You've probably seen the meme. Linus drops a $2,000 graphics card, the camera zooms in on his panicked face, and the internet loses its mind. But beyond the drops and the high-octane chaos of the Linus Media Group (LMG) studio, the core of their content has always been a singular, daunting mission: making sure you don't fry your motherboard when you finally decide to build your own rig. Honestly, linus tech tips how to build a pc isn't just a search term; it's practically a rite of passage for every gamer since 2012.
The landscape shifted in 2024 and 2025. Hardware got weirder. Cable management became less of a suggestion and more of a requirement for airflow in cramped cases. If you're looking at their "The Last Guide You'll Ever Need" or the newer 2026 POV builds, you're not just watching a tutorial. You're trying to avoid the expensive mistakes that even the "pros" make.
The First Rule: It’s Not Just About the Parts
Most people think building a PC starts with a screwdriver. It doesn't. It starts with a spreadsheet and a reality check. One of the biggest takeaways from recent LTT guides is the "balance of power." You'll see them harp on this constantly: don't buy a $1,000 CPU and pair it with a budget motherboard that has VRMs (Voltage Regulator Modules) that will literally melt under the load.
Basically, your PC is only as fast as its slowest component. If you’re following a linus tech tips how to build a pc guide in 2026, you've likely noticed they are pushing for more "sensible" builds. We’re talking about the $1,600 "All-MSRP" rigs or the $2,000 "Classic" guides that actually use parts you can find at Newegg or Amazon without fighting a bot.
- The Power Supply (PSU) Trap: Never cheap out here. Linus often references the "PSU Tier List" (a community-driven holy grail). A bad PSU doesn't just die; it can take your GPU and CPU to the grave with it.
- Case Airflow: The "Murder Box" or high-end aesthetic builds are cool, but for a first-timer, stick to high-airflow mesh cases.
- The Motherboard Manual: It’s your bible. Seriously. Read it. It tells you which RAM slots to use for dual-channel memory—usually slots 2 and 4, though check the book.
Linus Tech Tips How To Build A PC: The Step-By-Step Logic
The 2024 update to their "Last Guide" is nearly two hours long. Why? Because the little things matter. For instance, the transition from DDR4 to DDR5 RAM changed how we think about stability. In 2026, we’re seeing RAM prices spike again, and the LTT team has been vocal about not overspending on "RGB tax" when that money could go toward a better NVMe drive.
Static Electricity: The Great Myth?
Linus and the team famously did a video with ElectroBOOM where they tried to kill a PC with static. It’s harder than you think. You don't necessarily need a grounded anti-static wrist strap, but you should probably avoid building while wearing wool socks on a shag carpet. Just touch the metal case every now and then to discharge. Simple.
The CPU "Crunch"
This is the moment everyone hates. When you lower the tension arm on an Intel LGA socket or a newer AMD AM5 board, it sounds like a bag of chips breaking. That "crunch" is normal. If you've lined up the little gold triangle on the corner of the CPU with the triangle on the socket, you're fine. If you haven't? Well, then you're looking at bent pins and a very sad afternoon.
What the Guides Often Skip (But You Shouldn't)
There is a gap between "it's built" and "it's working." One of the most common issues discussed in the LTT community is the "First Post" anxiety. You hit the button, fans spin, but nothing happens.
In a recent video titled "Fixing My Employee's PC," Linus found that a major performance bottleneck was just... not turning on XMP/DOCP in the BIOS. Your 3600MHz RAM will default to 2133MHz or 2400MHz unless you tell the motherboard to use the faster profile. That is a massive waste of money if you forget that one-minute step.
Also, check your monitor cable. Please. Connect it to the Graphics Card, not the Motherboard. If you plug it into the motherboard, you're using the weak integrated graphics instead of that shiny new RTX or Radeon card you just spent $600 on. It happens to the best of us.
Actionable Tips for Your 2026 Build
If you’re sitting there with boxes piled up, here is the "real world" checklist derived from the latest LTT philosophies:
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- Test Outside the Case: Put your motherboard on its box. Install the CPU, RAM, and SSD. Connect the PSU. Use a screwdriver to jump the power pins. If it "posts" (shows a screen), then move it into the case. It’s way easier to fix a loose RAM stick on a desk than inside a dark metal box.
- Cable Management is Forethought: Route your power cables before you screw the motherboard in. It's a nightmare trying to squeeze the 8-pin CPU power cable into the top-left corner after the giant air cooler is already installed.
- Thermal Paste: Don't overthink the "X" vs. "Pea" method. Just don't use too little. Most coolers come with it pre-applied now, which is a lifesaver.
- Windows Setup: Use the "Shift + F10" trick during Windows 11 setup to bypass the "must connect to internet" requirement if you don't have your WiFi drivers ready yet. Type
OOBE\BYPASSNROand it'll let you finish the install with a local account.
Building a PC is basically just expensive LEGOs. It feels terrifying because the pieces cost hundreds of dollars, but the components are surprisingly resilient. Just take your time, keep your manual handy, and maybe have a second device ready to re-watch the linus tech tips how to build a pc POV guide when you get stuck on the front-panel connectors—those tiny pins are the actual final boss of any build.
Next Steps for Your Build:
- Download your motherboard's latest BIOS onto a USB drive before you start.
- Verify your RAM is on the Motherboard's QVL (Qualified Vendor List) to ensure it'll actually hit the advertised speeds.
- Check that your power supply has the specific 12VHPWR cable if you're using a modern high-end GPU to avoid using messy adapters.