Build Your PC!
You’ve got your parts, you’ve got your screwdriver. Now it’s time to grab a tasty
beverage, situate yourself in a static-free area, and get started!
Step 1: Prep your case
Most PC cases come with a fair
amount of hardware. Everything
from specialized standoff mounts
that will keep your mobo at just
the right height, to front-mounted
USB ports, to the proper screws for
mounting fans, should be in a box
inside your case. Before we can get
started, you’ll need to remove your
case door, and pull out that box of hardware. Got it? Great!
Since you’re going to lay the case down on its side to work, it’s a good
idea to take both side panels off. Taking the case doors off prevents you from
scratching them while you install the rest of your gear.Step 2: Add power
If your case doesn’t come with a
power supply, you need to install
the one you bought. Usually, there’s
some sort of mounting bracket
screwed into the back of the case.
You need to unscrew the bracket
before you can mount the power
supply to it. Make sure you pay
attention to the way the bracket was
on the case before you removed it.
The entire assembly only goes on
one way. If you flip the bracket over, it just won’t mount properly.
Once the PSU is attached to the bracket, slide the power supply into your
case and screw the bracket down.Step 3: Prep your mobo
In order to mount your mother-
board in the case, you need to first
install motherboard standoffs. (If
your case has a motherboard tray,
you’ll have a much easier time if
you remove the tray from your
case.) Each motherboard has a
slightly different standoff config, so
hold the mobo up to the tray and
note which holes on your mobo line up with the holes on the tray.
It’s vital that you not put extra standoffs in the case that don’t align with
holes on the mobo. The extra standoffs can short contacts on the back of the
mobo, and render your whole system unbootable—or cause permanent dam-
age to your hardware.Caution! “It’s vital that you not put extra standoffs in the
case that won’t align with holes on the mobo.”Step 4: Install the backplate
Because there are dozens of possible con-
figurations for the ATX backplate—the thing
on your mobo with holes for the PS/2, USB,
serial, parallel, network, and even FireWire
connectors—each motherboard comes with
a custom plate, which pops into a standard-
size hole in your case. It mounts from the
inside, so you’ll need to line it up with the
hole and pop it into place. Make sure that it
faces the right way. Usually the PS/2 ports
go nearest the power supply.Step 5: Mount the mobo
To mount the mobo, line up its rear con-
nectors—the PS/2, USB, and other ports—
with the holes in your ATX backplate, and
slide the mobo into the case at a 45 degree
angle (a). Once the port connectors have
lined up with the backplate, lower the front
edge of the mobo. Once that’s done, screw
down the mobo (b). Be careful not to strip
the screws. A good practice is to reverse
each screw one quarter of a turn before
you begin screwing it down.a
b
NOVEMBER 2004 MAXIMUMPC 33