until I was finished. After I fixed the pins for the USB4 socket, everything ran smoothly until I had to put in my GPU. It took me a while to insert onto to the motherboard because I had to move some fans around and I forgot to took the cap off the GPU pins. When I was done building and organizing the wires, I accidently dropped the screws for the case cover. It took me twenty minutes to gather all these screws, but I was glad to be finished. I plugged the computer to my monitor and it turned on the first try.

Initializing the Computer

Setting up the computer was easy. All I had to do was install Windows and add the drivers. I checked the temperatures and everything was optimal. I adjusted my display settings and downloaded all the programs I needed, and my PC was ready to go.

Overall, I am glad that I built a computer because it was a fun learning experience. The next time I build a computer, I am pretty sure I can do it in less time with less mistakes. I am satisfied with my build because I get to code and play games on a machine that I built.