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A GUIDE FOR YOUR FIRST BUILD

Build a PC, then put Cin-MinAI on it.

Every part, what it does, how the parts fit together, how to put them together, and how to install Cin-MinAI at the end. No experience needed. If you can build furniture from a box, you can build a PC.

It doesn't have to be new or expensive. We build Cin-MinAI on a 2014 computer with a used graphics card. Plan on an afternoon for your first build, and take your time.

BEFORE YOU START

What you need besides the parts

Tools

  • A Phillips screwdriver (a #2, the ordinary size). A magnetic tip helps with the tiny screws.
  • A table and good light. A phone flashlight helps for the dark corners of the case.
  • A few zip ties or twist ties to keep cables tidy (optional).
  • A small bowl for screws. Each part comes with its own bag; keep them apart.

To install Cin-MinAI

  • A monitor, keyboard and mouse. Any monitor works; check its cable fits a port on your graphics card (HDMI or DisplayPort).
  • A USB thumb drive (USB stick) of 8 GB or more. Cin-MinAI goes onto it to install from, and everything already on it gets erased.
  • Another computer to make the stick (Windows, Mac or Linux), once.
  • No Windows license. Cin-MinAI is the operating system, and it's free.

Static and safety, in three lines

Build on a hard floor or a table, not on carpet, and touch the bare metal of the case now and then to discharge static. Keep the power supply unplugged from the wall while you work. Never open the power supply itself: it holds a charge even when unplugged.

Next: The parts →

THE SHOPPING LIST

The parts, what each one does, and what to buy

For Cin-MinAI, one part matters more than all the others: the graphics card's memory, because that's where the AI runs. Spend there first. Everything else can be modest, and used parts are fine. Where a box says Must match, that part has to agree with another one.

CPU · THE PROCESSOR

Runs everything that isn't the AI

Any 64-bit processor from the last ten years or so with 4 cores or more is enough. Intel Core i5/i7 or AMD Ryzen 5/7 are the usual picks. Our test PC has a 2014 Intel i7-4790K.

A nice extra: built-in graphics. Then the monitor can plug into the motherboard and the whole graphics card goes to the AI (see the hardware notes). Intel models with an F in the name (i5-12400F) and most Ryzens without a G have none.

Must match the motherboard's socket (the shape it sits in), for example AM4, AM5 or LGA1700. The motherboard's page lists which processors it takes.

MOTHERBOARD

What everything plugs into

Choose the processor first, then a board with its socket. Look for:

  • An M.2 slot for an NVMe drive (almost every board since about 2016).
  • A long PCIe x16 slot for the graphics card.
  • Ethernet on the back panel (nearly all have it), and Wi-Fi if you need it (see below).
  • Enough USB ports on the back for your keyboard, mouse and stick.

Must match the processor's socket, the memory type (DDR3, DDR4 or DDR5), and the case's size: ATX (full), Micro-ATX (shorter) or Mini-ITX (small).

RAM · MEMORY

The computer's working space

16 GB is comfortable. 32 GB is better for AI: bigger models spill over from the graphics card into memory. Buy it as a kit of two matching sticks (2 × 8 GB or 2 × 16 GB); two sticks are faster than one.

Must match the motherboard's memory type. DDR4 and DDR5 sticks look alike but are notched differently, and one won't go into the other's slot.

GPU · THE GRAPHICS CARD

Where the AI runs. Spend here.

What counts is the card's own memory, called VRAM, not how fast it plays games:

  • 6 GB: the minimum for full speed.
  • 8–12 GB: a good everyday assistant, and room for the coding assistant.
  • 16 GB or more: the bigger, smarter models.

NVIDIA, GTX 10 series and newer, is what we test most. AMD works too, but it's less tested (reports welcome). A used card is great value: ours is a GTX 1080 Ti with 11 GB.

Must match the power supply's cables (6-pin, 8-pin, or the newer 16-pin 12V-2x6) and the case's length. The card's page gives both.

PSU · THE POWER SUPPLY

Don't buy the cheapest one

A poor power supply can take other parts with it when it fails. Buy one from a known brand with an 80 Plus Bronze rating or better. As a rule of thumb:

  • 550–650 W for one mid-range graphics card.
  • 750–850 W for a high-end card. The card's maker gives a recommended wattage on its page.

Modular (the cables unplug from it) makes building tidier, but isn't needed.

Must have the graphics card's power connectors, an 8-pin CPU cable (often labeled 4+4) and the 24-pin motherboard cable.

STORAGE · NVMe AND SATA

Where the system and the AI models live

AI models are big files, and a fast drive answers faster. On our test PC a large model ran four times faster from an NVMe drive than from a USB disk.

  • NVMe (M.2): a small stick that screws onto the motherboard. The best choice. 1 TB is a good size, because models fill a drive fast.
  • SATA SSD: a 2.5-inch drive on a cable. Good, and fine on older boards.
  • Hard disk (HDD): cheap space for files and parked models; slow for running them.

Check the board's M.2 slot: most take 2280 drives (80 mm long). Some slots only take SATA M.2 drives, and boards older than about 2016 may not start from NVMe at all. The manual says.

CASE

The box, and how it breathes

Pick one with a mesh front for airflow and front USB ports you'll use. It should come with at least two fans.

Must fit the motherboard's size (ATX, Micro-ATX, Mini-ITX), the graphics card's length and the CPU cooler's height. The case's page lists all three as "maximum".

COOLING

Keeping it quiet and cool

  • The cooler in the processor's box is fine for most builds, if it came with one.
  • A tower air cooler is quieter and cooler, simple, and lasts for years.
  • Liquid coolers (AIO) look good and work well, but they're more to install and not needed for a first build.
  • Case fans: front fans pull air in, back and top fans push it out. The arrow on a fan's side shows which way it blows.

Must fit the socket (the cooler's box lists them) and the case's cooler height. New coolers usually come with thermal paste already on them.

NETWORK · ETHERNET AND WI-FI

Getting online

Ethernet (a network cable to your router) is built into almost every motherboard, and it simply works. Use it if you can.

Wi-Fi: the easiest way is a motherboard with Wi-Fi built in. Otherwise, add a PCIe Wi-Fi card or a USB Wi-Fi adapter.

Check it works on Linux. Cards with an Intel Wi-Fi chip are the safest bet. Some cheap USB adapters need drivers Linux doesn't include, so look for "Linux supported" on the box. Bluetooth often comes on the same card.

OPERATING SYSTEM

Cin-MinAI. It's free.

Cin-MinAI is Linux Mint with the AI assistant built in: no license key, no account, no subscription. You install it from the USB stick at the end of this guide.

Keeping Windows too? Put each system on its own drive, so neither can break the other. Why, and how.

USB THUMB DRIVE · TO INSTALL FROM

Don't forget this one

Cin-MinAI installs from a USB thumb drive (also called a USB stick or flash drive): you put Cin-MinAI on it with another computer, then start the new PC from it.

  • 8 GB or more. Any brand. A USB 3 drive (often blue inside the plug) is faster.
  • It gets erased. Use an empty one, or copy its files off first.

Check you have one before the build day: without it there's no way to put an operating system on the new PC.

TWO GRAPHICS CARDS? AND THE "THROW-TOGETHER" BUILD

Ways to spend less, or go bigger later

  • Used parts are how we build. A processor, memory and a motherboard from a few years ago cost little, and the AI barely notices. Spend the savings on graphics card memory.
  • A used office PC (the small desktops companies sell off) can be a cheap start, but check before you buy a graphics card for it: their power supplies are usually small and their cases short. Many can only take a low-profile card.
  • Two graphics cards: Cin-MinAI can split a big model across two cards, so their memory adds up. You need two long slots, room in the case and a power supply for both. Start with one; it's an upgrade for later.

Next: Will it fit? →

BEFORE YOU BUY

Will it all fit? Check these eight things

Most first-build problems come from one of these. PCPartPicker checks most of them for you: add your parts and it warns you when two don't fit.

  • Processor ↔ motherboard socket. The same socket name on both, and the board's CPU support list includes your processor.
  • Memory ↔ motherboard. DDR3, DDR4 or DDR5: the same on both.
  • Motherboard ↔ case. ATX, Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX: the case lists which it takes.
  • Graphics card ↔ case. The card's length is under the case's maximum.
  • Cooler ↔ case and socket. Its height is under the case's maximum, and it lists your socket.
  • Graphics card ↔ power supply. Enough watts, and the right power connectors.
  • NVMe drive ↔ motherboard. The board has an M.2 slot for NVMe drives of that length (usually 2280).
  • Monitor ↔ graphics card. A cable that fits both (HDMI or DisplayPort).

Next: Put it together →

PUT IT TOGETHER

The build, in order

Keep the motherboard manual open beside you: it shows where every plug goes on your board. The order matters a little: some parts are much easier to fit before the motherboard goes into the case.

  1. Unbox, and set the motherboard on its box

    Lay the motherboard flat on top of its own cardboard box (not on the shiny bag it came in). It's easier to work on outside the case. Touch the case's metal first to discharge static.

  2. The processor

    Lift the socket's lever. Find the small triangle on one corner of the processor and the matching mark on the socket, and lower it straight in. It drops in with no pressure at all. Close the lever (on Intel boards, the plastic cover pops off as you do; keep it in case you ever return the board).

    Never push. If it doesn't sit flat, it's turned the wrong way. The pins are delicate.

  3. The memory

    With two sticks, use the slots the manual names (usually the second and fourth from the processor, labeled A2 and B2). Open the latches, line up the notch, and press firmly on both ends until the latches click shut. It takes more force than you'd expect.

  4. The NVMe drive

    Remove the M.2 slot's small screw or clip (and its heatsink cover, if there is one). Slide the drive in at a slight angle, press it down flat, and fix it with the screw or clip. If the heatsink has a sticker film, peel it off before putting the cover back.

  5. The CPU cooler

    Follow the cooler's own leaflet: coolers mount differently. If it has no paste on it, put a pea-sized drop of thermal paste in the middle of the processor; the cooler's pressure spreads it. Tighten its screws a little at a time, corner to corner. Plug its fan into the header labeled CPU_FAN.

  6. Get the case ready

    Take off both side panels. If your motherboard came with a separate back-panel plate (the "I/O shield"), press it into the case's back opening now, from the inside. It's the most forgotten step in PC building. Check the case's small brass standoffs line up with the motherboard's screw holes.

  7. The motherboard into the case

    Lower it in at an angle so its ports line up with the back opening, rest it on the standoffs, and screw it down. Snug is enough; don't overtighten.

  8. The power supply

    Mount it in its spot (usually the bottom back), fan facing a vent. Then connect:

    • The wide 24-pin cable to the motherboard's side.
    • The 8-pin CPU cable to the top-left corner of the board. This is the one people forget: without it, nothing starts.

  9. The graphics card

    Remove the case's slot covers where the card's ports will sit (usually two). Open the latch at the end of the top long PCIe slot, press the card in until the latch clicks, and screw it to the case. Then plug in its power cables, all the way in (the newer 16-pin plug must have no gap).

  10. The small front-panel plugs

    The case's power button, reset button and lights connect to a row of tiny pins on the board, usually labeled F_PANEL or JFP1. The manual has a diagram; the plugs are labeled (POWER SW, RESET SW, HDD LED, POWER LED). The LED plugs have a + and a − side; the switches don't care. Also connect the front USB and audio cables to their headers.

    This is the fiddliest step. Use the flashlight, and take your time.

  11. Fans and any SATA drives

    Case fans plug into headers labeled SYS_FAN or CHA_FAN. A SATA drive needs two cables: a data cable to the motherboard and a power cable from the power supply.

  12. Leave the side panels off for now

    Tie the loose cables out of the fans' way. Close the case after the first start works.

Next: First start →

THE FIRST START

Turn it on and check it sees everything

  1. Plug the monitor into the graphics card

    Use a port on the graphics card, not the motherboard's. (Later you can move it to the motherboard to give the AI the whole card; the hardware notes show the safe order.) Plug in the keyboard, the mouse, an Ethernet cable if you have one, and the power cord. Switch on the power supply's own switch at the back (I is on).

  2. Press the power button and open the setup screen

    The fans spin, and after a moment a logo appears. Press Delete or F2 a few times right away to open the setup screen (the BIOS). The first start can take a minute or two while the board checks the memory, and may restart once by itself. That's normal.

  3. Check three things

    • The processor shows by name.
    • The memory shows its full amount (16 GB, 32 GB).
    • Your drives are listed (often under Storage or Boot).

    Optional: turn on XMP or EXPO so the memory runs at its rated speed. Leave Secure Boot as it is: Cin-MinAI works with it on or off.

  4. Close it up

    If all three show, switch off, put the side panels on, and you've built a PC.

Next: Install Cin-MinAI →

INSTALL CIN-MINAI

From the USB stick to your own desktop

About 15 minutes to make the stick and 15 more to install. No commands to type.

  1. Make the stick on another computer

    Download Cin-MinAI from Hugging Face and write it to the USB stick with balenaEtcher or Rufus. The step-by-step guide shows every click, and how to check the download is really ours.

  2. Start the new PC from the stick

    Plug the stick into a port on the back of the PC, switch on, and press the boot-menu key a few times right away: often F12, F11, F8 or Esc. Choose the USB stick. On a brand-new PC with empty drives it often starts from the stick by itself.

    At the Cin-MinAI menu, choose the first option. If the screen stays black, restart and choose compatibility mode.

  3. Try it

    You're running Cin-MinAI from the stick: nothing is installed yet. Open the assistant from the sidebar (or press Super+A) and ask it something. From the stick it's slower, because it uses the processor.

  4. Install

    Double-click Install Cin-MinAI on the desktop. Choose your language and keyboard, then Erase disk and install, and check the drive shown is the one you meant, by its size and name. Make your user name and password. They stay on this computer; there's no account to sign into.

    If the PC has a second drive with files you want to keep, unplug it before installing, and plug it back in afterwards.

  5. After the first start

    • Update Manager: install what it offers.
    • NVIDIA card: open Driver Manager and choose the recommended NVIDIA driver, then restart. The assistant runs at full speed after that. On GTX 900 and 10 series cards, stay on the 580 driver: it's the last one that supports them.
    • Ask the assistant anything about your new computer, starting with "Is everything working?"
Download Cin-MinAI Make the USB stick

IF SOMETHING'S WRONG

Nothing on the screen? It's almost always a cable

Switch off and unplug from the wall before you check anything inside. Many motherboards have four small lights near the memory, labeled CPU, DRAM, VGA, BOOT: the one that stays lit tells you where to look.

WHAT HAPPENSWHAT TO CHECK
Nothing at all: no lights, no fansThe power supply's switch at the back, the wall socket, the 24-pin cable, and the case's POWER SW plug on the front-panel pins.
Fans spin but there's no pictureThe monitor is plugged into the graphics card, and the monitor's input is set to that port. Then: the 8-pin CPU cable, the graphics card's power cables, and the memory (press each stick in again until both latches click). Give the first start two full minutes: it checks the memory and may restart once.
The DRAM light stays on, or it beepsMemory: re-seat both sticks in the slots the manual names. Try one stick at a time.
The VGA light stays onThe graphics card: seated until the latch clicks, power cables all the way in, monitor on the card.
It restarts over and overThe CPU cooler's fan is plugged into CPU_FAN, and the cooler sits flat and tight. If you turned on XMP or EXPO, turn it off again.
The drive isn't listed in the setup screenThe NVMe drive is pressed flat and screwed in. Some M.2 slots switch off SATA ports when used; the manual says which. A SATA drive needs both its data and power cables.
It starts Windows or "no boot device" instead of the stickUse the boot-menu key again, or a USB port on the back of the PC. Write the stick again if it still doesn't show.
Black screen after choosing Cin-MinAI on the stickRestart and choose compatibility mode from the menu.
No Wi-Fi after installingPlug in an Ethernet cable and ask the assistant "my Wi-Fi isn't working": it looks at what's installed. Some USB adapters need drivers Linux doesn't include.

Once the screen works, ask the assistant

Cin-MinAI's assistant can't help with a black screen, but as soon as you see the desktop it can check your drives, memory, temperatures and drivers, and explain what it finds in plain words. The lessons we learned on our own machines are in the hardware notes. Stuck? Ask the project on GitHub and tell us your parts.