PC Assembly simplified
A quick guide to building your own PC from components by Barak Shelef
Contents
Introduction
Building your first PC from parts can be a frustrating experience. Things don't
fit properly, you're afraid you'll break your motherboard or knock pins off your
expensive CPU. Have no fear though, because here's the simple, easy way to building
a PC.
Workspace
So you've done the research, you found the bargains, the mailman drops off all
your components box by box. What now? First and foremost you need a well lit, ventilated,
equipped workspace. I'd suggest a room with a few windows with some sunlight a lamp
and a flashlight can help a lot. Make sure the room is ventilated since you might
be here for a few hours and you don't want to start sweating over your brand new
graphics card.
When I say equipment there's not much to it, but there are a few thing that will
make your life a little easier:
- An electrically insulating rubber pad (nothing too large) to place sensitive electronics on. you can also use the anti-static packaging you got with your electronics.
- An electrical grounding wrist-band. if you don't have one, be sure to ground yourself before touching ANY electronic circuit!
- A set of large Flat-head and Phillips screwdriver and a small computers' screwdriver
- A Flashlight
- Small wire-mounting strips
- Some strong tweezers can be useful in some cases
- Some small boxes to store loose bolts and small hardware. don't under estimate this!
- A file folder to store all invoices and manuals. a good habit incase something goes horribly wrong and you want a refund
- A wall jack near by to connect your computer to
Agenda
Now that you have all your components and you workspace ready you need to plan
your build. Each build differs than the next because of variables such as case size,
motherboard type, cooling solution and so on. As long as you are not building a
compact micro-ATX system the best method is as follows: Install CPU, install RAM,
install PSU in Case, install motherboard, install storage and connect the lot. This
is a useful method when you don't have too much space in your case and there aren't
any special features such as a bottom-mounted PSU. It allows you to install most
of the motherboard components while it's outside of the crammed case.
Note: some cases have a motherboard rail which can be removed to install
the motherboard on. This is a great feature and you should look out for that.
The build I'm going to demonstrate is slightly different due to special circumstances
(and the fact that I had built it in 3 sessions due to lack of time).
The Actual Build
These are the components I'm going to use for this build:
| Name | Component |
|---|---|
| Case | Antec 300 mini-tower |
| Motherboard | ASUS P6T Deluxe |
| PSU | Corsair VX550W |
| Main HDD | Western Digital WD2500AAKS |
| Data HDD | Western Digital WD6400AAKS |
| Optical | LG DVD-RW Drive |
| RAM | G.Skill 3 X 1GB DDR3-1066 |
| Graphics | BFG Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTX+ |
| CPU | Intel Core i7 920 |
| OS | Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium |
Preparing the base
Since the Antec 300 case mounts the PSU on the bottom, this meant I needed to
get the motherboard in before the PSU. However since I still haven't received either
the RAM or Graphics at the time I went ahead and installed it.
Before placing your motherboard onto the motherboard plate inside the case you
need to prepare the case:
Switch the back I/O shield with the one that came with your motherboard. (the
IO shield is basically a small piece of aluminum with holes punched into it to allow
protrusions from the motherboard such as audio jacks and HIDs ports.) Sometimes
there are still some pieces of aluminum covering part of the holes, be sure to take
those out!
Install the hardware mounts that came with your case. (hardware mounts are small
brass spacers that are screwed onto the case's motherboard plate.) Make sure you
install mounts where you motherboards has mounting holes - to find those just align
your motherboard with the plate and see where screws are supposed to go. Around
9 for a standard ATX motherboard. You MUST use those hardware mounts! Don't
attempt to install the motherboard straight onto the plate!
Once you've aligned the motherboard over the mounting points, insert the screws
one at a time - screwing each one just one or two turns in. This way you can be
sure you've gotten all your screws in before you go around once again on all of
them and tighten them fully. Not too tight though! You don't want to break your
mounting points. When screwing the motherboard in, make sure the IO ports align
properly with the IO shield you've installed earlier.
the back IO ports fit perfectly into the cover plate
Getting Wired Up
The next step is to install the PSU and storage and connecting the wires. In
most cases the PSU goes at the top of the case at the rear. However, in this case
the PSU is installed on the bottom. When installed your PSU you should always make
sure that the PSU's fan isn't facing an aluminum case wall. That's why in my case
it's installed up side down. Place the PSU in place and mount it using the bolts
you got with your PSU, attach it firmly to the back of the case. (again you
should use the all bolts in before tightening method!)
Corsair PSU fitted up side down to accommodate fan
Now we can go on and connect the main motherboard connectors to the motherboard
as well as any fans that might come with the case to the power supply. When working
with the PSU connectors, make sure that you've got them properly aligned before
plugging them in, since they do require quite a bit of force sometimes. At this
stage I also connected the front IO of the case to the motherboard. The front IO
are the Shutdown and Restart buttons, Power On and HDD LEDs and any Audio/USB jacks
that might be part of the Case. These ports have wires that come from the front
and are color coded, you can find which is which using your case's manual. In order
to properly connect them find your motherboard's layout map (this can be found in
the first few pages of your motherboard's manual) - and connect each connector to
it's designated pins on the motherboard.
on the right we see the front IO connectors (LEDs and Buttons) and the blue port will be used for the front USB ports
Now I installed the two SATA Hard Disk Drives and the SATA Optical Drive. In
most cases you're better off placing the HDDs before installing the motherboard
since they slide into rails from the inside of the case. However, in my case the
HDDs slide in from the front (this again is a great feature which you should
look out for when buying a case). The HDDs fit in the bottom, more slim compartments
while the Optical drives fit in the top more wide rails. In both cases you'll need
to stand your case up and fit the storage devices using 2 bolts from each side.
make sure they are tight so there won't be any rattling noise later on. Also, install
them as far apart as possible to prevent overheating.
Most new motherboards and storage devises use Serial Advanced Technology Attachment
(SATA) versus the older Parallel ATA version (which uses IDE interface). The SATA
ports on the motherboard are about 20mm long (can be seen in the top of the previous
picture) and are connected to the storage device using SATA cables which usually
come with your motherboard. Make sure you use the actual SATA ports and not
SAS ports which look the same! After connecting the SATA cables, connect the
power cables from your PSU. these look similar to the SATA cables, only they are
about twice as long.
the SATA cables are colored bright red connected to one HDD on the bottom, and the optical drive near the top
The Really Sensitive Bit
After you've physically toiled in getting all those bolts and hardware in place
now comes the delicate process of placing your RAM, CPU and Graphics Card. This
can get pretty frustrating on your first build, especially if you're working in
a crammed case. So remember if possible - install RAM and CPU outside the case!
First off I'll do the RAM. Random Access Memory or RAM is basically the workspace
for the CPU, and thus it is an extremely important part which you don't
want to mess up by doing something stupid! before even taking your RAM
out of it's packaging, make sure you're properly grounded - one small stroke of
static electricity could fry that ram stick instantly. Next read your motherboard's
manual for your memory bank configuration - most new computers have 2, 4 or 6 banks
of dual channel memory. Older PCs have Single Channel banks and high-end systems
use Triple Channel banks - either way read on how your motherboard manufacturer
suggests to install the RAM. This is important in order to get the best performance
out of your memory.
In my case I have a two sets of triple channel banks. you can see them
in the previous picture: Orange slots are channel one and black ones are channel
two - each hosting 3 modules of RAM. Push the white tabs outwards and grab your
RAM module (one at a time) by the tips and place it aligned with the bank. Note
that RAM modules are NOT bi-directional! Look for the small clearance on the bottom
and align it correctly with the bump in the memory bank! triple check that before
pressing in the module... Once It's all aligned you can go ahead and press
in the stick - this could require some bit of force until the module is fully inside
and the tabs are retracted back to hold the module in place.
these are the three modules mounted into the first channel's orange slots
The next stage is installing the Graphics Card. Note that not all systems require
a graphic card - most standard computers have a graphics output straight out of
the motherboard and with modern CPUs they offer decent performance. However if you're
motherboard doesn't have a graphics output or you're looking for better performance
for gaming or heavy rendering, you'll encounter this step.
The first stage before installing your graphics card is to clear the IO covers
from the back. Most modern graphics cards use the PCI-Express interface. If you
designed your system correctly, these can be found just below your CPU socket. once
you locate it, remove the steel cover on the back part of the case that's in front
of the port, so your video connects can stick out.
Graphics cards range in size from small and compact about the size of your palm,
to huge double wide cards that are even 10 inches long. You should always make
sure when buying a case that it is deep enough for your card to fit into! Again
carefully take your card out of it's packaging and align it with the PCI-E port.
Press it in and make sure that the front plate of the card is properly aligned with
the back of your case. (obviously, PCI-E ports and graphics cards are not bi-directional
- so don't even try). Once you've pressed the card in, it should lock itself in
place with the tab at the back of the PCI-E port - now you need to screw in the
front plate of the card to the back of the case.
the two DVI display ports accessible through the open back plate of the case
Note: some cards also use auxiliary power supply inputs from the PSU. These
have connectors on them that connect to the PSU's 6-pin or 4-pin Auxiliary power
ports. Some even have more than one. Make sure to check what your graphics card
requires before purchasing a PSU to suite it.
The CPU
The CPU has two stages of installation. First we place the CPU into the
socket on the motherboard, then we place the heatsink and cooling fan. These are
two very important stages that could cost you a few hundred bucks if you do them
incorrectly, so you should double check everything!
Each CPU has a socket type. The most common one for Intel processors is LGA775
which has, incidentally, 775 pins - though it can differ in your PC build as it
is in mine. The first stage is to remove the socket cover on your motherboard's
socket (you can scroll back to the back IO ports picture and see it with the yellow
sticker). To do this you'll need to open your socket contraption: generally all
this requires is pushing against a small lever and releasing it out, however this
may differ and you should consult your motherboard and CPU manuals on how exactly
it works in your socket. Once removed, take out your CPU and remove it's protective
covering, make sure it's all of. Take the CPU and align it with the socket - there's
only one way to fit it, even if the socket is perfectly square! find the small triangle
on one of your CPU's edges and align it with the triangle marked on the socket,
it should drop right in without a problem. Now close the contraption, this might
require some force but be careful and make sure you're not harming your CPU!
the CPU in place close by the contraption
And for the 2nd part of the CPU installation, you'll need to attach the CPU heatsink
and fan. These are usually multi-directional, so they don't need to be aligned with
anything, however beforehand you should look for the CPU fan power supply
pins on the motherboard (refer to the motherboard design map) and align the fan
so that the wire sticking out of it can connect later on, with ease. Also you should
read about the thermal conductivity material that is used in your cooling unit.
(Usually this is a small square of glue that is already stuck to the bottom of your
heatsink, covered by a piece of plastic)
Now take out the cooling unit out of it's packaging and remove the small plastic
cover off the thermal glue on the bottom (or in case there isn't, apply a drop of
thermal glue onto the CPU's metal cover as near center as you can). Now align the
unit's mounts with the holes in the motherboard and press them firmly down until
they lock in place. (you should refer to your CPU's manual if you have a special
mounting system). Once it's in place you can connect the fan connector from the
cooling unit to the CPU fan pins you located earlier.
Nearly finished!
the next stage is to do a quick check of all the hardware: connect the power
supply to the wall socket and fire the machine up with the case open. You'll need
to check that all the fans start spinning, all the LEDs are lit and that it doesn't
do any POST beeps (beeps that occur during boot, indicating a problem). In case
a fan isn't moving check the connection, incase the power/reset/LEDs don't work,
check the front IO connections and in case of a POST beep check all connections
(RAM, Graphics Card, storage and all the cables). If POST beeps continue refer
to your motherboard manual for what the beeps stand for and fix as required.
all the LEDs lighting up on the first power on
Once that is done, connect the human interface devices to the computer along
with a monitor and start off the machine. When the boot sequence starts quickly
press DELETE a few times to enter the BIOS settings (the standard button is
DELETE, but if it doesn't work check your motherboard's manual and read what's written
on the screen during boot). If all goes properly you should see a DOS-like
screen with some data in it. Go through the tabs to see if: All the memory is recognized,
all the storage devices are recognized and set the clock to the current time and
date. If the BIOS recognized everything, go to the boot sequence settings and make
sure that the sequence starts with your optical drive, then your main OS Hard Drive
(in case you have more than one). This way you'll be able to install your OS using
the CD/DVD drive. Exit and save.
Note: you can browse around the BIOS settings for different options that
you may or may not need to speed up your computer. Things such as "silent boot"
or "quick boot" are recommended! In case you do something horribly wrong and you
can't even start the computer, refer to your motherboard's manual on how to "reset
BIOS to factory settings".
Windows Vista's installation start
Once you've got all the hardware in place and the boot sequence finished you
can connect all the other I/Os to your computer such as network 8P8C connectors,
sound jacks and so on... Place your Operation System (OS) CD/DVD in the tray and
start your computer. OS setup should start automatically and all you need to do
now is follow the instructions on your screen! It's that easy!
Once the OS is operational start installing the drivers that came with your hardware.
The motherboard's controllers, the graphic card programs, they should all be on
CDs that came with your hardware.
What if?
The last part of this guide will discuss all the cases you should consider that
might happen when building your computer, and a lot of things can go wrong.
(and if this is your first build - some of it will go wrong for
sure).
The simple things to detect are usually things that the BIOS POST beeps tell
you about. The beeps come in sequences such as short-short-long and indicate different
problems. If you can find the problem using the POST beeps you can either double
check the installation or swap the hardware to check if it's the problem.
Another common problem is when installing older operation systems such as XP.
If your hard drive have more than 137 GBs in them, XP without sp1 will limit them
to 137 GBs. In order to fix that you'll need to make sure you have SP1 at least
installed before installing the hard drive. Western Digital has a program that allows
you to install your hard drive on older systems like that, to fix that problem.
Yet another common storage related problem is unallocated space when using more
than one hard drive. When you install your OS it only allocates all the disk space
on the OS drive, in which case you'll need to manually allocate any other hard drives
you may have installed. You can do that using the Storage section
in the Computer Management program in the Administrative
tools.
If you have older storage devices that use standard ATA and IDE cables you'll
also need to worry about Primary and Secondary channels of IDE (two different ports
on the motherboard) and connecting the drives as Master or Slave. Basically this
is the way you define which storage device has the Master Boot Record (MBR) which
is what starts the computer each time. In this case you should make sure your OS
disk is Primary Master. You make it master by using the proper Jumper Settings,
on your storage hardware. Refer to their manuals to do that.
If you also designed the whole computer yourself you should make sure that all
the parts fit. The CPU and motherboard sockets, the FBS support, the memory (both
RAM type and clock speed) and graphic interface (PCI-e, AGP or PCI). For help in
this you should consult professional computer building sites such as
ExtremeTech.com... Or for more specific
questions, you can contact me.
Installing drivers is a very important part. If you see that you can't find the
driver to a piece of hardware you should go to the manufacturer's site and look
for it in their downloads/drivers section. A good tip while you're at it is to register
all your hardware in their manufacturer's site (if possible) so you can receive
better support in case you have a problem.
Famous Last Words
This is basically it. Building a PC is as easy as playing with LEGOs. Just remember
to plan 3 steps ahead at all time: Triple check your design, double check your purchase,
build only once! Remember that making a stupid mistake can turn your CPU into a
$150 paperweight.
For any problems you can contact me or any other qualified computer geek in the
site. Believe me there are a lot. I hope you found this guide educating and interesting
enough so that you can build your own PC without too many snags a long the way.
Good luck!
I'm not even going there
64 bits long