Key findings
- Incorrect alignment of your M.2 SSD or RAM modules before installation may result in damage to the contacts.
- While it's rare, if you're not careful, too many of the heatsink fins on your AIO can bend and damage your motherboard's circuit board.
- Bending or breaking the pins on your CPU or socket can cause processor failure and result in high costs.
- If you pull your graphics card out of the PCIe slot without releasing the lock, the contacts on the GPU and the motherboard may be damaged.
If you're looking to build a gaming PC, you probably already know the basics – how to budget for a gaming PC, how to match your CPU and GPU, and common mistakes to avoid when building the PC. But there are many more precautions to keep in mind, especially if you're building a PC for the first time.
PC components are expensive and mishandling them can sometimes lead to disastrous situations where replacing the component is the only solution. This can result in hundreds of dollars lost due to user error, unnecessary panic and regret, and a ruined PC building experience. So here are the most expensive mistakes you can make when building a PC in my opinion.
6 Incorrect installation of your M.2 SSD
It is rare but possible to damage your SSD
Let's start with one of the seemingly easiest steps in building a PC. Installing an M.2 SSD (SATA or NVMe) seems straightforward at first glance: align the SSD contacts with the M.2 slot, slide it into the slot, and secure it with the included screw or bracket. However, if you're doing this for the first time, you might get it wrong, which can easily damage or even permanently destroy your SSD.
If you do not fully insert the drive or if you apply too much force when securing it in the slot, you may damage the contacts or break the circuit board.
You need to slide the drive into the M.2 slot at an angle (about 30 degrees), gently push it into the slot without applying too much pressure, and then screw the other end to the motherboard without over-tightening the screw. If you don't push the drive all the way in or apply too much pressure when securing it in the slot, you may damage the contacts or break the circuit board.
Considering the cost of some of the newer high-end drives, a damaged 1TB or 2TB NVMe SSD can result in a loss of anywhere from $70 to about $250.
5 Insert the RAM into the slot with force
Take a step back if the resistance becomes too great
Again, installing RAM modules on your motherboard should be one of the easiest tasks when assembling your PC. As long as you've bought the right type of RAM – DDR3, DDR4, or DDR5 – it's difficult to put them in the wrong place, as the notch on the RAM bars won't line up with an incompatible slot.
Applying too much pressure in the wrong orientation can damage the contacts on the module as well as the slot on the motherboard.
However, an inexperienced PC builder might misalign the RAM module with the slot (inverted position, so to speak) and try to force it into the slot, which of course can be difficult. If you apply enough pressure in the wrong orientation, you can damage the contacts on the module as well as the slot on the motherboard, destroying one or both of your valuable components.
A 32GB kit of DDR5 RAM can cost anywhere from $75 to over $200 depending on frequency and model, while a DDR5 motherboard can cost anywhere from $80 to over $400, so make sure you properly line up the notch on your RAM with the one on the slot before pushing the module down.
4 Denting the AIO cooler
Bending the radiator fins is easier than you think
Okay, this might be very important to you, or it might not be important at all, depending on your latest OCD report from the doctor. When you install an AIO liquid cooler for your power-hungry CPU, you might notice that some of the fins (those zigzag lines) on the cooler are not perfectly straight. While this is common on almost all AIOs you buy, if the number of curved fins is too high, it can negatively affect your system's cooling.
In the worst case, too many bent fins can occur, resulting in a severely damaged radiator.
When screwing the cooler into the motherboard bracket, some of the fins may get damaged if you over-tighten the screws. This can happen either due to faulty design on the part of the manufacturer or due to incorrect use of the screws (since there are many screws in your motherboard case). In the worst case scenario, you could end up with too many bent fins and a badly damaged cooler as a result.
Claiming a warranty on such an item would be difficult as the manufacturer would conclude that the damage was caused by user error (which it probably was), so you could either live with a damaged cooler and some reduction in cooling performance or spend more money on a brand new liquid cooler which will cost you around $100-$200.
3 Fasten your motherboard too tightly
Attach it to the spacers as if your life depended on it
Once you're done installing the SSD, RAM, and CPU cooler on the motherboard, it's time to install the motherboard into the case. The standoffs in your case are there to properly secure the motherboard and prevent accidental short circuiting, so it's important to properly align the motherboard with the standoffs. But more importantly, don't over-tighten the screws on the standoffs.
If you're too zealous about doing this, you might turn the screws too many times and damage the outer layer of the PCB, or worse, drill a hole in it. This doesn't happen often, and besides, motherboard manufacturers don't usually place important circuits near the standoffs on the motherboard. However, if you don't do a good enough job, you could damage your motherboard, which is costly to replace.
2 Bending or breaking the CPU or socket pins
I am sure you are now imagining the horror
One of the worst and most expensive mistakes you can make when building a PC is damaging your CPU or the motherboard's CPU socket. Depending on where the pins are located – in your CPU or in the motherboard socket – careless handling of the components can result in multiple bent or worse, broken pins that may be beyond repair.
CPU or socket pins can become bent under the slightest stress, so this is not as rare as you might think.
Installing a CPU on the motherboard doesn't have to be stressful if you follow the instructions carefully. However, sometimes you're overwhelmed as a newbie, having a rough day, or too tired to think clearly. CPU or socket pins can get bent under the slightest stress, so this isn't as uncommon as you might think. Sometimes misaligning the CPU with the socket and then trying to secure it is enough to damage it.
As for the cost of the mistake, you'll need to get a whole new CPU, so anywhere from $100 to over $500 is possible. And if you damage the CPU socket instead, you'll have to replace it entirely.
1 Pulling out the GPU without releasing the lock
As scary as it can be
Your graphics card is probably the most expensive component of your entire gaming PC, so damaging it can be the worst mistake you can make. When it comes to installing the graphics card on the motherboard, everything is relatively simple: release the latch on the PCIe latch, slide the card into the slot, and wait for the latch to click into place.
A new PC builder might forget that the PCIe lock must be manually released before pulling out the graphics card.
However, it can get tricky if you need to remove the graphics card during the build process (or later). A new PC builder might forget that the PCIe latch needs to be manually released before the graphics card can be pulled out. If you encounter resistance, you might use too much force to pull the card out, which in the worst case scenario can damage the GPU's PCIe connector, the motherboard's PCIe slot, or both.
Aside from being a terrible situation, this error can also come at a huge financial cost – you may have to replace the motherboard or, worse, spend between $250 and $1,500 on a new graphics card.
Don't be in a hurry, take your time building your PC
Sometimes we are either overconfident or inexperienced when building a PC, which can lead to unwanted situations like the ones described above. It is bad when a component or peripheral of your PC gets damaged, but when some of the most expensive components break, it can be too much. Therefore, do not rush the process and make sure you are fully prepared physically and mentally before you start building a PC.