ISSUE 382|COMPUTER SHOPPER|DECEMBER 2019 9191
(SSD)for storage.
Farfaster than a
harddisk, SSDswill
makeyour computer
bootfaster andfeel
moreresponsive.
If your computer
supports an M.2
NVMedrive, then
buy this type. A
minimumof 256GB
as abootdriveis
recommended, but
buy as bigadriveas
youcan afford.
Mechanical hard
disksare useful if
youwanttohavea
load of cheap
storage, sayforfiles,
but theyare alot
slower. If youcan
go all-flash,you’ll appreciatethe speed
increase andreduced noise thatyouget;
however,gowhereyour budgetwill allow
and getthe rightamountofstorage.
MINI-ITX
Finally,shouldyoubuild amini PC with
Mini-ITXcomponents? Ifyoudo, youcan
getamuch smallercomputer,not much
bigger thanagamesconsole.However,
the buildtends to be tougher asyou’ll
haveless room to work in, andyoumay
needto buy moreexpensivelow-profile
components such as powersupply units
and CPUcoolers. With this kindof build,
optingforanM.2 SSD makesalot of
senseto savespace.
Ultimately,Mini-ITXcomputers area
greatwaytosavespace, butyouhaveto
makecompromises elsewhere.In this guide,
we’vefocused on puttingtogether a
traditional PC(ATX and microATX),
although manyofthe tips applyto building
aMini-ITXcomputer,too.
Y
our PC’scase will holdeverything that
you’vebuilt, so it makes senseto start
here, preparing itto houseyour computer.
At this point, it’sworth talking about static
and the danger it posesto your computer.
Static electricitycanfry delicate
components. Although this isn’tcommon,
it’ssomethingto watchout forand pr otect
against.At the minimum, makesurethat
youdischarge anystatic by touching the
metalpart of your case be fore youtouch
anycomponents. An anti-static wristband is
agood, and cheap,wayofprotecting your
components,too.TAKETHESIDEPANELSOFF
Youshouldremove both of the side panels:
one givesyouaccess to wherethe main
components go, theother isforcable
routing and may be usedto houseadrive
bay or two.Most cases will havethumbscrewsatthe
back.However,some models havescrews
hidden behind the frontpanel, soyoumay
needto remove that first.Once the screws
areout, the panels slide back andcanbe
lifted outof the way. Youshould storethese
somewheresafewhile youwork on the
insideof your computer,
and youwon’t need these
again until the end. 1ORGANISE
DRIVEBAYS
Inside thecase, look at
howmanydrivebaysyou
have.Youshould have
5.25in baysfor optical
drives, 3.5in baysfor
regular harddisksand
2.5in baysfor SSDs. The
latter will be available in a
moderncase butcould be
provided forbyadaptors
that fit into 3.5in baysif
you’reusing an oldcase.
Theremay be drivebays,
often2.5in ones, around
the backof the case, too.PREPARETHE CASE
These arehandyforkeeping SSDsout of
the wayand maximising airflowthrough
the main partof the case.
Some drivebaysmay beremovable,
usuallyby undoingathumbscrew –check
your case’s manual first. Ifremoving optional
baysleavesyouwith enough baysfor your
drives, then it’sworth taking out theextra
ones. This givesyoumoreroom to work
inside thecase and helps improve airflow.REMOVEBLANKINGPLATES
If youwanttoinstall an optical drive, now’sa
good timeto remove the blanking plate.
Locate the topmost 5.25in drivebay and
push from the insideof the case outwards
until the plastic blanking platedrops out;
youmay needto squeeze the retaining clips
slightly.Afair bit of forceisu suallyrequired
to getthe blanking platetopop out.LAYTHECASEDOWN
Forthe next bitof work, you’ll needto have
the case lying flat on its side.Make sure
that the largercavity isfacing upward s.
The other sideof the case, pointing
downward snow,won’t needto be
accessed forawhile. 2TOPTIP
Look outforthe boxof
accessories,which is
oftenslotted into oneof
the 5.25in drive bays.
You’ll need this, as itwill contain all the
screws, blanking platesand the like tha
you’ll need to t
complete yourbuild.1
2
ABOVE:AMini-ITX PC isconsole-sized, butyou
may need tocompromise oncomponents
LEFT:An M.2 NVMe
drivesaves spaceand
delivers the best
performance