Steps to Assemble a System

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STEPS TO ASSEMBLE A SYSTEM

The following article is based on years of experience. It is provided as a free service toour students. However, the Managementis not responsible for any damage as a resultof following any of this advice.

Copying the contents for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited withoutTheManagementwritten consent. However, you are welcome to distribute these computersupport tips free to your friends and associates as long as it's not for commercial

purposes and you acknowledge the source. You are permitted and encouraged tocreate links to this page from your own web site.

Putting computers together is probably the best hobby today.

It's Clean, Useful, Educational, andFun!

Here is a brief summary of the steps to Assemble a System. More details are comingsoon.

Prepare The Computer Case

Open case Mount base screws Open expansion slots

Prepare And Mount The Motherboard

Mount CPU and CPU cooler Mount memory modules Mount motherboard onto case Connect power supply

Mount The Drives

Mount floppy drive Mount hard drive

Mount CD ROM drive

Connect The Drives And Motherboard

Connect floppy drive Connect hard drive Connect CD ROM drive


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Mount Video And Other Add-On Cards

Mount video card Mount sound card Mount FAX/data modem

Testing And Getting Ready For Operating System

Power-on for the first time Clock speed and memory counting Change BIOS


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Contents

1 Tools and equipmento 1.1 Basic toolso 1.2 Optional, but useful tools

2 Preparationo 2.1 Safety precautions

3 Constructiono 3.1 Motherboardo 3.2 CPUo 3.3 Memory Slotso 3.4 Power supplyo 3.5 Video cardo 3.6 Installing drive jumpers

o 3.7 Installing driveso 3.8 Other connectionso 3.9 Prepare for power up

4 Power up 5 Additional hardware and peripherals

6 References

Tools and equipment

Combination flanged-hex/Phillips-head screw used in computers

You wont need many tools to assemble your computer, in fact the only one

you must have is the screwdriver and an anti-static wristband (very useful),but if you can get most of the following together, youll find things go a littleeasier.
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Basic tools

Before you begin building or refitting a computer, you will need some basictools:

1. #2 Phillips-head (cross-shaped) screwdriver2. Needle-nose pliers3. Anti-static Wrist Strap4. A large level working space

An anti-static wrist strap with crocodile clip.

Optional, but useful tools

Some other tools and equipment can come in handy as well, such as:

1. Spring action parts grabber.2. Electrical tape3. Wire or nylon ties4. Flashlight, preferably hands-free5. A second, working computer to swap parts, look for tips, ask for help

on-line, download drivers and patches, etc. - very useful6. A can of compressed air - useful when working with older parts that

have collected dust. A better alternative but also more costly, is avacuum cleaner designed for cleaning electronics.

[edit] Preparation

Proper preparation is the key to a successful build. Before you begin, make

sure you have all the tools you will need, secure a clear, well-lit workspace.Gather all the components youll be using and unpack them one at a time,verifying that everything that is supposed to be there is actually present. Atthis point you should leave the parts themselves in their protective anti-static bags, and assemble all the accompanying manuals. Now I know youwant to get started, but trust me, read the manuals, check the diagrams,make sure you understand where each part goes and how it attaches. If
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there is anything you dont understand, now is the time to do a little extraInternet research or call the manufacturer with your questions.

Find a dry, well-ventilated place to do your work. You should have plenty oflight and if possible, you should choose an area without carpet on the floor,as carpet tends to generate a lot of static. An unfurnished basement is agood work location.

Safety precautions are important for your own security. Please read thesafety precautions thoroughly.

[edit] Safety precautions

1. Static electricity is the biggest danger to the expensive parts you areabout to assemble, even a tiny shock, much too small for you to feel,can damage or ruin the delicate electronic traces, many times smallerthan a human hair, that make up your CPU, RAM and other chips. Itsimportant to use your anti-static wrist strap to prevent damage tothese components. Once you have the power supply installed in thecase, clip the end of the wrist strap to the outside of the powersupply. (Never plug your computer in while you are connected to it bya wrist strap.) This will ensure that you, the case and the powersupply are all connected to a common ground, in other words there

will be no inequality of charge that will allow a spark to jump from youto the case. Its also helpful to have an anti-static mat to set the caseand other components on.

2. Nobody but you is at fault if you shock your components with staticelectricity. Make sure that you take the precautions in the previousparagraph to ground yourself from static electricity. (Note: if you reallymust work on a computer and have not got proper anti-staticequipment, it is usuallyOK if you make sure that you do not moveabout much; are not wearing any static-prone clothing; handle

components by the edges; and regularly (once a minute or so), toucha grounded object.). The case metalof your PC's power supply willusually be a suitable grounded object. As noted above, touch it everyfew minutes while you are working on your PC if you havent got awrist strap.

3. Turn off your computer and switch off your Power Supply at the wallbefore installing or removing any components - if power is flowing tocomponents as they are installed or removed, they can be seriously
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damaged. In order to have a computer properly grounded, you need itplugged in at the wall but turned off at the power supply and at thewall.

4. Never cut the grounding pin off your power cord. This "safety ground"stands between you and potentially lethal voltages inside the power

supply.5. Be wary of sharp edges! Many lower-end PC cases have sharp,unfinished edges. This is especially so on interior surfaces, andwhere the case has been cut or punched-out. Use care and take yourtime to avoid cutting your hands.If your case has this problem, a littletime with some sandpaper before you begin construction can spareyou a lot of pain.

6. Dismantling discrete electronic components such as your PowerSupply or Monitor is dangerous. They contain high voltagecapacitors, which can cause a severe electric shock if you touch

them. These hold a charge even when the unit is not plugged in andare capable of delivering a fatal shock.

[edit] Construction

Start by putting your case down on your work surface, with the case doorfacing up, and open the case.

[edit] Motherboard
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Find the motherboard standoffs (spacers) that should have come with thecase. They are screws, usually brass, with large hexagonal heads that aretapped so you can fasten screws into the top. These hold the motherboardup off the case preventing a short-circuit. Set these aside.

I/O Panel Shield of an ATX Motherboard

Remove the I/O Shield from the back of the case where the ports on theback of the motherboard will fit, and put in the I/O Shield that came withyour motherboard. There may be small metal tabs on the inside of this faceplate, if so you may have to adjust them to accommodate the ports on the

back of the motherboard.

Some case styles make it difficult to install the motherboard or the CPUwith the power supply installed. If the power supply is in your way, take itout and set it aside (we'll put it back in later).

Now locate the screw holes on your motherboard and find thecorresponding holes on the motherboard plate (or tray) in the case. Put astandoff in each of these holes on the tray and position the motherboard sothat you can see the holes in the top of the standoffs through the screwholes in the motherboard.

Now is the time to make sure the ports on the motherboard are mating withthe backplate you just installed, and make any necessary adjustments. Thesmall metal tabs are intended to make contact with the metal parts of theconnections on the back of the motherboard and ground them, but you mayhave to bend these tabs a bit to get the ports all properly mounted, this iswhere those needle-nose pliers may come in handy.

If you have trouble lining up the screw holes, double check that you havethe standoffs in the proper holes on the tray. With lower quality cases thereare sometimes alignment problems and you may have to forgo one or twoscrews. If this is the case, make sure you remove the correspondingstandoffs. Some combinations of motherboards and cases may also usedifferent types of screws in different places or provide non-matching screw
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holes that cannot be used in a specific case. The motherboard can possiblybe damaged if you try to push it into position with the wrong set of standoffsunderneath or when trying to use the wrong set of screw holes.

Now fasten a screw through each of the motherboard screw holes into thestandoffs underneath. These screws should be snug but not tight, there isno reason to torque down on them, hand tight is fine, otherwise you candamage the motherboard.

Once the motherboard is installed, it is time to plug the other components.

[edit] CPU

An example of a CPU socket, Socket A

Installing the CPU, and the CPUs heat-sink and fan, are by far the mostdifficult steps youll have to complete during your build. Here, more thananywhere else, it will pay to read the instructions carefully, look at the parts,study the diagrams that came with your CPU and/or third party coolingsolution, and make sure you thoroughly understand what you are going todo before you try to do it. During the process, if anything does not seem tofit or make sense, put the parts down and look things over carefully before
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you proceed. Some operations, especially installing the heat-sink/fancombination, can require pretty firm pressure, so dont be afraid to push alittle harder if youre sure everything is set up correctly.

The details of the installation process differ in slight but important ways foreach manufacturers processors, and even within a manufacturers productline. Therefore, for these details, you should rely on the instructions that areprovided with the CPU.

The two things that go wrong the most often and most expensively(minimum of a killed CPU, sometimes more) in building one's owncomputer are both related to the CPU and its cooler:

1. Switching the computer on "just to see if it works" before adding anyCPU cooling unit. Without cooling, CPUs heat up at extreme rates (a

CPU heats up anywhere between ten times and a thousand times asfast as a cooking area on your stove!) By the time you see the firstdisplay on the screen, your CPU will already be severely overheatingand might be damaged beyond repair.

2. Mounting the CPU cooler improperly. Read the instructions that camewith your CPU and cooler very carefully and ensure you are using allcomponents in the correct order and correct place.

If you buy a third party cooling solution for your CPU make sure you getone that is compatible with the CPU you have. Most brands come with

multiple mounting brackets that will suit many different chipsets, but it isbest to check for compatibility just in case.

If using thermal paste, apply it only to the CPU die (the square piece ofsilicon in the middle of the CPU) and do so sparingly -- most modern CPUstake no more than a dab of thermal paste the size of a grain of rice. Somepeople do like to wipe some onto the heat-sink's surface and then wipe itsmoothly off so that bits of it may get into tiny holes for better heat transfer.SeeArctic Silver Instructions for more info on how to apply and removethermal paste/grease. (It was written to be specifically for Arctic Silver

paste, but the same techniques can be applied to other brands of thermalpaste.)

If using a thermal pad supplied with your cooler, make sure you removeany protective tape from the die just before installing and do not get it dirty -and do not combine thermal pads with thermal paste, it is either one or theother. Then, check that you install the cooler in the right orientation and that
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you set it flat on the CPU die without exerting undue pressure on anyedges or corners - the latter can make small pieces of the die break off,killing the CPU.

One option you may consider, before installing the heat-sink, is to "lap" theheat-sink, which means to smooth out the bottom surface. To do this, youwill need a very flat surface; a piece of thick window glass will work. Fastenyour sandpaper on the flat surface, invert the heat-sink on the sandpaperand sand in small circles, applying minimum pressure. Check frequentlyand when you see a uniform pattern of scratches, switch to finer grainedsandpaper (the numbers go up as the sandpaper is finer, so somethingsuch as 220 is coarse while 2000 will be very fine.) Remember that you arenot trying to remove any material, just polish out surface irregularities. Ifyou get it right, you should have a surface which feels completely smoothto the touch (but dont touch it, the oil in your fingers can cause corrosion of

the fresh surface) with a mirror finish. Some companies producing heat-sinks lap the surface themselves, so if the surface already looks like aperfect mirror, leave it alone. A lapped heat-sink is more effective as it willhave better surface contact with the chip.

Tighten the cooler using only the specified holding devices - if you dideverything right, they will fit. If they do not fit, check your setup - most likelysomething is wrong. After mounting the cooler, connect any power cablesfor the fan that is attached to the cooler.

As an aside to the instructions above, it has been my personal experiencethat fitting the CPU and heat sink is best done on a supportive surface (atelephone directory on a table in my case) prior to installation, to avoidexcessive flexing of the motherboard.

If you've got the CPU and its cooler installed, and the motherboard in thecase, youre over the hump, there just a few more easy pieces to go beforethat momentous first power-up.

[edit] Memory Slots
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RAM module in a socket

Next, you will need to install your RAM (random access memory). Find theRAM slots on your motherboard; they will look something like the picture on

your left. To install the RAM modules, first push on the levers (white plasticin the picture) on either side of the DIMM socket, so that they move to thesides. Do not force them, they should move fairly easily.

Put the RAM module in the socket. Line up the notch in the center of themodule with the small bump in the center of the RAM socket, making sureto insert it the right way. Push down on the module until both levers moveup into the notches on the sides of the module. There should be a small"snap" when the module is fully seated. Although this does require a fair bitof force, do not over do it or you may break the RAM module.
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Different types of RAM modules

Take a good look at your seated RAM, if one side seems to be higher thanthe other, odds are it is improperly seated - take it out and try again. As youhandle the RAM, try not to touch the copper stripes you can see along thebottom edge, as doing so is the best way to damage the part.

Start adding RAM at the slot labeled "Bank 0" or "DIMM 1". If you do nothave a stick in "Bank 0" or "DIMM 1" the system will think there is no RAMand will not boot.

On newer motherboards with 4 slots, you'll see alternating colours. Forexample, slot 1 is blue, slot 2 is black, slot 3 is blue, slot 4 is black.

If you were to put 1 gigabyte of RAM in your PC, it is best to use dual

channel 512MBx2 sticks. Put the first 512MB stick in slot 1, and put the2nd stick in slot 3 (the two slots that are blue) - leaving slot 2 empty. Thiswill give you better performance, vs. putting 1GB in slot 1, or two 512MBsticks in slot 1 and 2.

[edit] Power supply

Installing your power supply is pretty straightforward, if it came with yourcase it was pre-installed and if you took it out earlier to get the motherboardin, now is the time to put it back. Otherwise a few moments of screwdriver

work will get the job done. Generally there will be a bracket on the top ofthe case where the power supply is mounted and a few screws used to fix itin place. Some cases place the Power Supply differently, see thedocumentation that came with yours.

Some power supplies come with modular cables, so you can plug in onlythose youll be using, now is a good time to figure out what youll need andplug them in. Other power supplies have all the cables hardwired in, youllwant to separate out the ones youll need and neatly coil the remaindersomewhere out of the way.

If your power supply has a switch to select 115v or 220v make sure it is setproperly, this is important. Many newer power supplies can automaticallyselect and dont have such a switch.

Once you get the power supply installed you should plug the main power, a20 or 24 pin plug, into the motherboard. There may also be an additionalfour or eight pin power lead on the motherboard that needs to be plugged
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in, this is usually located near the processor socket. Make sure you checkthe motherboard documentation carefully for the location of the powersockets.

[edit] Video card

Insert the card into a matching slot on the motherboard.

If your motherboard has a built-in video adapter you want to use, skip thissection.

If you have an AGP video card: Install the video card into the AGP socket.This is always the top expansion slot near the back of the computer. AGPslots are often brown, but can also be strange colours such as fluorescentgreen. Check the motherboard for levers (or similar devices) that are part ofthe AGP slot to help hold the card in place. These must be retracted beforeinsertion of the card. Check the motherboard's manual for information onhow to use these devices (if your motherboard has one.) Push the card intothe socket (AGP slots are often pretty tight, do not be afraid to push it untilit is well inserted), then screw it in at the top of the metal bracket. If it has a

power connector, connect it to a 4-pin molex connector. If it has a passthrough, do not connect it to a hard drive.

If you have a PCI Express video card, install it the same way as an AGPvideo card, however the slot where it goes looks a little different having anextra spot on the slot as opposed to the 2 slot parts on an AGP slot. PCIExpress slots used for video cards are commonly 16x as opposed to AGP8x.
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When your card is properly installed the line formed by the top of the cardwill be exactly parallel to the motherboard, if one side seems to be higherthan the other, chances are that it is not fully inserted, press a little harderon the high side or pull it out and try again.

[edit] Installing drive jumpers

The drive jumpers are in the middle (between the connector for the cableand the power connector) but the location may vary.

If you are using SATA drives there is no need to adjust jumpers -- you canskip this section.

Before you install IDE/ATA (PATA) drives, you will need to set the drivesjumpers. Each IDE/ATA channel can handle two drives, a master and aslave. Consult your drive's instructions on how to set the jumpers. The

jumper configurations are usually either printed on the back, or on the topof the drive. Drives can be configured in 2 ways: Drive Select or CableSelect.
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A jumper

"Cable select": Use this if you have 80-pin cables. Cable selectautomatically assigns slave/master based on the plug on the IDEcable the drive is plugged into. Put the jumper on CS.

"Drive select": If you are using a 40 pin cable, you must use "driveselect". Master/slave status is determined by the jumper. In thismode, configure the drive on the end connector the master, and driveconnected to the middle connector the slave. If the IDE channel hasonly one drive, check your motherboard documentation for the

appropriate setting, which is usually master.

Note that Drive Select will always work, while Cable Select will only work ifyou have the proper cable.

[edit] Installing drives

Next install the hard drive and optical drives.

How a drive is physically installed will depend on the case.

A Serial ATA connector

Most new drives are SATA (Serial ATA) which use simple, small cables fora data connection. The ends of the cables are L shaped, just look carefullyat the cable ends and the connector on the drive and match them up. Only
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one drive can be connected to each SATA port on the motherboard. SomeSATA drives have two different power ports - make sure you connectONLY ONE of these ports to the power supply, connecting both candamage the drive.

Older drives have PATA (Parallel ATA) connections which use a flat ribbon(IDE) cable for data connection. When using an IDE cable, plug the twoconnectors that are closer together into the 2 drives, and the third to thecontroller or motherboard. The connector furthest from the board should beattached to the drive set as Master. Make sure the drive that you will installyour OS on is the primary master. This is the master drive on the PrimaryIDE bus which is usually the IDE 40 pin port on the motherboard labeledPrimary or IDE 1..

Floppy Disk Drive Cable

Note: IDE connectors are keyed, so it shouldbe impossible to insert them

backwards. However, it does not require very much force to do this and itcan destroy your motherboard. Look carefully at the drive and the cableconnection before you try to connect them. You should see a "missing" pinon the drive, and a corresponding blocked socket on the connector. If youbreak a pin on the drive, you will probably have a worthless drive.

Note: Most parallel IDE cables have a colored stripe down one side. Thatcolored stripe signifies "pin 1" - and usually will line up next to the molexpower connection on your drive. Use this rule of thumb if your connectorsare not keyed.

Next, plug a 4 pin molex power connector into each hard drive and opticaldrive. If you are installing the power connector to a SATA drive, somedrives have the option of using either the SATA power connector (a flatabout 1" wide connector) or the standard molex connector; use one or theother, not both. Connecting both can break your hard drive. For better datatransfer, you can purchase heat-protected high-end data cables at yournearest electronics store.
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If you install a floppy disk drive, the cable is very similar to the IDE cable,but with fewer wires, and a strange little twist in the middle. Floppy drivesdo not have master/slave configurations. The floppy disk connector is notusually keyed, making it all too easy to plug it in the wrong way! One wire inthe IDE cable will be colored differently: this is pin 1. There is usually some

indication on the floppy drive as to which side this is. The power plug for afloppy is 4 pins in a line, but rather smaller than the standard hard drivepower connector. Plug the end of the cable with the twist into the floppydrive ("drive A:"). Plug the other end of the floppy ribbon cable into themotherboard. If you install a second floppy drives, plug the middleconnector into "drive B:". The twist between drive A: (on the end) and driveB (in the middle) helps the computer distinguish between them.[1]

[edit] Other connections

Some cables are attached to pins on a board(e.g. motherboard or extension card)

In order to turn the computer on, you will need toconnect the power button and while you are at it,you might as well do the reset buttons and front

panel lights as well.

There will be a set of pins, usually near the front edge of the motherboardto which you will attach the cables sometimes already connected to the thefront of the case, or if needed supplied with the motherboard. Most of thetime the plugs will be labeled as the pins they will connect to in themotherboard, there they can be difficult to read since the print is very smallor you may not be in the right orientation to do so. The documentation thatcame with your case and motherboard should tell where these connectorsare.

Note:The front panel LEDs are polarized: usually the positive wire is a colorwhile the negative wire is white or black, this may be important if youhave to do alterations or do not have the proper cables.
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In addition, you can connect any case-specific ports if they are supportedby the motherboard. Many cases have front mounted USB, Firewire and/orsound ports.

Other connections of this type to remember can be power for the CPU fans,various temperature sensors and Wake-on-LAN cables (if the feature issupported) from the network card to the motherboard.

[edit] Prepare for power up

Some people will put power to a system several times during assembly andfor experienced builders this may serve some purpose. For first timersthough, its best to assemble a minimal complete system before powering

up. Minimal because that way there are comparatively few potentialsources of trouble, complete so that you can test everything at once andbecause the fewer times you have to put power to an open machine, thebetter..

If youve been working along with us you should now have such a minimalsystem put together. Briefly this includes a case with a motherboard in it, aprocessor (and its cooling unit) and some RAM plugged into themotherboard, hard and floppy drives installed, and some kind of videoavailable. If your motherboard has built-in video, you might want to use that

for this first try, even if you are going to install a video card later.

For this test, youll want to have the computer open, so that you can see allof the fans, and youll need to connect a monitor and a keyboard and amouse (OK, you dont really need the mouse . . .)
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Comparison of VGA and DVI

Monitors will either have a VGA or a newer DVI plug (see picture, as theyare a lot less apparent than PS/2 / USB by comparison). Most monitors useVGA connectors, and so most graphics cards have VGA output. If you haveone type of plug and the graphics card has another, you can easily buy anadapter. Some cards even come with one.

There are two standard connectors for mice and keyboards; PS/2connectors and the more modern USB connectors. Plug the mouse andkeyboard in the appropriate slot.

Note: If you intend to install an operating system from a boot CD or floppy,or modify BIOS settings you will need to use either a PS/2 keyboard, aUSB to PS/2 converter, or a motherboard that supports USB devices.Otherwise your keyboard will not work until the operating system hasloaded USB drivers.

Once you have this all set up, its time to double check, then triple checkthat you have made all the necessary connections and that you havent leftany foreign objects (wheres that screwdriver?) in the case.

[edit] Power up

The moment of truth now approaches, time to take a deep breath, exhaleslowly, then take a moment to check one more time that everything is as itshould be. Make sure you've removed your wrist strap, turn on the monitor,then press the power button, and observe the inside of the open machine.(Do not touch any part of the inside of the machine while it is powered up
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you will NOT die but your computer might.) The first thing to look for is thatthe CPU cooler fan spins up, if it does not, cut the power immediately. Thisfan should start up right away; something is wrong if it doesnt and yourCPU is in danger of overheating so stop now and troubleshoot.

NOTE: If you have a Gigabyte brand motherboard, the CPU fan may twitchand stop turning. Wait 10-15 seconds and it should start. If it does not,there is a problem and you should immediately cut power as stated above.Other fans such as case fans should turn on and spin.

If the CPU fan spins up, check that all the other fans that should bespinning case fans and fans on the power supply and video card (ifinstalled) are also spinning. Some of these fans may not spin up until atemperature threshold is passed, check your documentation if anything isnot spinning.

If the fans spin, you can turn your attention to the monitor, what you arehoping to see is the motherboards splash-screen, usually featuring themanufacturers logo. If you see this, take a moment to bask in the glow,youve built a computer!

If this happy event does not occur, if smoke appears, or if the computerdoes not do anything, unplug the power cord immediately and check thesteps above to make sure you have not missed anything. Give specialattention to the cables and power connections. If the computer does appear

to come on, but, you hear beeps, listen carefully to the beeps, turn thecomputer off, and refer to your motherboard's manual for the meaning ofthe beeps. Some boards have an optional diagnostic device, usually acollection of LEDs, which when properly plugged in will inform you of thenature of the problem. Instructions for installing this as well as the meaningof its display should be in the manual for the motherboard. If the computerturns on but the only thing that comes on is your power supply, turn it off.This probably means something is shorted, and leaving it on could damagethe parts.

If all is well it is time to turn the computer off, and close it up. Then you maywant to turn it on again and set certain options in the Computer's BIOS(usually by pressing 'F1' or 'Del' a few seconds after boot.) These optionswill be explained in the motherboard manual. In general, the default optionsare OK, but you may wish to set the computer's hardware clock to thecorrect time and date. The BIOS is also where you determine the defaultboot order of the system, typically Floppy, then CD-ROM, then Hard Disc.


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If you want a further quick test, before you install an operating system, youmay find a bootable CD-ROM such as Knoppix extremely useful.

[edit] Additional hardware and peripherals

Now that you have a working system its time to think about installing anoperating system, which is covered in the next section. Its best to leave theinstallation of additional components (like sound-cards, modems, andsecond video cards) and peripherals (printers, joysticks, nerf missilelaunchers et. al.) until after the OS install in order to allow the plug n playfeatures of the OS to do their trick.

Building Your Own PC, Part 2: Assembly Step by Step

Table of contents

1 Guidelines For Building Your Own PC

2 Opening The Empty Case

3 Fitting The Motherboard

4 Installing The CPU And Cooler

5 Don't Forget To Use Thermal Paste Or A Thermal Pad

6 Mounting The Cooler

7 Fan Power Connection

8 Installing The RAM

9 Graphics, Sound And Network

10 Installing The Hard Disk And Floppy

11 Installing The CD-ROM Drive

12 Connecting The Ribbon Cables

13 Drive Power Connectors

14 Front Panel Connections
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In Part 1 of this series, we covered the fundamentals of thecomponents used in today's PCs, discussed some of the important

aspects of hardware configuration, and provided some shopping tips.Now, in Part 2, we will delve deeper, using a full tower case to explainhow to assemble a standard PC.

An Overview Of Steps Involved

First, let's take a look at the various steps to putting together a PC.
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Opening the empty case; Preparing to fit the components; Fitting the motherboard; Fitting the RAM, processor, and cooler; Installing the graphics card and sound card;

Fitting the hard disk and floppy drive; Installing the floppy and CD-ROM drives; Connecting the ribbon cables; Powering the drives and motherboard; Connecting the cables for the case front panel; Final check.

The above list is intended to be used as a general guide. In practice,you can vary the actual order of assembly to some degree. We use atower case in our demonstration because it makes for clearer

illustrations. The same assembly principles apply for midi and minicases.

The case we use has a slide-out tray for the motherboard and theexpansion cards. There are a variety of case designs on the market,and we've discussed this in depth in an earlier article, entitled How ToSelect The Right Case . Take time to familiarize yourself with thecase before installing any components in order to avoid having toremove some of them later!

How To Assemble And Build A PC

Got hold of your favorite components but pondering over how toassemble/install them to get your monster rig up? Do not worry, this guide

will help you begin from scratch and give step by step instructions so thatyou can get your new PC up and running in a short amount of time. Sohere we go!

Things to get in place before starting:

Anti-static wrist strap Set of screwdrivers and pliers
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Piece of cloth

CPU Thermal compound (recommended)

How To Assemble And Build A PC

Got hold of your favorite components but pondering over how toassemble/install them to get your monster rig up? Do not worry, this guidewill help you begin from scratch and give step by step instructions so thatyou can get your new PC up and running in a short amount of time. Sohere we go!

Things to get in place before starting:

Anti-static wrist strap Set of screwdrivers and pliers Piece of cloth CPU Thermal compound (recommended) PC components
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PC components

Tip: CPU Thermal compound is not a necessity but it is recommended tokeep your CPU cool under load conditions by helping heat dissipate faster.It is a must if you intend to overclock your PC.

Note: You can find the meaning of an abbreviation at the end of this articleunder the heading Jargon Buster.


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Step 1: Installing themotherboard

Make sure you have all thecomponents in place and a nice,clean and big enough place towork with.

Put your antic-static wrist strap onto prevent your components fromgetting affected. Make sure yourhands are clean before starting.First we will be installing the motherboard which is a piece of cake to install.

Open the side doors of the cabinet

Lay the cabinet on its side Put the motherboard in place Drive in all the required screws

Tip: Most motherboards come with an antistatic bag. It is advisable to putthe motherboard on it for some time and then remove it from the antistaticbag before placing it in the cabinet.

Step 2: Installing the CPU

CPU is the heart of a computer so make sure you handle it properly and donot drop it or mishandle it. Also try not to touch the pins frequently so thatthey do not get dirty. Get hold of your motherboard and CPU manual. Youneed to place the CPU on the dotted white patch of the motherboard in aparticular fashion for it to fit properly. There is a golden mark on the CPU tohelp you assist. Consult both your motherboard and CPU manual to seewhich position it fits exactly or you could also use try all the 4 positions.

Lift the CPU lever on themotherboard

Place the CPU properly on themotherboard

Pull down the lever to secure theCPU in place

Warning: Do not try to push the CPUinto the motherboard!


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Got the thermal compound? Now is the time to use it. Take small amount ofit and carefully apply it on the top surface of the processor. Be careful notto put it on the neighboring parts of the motherboard. If you do so clean itimmediately using the cloth.

Tip: Thermal compounds should be changed once every six months foroptimal performance.

Step 3: Installing the heat sink

After installing the processor weproceed to installing the heat sink.There are different kinds of heatsinks that are bundled with theprocessor and each has a different

way of installation. Look into yourCPU manual for instructions on howto install it properly.

Place the heat sink on theprocessor

Put the jacks in place Secure the heat sink with the lever

After this you will need to connect the cable of the heat sink on the

motherboard. Again look into the motherboard manual on where to connectit and then connect it to the right port to get your heat sink in operationalmode.

Step 4: Installing the RAM

Installing the RAM is also an easy job. The newer RAMs ie. DDR RAMs areeasy to install as you dont have to worry about placing which side whereinto the slot. The older ones, SDRAMs are plagued by this problem.


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If you want to use dual channel configuration then consult your manual onwhich slots to use to achieve that result.

Push down the RAM into the slot Make sure the both the clips hold the RAM properly

Step 5: Installing the power supply

We will now install the power supply as the components we install after thiswill require power cables to be connected to them. There is not much to bedone to install a PSU.

Place the PSU into the cabinet Put the screws in place tightly

Tip: Some PSU have extra accessories that come bundled with it. Consultyour PSU manual to see how to install them.

Step 6: Installing the video card


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First you will need to find out whether your video card is AGP or PCI-E.AGP graphics cards have become redundant and are being phased out ofthe market quickly. So if you bought a spanking new card it will certainly bea PCI-E.

Remove the back plate on the cabinet corresponding to the graphicscard

Push the card into the slot Secure the card with a screw Plug in the power connection from PSU (if required)

High-end graphics cards need dedicated power supply and if your graphicscard needs one then connect the appropriate wire from PSU into thegraphics card.

Step 7: Installing the hard disk

Hard disk is another fragile component of the computer and needs tohandled carefully.

Place the hard drive into the bay Secure the drive with screws Connect the power cable from PSU Connect the data cable from motherboard into the drive

If your hard drive is a SATA one then connect one end of SATA cable intothe motherboard and other into the SATA port on the hard disk. If your harddisk is PATA type then use the IDE cable instead of the SATA cable.

Tip: If your PSU does not support SATA power supply then you will need toget an converter which will convert your standard IDE power connector to aSATA power connector.


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Step 8: Installing optical drive

The installation an optical drive is exactly similar to an hard drive.

Place the optical drive into the bay Drive in the screws Connect the power cable and data cable

Tip: When installing multiple optical drives take care of jumper settings.Make sure you make one as primary and other slave by using the jumper.This is not applicable if the drives are SATA drives.

Step 9: Connecting various cables

First we will finish setting up internal components and then get on to theexternal ones. You will need to consult your motherboard manual forfinding the appropriate port for connecting various cables at the right placeson the motherboard.

Connect the large ATX power connector to the power supply port onyour motherboard


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Next get hold of the smaller square power connector which suppliespower to the processor and connect it to the appropriate port bytaking help from your motherboard manual

Connect the cabinet cables for power,reset button in the appropriateport of the motherboard

Connect the front USB/audio panel cable in the motherboard Plug the cable of cabinet fans

You are done with installing the internal components of the PC. Close theside doors of the cabinet and get it upright and place it on your computertable. Get the rest of the PC components like monitor, keyboard, mouse,speakers etc. which we will connect now.

Connect the VGAcable of the monitor

into the VGA port If mouse/keyboard

are PS/2 thenconnect them toPS/2 ports or elseuse the USB port

Connect thespeaker cable in theaudio port

Plug in the power cable from PSU into the UPS Also plug in the power cable of the monitor

You are now done with setting up your PC. Power on and see your rig bootto glory.

Step 10: Installing the OS and drivers

We are done with the hardware part. Now get your favorite OS disks readyand the CD that came with your motherboard.

Set the first boot device to CD/DVD drive in BIOS Pop in the OS disk Reboot the PC Install the OS Install drivers from motherboard CD (applicable only to Windows OS)


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Voila! You have your PC up and running. Enjoy your journey with your selfassembled rig!

Jargon Buster

CPU Central Processing Unit RAM Random Memory Access DDR -Double Data Rate SDRAM Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory PSU -Power Supply Unit AGP Accelerated Graphics Port PCI-E Peripheral Component Interconnect- Express SATA Serial Advanced Technology Attachment PATA -Parallel Advanced Technology Attachment IDE Integrated Drive Electronics

ATX Advanced Technology Extended USB Universal System Bus VGA Video Graphics Array PS/2 Personal System/2 OS Operating System

Documents

Steps to Assemble a System