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Post Info TOPIC: How to Build a PC- Part 2


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How to Build a PC- Part 2
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Assembling the Hardware

Before you actually start putting your components together, take a moment to visualize where you want the parts to be placed in your computer. Where do you want your CD-ROM? How about the Zip Drive? The order in which you put your components in the computer case is important when you install all of your connections and cables..........

The Computer Tower (Case)

The first piece of hardware you should be familiar with is the computer case(graphics). There are many brand and styles of cases (we're talking tower cases here) and you should select one that will have enough slots in the front for your drives, CD-ROMs, DVD-RWs, USB Card Readers, and whatever else you want to put in your system. Cases are usually AT and ATX types. Today's equipment is designed for the ATX tower, so for the discussion here, we will talk about this type. The older P-1 and P-2 systems used the AT type tower... The inside of the ATX tower should not be too cramped and allow you to get your hand inside without squeezing it in there. Many newer cases are "screwless" which means you do not have to attach components with screws, but they snap or lock into place with components built into the case. These are quite an improvement over older cases that need slot blanks removed and require screws to secure the hardware placed in them.

There should be an open place in the upper back of the case to attach the power supply, as well as a slot for the motherboards on-board connections (sound, LAN, video connections, mouse, keyboard, and printer connections) to stick through. There should also be covered slots at the bottom back of the tower to house the various PCI cards that you may need.

Opening the tower is usually simple. You unscrew the screws on the back sides of the case and the panels slide back and pop off. Usually there are two panels, but there are lots of variations of cases and sometimes, the whole back comes off in total. Your case should have a small manual with it that describes how you get the sides off. Newer cases have side panels that swing open like doors on hinges. Keep the screws in a safe place (like in a cup) so that you are not hunting for them later.

The Motherboard

The heart of any computer is the motherboard(graphics) (and CPU). Motherboards come in all sorts of configurations these days. It would be wise to research the types of motherboards that are currently on the market and pick one that has a good record of performance and has the features that will suit your computing needs. Major manufacturers like ASUS, ABit, AOpen, and Soyo all produce good boards. Check various websites for reviews about these boards. Many computer seller websites have customer reviews on these boards and it would do to read a few comments.

As you ready to take the motherboard out of the box, remember that all computer components are subject to static electricity damage. Make sure that you are grounded and are (preferably) wearing an anti-static armband. The armband clips to the computer case and keeps static electricity from building up on you. Also, whenever you are about to touch a component, touch the computer case first to make sure you are totally discharged before you touch the component.

The motherboard is wrapped in an anti-static bag. As you take out the motherboard, remove the anti-static bag and place the bag on the table first (maybe over a towel that doesn't have lint on it) and place the motherboard on the bag. Inspect the board and familiarize yourself with the parts and all of the connections, plug in areas, and slots. Spend time with the motherboard manual before you start assembling the components on the motherboard. It will make it easier than trying to figure the motherboard out later when it is already inside your computer case.

Look for the areas where you place the RAM sticks, the CPU and the heatsink fan, the power supply connections, where the IDE cables attach (where Pin 1 goes), where the case fan connections are, where the case LED and USB connections are, where the CD-ROM sound cable attaches, and where the holes are that attach the motherboard to the case. Make sure that the board is clean and not covered with lint or dust....When you handle the board, it is best to handle it by the edges, not touching the circuitry. Again, watch for static electricity.

Now, here is the basic procedure for the motherboard configuration:

1) Read the manual supplied with the motherboard. Read the list of settings and locate the "jumpers" on the board. These a three pin prongs that are covered by a plastic "plug" on two of the three plugs. many motherboards come with default settings already established on the board. If you want to "tweak" your motherboard settings or change the speed of processor, voltage settings, and the like, you can do this by configuring these jumpers. Warning: Do this at your own risk and be very careful of the settings you place. The changes you make may cause the motherboard not to function correctly. If in doubt, keep the default settings.

2) Set the voltage settings. Most older chips use single voltage. The newer chips use split voltage. Most newer motherboards provide jumpers for the core voltage and the I/O voltage. you'll need to set them to match your intended CPU. Your best bet is to set the to match the voltage printed on the CPU itself. Most CPUs have a "core" voltage printed somewhere on them. This is your voltage. Many newer boards are set to detect this voltage automatically..... so you won't have to worry about this.

3) Set the CPU speed. This is not usually done with a single jumper. It is, instead, done by setting the system BUS speed and a "multiplier". The multiplier is the number which, when multiplied by the system BUS speed, gives you the processor speed. If your motherboard manual lists settings by CPU, just do what it says. Many CPUs are designed to operate on a 66 MHz or 100MHz BUS (some even higher). So, if you are installing a Pentium II- 266 ( remember, this is just an example), you would set the bus speed at 66 MHz and set the multiplier at 4.0x to create 66 MHz x 4.0 = 266 MHz. Many times the board is self configuring or you can set the CPU speed in the BIOS (later on the BIOS).

Again, many modern boards are "default" configured, and some are even automatically configured. There are even boards that are completely "jumperless" and are configured from within the CMOS and BIOS settings. If you are unsure about these settings, just go with the default settings!

After you find the jumpers that control these settings, you can use tweezers or your fingers to manipulate them. Usually the jumpers cover pins 1 and 2 or pins 2 and 3. Your manual will tell you what to do....... double check you settings. Of one note...... there is a jumper called the "reset jumper" that is usually J-5. If you mess up the settings in the CMOS or BIOS, you can reset your system to the default configuration by changing this jumper to the reset setting, then back again. Read your manual on how to do this!

While the board is out of the case, it is generally wise to install some of the components on it before placing it in the case. This includes the CPU and heatsink fan, along with the RAM (memory sticks). Once these are in place, you can place the board in the case.

CPU / Heatsink

The CPU (central processing unit) is the brain of your computer. It is truly important to get the proper CPU that is designed for the motherboard. The two major manufacturers (today) are Intel and AMD. Both make fine CPUs and to delve into the different designs is beyond this tutorial, but make sure that you buy the type of CPU that fits the slot on your motherboard. Many motherboards can be bought with the CPU / heatsink (pics) already attached. If yours does not, here is what you'll do:

Most CPUs are designed to slip into a slot with zero insertion force (ZIF). In most cases, there is a lever on the side of the CPU mount (on the motherboard) that you raise up. This opens the holes and readys the mount. The CPU fits on the mount only one way. On one corner of the CPU chip is some sort of marking or there is a diagonal edge. This is the corner where Pin 1 is located.Once the lever to the CPU mount is up, you can gently place the CPU over the holes and it should slide in. Make sure that Pin 1 is over the Pin 1 slot on the mount. Do not force it! Once the CPU is placed into the slot and it has seated itself fully, you can lower the lever and lock the CPU into place.

When you are satisfied that the CPU is in place and locked down, you can install the heatsink fan. This device fits directly over the CPU and sometimes comes with cooling paste. There is a debate over whether the paste is worthwhile, but if you wish, you can place a small dab on the center of the CPU top (you do not want it to squish down the sides of the CPU when you install the heatsink fan) and place the fan over the CPU. The fan is contained in a bracket that snaps down over the top of the CPU. Do not push down hard to snap down the fan. Use one hand to steady the fan, and the other to gently snap it into place. CPUs have been known to crack with too much manual pressure. Once the fan is placed and aligned correctly, you can plug the power cord from the fan into the three pin connection on the motherboard called CPU_Fan (or something like that). Re-check all of your work to make sure that the fan is completely clamped to the motherboard and that the connection of the fan to the CPU_Fan connection is completed.

RAM (Memory Sticks)

There are lots of varieties of RAM(pics) (random access memory) on the market today. You'll need to check the specifications of your motherboard for the correct type of memory you need. Today, the most popular memory is DDR memory that comes in capacities from 64 MB to 1GB sizes. There is also older types of memory called SDRAM that usually is designated PC-100 or PC-133. If you need further education on memory types, browse sites like: http://www.crucial.com to get a full explanation. They also have a great tutorial here: http://www.crucial.com/support/install.asp

Memory sticks usually come in either 168 pin or 184 pin varieties. Also, sticks are either non-error correcting (Non-ECC) or error correcting (ECC). Most computers today use non-error correcting so this is the most widely used. Usually ECC modules are for fast servers that need error correcting features added when they crunch large amounts of data. Check your motherboard manual for the correct type that you need.

RAM sticks are placed in slots on the board usually labeled DIMM 1, and DIMM 2 (maybe also DIMM 3). DIMM stands for dual in-line memory module. There are slices in the sticks that allow them to fit into the memory brackets only one way. Do not force the in. There are levers that are pushed back on each end of the slot, and the sticks are firmly "wiggled" down into the slots until the end levers "snap" into place. Fill up the DIMM 1 and DIMM 2 slots first. Make sure that you hold the sticks by the side edges and not the gold insertion edge. Again, static electricity is your enemy. Check your work when you are done and make sure that everything is seated and snapped into place. You can not mix DDR RAM and SDRAM. You'll need to use one or the other on motherboards that have slots for either type. Now you are ready to mount the motherboard!

Mounting the Motherboard

Once all of the components above are installed on the motherboard, you are ready to mount it to the computer case. To do this, lay the case down on its side, so that the motherboard mounting plate is on the bottom. You will see holes in the mounting plate that correspond with the holes in the mother board itself. Look and see that the holes in the motherboard mounting plate line up with the holes in the motherboard. Watch for static electricity and use your anti-static wrist strap! After you visualize the holes, take out the motherboard and look for the mounting hardware that comes with your motherboard. It is usually in a plastic bag with all sorts of screws and odd looking things.

In the plastic bag are several items you'll need now. You'll see small posts called "stand-offs" that screw into the holes on the motherboard mounting bracket. These stand-offs are used to keep the motherboard physically off of the computer case, preventing short circuiting. On the top of the stand-offs are screw holes that other screws will hold the motherboard onto. You may also find an assortment of washers. Screw the stand-offs into the holes in the motherboard mounting that correspond with the holes in the motherboard. Tighten them down.

On the back of the computer case is a plate for the I/O devices (mouse port, printer port, sound ports, etc.) this plate pops out. Take it out and replace it with the I/O plate that came with your motherboard.

Now, carefully lower your motherboard onto the stand-offs. When the motherboard is aligned over the stand-off holes, use the small screws and place them through the motherboard and tighten them down on the standoffs. Some computer makers add the washers in between the screws and the stand-offs. I suggest doing what the motherboard book recommends. Be very careful with the screwdriver that tightens down the screws. One slip and you can damage the motherboard. Go carefully and gently. The back of the motherboard's I/O connections should stick through the holes of the I/O plate for easy access later on. Make sure that the motherboard is firmly tightened down and not bent. Good job! Now to connect the power supply!

Next>>>Assembling the Hardware(part2)

TMF©2004



-- Edited by barney at 11:54, 2008-12-20

-- Edited by NicKnayme at 13:39, 2009-02-15

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This article was lifted from the original TMF group's website. Not all links are working. I will work to correct these as soon as I can.

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