dbarrow
12-12-2006, 05:35 PM
jcampi asks:
"The main thing that concerns me is installing the mobo and seating the cpu. This actually makes me nervous."
What say you all?
I kind of prefer mounting the CPU and heatsink/fan on the mobo before mounting the mobo in the case.
As this can sometimes be a difficult task, it becomes all the more difficult when having to do it in the case with shadows and stuff in the way.
Out of the case, you can lay the mobo on the foam pad that comes in the box and have plenty of light to see what you are doing. It's much easier to tell if everything is flat and properly mated whereas, in the case, you can't tell if it's cocked or not.
As for those foam thermal pads.... I would rather invest in Arctic Silver and do it right from the start.
Prior to doing this, position the mounting studs for the mobo and cinch them down. If you don't tighten them securely in the case, trying to remove screws often unscrews the stud instead should you have to remove the mobo. Make sure all studs correctly match up to the mounting holes in the mobo and all are present.
The next most difficult thing I always find is getting the stuff on the back panel of the mobo to line up with the face plate and those SHARP little spring tabs that often have to be lifted into correct position with a screwdriver tip.
Not to mention, if the mobo comes with a face plate, you have to remove the one in the case and replace with that one so the external connectors line up. Pushing the mobo into the faceplate to get the studs to line up with the holes is always a challenge.
If the wires from the case are long enough, connecting the power switches and LED leads to the mobo before placing it in the case is easier. Seeing those tiny pins once the mobo is resting in the bottom of the case isn't easy without a bright light and magnifying lens. It's so easy to miscount by one pin...
It may also be helpful to connect the SATA and/or IDE cables to the mobo just before sliding it in as they can sometimes be annoying as well.
In winter, with low humidity, a wrist strap is required!
Ground your wrist strap to the case and ground the case to the ground on an extension cord plugged into the nearest wall outlet. Once you remove any parts from their anti-static bag, they are vulnerable. This is not the time to be wearing a wool sweater!
Worries aside, slapping the parts together is a half hour job at most! Making them work... that's another story!
"The main thing that concerns me is installing the mobo and seating the cpu. This actually makes me nervous."
What say you all?
I kind of prefer mounting the CPU and heatsink/fan on the mobo before mounting the mobo in the case.
As this can sometimes be a difficult task, it becomes all the more difficult when having to do it in the case with shadows and stuff in the way.
Out of the case, you can lay the mobo on the foam pad that comes in the box and have plenty of light to see what you are doing. It's much easier to tell if everything is flat and properly mated whereas, in the case, you can't tell if it's cocked or not.
As for those foam thermal pads.... I would rather invest in Arctic Silver and do it right from the start.
Prior to doing this, position the mounting studs for the mobo and cinch them down. If you don't tighten them securely in the case, trying to remove screws often unscrews the stud instead should you have to remove the mobo. Make sure all studs correctly match up to the mounting holes in the mobo and all are present.
The next most difficult thing I always find is getting the stuff on the back panel of the mobo to line up with the face plate and those SHARP little spring tabs that often have to be lifted into correct position with a screwdriver tip.
Not to mention, if the mobo comes with a face plate, you have to remove the one in the case and replace with that one so the external connectors line up. Pushing the mobo into the faceplate to get the studs to line up with the holes is always a challenge.
If the wires from the case are long enough, connecting the power switches and LED leads to the mobo before placing it in the case is easier. Seeing those tiny pins once the mobo is resting in the bottom of the case isn't easy without a bright light and magnifying lens. It's so easy to miscount by one pin...
It may also be helpful to connect the SATA and/or IDE cables to the mobo just before sliding it in as they can sometimes be annoying as well.
In winter, with low humidity, a wrist strap is required!
Ground your wrist strap to the case and ground the case to the ground on an extension cord plugged into the nearest wall outlet. Once you remove any parts from their anti-static bag, they are vulnerable. This is not the time to be wearing a wool sweater!
Worries aside, slapping the parts together is a half hour job at most! Making them work... that's another story!