First time pc build, Please Help

Sonic7788

n00b
Joined
Feb 24, 2020
Messages
5
Hello Friends,

I am a trying to build my first Gaming PC and am kinda of lost. I think I have all the parts but not sure how to assemble it.

Motherboard: msi A170A Gaming M5

CPU: Intel Core i7 6700K 4.00 GHz Unlocked Quad Core Skylake Desktop Processor, Socket LGA 1151 [BX80662I76700K] (I have a seperate fan for it)

RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 3000MHz C15 Desktop Memory

SSD for OS: Samsung MZVLW256HEHP PM961 256GB M.2 NVMe PCIe Internal SSD - OEM

Storage SSD: SK hynix Gold S31 500GB 3D NAND 2.5 inch SATA III Internal SSD

Case: ROSEWILL ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case, Gaming Case with Blue LED for Desktop / PC and 3 Case Fans Pre-Installed, Front I/O Access Ports (CHALLENGER S)

Screen: AOC C24G1 24" Curved Frameless Gaming Monitor, FHD 1080p, 1500R VA panel, 1ms 144Hz

Are These parts compatible and would it make a decent gaming rig? I really hope the CPU and motherboard are compatible but don't know. I tried looking it up but don't know the difference between lga1151 and lga1151(300 series).
What's with the built in fans on the case, do i use those?
Any recommendations on youtube vids that explain the assembly or am I in over my head?
How do I get the OS on it?
Is there any other info you need?
Are there things I should be concerned about but have not mentioned?

I appreciate any advice you have and value the opinion of the people on these forums.

Thanks for any help!
 
You have a good start for components which are compatible however you will need a Power supply, Heat Sink (HS) and most importantly a GPU for gaming.
The 6700K will bottleneck some CPU intensive games so bare that in mind when choosing your GPU. In other words it will not pay dividends if you go overboard.
Based on the monitors resolution and it's refresh rate I'd recommend a GTX 1660 Ti or RTX 2060 whichever your budget can afford. Either will get you close to 144 FPS at 1080p in most games.
For the PSU I'd recommend a 750 watt which may be a bit overkill but better to be safe than sorry. It's more important to consider the power supplies brand and certification. Corsair EVGA & Seasonic manufacture some of the best. A good budget pick would be a Corsair RM750x which is Gold certified.
The fact that you want to build your own, contentious enough to get it right before proceeding, and are willing to seek advice suggest you are not in over your head.
That said, bare in mind your components require patients and delicate care when handling. For example, drop your CPU into the socket the wrong way which bends some socket pins you can brick a motherboard. I know I've done it but that was maybe my 10th build and I was not being careful in a hurry.
Most motherboard manuals will walk you through the basic installation of all components so give it a good read before you begin.
Now, on to the Heat Sink, maybe your CPU comes with one but most folks upgrade to either Air or Water Cooled especially with top of the line CPUs which the 6700k was at time of release.
This gives you a bit of overhead when it comes time to overclock where heat dissipation becomes an issue. Heat kills components so getting it right is always important.
For the novice most consider an AIO or All In One water cooling unit or a high quality Air Cooled HS.
I do not know what your budget is but best bang for the buck for an Air Cooler is the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO or a Noctua NH-D15 for an upgrade pick and for water cooled AIO I'd recommend a NZXT Kraken M22 Budget pick or Corsair H100i Pro for an upgrade pick which ever fits the budget.
All the above will fit your case although you may have to remove the hard drive cage to fit the Corsair H100i Pro.

A few words about your storage and installing Windows.
#1 240GB is too small for OS and Games and 500GB is small for Games and Backups. If larger capacity drives are not an option I recommend OS and User files on the M.2 drive and games and backups on your SSD. When Installing games we are always asked where to store it so, create a folder on that drive before loading the game and choose it to install the game.
#2 To install windows for noobs I recommend having only the M.2 drive connected during installation to avoid any confusion.
#3 The best way to install Windows is to head to Microsoft and download the "Create Windows 10 Installation media" which is a tool to create a bootable USB drive. There are many tutorials out there for how to do it which will guide you through the details.

I could have linked everything from above but thought it best to throw out the food for thought and see where you are with questions.
 
put the parts in the spots and power it up or watch that first^^^ welcome to [H] btw!
 
You have a good start for components which are compatible however you will need a Power supply, Heat Sink (HS) and most importantly a GPU for gaming.
The 6700K will bottleneck some CPU intensive games so bare that in mind when choosing your GPU. In other words it will not pay dividends if you go overboard.
Based on the monitors resolution and it's refresh rate I'd recommend a GTX 1660 Ti or RTX 2060 whichever your budget can afford. Either will get you close to 144 FPS at 1080p in most games.
For the PSU I'd recommend a 750 watt which may be a bit overkill but better to be safe than sorry. It's more important to consider the power supplies brand and certification. Corsair EVGA & Seasonic manufacture some of the best. A good budget pick would be a Corsair RM750x which is Gold certified.
The fact that you want to build your own, contentious enough to get it right before proceeding, and are willing to seek advice suggest you are not in over your head.
That said, bare in mind your components require patients and delicate care when handling. For example, drop your CPU into the socket the wrong way which bends some socket pins you can brick a motherboard. I know I've done it but that was maybe my 10th build and I was not being careful in a hurry.
Most motherboard manuals will walk you through the basic installation of all components so give it a good read before you begin.
Now, on to the Heat Sink, maybe your CPU comes with one but most folks upgrade to either Air or Water Cooled especially with top of the line CPUs which the 6700k was at time of release.
This gives you a bit of overhead when it comes time to overclock where heat dissipation becomes an issue. Heat kills components so getting it right is always important.
For the novice most consider an AIO or All In One water cooling unit or a high quality Air Cooled HS.
I do not know what your budget is but best bang for the buck for an Air Cooler is the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO or a Noctua NH-D15 for an upgrade pick and for water cooled AIO I'd recommend a NZXT Kraken M22 Budget pick or Corsair H100i Pro for an upgrade pick which ever fits the budget.
All the above will fit your case although you may have to remove the hard drive cage to fit the Corsair H100i Pro.

A few words about your storage and installing Windows.
#1 240GB is too small for OS and Games and 500GB is small for Games and Backups. If larger capacity drives are not an option I recommend OS and User files on the M.2 drive and games and backups on your SSD. When Installing games we are always asked where to store it so, create a folder on that drive before loading the game and choose it to install the game.
#2 To install windows for noobs I recommend having only the M.2 drive connected during installation to avoid any confusion.
#3 The best way to install Windows is to head to Microsoft and download the "Create Windows 10 Installation media" which is a tool to create a bootable USB drive. There are many tutorials out there for how to do it which will guide you through the details.

I could have linked everything from above but thought it best to throw out the food for thought and see where you are with questions.



THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP,

I guess I left some info out. I do have a GPU and powersource.

GPU: Msi armor RX580 (I actually have 2 of them, but heard only 1 is needed, should I use both?) ( I only need enough juice to play PubG and such, though I guess I would like to play on the highest settings, if possible)
Power: EVGA 750 watt

I also have this: Intel DTC-DAB16
12VDC .60A DELTA (Will this be enough for cooling if I don't plan on overclocking? also should I overclock? I'd rather not unless the performance difference is really worth it)

Thanks for your #2 tip, i'll make sure to do that and would not have thought of it before. I plan on doing your #1 tip too, maybe i'll get larger drive in the future but this is it for now, I have almost no budget left, I think the rest of my cash has to go to the mouse and keyboard, and I still have to buy Windows too.

I am still nervous about the actually assembly part too. If this is an old motherboard, but a new CPU, will I still have to mess around with thermal paste? and is it as intimidating as some have made it out to be?


Thanks a lot for you advice. I can kick a couple bucks to your paypal, lol.
 
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP,

I guess I left some info out. I do have a GPU and powersource.

GPU: Msi armor RX580 (I actually have 2 of them, but heard only 1 is needed, should I use both?) ( I only need enough juice to play PubG and such, though I guess I would like to play on the highest settings, if possible)
Power: EVGA 750 watt

I also have this: Intel DTC-DAB16
12VDC .60A DELTA (Will this be enough for cooling if I don't plan on overclocking? also should I overclock? I'd rather not unless the performance difference is really worth it)

Thanks for your #2 tip, i'll make sure to do that and would not have thought of it before. I plan on doing your #1 tip too, maybe i'll get larger drive in the future but this is it for now, I have almost no budget left, I think the rest of my cash has to go to the mouse and keyboard, and I still have to buy Windows too.

I am still nervous about the actually assembly part too. If this is an old motherboard, but a new CPU, will I still have to mess around with thermal paste? and is it as intimidating as some have made it out to be?


Thanks a lot for you advice. I can kick a couple bucks to your paypal, lol.

Thanks for the offer but I've been helping folks out on forums for 20+ years and never took a dime for it no need to start now, save it for that HS.

FPS depends on a lot of factors at all high settings with this rig I'd expect 55-65 FPS no where near the 144hz your monitor is capable of with the RX580.
I use a 2080Ti and I turn down the eye candy so I average 144 FPS at 1440p so, you could do the same with the RX580 if you feel the need.
The good news is when cash is more plentiful you can upgrade to get more out of that monitor.

EVGA makes great PSUs that will do just fine.

Even if you have to find a better air cooler used I would do it. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo is only 34 bucks on Amazon if you could scrape that together I highly recommend it.

I'm confused by the final comment. Is the CPU and HS attached to the motherboard from a previous build? If yes, I would redo it, If not, every time you seat a heat sink it's a wise idea to clean the CPUs IHS and HS surfaces followed by applying new TIM.

The pins of the socket can be easly damaged when installing the CPU but it is not complicated or difficult you just need to be careful. The CPU only goes in oneway and there are arrows on the CPU and Socket that indicate proper alignment again see your manual or google for a video. I use 91% Isopropyl alcohol to clean off old TIM on the contact surfaces of both components. All it takes is a peanut sized dab in the middle of the CPU followed by seating the HS. If you opt to buy the Cooler Master it will come with TIM. Again tons of vids on that too just avoid the one's that spread TIM out evenly over the top. The one drop in the middle is the best way to do it.


Good Toot for Windows Install from USB
How to Install Windows 10 From a Bootable USB Drive

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
 
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Not understanding the references to 3600 and 2000/3000 series Ryzens.

He said he has a 6700K.

Am I missing something?

Poor dude is gonna get a bit confused.

ETA: OP, the 6700K should work fine in that mobo without having to flash the BIOS with a different CPU.

.
 
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Not understanding the references to 3600 and 2000/3000 series Ryzens.

He said he has a 6700K.

Am I missing something?

Poor dude is gonna get a bit confused.

ETA: OP, the 6700K should work fine in that mobo without having to flash the BIOS with a different CPU.

.

Thanks for catching that and giving me the heads up. I was helping someone with an AMD build and confused the two threads I have edited the post and made corrections.
 
Thanks for the offer but I've been helping folks out on forums for 20+ years and never took a dime for it no need to start now, save it for that HS.

FPS depends on a lot of factors at all high settings with this rig I'd expect 55-65 FPS no where near the 144hz your monitor is capable of with the RX580.
I use a 2080Ti and I turn down the eye candy so I average 144 FPS at 1440p so, you could do the same with the RX580 if you feel the need.
The good news is when cash is more plentiful you can upgrade to get more out of that monitor.

EVGA makes great PSUs that will do just fine.

Even if you have to find a better air cooler used I would do it. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo is only 34 bucks on Amazon if you could scrape that together I highly recommend it.

I'm confused by the final comment. Is the CPU and HS attached to the motherboard from a previous build? If yes, I would redo it, If not, every time you seat a heat sink it's a wise idea to clean the CPUs IHS and HS surfaces followed by applying new TIM.

The pins of the socket can be easly damaged when installing the CPU but it is not complicated or difficult you just need to be careful. The CPU only goes in oneway and there are arrows on the CPU and Socket that indicate proper alignment again see your manual or google for a video. I use 91% Isopropyl alcohol to clean off old TIM on the contact surfaces of both components. All it takes is a peanut sized dab in the middle of the CPU followed by seating the HS. If you opt to buy the Cooler Master it will come with TIM. Again tons of vids on that too just avoid the one's that spread TIM out evenly over the top. The one drop in the middle is the best way to do it.


Good Toot for Windows Install from USB
How to Install Windows 10 From a Bootable USB Drive

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
I have always heard that the best way to apply thermal past was a drop in the middle but I found this videos from derbauer a while ago and I think it could apply here if OP doesn’t know how much paste to apply in the middle. I remember 9 years ago when I was first building PCs that I spent a lot of time repasting just to see what pattern I would get so I could see how to apply it. Especially when I was over clocking for the first time and couldn’t explain temp changes. This was also a problem for me later with the first time I used the Noctua NH-U14s since it has only two high tension mounting points I had to learn to force the cooler down and try to hold it in place (took a lot more force than I was comfortable with back then) while I tightened the screws or it would paste asymmetrically after I got one screw in. If OP is more comfortable with spreading the paste evenly over the top it will give more visual coverage and there won’t be any completely bare spots from cooler mounting or using too little paste. I’m not saying it is the best one way or another just that it can give a little more confidence for a first time builder.
 
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Are all these parts already bought? Did you inherit the parts? Is there a strict budget here? Dont get me wrong, I have a 6700k but I certainly didnt buy it this week. Why this platform?
 
Are all these parts already bought? Did you inherit the parts? Is there a strict budget here? Dont get me wrong, I have a 6700k but I certainly didnt buy it this week. Why this platform?
I had an old mining rig that i bought already assembled. So I already had the gpu, psu, and motherboard. I have now purchased everything else. I don't have some sort of exact budget, but I can't spend too much more. Maybe 200 dollars.
 
Thanks for the offer but I've been helping folks out on forums for 20+ years and never took a dime for it no need to start now, save it for that HS.

FPS depends on a lot of factors at all high settings with this rig I'd expect 55-65 FPS no where near the 144hz your monitor is capable of with the RX580.
I use a 2080Ti and I turn down the eye candy so I average 144 FPS at 1440p so, you could do the same with the RX580 if you feel the need.
The good news is when cash is more plentiful you can upgrade to get more out of that monitor.

EVGA makes great PSUs that will do just fine.

Even if you have to find a better air cooler used I would do it. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo is only 34 bucks on Amazon if you could scrape that together I highly recommend it.

I'm confused by the final comment. Is the CPU and HS attached to the motherboard from a previous build? If yes, I would redo it, If not, every time you seat a heat sink it's a wise idea to clean the CPUs IHS and HS surfaces followed by applying new TIM.

The pins of the socket can be easly damaged when installing the CPU but it is not complicated or difficult you just need to be careful. The CPU only goes in oneway and there are arrows on the CPU and Socket that indicate proper alignment again see your manual or google for a video. I use 91% Isopropyl alcohol to clean off old TIM on the contact surfaces of both components. All it takes is a peanut sized dab in the middle of the CPU followed by seating the HS. If you opt to buy the Cooler Master it will come with TIM. Again tons of vids on that too just avoid the one's that spread TIM out evenly over the top. The one drop in the middle is the best way to do it.


Good Toot for Windows Install from USB
How to Install Windows 10 From a Bootable USB Drive

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo
Yes, it is from an old minging rig, but the cpu was really old. So, yes, both the cpu and heatsink were already attached. Since I posted this, I have already attached the new cpu and old fan. I just used some of the old thermal paste and there was some left on the bottom of the heat sink. I have not turned it on yet. Is it possible for me to get it going and give it thermal paste later, like in a couple days? I heard the small amount of paste will work for now.
 
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I understand now. Youve got some good advice here I will just add that you should check for a post before installing in your case. Here is a guide:
Here is a guide for windows/software install:

I want to add that pc building is not as hard as many try to make it out to be. It doesnt get called adult legos for nothing.
 
Yes, it is from an old minging rig, but the cpu was really old. So, yes, both the cpu and heatsink were already attached. Since I posted this, I have already attached the new cpu and old fan. I just used some of the old thermal paste and there was some left on the bottom of the heat sink. I have not turned it on yet. Is it possible for me to get it going and give it thermal paste later, like in a couple days? I heard the small amount of paste will work for now.

LOL only time will tell if it works. I like to cleanup old time and apply new anytime taking things apart. If temps are within reason once things are up and running then no worries. One thing for sure it's easy the remove and apply new any time especially with an Air Cooler.

Tips and tricks of today:

Monitor Temps with HWiNFO
Stress CPU with Intel XTU
What to look for in terms of temperatures.
Core i7-6700K*26 to 35°C Idle Temp53 to 70°C Normal Temp72°C Max Temps gaming

Using the above guide will tell you if that TIM job is any good. If not, try cleaning it up and add new TIM.

The good news is the 6700k will Thermal Throttle it self at between 90c-100c meaning it will shut down to protect itself. Sometimes it will just freeze the system other times it will BSOD (Blue Screen Of Death). This is generally not a problem you just restart the system, but sometimes it corrupts the windows installation causing us to format and reload windows..... not fun. You'll know if things start acting funny after a few BSOD's.

The Bad news is with that stock cooler at default clocks this can happen quickly. It would not be uncommon to see it jump to 80c when starting a stress test which is nothing to worry about unless it stays that high when stress testing.

You might ask yourself, why stress test? IMHO it is most important step in building a new system because you want a stable system and the way to reveal and problems or issues before you are gaming with 143 kills and 3 deaths and the system crashes before you save the screen capture or video ;) lol

Its common knowledge with electronics that heat kills so the cooler things are kept the longer they last which is why we all are so concerned about cooling. I again recommend you upgrade that HS, you will be glad you did.

With an Air cooler it's important to get cool air into the case to help the HS do it's job and exhaust the hot air out of the case so it can continue performing at it's best. Generally it's best to have more air being forced into the case than exhausting out manually with case fans which creates what's known as positive case pressure. The side benefit is less dust accumulation which is nice.

You case comes with three fans. I would set the two front (filtered fans) to intake/pushing air in to the case and put the other fan set to exhaust/pushing air out of the case in the rear or top of case position.
You can always add more fans but keep the above mentioned principles in mind for best results.

When considering adding fans 1st know what you've got. Fans are rated by RPM but the more important metric to consider is the amount of CFM (cu ft/min) and static pressure. Higher is better for both metrics, but when adding fans make sure they will add benefit to what you have already.
 
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP,

I guess I left some info out. I do have a GPU and powersource.

GPU: Msi armor RX580 (I actually have 2 of them, but heard only 1 is needed, should I use both?) ( I only need enough juice to play PubG and such, though I guess I would like to play on the highest settings, if possible)
Power: EVGA 750 watt

I also have this: Intel DTC-DAB16
12VDC .60A DELTA (Will this be enough for cooling if I don't plan on overclocking? also should I overclock? I'd rather not unless the performance difference is really worth it)

Thanks for your #2 tip, i'll make sure to do that and would not have thought of it before. I plan on doing your #1 tip too, maybe i'll get larger drive in the future but this is it for now, I have almost no budget left, I think the rest of my cash has to go to the mouse and keyboard, and I still have to buy Windows too.

I am still nervous about the actually assembly part too. If this is an old motherboard, but a new CPU, will I still have to mess around with thermal paste? and is it as intimidating as some have made it out to be?


Thanks a lot for you advice. I can kick a couple bucks to your paypal, lol.
YES! Use BOTH!
CROSSFIRE FOR THE WIN! *heavey metal music starts playing in the background*
*starts moshing to some heavy metal music in the background*
3DMark! *keeps moshing*
Just make sure you have Crossfire enabled in the Radeon Conrtol panel. (It enables itself on its own if it detects 2 of the same AMD videocard, but just make sure).
*keeps moshing to heavy metal*
When the benchmarks are done, be sure to go to "Compare to other results on the internet", it's pretty good stuff, gives you a bit of an insight about the pc you have and what the others have.
*everybody MOOOOOOOOSH!!!*
Yes, the EVGA 750 Watt PSU can take this setup just fine.
*keep moshing! yeeeaaahhhh!*

On a more serious note, running 2 RX 580s in Crossfire is pretty nice, but nowadays, I only benchmark for fun when I have the twin AMD videocards like that (or any other double AMD cards), with Crossfire enabled As in, I don't expect any game I play to actually take advantage of 2 videocards running Crossfire. It's just more fun, more fluid, and it gives me a good idea what AMD is up against, when you disable Crossfire, and run the benchmarks on just one card, then compare results on the internet. I dunno if Crossfire still has as large of a purpose in actual games as it did years ago, but it's dang fun to run bechmarks with it that take advantage of it.
 
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Thanks for the offer but I've been helping folks out on forums for 20+ years and never took a dime for it no need to start now, save it for that HS.

FPS depends on a lot of factors at all high settings with this rig I'd expect 55-65 FPS no where near the 144hz your monitor is capable of with the RX580.
I use a 2080Ti and I turn down the eye candy so I average 144 FPS at 1440p so, you could do the same with the RX580 if you feel the need.
The good news is when cash is more plentiful you can upgrade to get more out of that monitor.

EVGA makes great PSUs that will do just fine.

Even if you have to find a better air cooler used I would do it. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo is only 34 bucks on Amazon if you could scrape that together I highly recommend it.

I'm confused by the final comment. Is the CPU and HS attached to the motherboard from a previous build? If yes, I would redo it, If not, every time you seat a heat sink it's a wise idea to clean the CPUs IHS and HS surfaces followed by applying new TIM.

The pins of the socket can be easly damaged when installing the CPU but it is not complicated or difficult you just need to be careful. The CPU only goes in oneway and there are arrows on the CPU and Socket that indicate proper alignment again see your manual or google for a video. I use 91% Isopropyl alcohol to clean off old TIM on the contact surfaces of both components. All it takes is a peanut sized dab in the middle of the CPU followed by seating the HS. If you opt to buy the Cooler Master it will come with TIM. Again tons of vids on that too just avoid the one's that spread TIM out evenly over the top. The one drop in the middle is the best way to do it.


Good Toot for Windows Install from USB
How to Install Windows 10 From a Bootable USB Drive

Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo




OMG Help, I have been working on this thing for hours and have made no progress. Getting very frustrated. All the parts are attached and working. All fans are on. The cpu temp is in the 40 or 50s (C)


I have an actual Windows 10 Home boot drive. My friend gave it to me. It is not the license, but the boot drive that comes with a usb stcik when you purchase the windows Home. I also followed the instrucitons on that link u sent and attempted to boot. I filled a usb stick with the download tool but now what?

I know how to enter the motherboard bios and have reset the defaults.

First off, which usb drive do I use. The motherboard has 7 of them. Then what? Am i supposed to hit the M-flash?

In one of my attepts with the actual Microsoft boot drive, I made it as far as the black screen where you choose between 64 bit or 32 bit, but when i choose 64, there is a "load files" bar at the bottom that fills up in 5 seconds and then goes to a black screen and then nothing.......

I have watched tons of youtube vids, none help.

At any point tdo i need to mess with the boot priorities, as some vids suggest?
What about the enabled/disable options for Windows OS configuration?

I have not seen any vids even mention them, yet what the hell are they and why is their default setting to disable?

I am so lost and angry, I have include pics.
 

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First of all, stop messing with the M-Flash BIOS function. That is to update the mobo BIOS and has nothing to do with the OS install.
It's possible to brick your mobo and make it non-functional if you tinker with the M-Flash.

It sounds like you are on the right track when you choose 64-bit and it starts loading. It should obviously keep going though.
Disconnect all of your other SATA and USB drives and only have the M.2 drive installed and boot with the USB install drive.

Do not use the OS Install functions in the BIOS, leave those disabled.

Here's a quick video I found that may help.



If the install keeps failing, there may be something wrong with the USB install drive. You can make a new one with a fresh USB drive
on another computer using the Microsoft Media Creation Tool.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

You are going to need a usable Windows 10 key. If you borrowed the USB install drive from a friend, you can't use the same install key
that he did. That won't work and it won't activate. You aren't getting that far though, so that's not the problem you are having right now.

If it still keeps failing, your mobo may need a BIOS update, but you want to be very careful with that. If you use the wrong BIOS file or
mess up in some way, you can brick the mobo (possibly ruin it).

Do you have anybody locally that can help you with some of this?

One other note.... I see 47c CPU temp in the BIOS, that seems a bit high. I don't think that's causing the OS install problem but it means
the CPU is running hot and may shut down on you when it gets a load on it. The heatsink may need to be re-installed with fresh paste.

ETA: Use one of the USB ports under the round PS/2 port for your USB install drive.

.
 
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OMG Help, I have been working on this thing for hours and have made no progress. Getting very frustrated. All the parts are attached and working. All fans are on. The cpu temp is in the 40 or 50s (C)


I have an actual Windows 10 Home boot drive. My friend gave it to me. It is not the license, but the boot drive that comes with a usb stcik when you purchase the windows Home. I also followed the instrucitons on that link u sent and attempted to boot. I filled a usb stick with the download tool but now what?

I know how to enter the motherboard bios and have reset the defaults.

First off, which usb drive do I use. The motherboard has 7 of them. Then what? Am i supposed to hit the M-flash?

In one of my attepts with the actual Microsoft boot drive, I made it as far as the black screen where you choose between 64 bit or 32 bit, but when i choose 64, there is a "load files" bar at the bottom that fills up in 5 seconds and then goes to a black screen and then nothing.......

I have watched tons of youtube vids, none help.

At any point tdo i need to mess with the boot priorities, as some vids suggest?
What about the enabled/disable options for Windows OS configuration?

I have not seen any vids even mention them, yet what the hell are they and why is their default setting to disable?

I am so lost and angry, I have include pics.

The second image you posted is the system booting to the usb drive just hit enter and windows should start the installation. Depending on the version of windows key you have 64bit or 32bit it looks as though 64bit is selected in the image if that is what you have just click enter when you hit that screen again.
You must make sure to install the version the key is tied to. If windows home you are good to go if your key is for Windows Pro don't use that stick rather use the advice given above and create a USB stick for the version you own.
328549_20200229_161852.jpg

If you set optimized defaults and saved and exited bios to commit the change and only the M.2 drive and the bootable USB stick are the only storage media attached to the motherboard then it will boot the USB with no other changes in the bios.
Changing the boot order is counter productive because windows will reboot during installation and you want it to boot to the M.2 drive fi you place the USB to the top of that order then it will reboot to it and start windows installation all over again.
The bios will default the M.2 drive to the top of the boot order so there is no need to change it. If you doubt it check it for yourself.
Also I see in the screen capture the boot order looks right but make sure only the USB bootable drive and M.2 drive only are attached until after the OS is installed
Also do not enter your key during installation wait until after the install is complete and you are sure windows is installed and working properly before activating. Every key has a limited number of activation before you have to call home to M$ to activate which is a pain.
When the screen appears during Install asking for the key just click enter with no info input to bypass the page.
 
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He said he tried that.

"In one of my attepts with the actual Microsoft boot drive, I made it as far as the black screen where you choose between 64 bit or 32 bit, but when i choose 64, there is a "load files" bar at the bottom that fills up in 5 seconds and then goes to a black screen and then nothing....... "

The install locked up and failed.

That's why he's going to need new install media or BIOS update.
He also needs to be sure the install drive is on a USB 2.0 port.

ETA: OP, do you see any drive activity (HD LED flashing) when the screen goes black?
Make sure you wait a few minutes after the screen goes black, it will do that sometimes.

ETA#2: OP, also make sure the date/time is correct in the BIOS. There is an issue that
came to light recently were a bogus date can cause Windows 10 setup to lockup.
Probably not the issue, but it should be checked for accuracy anyway.

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Ok my friend dont get upset. Looks like you have most things going right. Use any of the usb ports, they are backwards compatible. If you are seeing files getting installed then sudden bsod then I would suspect the usb stick first and the hard drive second. These are easy to check. If you have an old drive handy format and try that, if that works you know its the hard drive and vise versa. You will adjust boot order after windows restarts for the first time.
 
Use any of the usb ports, they are backwards compatible.

>>Use any of the usb ports, they are backwards compatible.

The USB 3.0 ports are backwards compatible with USB 2.0 once Windows 10 is installed with the correct drivers
for whatever USB 3.0 hardware is present.

However, the Windows 10 setup program is not always able to load drivers for all USB 3.0 hardware. So if the install
is not going well, it's better to use USB 2.0 ports that Windows 10 setup can for sure handle correctly.

I work on hundreds of different computers a year, this is still an issue sometimes.

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First of all, stop messing with the M-Flash BIOS function. That is to update the mobo BIOS and has nothing to do with the OS install.
It's possible to brick your mobo and make it non-functional if you tinker with the M-Flash.

It sounds like you are on the right track when you choose 64-bit and it starts loading. It should obviously keep going though.
Disconnect all of your other SATA and USB drives and only have the M.2 drive installed and boot with the USB install drive.

Do not use the OS Install functions in the BIOS, leave those disabled.

Here's a quick video I found that may help.



If the install keeps failing, there may be something wrong with the USB install drive. You can make a new one with a fresh USB drive
on another computer using the Microsoft Media Creation Tool.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

You are going to need a usable Windows 10 key. If you borrowed the USB install drive from a friend, you can't use the same install key
that he did. That won't work and it won't activate. You aren't getting that far though, so that's not the problem you are having right now.

If it still keeps failing, your mobo may need a BIOS update, but you want to be very careful with that. If you use the wrong BIOS file or
mess up in some way, you can brick the mobo (possibly ruin it).

Do you have anybody locally that can help you with some of this?

One other note.... I see 47c CPU temp in the BIOS, that seems a bit high. I don't think that's causing the OS install problem but it means
the CPU is running hot and may shut down on you when it gets a load on it. The heatsink may need to be re-installed with fresh paste.

ETA: Use one of the USB ports under the round PS/2 port for your USB install drive.

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Well he did reuse old factory thermal paste. This is probably his problem with temps. For the OS install he may have an issue with a “good” OS USB bootable drive. I had a USB that was a little unstable and it wouldn’t load up windows correctly causing very unstable installations of windows. Another thing I had happen was on an over clocked system I couldn’t get a stable Windows to stick on a USB. It was an unstable OC but I couldn’t tell since It Benchmarked for a few hours and didn’t give me problems for months.
 
I have had similar issues in the past that was resolved by making a new bootable USB drive. and I agree with Spartacus update your bios now.
 
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