First Time Setup Guide
Whether you are new to the world of PC's or simply need a quick refresher, we have outlined the basics of setting up your computer for the first time below. Please read it in full without skipping any steps.
Step 1. Unboxing
As soon as you receive your products it is important to check for any damage to the system or packaging. If you have discovered it has been damaged in transit, please take photos of the damage and Contact Us immediately so we can initiate a claim with the shipping company. Do not delay! else we must assume damage has been caused by the user and the warranty may be voided. If the item is a gift to be opened at a later date, we encourage you to still open the package, check the contents and re-seal it.
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Proceed to carefully unbox your computer. Please check that everything you ordered is inside. If anything is missing, please triple check all packaging first and then Contact Us. If you ordered a system that came with accessories such as a Monitor, keyboard and mouse, it is likely that these are in a separate box that wont always arrive at the same time. Please check your relevant shipping information as there may be multiple tracking numbers.
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Please retain all of the original packaging for the length of your warranty period in case you need to send your system back to us for repairs, servicing or upgrades.
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Step 2. PC Placement
After you have unboxed your items and verified your items, the next step is to find a suitable location to setup your system.
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We recommend that you setup your system on an elevated hard surface such as a desk that is off the floor and off carpet.
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Leaving your PC on or near the floor will result in excessive dust build up which will lead to performance and overheating issues, a much shorter lifespan and can even result in damage to your system which is not covered under warranty.
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If you live near salt water, it is also very important not to setup your PC directly next to open windows, as salt in the air will build up inside of your PC which will lead to rust and corrosion of components causing them to fail (also not covered).
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Just like a car, it is important to get your PC cleaned and serviced regularly. Depending on your usage and environment, we recommend having it cleaned at least once every 6 Months to ensure it is performing at its best. This may include removing dust and grime, lubing up fan bearings, re-applying thermal paste to your CPU & GPU and much more. Shipping it back to us is the best option to have it thoroughly checked, cleaned and serviced by the people that know your system best!
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Step 3. Plug In Power Cables
IMPORTANT: Before plugging in any power cables ensure you are connected to a high quality surge protector. Computers are much more vulnerable to power surges compared to other devices and demand a higher level of protection. If you do not have a surge protector, do not rush, we highly recommend you obtain one before proceeding with the next steps.
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Ensure you are not using a cheap basic power board that claims "surge" or "overload" protection. These do not work to protect your PC and can cause more damage to your devices than they prevent in the event of a surge. We suggest a high quality surge protector to protect your investment.
1: Keep the switch on your wall socket turned off until you are ready to turn on your PC in Step 8.
Plug in your AC power cords to both the PC tower and the Monitor at one end, and then plug the other end into your surge protector. In most scenarios both the PC tower and monitor will use standard appliance cords. In some cases your monitor may use a laptop style power brick adapter with a smaller plug on the end. Ether way, the correct lead will be provided for you in the box.
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2: Turn the power switch on the back of your computer (if applicable) to the ON (I) position if it's not already. This switch can be left on permanently as it is not the main power button. You can turn it off if you are not going to use the PC for awhile such as putting it in storage.
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3: If the PC has a voltage selector switch located next to the power switch, ensure you do NOT touch this. This selects the voltage and will already be set to the correct 230v. Changing this switch will cause system and component damage.
Step 4. keyboard & Mouse
Plug in your keyboard and mouse to the back or top/front of the computer. If they are wired, they will have a standard USB connection. If it is wireless or bluetooth, it may have a small USB dongle which must be plugged into one of the USB ports.
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TIP: If your computer has both USB 2.0 (usually black) and USB 3.0 (usually blue or labelled with "SS") ports, you can use the USB 2.0 ports for keyboards and mice as they do not need high speed data transfer. Save those USB 3.0 ports for high speed devices such as WiFi dongles or external hard drives.
Step 5. Connect Your Monitor
Plug your monitors video cable into the monitor at one end and the computer at the other end. In most cases, this cable will be the same connection on both ends. In some cases, it will be an adapter cable with different ends.
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VERY IMPORTANT:
If your computer has a graphics card (usually if it was advertised as a gaming computer) then ensure that you are plugging your video cable into the dedicated video ports on your computer. These will be located horizontally on the mid-lower half of the PC.
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If your PC has a graphics card, DO NOT plug into the integrated video ports. These are located vertically and will not work when a graphics card is installed.
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To make it easy, most of our systems with multiple monitor ports will come with stickers on the back to show you where to plug your monitors.
Step 6. Connect Sound Source
To hear audio you will need either a headset or speakers. Most monitors do not have inbuilt speakers like a TV does.
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1: If your headset or speakers have a USB connection, simply plug it into any available USB port on the PC and it should self install.
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2: If your headset or speakers use a standard dual 3.5" Aux jack connection, plug it into the rear of the PC.
The GREEN coloured port is for speakers and the PINK coloured port is for the Microphone.
Avoid plugging into the ports on the front / top of the PC as these are usually unreliable and of lower quality sound.
IMPORTANT: If your headset uses a combined single combo 3.5" aux jack for both the headphones and microphone, these are mostly used on consoles or laptops and will not work with most desktop PCs. You will need a splitter adapter as shown below.
To avoid the above issue altogether, we highly recommend using a USB audio adapter as shown below. These are universally compatible, reliable and have much better quality audio. Both adapters mentioned here can be found online for around $10.
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Step 7. Connect Other Devices
If you purchased a WiFi and/or Bluetooth adapter USB adapter, simply plug these into available USB ports on your computer.
If your PC came with an internal WiFi and/or Bluetooth card simply screw-in the antennae provided into the rear ports on the PC.
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TIP: If your system has USB 3.0 (usually blue or labelled with "SS") ports on the rear, plug the WiFi adapter into one of these as they are higher speed which means faster internet speeds.
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Plug in any other devices such as webcams, keypads, capture cards, controllers etc...
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This guide only covers the setup of basic peripherals. Please see the individual item instruction and setup guides for more.
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Step 8. Power On
Once you are sure you have carefully followed all of the above steps, its time to power on your PC for the first time!
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1: Turn the power switch ON at your wall socket.
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2: If your surge protector has a power switch, make sure this is turned ON also.
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3: Make sure the power switch on the back of your PC (if applicable) is set to the ON (I) position.
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4: Press the power button on your monitor to turn it ON and ensure it is set to the correct input source.
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5: Press and release the power button located on the top/front of your PC.
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Your computer should now power on and produce a signal to the screen within 20 seconds. Windows should now boot.
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If it doesn't, hold down the power button for around 6 seconds to turn off the system. Then carefully go over the steps above again ensuring that everything is turned on and plugged in correctly.
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After you have made sure you have everything plugged in correctly, try to power on the PC again.
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If you still cannot get a signal to the monitor, please visit our troubleshooting guide for more in-depth information.
Step 9. Setup
Once the computer has booted up, follow any setup prompts (if applicable) on screen until you get to the Windows desktop.
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If you are connecting to the Internet via WiFi, you can access networks in range by clicking the little Globe icon in the taskbar at the bottom right hand corner of the screen.
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And thats it, you're done! You can now begin installing your Applications and Games and begin using your system.
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Important Pro Tips
1: Install Games/Apps in the correct location: If your computer has dual storage, it is best practice to install any games and apps to your secondary storage drive. Your primary drive will usually be small compared to your secondary storage drive.
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2: Install an antivirus: To keep yourself safe and protected, we recommend you install an antivirus of your choosing. Be sure to only install ONE security software. Having multiple can clash with each other and cause major issues with your system.
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3: Shutdown your PC safely: Be sure to always click "Start > Shutdown" in order to safely power down your system. Do NOT switch the system off by holding down the power button or switching it off at the wall or rear of the PC while it is still running.
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4: Servicing: To keep your system running at its peak and your warranty valid, we recommend you have it serviced at least once every 6 months if you use it regularly. Your warranty does not cover issues arising from failure to service your computer properly.
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Having an issue or not sure why something isn't working? Thats okay! Visit our troubleshooting page here as most common issue are listed and FIXED.
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