STEP 6: VIDEO CARD
If your motherboard has a built-in video adapter you want to use, skip this section. A video card is not mandatory when you motherboard has an adapter, but it will greatly increase your gaming experience with a additional card.
If you have an AGP video card: Install the video card into the AGP socket. This is always the top expansion slot near the back of the computer. AGP slots are often brown, but can also be strange colors such as fluorescent green. Check the motherboard for levers (or similar devices) that are part of the AGP slot to help hold the card in place. These must be retracted before insertion of the card. Check the motherboard’s manual for information on how to use these devices (if your motherboard has one.) Push the card into the socket (AGP slots are often pretty tight, don’t be afraid to push it until it’s well inserted), then screw it in at the top of the metal bracket. If it has a power connector, connect it to a 4-pin molex connector. If it has a pass through, do not connect it to a hard drive.
If you have a PCI Express video card, install it the same way as an AGP video card, however the slot where it goes looks a little different having an extra spot on the slot as opposed to the 2 slot parts on an AGP slot. PCI Express slots used for video cards are commonly 16x as opposed to AGP 8x.
When your card is properly installed the line formed by the top of the card will be exactly parallel to the motherboard, if one side seems to be higher than the other, chances are that it’s not fully inserted, press a little harder on the high side or pull it out and try again.
Video cards can also be dual installed if they are SLI capable.
STEP 7: HARD DRIVES / OPTICAL DRIVES (CD OR DVD DRIVES) / FLOPPY
Next install the hard drive and optical drives.
How a drive is physically installed will depend on the case.
When using an IDE cable, plug the two connectors that are closer together into the 2 drives, and the third to the controller or motherboard. The connector furthest from the board should be attached to the drive set as Master. Make sure the drive that you will install your OS on is the primary master. This is the master drive on the Primary IDE bus which is usually the IDE 40 pin port on the motherboard labeled “Primary” or “IDE 1″..
IDE connectors are keyed, so it should be impossible to insert them backwards. However, it doesn’t require very much force to do this and it can destroy your motherboard . Look carefully at the drive and the cable connection before you try to connect them. You should see a “missing” pin on the drive, and a corresponding blocked socket on the connector. If you break a pin on the drive, you will probably have a worthless drive.
Most parallel IDE cables have a colored stripe down one side. That colored stripe signifies “pin 1″ - and usually will line up next to the molex power connection on your drive. Use this rule of thumb if your connectors aren’t keyed.
Next, plug a 4 pin molex power connector into each hard drive and optical drive. If you are installing the power connector to a SATA drive, some drives have the option of using either the SATA power connector (a flat about 1″ wide connector) or the standard molex connector; use one or the other, not both. Connecting both can break your hard drive. For better data transfer, you can purchase heat-protected high-end data cables at your nearest electronics store.
If you install a floppy disk drive, the cable is very similar to the IDE cable, but with fewer wires, and a strange little twist in the middle. Floppy drives do not have master/slave configurations. The floppy disk connector is not usually keyed, making it all too easy to plug it in the wrong way! One wire in the IDE cable will be colored differently: this is pin 1. There is usually some indication on the floppy drive as to which side this is. The power plug for a floppy is 4 pins in a line, but rather smaller than the standard hard drive power connector. Plug the end of the cable with the twist into the floppy drive (”drive A:”). Plug the other end of the floppy ribbon cable into the motherboard. If you install a second floppy drives, plug the middle connector into “drive B:”. The twist between drive A: (on the end) and drive B (in the middle) helps the computer distinguish between them.
STEP 8: CASE CONNECTORS ( FRONT USB / POWER AND RESET BUTTON / HARD DRIVE STATUS LIGHT )
In order to turn the computer on, you’ll need to connect the power button and while you’re at it, you might as well do the reset buttons and front panel lights as well. There will be a set of pins, usually near the front of the motherboard to which you will attach the cables that should have been supplied with the motherboard. (Sometimes there are cables already connected to the case, use them if they are there). These will plug into the front of the case. The plugs in the front of the case will be labeled. The pins on the motherboard may be labeled as well, but they can be difficult to read because the print is very small. The documentation that came with your case and motherboard should tell where these connectors are. The front panel LEDs are polarized: usually the positive wire is white.
In addition, you can connect any case-specific ports if they are supported by the motherboard. Many cases have front mounted USB, firewire and/or sound ports.
ALMOST DONE — NOW FOR THE FINISHING TOUCHES
Now it is time to plug all components into the tower. These components should include a monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers and power cord. These parts are easy to plug in.
First start with the monitor. This adpater is blue or white (depending on whether your monitor is VGA or DVI). Take into consideration whether you bought a additional video card…if you did then you need to plug the monitor into the VGA / DVI port on the card, not the motherboard.
Next come the mouse / keyboard and speakers. Most new combos come with USB connections. These connections can be plugged into the front or back of the tower. Make sure the USB is plugged in correctly or it will not fit. The speakers plug into the green outlet on the back of the tower.
Now, lastly is the power cord. Plug it into the back of the power supply and into the wall outlet. If you have a switch on your PS make sure it is is the - position and not the O positon. This will be the final step before you can plug up your new computer, but there are a few things to check before putting the case door back on:
Did you remember to tighten everything?
Did you remember to grab all tools and extra pieces? Are all the wires safely away from any fans?
If you can answer yes to all those questions then you can cross your fingers and push the power button on the front of the case.
Watch the system closely for a while. If smoke or popping comes from the computer, unplug it immediately and go through the steps again to make sure you did not miss anything. If it comes on but nothing happen check your motherboard manual to make sure all steps were done correctly. Do not be discouraged if your computer does not work the first time…the problem is usually a simple fix and you may have just missed something. Look at the computer again and we are sure you will figure it out.
Now……if the computer works you will need to install a operating system. Please refer to our DiY pages for Windows XP installation or Windows Vista installation.
For more information about SLI please refer to our SLI Information DiY page.
Eric Oliver
Learn how to build a computer, buy a computer, or fix a computer. Zero 3 Computers sell custom PCs, but also offer knowledge to keep you from having to buy another one. Don’t let the overpriced rule your pocket…we give you the tools, its up to you to make or save money.
Eric Oliver,
Zero 3 Computers Technician and system builder