Chuck Builds a PC
Follow along as I build a PC. With over 16 years of experience, I decided to film this build. While this isn’t meant to be the ultimate guide, it’s more of a step-by-step recording of a build I was going to do anyway.

Follow along as I build a PC. With over 16 years of experience, I decided to film this build, though I wish I had done a better job with the filming and scripting. Regardless, I believe there’s still some value in sharing this with you. While this isn’t meant to be the ultimate guide, it’s more of a step-by-step recording of a build I was going to do anyway. One day, I might create a more polished "guide," but this is more of a casual, follow-along (even ASMR-like) experience.
Initially, this video was nearly two hours long, and I tried hard to cut out the fluff and speed up repetitive steps like using the screwdriver, without having too many jump cuts or skipping too much. Overall, I’m not entirely satisfied with how it turned out, but it’s been a massive editing effort, and frankly, I’m ready to move this off my to-do list. Perhaps, I’ll give it another go and try to create an even shorter version with more narration. But for now, I’m happy to publish this with my notes and thoughts.
And before anyone asks, yes, I used too much thermal paste! I cleaned it off before the final install.
Parting Comments on This Build:
- Gigabyte is not my favorite motherboard company.
- EXPO mode for RAM only works with 2 sticks, not 4, and I spent way too much time figuring that out.
- RAID 0 in BIOS and Windows is convoluted. You’ll need to install the drivers three times, sequentially, for it to work. The manual mentions it, but doesn’t highlight just how strange this process is.
- I couldn’t get a decent memory clock to save my life.
Full BIOS Update Video:
PC Parts (Purchased from MicroCenter):
Amazon Affiliate Links:
(If you purchase through these links, I earn a small commission.)
- AMD Ryzen 7 9700X
- Gigabyte B650 Gaming X AX v2
- G.Skill Flare X5 Series 32GB DDR5-6000 x2
- SAMSUNG 980 PRO SSD 2TB PCIe NVMe x2
- Noctua NH-D15S chromax.Black
- Fractal Design North - Walnut Front
- Mellanox ConnectX-2 10 GbE PCI-e G2 Dual SFP+
- EVGA Supernova 850 P5
- EVGA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti FTW3 Ultra Gaming
- ARCTIC MX-6 Thermal Paste
- ARCTIC MX-4 (with Spatula)
- Anti-Static Wrist Strap
- SATA Ratcheting Screwdriver
Timestamps:
- 00:00 – Start
- 02:05 – Unboxing
- 02:28 – PSU & Case
- 02:50 – Opening the Case
- 03:39 – Locating Screws for PSU
- 04:38 – Connecting PSU Cables
- 05:45 – Mounting PSU
- 06:39 – Cable Management: Motherboard
- 06:50 – Cable Management: CPU Power
- 07:12 – Cable Management: Graphics Card
- 07:44 – Case Button, Fan, USB Headers
- 07:52 – Relocating Fan Headers to Controller
- 07:59 – Identifying Internal Case Connectors
- 08:47 – Anti-static Device
- 10:13 – Standoff Screw Installs
- 10:22 – Identifying Motherboard Standoffs
- 12:00 – Motherboard Power Connector
- 12:26 – CPU Power Connectors
- 12:54 – QFlash BIOS Update
- 14:12 – ESD Wristband
- 14:26 – M.2 NVMe SSD
- 14:49 – Installing M.2 NVMe
- 15:58 – M.2 Heatsink Install
- 17:09 – Installing Second SSD
- 18:22 – Extra Standoff Screw
- 19:22 – USB 3.2 Header
- 20:17 – Headers
- 21:37 – USB Ports
- 22:13 – RAM Install
- 24:15 – CPU Cooler
- 26:24 – CPU Install
- 27:18 – Thermal Paste Application
- 28:35 – Installing Heatsink to Check Paste
- 29:30 – Final Thermal Paste Check
- 29:49 – Reinstalling Heatsink
- 30:14 – CPU Fan Install
- 31:48 – GPU Preparation
- 32:42 – Installing GPU in PCIe Slot
- 33:44 – GPU Power Cables
- 34:49 – Cable Management
- 36:47 – Installing Side Panel
- 37:11 – Network Card Install
- 38:54 – Front Side Cable Management
- 40:22 – Exhaust Fan Install
- 41:09 – First Power On