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Table of contents
In Part 1 of this series, we covered the fundamentals of the components used in today's pc 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 explain how 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.
- 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 a tower case in our demonstration because it makes for clearer illustrations. The same assembly principles apply for midi and mini cases.
The case we use has a slide-out tray for the motherboard and the expansion cards. There are a variety of case designs on the market. Take time to familiarize yourself with the case before installing any components in order to avoid having to remove some of them later!
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Opening The Empty Case
Empty case with motherboard tray withdrawn.
Our tower case is built to ATX specification and includes a 300-watt power supply. Two side panels can be individually removed after undoing the screws. Some other cases have a one-piece outer cover in the shape of an upside down 'U.' No matter how the case is constructed, you can normally gain access to the interior of the PC-to-be from both sides.
The price of a case is a good indicator of its modularity and build quality. Cheaper cases often force you to assemble the pc in a specific order, are made of softer and/ or thinner metal, and may contain sharp edges. Expensive cases provide clever design features, a more solid construction, better finish, and are often fitted with more capable power supplies.
When you have opened the case by removing the side panels, you will see what accessories the case manufacture has supplied. A power cord and screws should always be included, and you will also often find a set of case feet.
Preparing To Fit The Components
Overview of all components (from left to right and top to bottom): network adapter card; floppy disk drive; CD-ROM drive; sound card; hard disk; ribbon cable; graphics card; RAM; CPU cooler; and, motherboard.
Let's take another look at the photo. The inclusion of a component from a particular manufacturer does not imply a recommendation on our part. We use them to illustrate the installation procedure of similar components. The choice of components is entirely up to you. You can always find reviews of the latest products on the Tom's Hardware site, together with articles on the latest developments and product recommendations.
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Fitting The Motherboard
Empty tray with six motherboard spacers.
Our case has a slide-out tray, which provides a very elegant way to install the motherboard and all of its components. Cheaper cases will have a mounting plate fixed permanently to the case. If you have this type, you should first lay the case on its side.
Next, screw in the spacer mounts for fixing the motherboard. The photo shows six spacers already fitted to the mounting plate. There are usually more holes drilled in the mounting plate than you actually need. There are standard locations for these holes on the mounting plate, which correspond to the holes on the motherboard. How many of these are actually used depends on the board manufacturer. Cases are normally designed to accept any motherboard. Compare the available holes with the ones on your motherboard to determine where to fit the threaded spacers.
Spaced well away from the metal - the motherboard on the mounting plate.
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Installing The CPU And Cooler
Lift the lever on the CPU socket.
When the processor is in its socket, push the lever back down.
First, insert the CPU in its socket. To do this, raise the small lever at the side of the socket. If you examine the CPU from underneath, you will notice that there is a pin missing at one corner. Match this corner with the corner on the socket where there is a hole missing. The processor is keyed in this way to make sure it is inserted correctly. Please bear in mind that you should not force the CPU when inserting it! All pins should slide smoothly into the socket. If you are sure that you have positioned the CPU correctly (using the missing pin as reference), yet are unable to insert the CPU, it is likely that one of its pins is bent. If this has happened, straighten the pin using tweezers or a screwdriver. Once you have installed the processor, lock the lever back down.
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Don't Forget To Use Thermal Paste Or A Thermal Pad
Applying thermal paste to the processor.
You must apply thermal paste or a thermal pad to the top of the CPU. This will help to transfer heat from the processor to the cooler. Failure to apply a thermally conductive medium to the processor can cause it to fail! Unless you use thermal paste, any slight misalignment of the contact surface of the cooler, or even the presence of tiny specks of dust, will prevent heat from being efficiently transferred away from the processor. Thermal paste also fills the microscopic valleys in the contact surface of the CPU (known as the die). Some cooler manufacturers supply thermal paste with their products. If yours did not, it is available from most good computer or electronics stores and costs around two to three dollars.
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Mounting The Cooler
A cooler made of copper is recommended, since this material is a very efficient heat conductor. You should know your processor's socket type when buying a cooler. You have a choice of two types of cooler - one suitable for both Socket A/462 and Socket 370, or one just for Socket 423 (Pentium 4).
Make sure that the cooler is in the correct position. Here is the cooler about to be connected with the socket.
Clips fix the cooler to the socket. This applies to Socket A/462 (AMD) and Socket 370 (Pentium III and C3).
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Installing The RAM
Installing The RAM
The RAM must be suitable for the motherboard. There are currently three types of RAM available: SDRAM, DDR SDRAM and RDRAM. The motherboard's chipset determines which type of RAM may be used. You will find the specification on the motherboard's box or in the motherboard manual.
Installing RAM. A notch at the bottom of the memory module ensures that the RAM is fitted correctly. The notch is located in different places on SDRAM, DDR SDRAM and RDRAM.
DIMM memory modules have a notch underneath that lines up with a key on the memory slots. Although it is not possible to insert the modules the wrong way, you should line up the RAM with its slot before installing it. Then, carefully press the module into the slot. Caution is recommended, as too much pressure may damage certain tracks on the motherboard. It is best to push one side down first, and then the other. The notch will snap into its key as soon as one side is seated correctly. To make sure it is seated correctly, you can always take the memory module out again. Releasing the clips will pop the module out of its socket. Then, you can just lift it out.
Passed the first hurdle. Motherboard with processor, cooler and memory.
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Graphics, Sound And Network
Graphics, Sound And Network
In place - sound card (left) and graphics card (center) in white PCI slots. There is room for a network card, if required.
Nowadays, graphics cards are usually fitted in the AGP slots provided specifically for this purpose. These are brown in color, in contrast to the PCI slots, and are generally located in the center of the motherboard. PCI graphics cards are rarely used. Now, select a PCI slot for each of your other plug-in cards, including the sound card. Before fitting an expansion card, remove the appropriate slot insert from the back panel of the case (or of the motherboard tray). As a rule, you need to undo a screw to do this, although sometimes convenient plastic clips are used. The insert may also form part of the back panel.
Choosing a location for a PCI card will not usually be a problem on a simple system. In our experience, however, selecting an appropriate PCI slot can sometimes be problematic with some brands of motherboard. For example, IRQs can be reserved twice or even three times over. Resource conflicts can make it difficult for the operating system and motherboard to work together properly. This can often be solved by moving the offending PCI card to another slot or by manually reassigning IRQs. The other reason is more practical. If you see a large heat sink on a plug-in card, perhaps even with a fan on top, the chip underneath will be producing a lot of heat that has to be removed. There is only one reason we did not fit the sound card next to the graphics card: we wanted to keep some space between the cards in order to prevent heat buildup.
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