6
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(^8) TEST HARDWARE
Before you install the hardware in the case,
it’s a good idea to test it, so if any of your
parts don’t work, you can identify them now
without having to dismantle your PC. Some
B450 motherboards may have old BIOS
versions too, which will prevent them from
working with 3rd-gen Ryzen CPUs, such as
our Ryzen 5 3600, out of the box.
One reason we’ve opted for MSI’s B450
Tomahawk Max is that it sports a feature
called Flash BIOS, which allows you to
update the BIOS without a CPU installed.
Thankfully, our retail-sourced motherboard
was equipped with a BIOS new enough to
support our CPU, so you shouldn’t have any
problems either, but it’s good to know you
have the feature as a backup.
First, install the fans to the radiator, then
put your motherboard on top of its
motherboard box and install your graphics
card in the top 16x PCI-E slot nearest the
CPU socket. Finally, connect your PSU’s
24-pin ATX plug to the socket on the right
edge of the board, the 8-pin EPS 12V plug
to the socket at the top of the board near
the CPU socket and an 8-pin PCI-E
graphics plug to your graphics card’s
power connector on the top edge.
Then, to power on your system, you
can either connect the case front panel
power connector to the appropriate pins
on the motherboard (see your
motherboard manual to find out which
cables go where), or you can use a
screwdriver to short the power button
pins on the motherboard. This will power
on the PC, allowing you to check that it all
works. If you hook up a monitor to your
graphics card, your skeleton system
should boot up. If not, try removing and
then reseating each component.
(^9) INSTALLI/OSHIELD
Sadly,theB450Tomahawkdoesn’thave
anintegrated I/O shield. You’ll need to grab it
out of the box and install it in the hole at the
back of your case before you install the
motherboard. Once you’re done, locate the
box of screws that come with the case, as
you’llneedthemtoinstallyourhardware.
(^10) INSTALL MOTHERBOARD
Leave the cooler attached to the
motherboard, as installing it separately
after the motherboard has been fitted
can be difficult. Install the motherboard
using the supplied M3 screws with your
case. The motherboard standoffs are
pre-installed, so you just need to slot the
motherboard into the I/O panel, line up
the holes with the standoffs (taking care
not to scrape the traces on the bottom of
the motherboard), and screw it in place.