 |
 |
 |
» » » |
How To Build A Computer Part 2: Putting Together The Casing And The Motherboard
In the first article we spoke about choosing your computer parts, in this article on How To Build A Computer you should be ready to get started. So let's put it all together starting with the casing and the motherboard. I'd like to mention though that the best place to work on a computer is some place that's dry and dust free. You'll also want to minimize static so try not to work on carpet. The Casing Computer casings come in many different designs and each manufacturer has their own method for securing the case. Traditional designs use screws on the back of the case for holding the side plates in place. The newer designs use screw-less attachment systems and the side plates simply slide into place. Open the case and if possible take out the motherboard mounting plate. A casing should come with a supply of screws and attachments for mounting the motherboard and installing hard drives and other components. There should be two sizes of screws -- the larger ones are for securing add-on cards and hard drives, and the smaller ones are for holding the motherboard in place. The case may need some preparation work before actually installing any components in it. Some do not have the feet attached - these are easily secured to the bottom of the case. You may also need to remove metal plates that are covering the drive bays and the I/O (input/output) connections. The Motherboard Once the inside of the case has been prepared, you are ready to attach the motherboard to the motherboard plate. The motherboard plate should be removed from the case before installing the motherboard. If your case does not feature a removable plate, you must attach all the components on the motherboard before installing it in the case. The first step is to put the standoffs in place. These are the small supports that will raise the motherboard from the surface of the case. The motherboard mounting plate should have a variety of standoff locations to accommodate the layout of various motherboards. Using the motherboard as a guide, install the standoffs so that there is one under every mounting hole of the motherboard. There should be several around the edges and two or three supporting the middle part of the motherboard. Once the standoffs are in place, place the motherboard on the plate. It's a good idea to use washers under the mounting screws. Some motherboards have circular metal areas around the screw holes which prevent the screws from shorting the motherboard. Even so, washers give a little bit of extra cushioning between the screw and the motherboard. Insert the screws into the mounting holes and turn them a few times by hand. Once they are all in place, tighten them gently with a screwdriver. Be sure not to over-tighten the screws, you just need them to be tight enough to hold the motherboard in place. If you are installing the motherboard on a removable plate, the only thing left to do to prepare the motherboard for the case is install the memory. Press down on the tabs on either side of the memory module slots and insert the RAM. Memory modules are notched so it is impossible to put them in the wrong way. When they are in place, gently lift the tabs to secure the module in place. The motherboard plate can now be installed in the case. The plate may either swing or slide into place according to the design of the case. If you are working on a case without a removable plate, the motherboard must be installed in the case first, after which the CPU and memory can be installed as explained above.
How To Build A Computer Part 2 |
|
» » » » » »
|