Computer Assembly

Putting It All Together

Now for the fun part!! Building your new computer. Start by getting all your parts together, preferably on a large table where you plenty of room to work. You'll also need to gather a couple of tools. You'll usually just need a #2 phillips screwdriver, a set of needle nose pliers, and a grounding strap.

Computer Grounding Strap Read this section carefully!! Before touching the processor, motherboard, memory, or hard drive, you need to make sure that you're properly grounded. If you're not grounded, you take a great risk or destroying your new toys because of static electricity. There are a couple of ways to make sure this doesn't happen. The best way is to use a grounding strap. The best grounding strap is a specially constructed elastic strap that goes on your wrist and has a cord that has an alligator clip on the end. The alligator clip clips onto a metal part of your case. These can usually be bought for less than $5.00. Pretty cheap insurance if you ask me. The other way, although far from the safest way, but better than nothing, is to manually ground yourself before touching anything. In either case, plug the power cord into your power supply and then into a wall outlet. If you're using a grounding strap, clip the alligator clip onto a metal part of the case and slide the elastic band over your wrist and you're good to go. If you want to use the manual message, with the computer's power supply plugged ito the wall, touch a part of the metal case. This will discharge any static electricity in your body. The thing to remember is this: If you move your feet at all, you must touch the metal part of the case again to discharge the static electricity. Even if you shift one of your feet a quarter of an inch, you must ground yourself again. When you get caught up in the build, it's easy to forget to keep grounding yourself, so do yourself a favor and get a grounding strap.

Computer Case

Computer Case If you have a desktop style case, lay it flat on the table. If you have a tower case, it depends on the type of case as to whether you need to lay it down, or leave it standing up. If your case has a removable motherboard tray you can probably leave it up right; if it doesn't, you'll be better off laying the case on it's side.

Start by removing the top panel from the desktop case, or the side panel from the tower case. On most tower cases, you only need to remove the left (when looking at the case from the front) side panel. Removing the top or side panel is usually done by removing a couple of screws from the back of the case, however, on some cases there is some sort of latch that secures the top or side panel. There should be a small bag or box with some small parts in it. Remove the bag or box and set it aside for now. Take a look around the inside of the case and familiarize yourself with everything in it. Take all the cables (including the ones from you power supply if your case came equipped with one) and drape them over the side of the case.

Your case probably came with a generic I/O panel cover. The I/O panel cover is a thin metal plate on the rear of the case where the external cables attach to the motherboard. Your new motherboard comes with it's own I/O panel cover that matches the motherboard connectors so you'll need to remove the one that came on your case. Just push in (from the outside of the case) around the perimeter of the panel and it should pop out.

Power Supply

Computer Power Supply If your computer case didn't come with a power supply (or if your replacing the one that came with it) then that what you'll need to install next. The power supply generally just slides into place in the rear of case. The power supply is secured to the case with four screws that install through the rear of the case. Tighten the screws securely but don't over tighten them. There is usually a small slide switch on the back of the power supply (visible from the rear of the case) to select the voltage for your area. If you live in the U.S., make sure the switch is set on 115v. Once the power supply is installed, drape the cables over the side so that they're out of the way.

Motherboard and Processor

Computer Motherboard I usually install the motherboard, processor, and processor cooling fan into the computer case as an assembly. Take the motherboard out of it's anti-static bag (you are grounded - right?) and place on the table on top of the foam pad that came with it. There is a release lever on side of the CPU socket. Press it down and to the side and lift up on it to release it. If you're using an Intel processor with a LGA775 socket, remove the protective plastic cover and lift the hold-down lid up. Remove the CPU from it's packaging. The processor can only be installed in one position. Look closely at the bottom (pin side) of the processor and you'll see one corner that looks like it is missing a pin (except for the Intel LGA775 type processor). Now look at the CPU socket on the motherboard and you'll see one corner that doesn't have a hole. On Intel LGA775 processors, you'll see two notches (one on each side) on the processor, and two corresponding tabs on the CPU socket. Place the processor into the socket. Never force it!! It should drop right in. If it looks like it's cock-eyed or unlevel, pick it up and look at it again to make sure you're putting it in right. Double check it to make sure it's sitting all the down in the socket. On Intel LGA775 processors, lower the hold-down lid so that it rests on top of the processor. On all CPU types, push the hold-down lever down towards the motherboard until it locks into place.

CPU Cooling Fan Next comes the processor cooling fan. Even if you're building a low end computer, I recommend using an aftermarket cooling fan. I haven't seen a factory (i.e. the one that came with the processor) cooling fan yet that does a good job of keeping the processor cool. The cooling fan that I use on 90% of my builds is the Thermaltake Big Typhoon. It's big and can be a little difficult to install sometimes, but the cooling efficiency more than makes up for it. Since there are so many different types of processor cooling fans, I can't even begin to tell you how to install the one you've chosen. You'll need to follow the manufacturer's installation instructions. Before installing the fan, you need to put thermal compound on the processor. I highly recommend using Arctic Silver Thermal Compound. It uses microscopic silver flakes in the compound that provides superior heat transfer to the fan which really helps keep the processor cool. One other hint. If your cooling fan comes with brackets that allow the fan to be "bolted" to the motherboard (like the Big Typhoon), one of the brackets may have double-sided tape with a removable paper backing. If it does, don't remove the paper backing like the instructions tell you to do. This way, if you ever replace the motherboard, you won't have to worry about removing the bracket without tearing the tape, and thus, you can re-use the CPU cooling fan without a problem.

Once the cooling fan is installed, locate the CPU Fan electrical connector (it may be labeled, or you may have to check the manual that came with your motherboard) and plug in the electrical lead from the CPU cooler onto the fan plug on your motherboard.

Installing the Motherboard in the Case

Remember that little box or bag of small parts that came with your case? It it are some motherboard stand-offs. These are little brass or steel fasteners that look like a nut on top and with threads on the bottom. These are used to attach the motherboard to the case. Look closely at the motherboard and you'll see several holes that the mounting screws go through. These will need to line up with the threaded holes in the case. Since the case (or motherboard tray) will usually have provisions for different size motherboards, you'll need to install the stand-offs in the right place. Hold the motherboard above the case and "eyeball" where to install all the stand-offs. Screw the stand-offs into the appropriate holes and snug them down.

If you haven't done so already, remove the I/O panel from the rear of the case. Compare the cutouts in the new I/O panel to the connectors on the motherboard to make sure that it's not installed upside down. Install the I/O panel that came with your motherboard by placing the bottom lip of the panel on the lower edge of the case opening and pressing it in by pushing it in along the sides and then the along the top. Make sure it snaps all the way in around the entire perimeter.

Lower the motherboard into the case, sliding it towards the rear of the case so that the motherboard connectors slide through the holes in the I/O panel and the motherboard rests on the stand-offs. Double check that you have all the stand-offs installed. Install the motherboard mounting screws (they came with your case) into each of the mounting holes. Don't tighten them down until you have all the screws started. This is where the needle nose pliers come in handy; especially when getting the screws started in the area near the CPU cooling fan. Once all the screws have been started, tighten them down securely, but don't over-tighten them.

Step back and take a breath!! Your first major step is done!!!

Installing Memory

Installing the memory is probably the easiest part of building your own computer. On both ends of each memory slot is a release lever. Press down (towards the motherboard) and out lightly on each release lever until it's at about a 45° angle to the motherboard.On each RAM module you'll see a notch that has to line up with the tab on each memory slot. Insert the memory module into the slot (making sure the notch is aligned with the tab) and press down firmly (but don't force it) on each end until the module. As the module is pushed in, the release levers will rotate to the upright position. You should hear a click as the release levers lock into place. If you don't hear a click, press in towards the memory module on the release levers to ensure that they are locked. That's it!! Repeat this procedure for each remaining module.

Notes on using Dual Channel memory configuration. If you're installing more than one "stick" of RAM and your motherboard supports a Dual Channel configuration make sure you install the memory in the appropriate slots to take advantage of this technology. If all of your memory modules are the same, and you have enough to occupy all the memory slots on the motherboard, then you don't need to worry about getting them installed right. If you don't have enough modules to fill all the slots, you need to check the documentation that came with your motherboard to make sure you install the memory modules in the right paired slots. On most motherboards the paired slots are distinguished by different colors. For instance, you may have a blue slot next to a red slot and then another blue slot and then another red slot. Most of the time, if you install matching memory in slots of the same color, this will put it in dual channel mode. Just to make sure, check your motherboard documentation.

Drive Installation

The hard drive will be installed from the inside of the case unless your case has a removable drive tray. If you're installing two IDE (PATA) type drives and want to make sure that a particular drive is your primary drive, you'll need to set some jumpers on the two drives. If you're using SATA type drives, you don't need to worry about this. If you're using IDE type drives, you'll want to to set the primary drive as the master drive and the secondary drive as the slave drive. You'll need to refer to your drive's documentation (or the label on the drive) to determine what jumper to set in what position. If you're installing two IDE type drives and you don't care which one is the primary, you can set the jumpers for CS (Cable Select) which should be the default jumper configuration.

If your case doesn't have a removable tray, find an internal 3½" bay and slide the hard drive into it (make sure the the end of the drive with the data and power connections faces the inside of the case and is at the bottom of the drive) and align the mounting holes in the hard drive with the slots in the bay. Screw in the mounting screws that came with the drive and tighten them securely. If you can't easily get to the mounting screws on the back side of the drive, don't worry too much about it. If your case came with a removable drive tray, remove it from the case and follow the above instructions to install the drive in the tray. Once you have the drive installed, reinstall the drive tray in the case.

The multimedia drive(s) (CD, CD/DVD, etc.) are usually installed from the outside of the case. On most computer cases you'll need to remove a filler panel to install the drive. Most of the time, the filler panel just pops out from inside the case. On other computer cases, the filler panels are screwed into the case and you'll need to remove the front of the case to access them. Multimedia drives are installed in the same way as the hard drive, except they're usually installed in the 5¼" drive bays. If you're installing two IDE (PATA) type drives and want to make sure that a particular drive is your primary drive, you'll need to set some jumpers on the two drives. If you're using SATA type drives, you don't need to worry about this. If you're using IDE type drives, you'll want to to set the primary drive as the master drive and the secondary drive as the slave drive. You'll need to refer to your drive's documentation (or the label on the drive) to determine what jumper to set in what position. If you're installing two IDE type drives and you don't care which one is the primary, you can set the jumpers for CS (Cable Select) which should be the default jumper configuration.

Plugging Everything In

Power Supply Connections

24 pin Motherboard Connector We'll start by connecting the power leads from the power supply. Locate the large 20 or 24 wire rectangular connector. This is the main power connector for your motherboard. This connector plugs into the main connector on your motherboard. You may run into a case where the power supply has a 20 wire connector and the motherboard has a 24 pin socket, or the power supply may have a 24 wire connector and the motherboard has a 20 pin socket. If you do, don't worry about the variation unless you're building a high-end system. If you are building a high-end computer, the motherboard will probably have a 24 pin connector and hopefully you purchased a power supply with a 24 wire connector. If not, I'd suggest buying a different power supply. There is an adapter made to convert the 20 wire connector to a 24 wire, but I wouldn't recommend using this type of set up on a high-end computer. The main power connector (and all the other power connectors for that matter) can only be plugged in one way. So if you try to plug something in and it doesn't go in easily, don't force it. Check it again to make sure you've got it right. Insert the main power connector into the socket on the motherboard and press down on it until it's fully seated.

4 pin Motherboard Connector Most (all Intel based motherboards as far as i know) have a square 4 pin or a rectangular 8 pin connector for CPU power. Locate the right connector from the power supply and the appropriate socket on the motherboard. Insert the connector into the socket until it's fully seated. If your motherboard has a 8 pin connector, but your power supply only has a 4 wire connector, check your motherboard documentation. You should be able to use the 4 wire connector in the 8 pin socket (if your power supply didn't come with an adapter). Note: Some motherboards require additional power connections from the power supply so be sure to thoroughly check your motherboard's documentation.

Molex Power Connection SATA Power Connection Next, plug in the power supply leads to your hard drive(s) and multimedia drives. Most of these devices will use four pin molex connectors (connector on the right in the photo) unless you're using SATA type drives. The molded plug has a 45° angle cut on two corners. This allows the plug to only be inserted in one direction. Line up the angle cuts on the plug with the angle cuts on the drive and push the plug securely in the socket on the drive. Most SATA type drives use a different style of power connector (connector on the left in the photo). I say most because some SATA drives have the SATA type power connector along with the older style molex connector. If this is the case on your drive, only use one of the two connectors - do not use both!! Like the molex style power connector, the SATA style power connector can only be inserted one way. Line up the "L" shaped socket on the plug with the socket on the drive and insert the plug into the drive.

If you're using PCIe type video cards, they'll require power connections as well, but we'll get to that when we install the video card(s).

Data Connections

IDE Cable Connector IDE Data connectors use a 40 pin socket and connector. Some IDE cables have protections in place that only allows them to be inserted in one direction; some do not. Just to be safe, we'll assume that yours do not. Consult your motherboard's documentation to determine where "pin 1" is on the motherboard socket. On the IDE cable, pin 1 is identified by a red stripe (usually) on the cable. Line up the side of the cable with the stripe to the pin 1 side of the motherboard socket. Carefully line up the cable's connector with the motherboard socket and press down on the connector until the cable is fully seated. If it feels like it's not going in fairly easily, stop and verify that you have it aligned up right. If you do accidentally bend a pin in the socket, you can use a small pair of needle nose pliers to straighten the pin, or pins. The other end of the IDE cable is plugged into the drive in the same way. The general rule of thumb, and I haven't seen a drive that's different from this in over ten years, is that pin 1 on the drive is adjacent to the molex power connector.

SATA Data Connector SATA type data connections are much easier to deal with than IDE connectors. SATA connectors are much smaller and can only be installed in one direction and there are no pins to bend. The "L" shaped connector on the data cable is inserted into the socket on the motherboard and the other end into the socket on the drive. If you're only using one SATA type drive, you can plug it into any available SATA socket on you're motherboard. If you're using multiple SATA drives, you'll need to plug them into the motherboard's sockets in the order in which you want them to appear. For example, if you have one drive that you want to use for your operating system and another drive that you want to use for your data, you'll need to plug your operating system drive into a lower numbered socket (like socket 1) and your data drive into a higher numbered socket (like socket 2).

Computer Case Connectors

Every computer case will have wiring connectors for the different items that are a part of the case. Things like USB ports, front panel audio connectors, hard drive activity indicators, etc. will all have there own connectors. You'll need to refer to your motherboard's documentation to determine where each of these cables get plugged in. The connectors on the case are usually labeled as to what they're used for. If not, you'll need to consult your case's documentation. Most of the time, your motherboard documentation will indicate which pin is pin 1 on each connector. If you have a case connector with, say, a black wire and a red wire, the connector is usually plugged in so that the red wire attaches to pin 1. Some connectors, like for the USB ports may have a multi-wire "keyed" connector. The "key" that keeps the connector from being plugged in wrong is usually in the form of a filled in hole on the connector and a "missing" pin on the motherboard connector.

Installing Video Cards, Sound Cards, etc.

Installing the additional cards on the motherboard is really pretty easy. But before installing them you need to make sure the filler panel on the rear is removed. On some cases, the filler panels are held in by a single screw that needs to be removed. On some other cases the filler panels are built into the case and must be removed by breaking them from the case by bending them back and forth until they snap off. On most "tool less" case designs you release a lever or latch of some kind to remove the filler panels. To make sure you remove the correct filler panel, hold the card above the appropriate slot and "eyeball" which filler panel to remove. Once you have the filler panel removed, basically all you do is line up the connector on the card with the slot on the motherboard and press down until it's fully seated. Some cards (i.e. AGP video cards) have a locking tab on the motherboard socket. If the card you're installing has this type of tab, simply push the tab to the side while inserting the card into the slot. If your case is not a tool less design, replace the hold down screw. lf you're installing PCIe type video card, or cards, you'll need to plug in a power lead from your power supply to the card.

Finishing the Computer Build

Congratulations, you're almost there!! Before closing your case up, take a last look around at everything and make sure you've got everything connected right. Give all the connectors a final push to make sure they're all seated. Once you're happy with everything, it's almost time to fire it up. You can go ahead and put the side panel or top panel back on, but I usually leave it off until I know everything works right.

It's time to start plugging in all the external components. Plug in the keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, etc. to the appropriate connectors. If you're using a keyboard and/or mouse with PS/2 (small round) connectors they should be color coded to the connectors on the motherboard. If any of your components use USB connectors, they can be plugged into any available USB port. Once you have all your components plugged in, connect the power cord. Check the selector switch again on the back of the power supply to verify that it's set for the right voltage. If your power supply has a power switch on the back of it, turn it to the ON position (usually identified by an I).

Take a deep breath, cross your fingers, say a quick prayer, and then press the power button. Your new computer should come to life. If not, double check everything again to make sure everything's plugged in right. If everything looks right, then go through my troubleshooting steps at http://diycomputerrepair.lerweb.com/. If everything comes on, you should see all the startup procedures (POST for Power On Self Test) on your screen. It will probably stop at some point with something like Operating System Not Found on the screen. If it stops with an error before getting to this point, you'll need to correct whatever error it displays before continuing.

Installing the Operating System and Drivers

At this point, open your CD or DVD drive and insert your operating system (OS) installation disc. Reboot the computer by pressing the reset button on your case, by simultaneously pressing the CTRL, ALT, and DEL keys, or by turning the computer off and then back on. You may see a message on the screen that says something like Press Any Key To Boot From CD (press a key) or it may automatically start loading the OS. Just follow the on-screen prompts to complete the OS installation.

Once the OS installation has completed, remove the installation CD or DVD and insert the Drivers CD that came with your motherboard. Install all the drivers by following the manufacturer's instruction. Once the motherboard drivers have been loaded, remove the CD and start loading the drivers for any addition hardware (video cards, sound cards, etc.) that you may have installed. Once all your drivers for all the hardware in your computer have been installed, you can start loading all of the application software that you want to install.

Congratulations!!! Give yourself a big pat on the back for a job well done and for building your own computer.