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Publisher28.2 Building the System
With all the components in hand, it's time to start
building the system. If you've built systems before,
you may be able to complete a simple system in a couple of hours, and
even a complex system should take only an evening to build. If this
is your first system, plan to assemble, configure, and test it over a
weekend. Choose a well-lighted work area (the kitchen table is
traditional) and lay out all of your components. We use old towels to
protect the surface of the table. Observe anti-static precautions
throughout.
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28.2.1 Step 1: Prepare the Case
If you are recycling an old
case, first remove all components and clean the case thoroughly,
using a soft brush and vacuum cleaner to remove dust and a cleaner
such as Fantastic or Formula 409 to remove grime. We sometimes take
really filthy cases outside and literally hose them down (after first
removing the power supply). If you do that, use a hair dryer to make
sure the case is dry before you begin installing components. If
you're not in a hurry, it's better
still to let it sit a week or two and dry naturally. If the power
supply has been in use for some time, it will likely have accumulated
a lot of dust inside it. Do your best to remove dust using a brush
and compressed air (the air hose at the gas station works well), but
do not remove the cover from the power supply. Whether the case is
new or old, check it thoroughly for sharp edges and burrs and file
down any you find. That saves a lot of bloodshed later. Once the case
is clean, dry, and defanged, proceed as follows:
- Verify that all components are present, including the power cord and
the package of small mounting hardware and other incidentals. If the
case uses drive rails, there should be sufficient rails to mount a
drive in each bay. Remove the cover(s) and set them aside, as shown in Figure 28-1. If it is not obvious how to do so, see the
manufacturer's instructions. You want the case wide
open while you work on it. If the front bezel is removable, you may
or may not need to remove it to mount drives. Most removable front
bezels simply snap on and off bottom-first, but some are secured with
screws. Some cases have a removable motherboard tray. If yours does,
remove it also.
Figure 28-1. The Antec SX840 mid-tower case with side panel removed (note the two standard 80mm fans at rear and positions for two optional 80mm fans at front)
access later when you're installing drives.
Depending on case design, you may have to remove the front case bezel
before you can remove drive bezels. Most cases use plastic drive bay
bezels, shown in Figure 28-2, which snap into place
using a small hook on each side to secure them to the chassis. To
remove these bezels, use a small flat-blade screwdriver to bow them
slightly until the hooks are clear and then pull them out. Some cases
use metal drive bay bezels, which are secured with a screw on each
side.
Figure 28-2. Removing a drive bay bezel with the main front bezel still in place (an anti-RFI plate is visible behind the bezel)
immediately behind the bezel, to shield against RFI. On some cases,
these plates are discrete pieces, mounted with screws or spring-clip
retainers. On inexpensive cases, the plates are often stamped as a
part of the chassis and may have to be twisted out, as shown in Figure 28-3, sometimes using pliers or a screwdriver.
Doing that may leave a sharp barb. File it down now or it will cut
you later. Make sure to vacuum up metal filings so that they
can't short something out later. Cases often arrive
with the plates already removed from one floppy drive bay and one
externally accessible 5.25-inch drive bay (for a CD or DVD drive).
You need not remove the metal plates from positions where you will
not be mounting externally accessible drives. To make the system
easier to work on, we sometimes remove all anti-RFI plates, risking
the wrath of the FCC.
Figure 28-3. Removing an anti-RFI plate with the main front bezel removed
arrives with the power supply installed. If so, verify that all
screws securing the power supply to the case are tight and that the
voltage selector (if present) is set to the proper input voltage. If
you order a power supply separately, install it by aligning any
locking tabs and slots, sliding the power supply into position, and
securing the screws. Manufacturers often use cable ties to secure the
wires coming from the power supply in a neat bundle. If yours did,
carefully nip the cable ties with your diagonal cutters to free the
wires. Better power supplies come with spare cable ties that you can
use later to dress the wires. Electrical tape or the yellow plastic
ties supplied with garbage bags work just as well. (See Figure 28-4 and Figure 28-5.)
Figure 28-4. Sliding the power supply into position, making sure to align locking slots and tabs
Figure 28-5. Inserting the screws (typically four) to secure the power supply
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Figure 28-6. If the power supply has a
voltage selector switch, make sure to set it correctly
connect the main power cables.
- Traditional AT power supplies for
desktop cases have a built-in power switch (the "big
red paddle switch"), and require no configuration. Power
supplies designed for AT mini-tower cases have four main power leads
(usually blue, white, brown, and black) with spade lug connectors
that attach to the power switch on the front of the case. If they are
not already connected, connect them, being very careful to orient
them properly. Note that these wires carry mains voltage; connecting
them incorrectly may short the power supply and destroy it. Use
electrical tape to insulate each of the four connections.
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one light-gauge two-wire cable coming from it. You will connect this
cable to the power switch header pins on the ATX motherboard during a
later assembly step.
speed, change the jumpers on the back of the LED assembly to cause it
to display the proper CPU speed. This step is entirely optional
because the LED display is informational only, and has no effect on
system operation. For years we had a Pentium III/550 system that
displayed the CPU speed as 6 MHz, the default for that case, because
we lost the instructions that told us how to change the display. Install supplemental case fan(s),
if necessary. Not all cases can accept supplemental fans, and not all
systems require them. Minimally configured systems with basic
processors ordinarily do not require supplemental fans. Heavily
loaded systemsthose with multiple hard drives, fast (or dual)
processors, most or all expansion slots occupied, and so
onshould have supplemental fans installed. Fans are available
in several sizes, including 60, 70, 80, 90, and 120 mm. Some cases
have multiple fan mounting positions which require different fan
sizes.
case. Feet are usually plastic devices an inch or so in diameter and
a quarter-inch thick. They may be secured to the case bottom with a
bolt and nut, with small plastic spreaders that are inserted from
inside the case, or simply by peel-and-stick adhesive. In all cases,
the feet are designed to prevent scarring of the surface that the
case rests upon. Some cases have vents in the bottom of the case, and
must have the feet installed for proper cooling. Most ATX cases are supplied with a
standard I/O template already in place, which may or may not be
suitable for your motherboard. Remove the motherboard from its
antistatic bag and compare the I/O panel on the back of the
motherboard with the installed template, as shown in Figure 28-7. If the template that comes with the case is
appropriate for the motherboard, proceed to the next step.
Figure 28-7. A
motherboard I/O panel and matching I/O template
but the holes are in the wrong locations for the motherboard. That
means we need to remove the I/O template that came with the case and
install the I/O template that was supplied with the motherboard. To
remove a template, press gently from the outside of the case until
the template snaps out. Some templates seat very snugly, so you may
need to use a small screwdriver to pry one edge loose before you can
snap the template out, as shown in Figure 28-8. Be
careful not to bend the template as you remove it. They are made of
thin metal that bends easily, and you may want to keep the standard
template in case you ever want to install a different motherboard in
this case.
Figure 28-8. If necessary, use a small flat-blade screwdriver to pop the template
inside the case, and press gently toward the outside of the case
until the template snaps into place, as shown in Figure 28-9. I/O templates can be difficult to install
because they are made of easily bent metal and yet may require
substantial pressure to seat. We generally get one edge aligned
properly and then press gently until the template seats. If you are
sure the template is aligned but cannot get it to seat, use the
handle of a screwdriver on alternate corners until you feel the
template snap into place, as shown in Figure 28-10.
If you do not have the correct I/O template, contact the motherboard
or case manufacturer to obtain one. Running the system without an I/O
template installed risks disrupting airflow.
Figure 28-9. Inserting the I/O template from inside the case and pressing gently until it snaps into place
Figure 28-10. Using the handle of a screwdriver to gently press a template that refuses to seat
the motherboard tray require stand-offs. Screw brass stand-offs into
those positions, as shown in Figure 28-11, and verify
that each motherboard mounting hole has a corresponding stand-off
installed. Also verify that no extra standoffs are installed, which
might short the motherboard. Some cases use all mounting holes;
others use a combination of holes and slots. If yours uses slots, lay
aside the proper number of white nylon stand-offs, which you will
later snap into the bottom of the motherboard for each slotted
position. Don't do that now, however, because it
prevents the motherboard from lying flat while you install the CPU
and RAM. If you need to remove a nylon stand-off from the
motherboard, use your needlenose pliers to squeeze the prongs on the
front side of the motherboard gently while pulling from the back side
of the motherboard.
Figure 28-11. Installing a brass stand-off spacer for each motherboard mounting hole
motherboard mounting hole, slide the motherboard into position and
verify that all mounting holes line up with the stand-off spacers, as
shown in Figure 28-12. Don't install
any screws yet, though. We still need to install the processor and
memory, and that's much easier to do with the
motherboard outside the case.
Figure 28-12. Comparing motherboard mounting holes against chassis stand-off positions to make sure everything lines up
28.2.2 Step 2: Configure the Motherboard
Motherboards differ greatly in
how much configuration they require and exactly how it is done. Most
recent motherboards use only one or two jumpers, or are configured
through software during BIOS Setup. Older motherboards often have
dozens of jumpers to set such things as CPU voltage, FSB speed, and
CPU multiplier. Refer to your motherboard manual to determine the
proper settings for your processor and memory, and make any required
changes before proceeding. The Intel motherboard
we're using has only one setup jumper, which we
leave as is for the moment.
28.2.3 Step 3: Install the Processor
Before you begin processor
installation, place the motherboard flat on a firm surface, padding
it with the antistatic foam or bag supplied with it. Installing the
CPU (and memory) may require substantial force, so
it's important to ensure that the motherboard is
fully supported to avoid cracking it.
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dissipate any static charge, and then take the following steps:
- Remove the processor from its packaging, and
examine it closely to make sure that no pins are bent. A new
processor should never have bent pins. If one or more pins are bent,
that's certain proof that you were sold a used or
repackaged processor. Do not attempt to straighten bent pins. Return
the processor and insist on a replacement processor in original
factory shrink- wrap. The
processor fits a Zero Insertion Force (ZIF) socket on the
motherboard. To prepare the socket to receive the processor, lift the
small lever on one side of the socket to the vertical position. Examine the socket to determine
which corner is Pin 1. Pin 1 may be indicated by a small diagonal
cutout on the socket, by a dot or arrow, by a number 1 printed on the
socket or motherboard itself, or by other similar means. Once you
have located Pin 1 on the socket, locate Pin 1 on the processor,
which is also marked clearly. Carefully align the processor with the socket, making sure that
Pin 1 on the processor corresponds to Pin 1 on the socket, and then
drop the processor into place, as shown in Figure 28-13. We say
"drop" rather than
"press" because the processor
should seat fully in the socket with little or no resistance
(that's why it's called
"Zero Insertion Force"). If you
encounter resistance, either the pins are misaligned or the ZIF lever
is not fully vertical. Don't force the processor
into the socket because those tiny pins are very easy to bend, which
effectively destroys the processor. When the processor is seated
properly, its bottom should be flush against the top of the socket.
Figure 28-13. With the ZIF arm fully raised, carefully aligning the
processor, making sure Pin 1 on the CPU corresponds to Pin 1 on the
socket, and dropping the processor into place
it is parallel to the motherboard to lock the processor into place,
as shown in Figure 28-14. You may encounter
resistance while closing the lever, which is normal. Continue
pressing the level down until it snaps into place.
Don't press too hard, though. If the lever seems not
to want to seat, you may have the processor misaligned.
Figure 28-14. With the
processor fully seated, lowering the ZIF socket arm until it snaps
into place parallel to the motherboard and is secured by the plastic
latch
unit, use a paper towel to polish the top of the processor to a
mirror-like surface to remove fingerprints and other residue, as
shown in Figure 28-15. Intimate contact between the
processor and heatsink is critical to ensure proper cooling. Even a
fingerprint can interfere with heat transfer.
Figure 28-15. Polishing
the processor carefully before applying thermal compound
processors include a heatsink/fan unit and a premeasured amount of
thermal compound in a syringe (some substitute a thermal pad on the
heatsink base for the syringe of thermal compound). After you have
polished the top of the processor, use the supplied syringe to
deposit the full amount of supplied thermal compound in a small pile
at the center of the processor, as shown in Figure 28-16. Although it appears that using all of the
supplied thermal compound will make a mess, you need to apply all of
it to ensure proper cooling.
Figure 28-16. Applying the supplied thermal
compound as a small pile at the center of the processor
part that comes in contact with the processor) is clean and polished.
Lower the heatsink/fan unit gently into position, as shown in Figure 28-17. Keep the heatsink as level as possible as you
lower it into contact with the processor. The goal is to press the
heatsink gently into place, thereby spreading the thermal compound
evenly over the surface of the processor to ensure good heat
transfer. If you tilt the heatsink as you're moving
it into place, most of the thermal compound may be shifted to one
side of the processor. When the heatsink/fan unit is properly in
place, it should be sitting level within the heatsink retention
mechanism on the motherboard.
Figure 28-17. After applying thermal compound,
aligning the heatsink squarely on top of the processor
spring-steel retaining brackets that clamp the heatsink into tight
contact with the processor. Align each bracket so that the central
hole fits over the corresponding tab on the heatsink/fan retention
mechanism, and then use both thumbs to press the two ends of the
retaining bracket until they snap into place against the heatsink
retention mechanism, as shown in Figure 28-18. It may
require substantial force to seat the bracket, so
don't be afraid to press hard. With some brackets,
it's easier to seat one side first while
it's not under tension and then press down the
opposite side until it snaps into place. Make certain that both ends
of both brackets are secured, as shown in Figure 28-19. You don't want the
heatsink/fan to come loose, particularly if the motherboard is
mounted vertically.
Figure 28-18. Snapping both heatsink support brackets over
the matching connectors on the heatsink retention mechanism
Figure 28-19. When the retaining brackets are installed
properly, the hole on each end snaps into the corresponding tab on
the heatsink retention mechanism
as shown in Figure 28-20. Most motherboards include
two or more such power headers, but those headers are not fully
interchangeable. All of them supply the same voltage on the same
pins, and any can be used to power any fan, but the CPU fan header is
designed to report the speed of the CPU fan to the motherboard, where
that information can be used by a hardware monitoring utility.
Connect the CPU fan header to the specific motherboard power header
intended for it. Other motherboard power headers can also report fan
speeds to the motherboard, and are intended to power supplemental
chassis fans .
Figure 28-20. Connecting the heatsink fan power
lead to the motherboard CPU fan header
28.2.4 Step 4: Install the Memory
Memory slots are always numbered,
usually beginning with "0", but
sometimes with "1". Always populate
the memory slots from lowest to highest. That is, slot 0 should be
occupied before you install a module in slot 1; both slots 0 and 1
should be occupied before you install a module in slot 2, and so on.
This section illustrates installing PC133 SDR-SDRAM DIMMs in a
D845WNL motherboard. Other modern memory modulesDDR-SDRAM
DIMMs and Rambus RIMMsare very similar physically and install
the same way. For information about installing older-style memory,
see Chapter 5.To install the memory module, first pivot the plastic retaining arms
on the DIMM socket away from the socket toward the motherboard. Align
the keying notch(es) in the DIMM module with the corresponding keys
in the memory slot, and the module itself with the slots in the side
supports. These keying notches assure that you cannot install the
proper module backward (because the keying notches are offset) and
that you cannot install the wrong type of module (because SDR-SDRAM,
DDR-SDRAM, and RDRAM all use different keying notch positions).Once you have the module aligned with the slot, place one thumb on
each end of the module and press straight down until the module seats
in the slot, as shown in Figure 28-21. As the module
seats, the retaining arms should be forced to the vertical position,
as shown in Figure 28-22. If that
doesn't happen, it usually means that the module
isn't fully seated or that the retaining mechanism
is defective. If you're sure the module is fully
seated and the arms are still spread, move them inward yourself to
lock the module in place.
Figure 28-21. Aligning the memory module and pressing down with both thumbs to seat it
Figure 28-22. When the memory module is seated properly, the plastic retaining arm on each end automatically pivots into place, locking the module into the slot
If you have additional memory modules, install them in the same
fashion. After you finish configuring the motherboard and installing
processor and memory, lay the motherboard aside for the time being.
Use the antistatic bag or foam packaging that came with the
motherboard to prevent damage.
28.2.5 Step 5: Prepare Drives for Installation
Several steps may be
required before installing some drives, including setting
configuration jumpers, installing mounting hardware, and installing
supplemental cooling. Some of those steps are difficult or impossible
to perform after the drive is installed in the system, so plan ahead.
If you are installing several drives, make a written plan of how each
drive needs to be configured to ensure that there are no conflicts.
As you configure each drive, check what you're doing
against the list and mark off each drive as you finish it.
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- In turn, remove each drive from its
- Standard (parallel) IDE/ATAPI drives
- SATA drives
- SCSI drives
- Floppy disk drives
- Convenient access
- Drive spacing
- Heat production
- Cable routing
- Physical stability
packaging and set jumpers as necessary to configure it, as shown in
Figure 28-23. Leave unused jumper blocks connected to
only one pin, which has the same effect as removing the jumper block
entirely, but leaves that block conveniently available for future
use.
Figure 28-23. Using needlenose pliers to set the drive select jumper on the
rear panel of the Plextor PlexWriter to Master
For each drive, set the jumper to designate
the drive as Master, Slave, Only, or Cable Select, as appropriate.
Some ATAPI drives, particularly tape drives, have jumpers to set
other options, such as read-while-write or hardware compression. Set
these jumpers as recommended by the documentation. A basic system
uses one hard disk set as Primary Master and one CD-ROM, CD-RW,
DVD-ROM, or writable DVD drive as Secondary Master. If your system
has more IDE/ATAPI devices, see Chapter 14 for more
information.
SATA drives require no master/slave
jumpering. Each SATA drive connects to a dedicated SATA interface
connector on the motherboard or an adapter card. In some
circumstances, you may want your SATA drives to emulate a parallel
master/slave arrangement. If so, see the manuals for the drives and
SATA interface to determine how to configure the devices in emulation
mode.
Some SCSI drives require setting jumpers or
DIP switches to specify a unique SCSI ID for that drive and whether
it is terminated. By convention, the SCSI host adapter is assigned
SCSI ID 7. ID 0 is reserved for the boot hard disk, and ID 1 for a
secondary hard disk. IDs 2 through 6 are available for use by other
devices such as tape and optical drives. Make sure that the last
physical device on each SCSI bus (and only the last device) is
terminated. For most drives, you enable termination by setting a
jumper or DIP switch, but some drives use a small resistor pack
instead. Many SCSI drives have numerous other settingse.g.,
parity, termination power, and delayed motor start. Set jumpers for
these options as recommended by the documentation. If the host
adapter and drives are SCAM-compliant (SCSI Configured
AutoMagically), SCAM sets ID and termination automatically, but it
does no harm to set parameters manually even on a SCAM-compliant
system.
Standard floppy disk drives require no
configuration.
Decide where to mount each drive, considering the following issues:
Place the externally accessible drives you use most often where it is
easy to reach them. For example, for a tower unit that sits on the
floor, place the CD/DVD drive in an upper drive bay.
If you have more drive bays than drives, use that extra space to
separate the drives, which improves cooling and makes it easier to
connect cables or change jumpers.
Some drives, such as CD/DVD writers and high-speed hard drives,
generate a lot of heathard drives constantly and CD/DVD
burners intermittently. Heat rises, so install heat-producing drives
above other drives whenever possible. This system has only an IDE
hard drive and a CD writer, so drive placement is not critical.
We've learned this one the hard way more than once.
Make sure your cables will reach the positions where you install the
drives. This is usually not an issue with desktop or mini/mid-tower
cases, but with a full-tower case it's easy to
install two drives that must share the same cable so far apart that
the cable won't reach. It's also
less a problem with SCSI or SATA cables than with standard ATA
cables, which are limited to 18 inches. Take care even with SCSI,
however. You may find that your SCSI cable is more than long enough,
but the drive connectors are too close together to span two drives
installed far apart.
If possible, avoid installing many heavy drives high in the case. The
concern is not so much to prevent the case from tipping because most
cases are very stable. But tower systems with many heavy hard drives
(and the power supply) all installed near the top of the case are
very awkward to manipulate because all of the weight is at one end.
If the drive is a 3.5-inch form factor and will be installed in a
5.25-inch bay, install the drive in a chassis adapter. Attach any required mounting hardware, such as drive rails, to the
drive. Note that some cases have multiple locations where drives can
be installed that use different mounting methods, so
it's important to decide where each drive will be
mounted before you attach the mounting hardware to it. In some cases,
drives are mounted directly to the chassis by driving screws through
holes in the chassis and into the drive. Other cases, including the
Antec SX840, use mounting rails, as shown in Figure 28-24. You will usually find that the drive can be
secured by four or more screws on each side. We normally use only two
on each sideone front and one backunless the system
will be moved frequently or is subject to vibration. In that case, we
use four screws on each side and secure them with a dab of nail
polish to prevent them from vibrating loose. That's
not necessary for this system, so we mount the rails with two screws
per side. If your case uses plastic drive rails, make sure that at
least one screw connects the drive itself to the metal grounding
strap on the rail.
Figure 28-24. Securing the drive rails to the drive, making sure that the drive is electrically grounded to the chassis
15,000 RPM drives), install supplementary drive cooling to prevent
overheating. Small supplementary fans (so-called
"drive coolers") are adequate for
most 7,200 RPM drives. For 10,000 and 15,000 RPM drives, we recommend
using a full bay cooling unit such as the PC Power & Cooling
Bay-Cool, which integrates a 3.5- to 5.25-inch chassis adapter with
two fans and a filtered inlet. The Seagate Barracuda ATA IV drive is
a very cool-running drive, and requires no supplementary cooling. If possible, connect the data cable to the drive while the drive is
still outside the case, as shown in Figure 28-25. If
you install the drive in the chassis first, it's
much harder to make sure the cable is aligned properly. If more than
one drive will connect to a cable, it's generally
best to connect the cable to the
"difficult" drive before you
install it and make the connections to the more readily accessible
drives after they're installed in the chassis. This
system has only two drives, each of which has its own cable, so we
can install both cables before installing the drives. When you
install the cable, make sure the colored stripe on the cable
corresponds to Pin 1 on the drive connector. Line the cable up,
making sure that it is not offset by a row or column of pins, and
then press it firmly into place. We'll connect the
power cable later.
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Figure 28-25. Connecting the data cable to the drive before installing
the drive in the chassis (this drive, a Plextor PlexWriter, uses a
standard ATA cable)
Figure 28-26. Connecting the data cable to the Seagate
Barracuda ATA V hard drive (this drive uses an Ultra ATA cable, which
is easily discernible from a standard ATA cable by the finer
wires)
28.2.6 Step 6: Install the Floppy Disk Drive
Modern floppy disk drives (FDDs)
have no user-configurable settings. All FDDs are set in hardware as
B:. Whether the drive appears to the system as A: or B: depends upon
which cable position you attach the FDD to and how the BIOS is
configured. Install the FDD, noting the following:
- If the case has externally accessible 3.5-inch drive bay(s), use one
of them for the floppy disk drive, saving the 5.25-inch bays for
other purposes. If for some reason you must install the FDD in a
5.25-inch bay, you'll need to purchase an adapter
for $5 or so.A standard FDD cable has three connector positions, one on each end
and one in the middle. Between the middle and one end connector, a
portion of the cable is twisted. The two connectors separated by the
twisted portion are used to connect drives. The other end connector
attaches to the motherboard FDD interface. Attaching the FDD to the
connector on the far side of the twist makes that FDD A:. Connecting
it to the middle connector (before the twist) makes it B:. Some
cables have five connectors, with two connectors (one header-pin and
one edge-card) at each drive position. These dual connectors can be
used interchangeably, depending on which fits the drive. The
edge-card connector was used by 5.25-inch FDDs, which are obsolete,
but many adapters that allow a 3.5-inch FDD to be installed in a
5.25-inch drive bay use the edge-card connector.Most recent BIOSs support only one FDD, and have a BIOS setting that
allows drives A: and B: to be swapped. This is important if the FDD
cable supplied with your motherboard has only two connectors and no
twist, as do some we have seen. In that situation, you can use the
supplied cable to connect the drive, but make sure to use BIOS Setup
to swap A: and B: so that the installed drive appears as A:.
Once you have determined where to install the drive and which
connector you will use, slide the drive into the bay. Some drives and
cases require that the FDD be installed from the front of the case,
and others from the back. FDDs are inexpensive devices, and
manufacturers don't spend much money on amenities
such as shrouded connectors, so it's often easier to
connect the data and power cables to the drive before you slide it
into the bay.Although power cables are keyed, it can be difficult to line up the
connection after the drive is installed. If the power cable is too
short to allow connecting it to the drive while the drive is outside
the case, you will have to connect it after the drive is installed.
Depending on where the drive is mounted, it may be difficult to see
the connector with the drive in place. If that's
true for your system, connect the power cable to the drive
temporarily to determine how it should be orientede.g.,
"red wire toward the data
cable."
28.2.7 Step 7: Install Other Drives
How
you mount hard disk drives, tape drives, and optical drives varies
from case to case, and may depend on the drive itself and whether the
drive is to be mounted in an externally accessible bay. Some cases
use multiple mounting methods, as follows:
With typical mini- and mid-tower cases, slide the drive into the bay
and secure it with screws to the bay itself. Depending on the
particular case and drive, you may need to slide the drive into place
from the front or from the back. Use the screws provided with the
drive to secure the drive. If no screws were provided with the drive,
make sure that the screws you use not only have the proper thread,
but also are of the proper length. A too-long screw can project
inside the drive enclosure and damage a circuit board or other
component. Four screwsfront and back on each sideare
adequate, although there may be room to install as many as eight.
Although it is not recommended practice, we have sometimes secured a
drive with only two screws on the same side when the case design made
it difficult to drive screws into the other side. We have never had
any problems result from doing this, but if you do it, do so at your
own risk.Figure 28-27 shows a typical mini-tower arrangement.
The drive in the top bay of this Antec KS288 case has all four screw
holes aligned with the corresponding chassis holes, which
automatically aligns the drive front to back to be flush with the
front bezel. Cases built with sloppier tolerances use slots rather
than holes to make up for the loose tolerances, although some
well-built cases also use slots.
Figure 28-27. A typical mini-tower arrangement, where drives secure directly to the chassis
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Some cases use removable drive cages in which you install drives and
then mount the cage with installed drives as a single unit. Drive
cages are in all other respects similar to the arrangement described
earlier. Figure 28-28 shows the removable drive cage
being installed in the Antec SX840 case, with the hard drive already
secured to the cage. This particular drive cage installs from the
front and is secured by thumbscrews. Other removable drive cages
install internally and are secured by standard screws or by a
clamping arrangement.
Figure 28-28. Installing a removable drive cage with the hard drive in place
Traditional desktop cases and some tower cases use drive rails, which
are secured to the drives and fit slotted channels within the case.
Rails are always mounted directly to the drive using screws. The
rails may be secured to the case by a screw through the front of the
rail into the front of the chassis, by a separate clip that screws
into the front of the chassis to prevent the rail from sliding
forward, or simply by snapping into place. Figure 28-29 shows the PlexWriter with attached rails being
slid into place in the Antec SX840 case. These rails snap into place,
which both secures the drive and aligns it properly front to back so
that it is flush with the main front bezel once it is reinstalled.
Figure 28-29. The traditional arrangement, in which rails mounted to the drive slide into matching slots in the chassis, and are secured by a front screw or clips
Whichever mounting method(s) your case uses, verify that all
externally accessible drives project the correct distance to ensure
that they are flush with the front chassis bezel when it is
installed. Some cases have alignment holes or snap-in drive rails
that make this job trivial. Others require trial and error. In that
situation, we usually mount one drive, temporarily mount the front
chassis bezel to ensure proper alignment, and then install all other
drives flush with the first drive we installed.You may have to depart from your planned arrangement of drives if you
encounter vertical alignment problems. Some externally accessible
drives have front bezels that are just slightly too big or have a
vertical offset that's slightly incorrect,
preventing you from installing another externally accessible drive in
the bay immediately above or below the problem drive. You can
sometimes gently force such a drive to seat, but
it's usually better to rearrange the drives to avoid
such tight fits.Before you install each drive, consider data cabling. If the drive is
the only drive that will connect to a data cable,
it's easier to attach the cable to the drive first
and then feed the cable through the bay and into the chassis. If
multiple drives will connect to the same data cable, choose the drive
for which rear access will be most difficult after the drive is
installed and connect the cable to that drive before you install the
drive.After you install and secure each drive, connect the data cable (if
you have not done so previously) and then the power cable.
28.2.8 Step 8: Install the Motherboard
Slide the motherboard into
position, verifying that each motherboard mounting hole aligns with
its brass stand-off, that each nylon stand-off slides properly into
the corresponding slot on the motherboard tray, and that the I/O
connectors on the rear of the motherboard align properly with the I/O
template (or the access holes in the chassis). While maintaining continuous gentle pressure toward the rear of the
chassis to keep the motherboard aligned with the mounting holes,
insert one of the mounting screws, but don't tighten
it fully. Continue inserting mounting screws loosely until all
mounting holes are occupied. Finally, tighten each mounting screw
gently, as shown in Figure 28-30. Finger-tight is
adequate. We've seen people crack motherboards by
applying too much torque to the mounting screws.
Figure 28-30. Tightening the motherboard mounting screws sufficiently to ensure good contact, but not so much as to risk cracking the motherboard
In addition to securing the motherboard physically, these screws also
ground the motherboard to the chassis. Their positions are carefully
calculated by motherboard designers with grounding in mind. Leaving
one or more screw positions vacant can cause improper grounding,
which may cause instability or high RFI emissions. If you have not already done so, connect the CPU fan to the
appropriate motherboard power header or to a spare drive power cable. Connect the main power lead from the power supply to the motherboard.
For ATX systems, the main power connector is a single 20-pin keyed
connector, shown in Figure 28-31. The Main ATX Power
Connector is keyed, which prevents misconnecting the main power lead.
Figure 28-31. The main ATX power connector jack (the light object in the center)
solder points for the Auxiliary ATX Power Connector, shown in Figure 28-32. Although the Antec power supply provides this
connector, this particular motherboard does not require it, so we
leave it unused. If your motherboard has a connection point for the
Auxiliary ATX Power Connector, make sure to connect it as well as the
Main ATX Power Connector.
Figure 28-32. The Auxiliary ATX Power Connector plug
Connector, shown in Figure 28-33. This
"P4 connector" supplies the
additional 12V current required by Pentium 4 motherboards. It is
keyed to prevent incorrect installation, and simply snaps into place,
as shown in Figure 28-34. All Pentium 4 motherboards
require this connector, and an increasing number of other motherboard
have begun using it as well as the industry shifts to using 12V VRMs.
Figure 28-33. The ATX12V Supplementary Power Connector plug
Figure 28-34. If you forget to insert the ATX12V Supplementary Power Connector, your Pentium 4 motherboard will not boot.
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systems use two main power cables, each with a 6-pin keyed connector
(often labeled P8 and P9), which connect to one 12-pin connector
strip on the motherboard, shown in Figure 28-35.
It's possible to swap positions of these cables,
which can destroy a motherboard, so be careful which you connect
where. For nearly all AT power supplies, when both connectors are
installed properly the black wires on each will be toward the center,
but we have encountered AT power supplies with nonstandard wire
colors. Verify connector orientation with the documentation for your
power supply and motherboard instead of making assumptions. Note that
some power supplies have both AT and ATX power connectors, as do some
motherboards.
Figure 28-35. An AT power connector (the light object in the center)
the I/O template on the rear. AT motherboards use a permanently
mounted keyboard connector that aligns with the keyboard hole in AT
cases, but other I/O portsserial, parallel, USB, and so
onexist only as groups of header pins on the motherboard.
Those I/O ports are made accessible on the rear panel of the case by
installing port extenders, shown in Figure 28-36, which are cables with a header-pin connector
on one end and the appropriate I/O connector on the other. Some port
extenders are normally supplied with the motherboard, but many AT
motherboards do not include port extenders for all ports. For
example, the extenders for Serial 2 and USB are often optional items.
These port extenders are relatively standard items. If
you're missing any, you can buy them for a few
dollars at any well-stocked computer store.To install a port extender, align the header-pin connector with the
appropriate set of header pins on the motherboard, making sure that
Pin 1 corresponds to the red stripe on the cable, and press down
until the connector seats. Most port extenders have the external
connector mounted on an expansion slot bracket. The case may have
more expansion slot cutouts than the motherboard has expansion slots.
If yours does, mounting the port extender in an expansion slot cutout
costs nothing. If your system has the same number of expansion slots
and cutouts, mounting the port extender in an expansion slot cutout
wastes that expansion slot. Most AT cases contain several precut
holes for DB9, DB25, and other connectors. On better cases, the
covers for these holes are secured by screws. On inexpensive cases,
the covers are die-cut and need to be twisted out with needlenose
pliers. Remove the covers for the ports you need to extend. Remove
the port extender connector from the slot bracket and mount it
directly to a matching cutout in the rear panel of the
chassis.
Figure 28-36. Typical port extenders for an AT motherboard (on the left is a PS/2 mouse connector, on the right is a DB25 serial port connector)
28.2.9 Step 9: Connect Cables to the Motherboard
All systems require connecting
various cables to the motherboard. These include:
- Cables that connect floppy, hard, and optical drives to embedded
motherboard interfacesCables for miscellaneous functions, such as connecting audio out on
the rear panel of a CD-ROM drive to the audio header on the
motherboard, or connecting a CPU fan to a power header on the
motherboardCables that connect front panel switches (power, reset, keylock,
etc.) and indicators (drive activity, power on, speaker, etc.)Supplementary case fans, which may connect to the motherboard or to
power supply connectors
It's usually easier to connect these cables before
you start installing expansion cards. Proceed as follows:
- Connect the drive data cables from the back of each drive to the
appropriate connector on the motherboard, making sure to align Pin 1
properly on both the drive and controller. Typical systems have at
least two such cables: one 34-wire ribbon cable connecting the FDD to
the FDD controller interface on the motherboard; and an IDE cable
connecting the hard drive and CD- or DVD-ROM drive to the primary IDE
interface connector on the motherboard. If the system has more than
two IDE devices, or if you put the hard drive and optical drive on
separate channels, you will also need to connect a second IDE cable
from the additional device(s) to the secondary IDE interface
connector on the motherboard. If the system has SCSI devices
installed and the motherboard has an embedded SCSI host adapter, also
connect cable(s) from the SCSI device(s) to the SCSI connector(s).If you are connecting devices to both ATA interfaces, make sure to
connect each cable to the proper interface. Figure 28-37 shows the Ultra ATA (40-pin, 80-wire) cable
from the hard drive being connected to the primary interface. Visible
behind that cable is a standard (40-pin, 40-wire) ATA cable connected
to the secondary interface.
Figure 28-37. Connecting the drive data cables to the motherboard
supply to the power connector on the rear of each drive, as shown in
Figure 28-38. If you have more drives than power
leads, use a splitter to allow two drives to share one power lead.
Splitters may be provided with the case and power supply, or may be
purchased inexpensively at any computer store. Although
it's probably not a major issue, the power leads use
relatively small gauge wires, so we try whenever possible to connect
high-draw devices such as fast disk drives and CD burners to separate
power leads. When you insert the power connector, press hard enough
to make sure it seats fully. This sometimes requires substantial
pressure, and we have seen systems with
"failed" drives that were caused by
the power connector falling out.
Figure 28-38. Connecting power cables to the drives
hardware management, temperature sensors, Wake-on-LAN, chassis
intrusion, video-source line-in, aux line-in, telephony, and so on.
Refer to your motherboard manual for details. Connect the front-panel cables to the header-pin connectors on the
motherboard, which are usually arranged in a block near the front
edge, as shown in Figure 28-39. Typically these
connectors will include: power switch (ATX only); reset switch; hard
disk activity LED; power-on LED; and speaker. Depending on the
motherboard and case, you may also have connectors for keylock,
Infrared port, and perhaps a secondary drive activity LED.
Figure 28-39. Connecting cables for front-panel switches and indicators to the motherboard
each wire back to the front panel to determine which connector is
which. Most connectors are two-pin. For those that connect to
switches, polarity is immaterial. For those that connect to LEDs,
polarity may or may not matter. Best practice is to orient the
connector for proper polarity. Most cases use the black wire of each
pair for ground. The ground pin for each connector may or may not be
marked on the motherboard. If not, refer to the manual.
cooling fan or fans, connect the fan power lead(s) to the motherboard
or to a spare power supply power connector, as appropriate.
28.2.10 Step 10: Install Expansion Cards
A modern motherboard includes some
or all of the bus slot types shown in Figure 28-40.
All motherboards provide PCI slots, most provide ISA slots (although
the newest motherboards have no ISA slots), and many provide an AGP
slot. You can install an expansion card only in a slot that is
designed to accept it, either ISA, PCI, or AGP. The best rule to
follow is to avoid installing any ISA cards if at all possible. If
you have a choice between installing a PCI video card or an AGP video
card, choose AGP. For everything else, use PCI.
Figure 28-40. An Intel SE440BX "Seattle" motherboard showing, from left to right, one ISA slot; one combined ISA/PCI slot (which can accept an ISA or a PCI card, but not both simultaneously); three PCI slots; and an AGP slot
To install expansion cards:
- Decide where to install each expansion card. If you have more slots
than cards, leave empty slots between cards to improve airflow and
cooling. Video cards, particularly high-performance ones, generate
significant heat, so always leave an unoccupied slot between the
video card and adjacent cards if possible. Sound cards are also
significant heat sources, so give them second priority when juggling
empty slots. If your case came with slot covers preinstalled, remove and set aside
the slot covers and screws for each position where you will install a
card. You may find that removing all slot covers makes it easier to
install cards. If internal cables connect to the card (e.g., a SCSI host adapter or
a sound card), connect those cables before installing the card. Install each card, as follows:
- Align the card bracket so that its bottom tab will slide into
position between the case and the motherboard. Align the card-edge connector on the bottom of the card with the
expansion slot. Before proceeding, make certain that the card aligns
with the slot both side to side and front to back. Well-designed
motherboards, cards, and cases are built to close tolerances, and
nearly always align properly, as shown in Figure 28-41.Inexpensive components, particularly cases, are often built sloppily
and may make it impossible to align the card with the slot front to
back, as shown in Figure 28-42. We have seen cheap
cases cause a misalignment of a quarter-inch (6.35 mm) or more. If
you encounter this problem, the best solution is to replace the case
with a better model. If for some reason you can't do
that, use your needlenose pliers to bend the card bracket slightly to
allow the connector to align with the slot.
Figure 28-41. With a high-quality case (this one a PC Power & Cooling mini-tower), expansion cards align properly front to back.
Figure 28-42. With a cheap case (this one a no-name Taiwanese product), it may be impossible to align expansion cards with the expansion slots
press straight down until the card seats fully in the slot, as shown
in Figure 28-43. This may require significant
pressure. You should be able to feel and hear the card seat. When the
card is fully seated, the top of its bracket should be flush with the
chassis and the screw slot in the card bracket should align with the
screw hole in the chassis. When the card is fully seated and properly
aligned, insert a screw to secure it.
Figure 28-43. Using both thumbs to press the card straight down until it seats fully (be sure the card is aligned first)
screw. Do not leave slot covers off unoccupied slots. Doing so
damages cooling airflow.
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28.2.11 Step 11: Perform the "Smoke Test"
At this point,
you're almost ready to turn on the PC for the first
time. Don't replace the cover quite yet, though.
You'll need to do a few more things inside the case
before the system is complete. Proceed as follows:
- Do a final check of the system, making sure that all cables are
connected properly and that you haven't left any
tools in the patient. Do not underestimate the importance of this
final check. We have seen newly built systems shorted out and
destroyed because a tool, screw, slot cover, or other conductive part
was left where it shouldn't be. In fact, we always
pick up the system and shake it gently to make sure no extraneous
parts have been overlooked. Connect the monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the appropriate ports on
the computer. Connect the power cord to the PC power supply and then
plug it into a wall receptacle. Turn on the monitor. Turn on the PC. If all is well, the hard disk spins up, the BIOS
screen appears on the monitor within a few seconds, and the system
beeps to indicate a normal boot. If the system appears dead or beeps
repeatedly, immediately disconnect the power and verify all cable
connections and configuration jumpers. The most common problem is a
floppy drive cable connected backwardwhich causes the floppy
drive indicator to light and stay lit as soon as power is
appliedor an IDE cable connected backward, which may cause the
system to appear completely dead. In either case, check the cables,
correct any problems you find, and reapply power. Repeat this process
until the system boots normally. Some motherboards require running BIOS Setup immediately to allow the
system to self-configure. Doing that never hurts, so when the system
prompts you with "Press <key-name> to run
Setup" (or words to that effect), press the
indicated key to run BIOS Setup. Don't make any
changes to BIOS settings now. Simply save the default settings, exit,
and allow the system to restart. Check the BIOS boot screens to make sure that all installed
components are recognized properly. In particular, the initial memory
check should display the correct amount of memory, and the screen(s)
that list installed devices should show all installed ports and IDE
devices. IDE/ATAPI devices should be listed correctly by name or
model number. Devices that require drivers are not recognized at this
point, which is normal. On fast systems, screens often flash by too
quickly to read. Press the Pause key to interrupt the boot process
long enough to read each screen. To continue, press the space bar. After you verify that all devices are recognized, restart the system
and run BIOS Setup again. With most systems, you need to change only
the time and date, and perhaps set the processor speed. Default
values work perfectly well for other BIOS settings. Use the
motherboard manual to determine which, if any, settings need to be
changed. If you plan to delve deep into the BIOS settings to tune
your PC for optimum performance, the motherboard manual may be of
little use. Most provide only abbreviated descriptions of the most
commonly changed BIOS settings. For detailed information about
obscure settings, visit the web site of the BIOS manufacturer and
download the full documentation for your BIOS version. Even with that
information, however, you may find many BIOS options difficult to
understand. We have found The BIOS Companion by
Phil Croucher very helpful in deciphering obscure BIOS settings. You
can order it directly from the author's web site at
http://www.electrocution.com/computing/book_bios.asp. If you have devices (such as a network card or SCSI host adapter)
that have their own ROM-based setup programs, run those programs per
the manufacturers' instructions. When you complete BIOS Setup, save the changes and exit. Power the
system down. Some motherboards, notably Intel models, have a
configuration jumper that is set to one position for Configure and
another position for Normal Operation. If your motherboard has such a
jumper, move it to the position that sets the system for normal
operation.
28.2.12 Step 12: Install Software
Install the operating system per the
manufacturer's instructions. During installation or
immediately thereafter, as appropriate, install any driver disks
provided with hardware components. If possible, do this during
installation to prevent problems. For example, when installing
Windows NT 4, we first used the drivers provided on the NT CD for the
Intel PRO/100+ Ethernet adapter. As it turns out, those drivers
simply didn't support our more recent Intel adapter.
We could have saved considerable time simply by supplying an updated
drivers disk during installation rather than using the
Microsoft-supplied drivers.
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installation and restart the system, connect to the Web and check the
manufacturer's web site to locate the latest
production drivers for each hardware component you have installed,
particularly motherboard, video, sound, and network. If
you've installed a CD or DVD burner, be sure to look
for the latest firmware version for it. Once you've
updated all drivers, restart the system and install your
applications.
28.2.13 Step 13: Finishing Touches
At this point, the system should be
fully functional, but a few things remain to be done:
- Dress the cables. Many OEMs and most individuals neglect this step,
but it's an important one. The typical
rats' nest of cables that results when you build a
PC can impede airflow, causing sporadic problems due to overheating.
One system we saw ran fine for a few minutes and then locked up. As
it turned out, a loose wire had fouled the CPU cooling fan, causing
the CPU to overheat and crash. If you have them, use cable ties to
secure individual wireslike those on power
connectorsinto neat bundles, and then secure those bundles to
the frame. If you don't have cable ties, the little
yellow plastic ties that come with garbage bags work about as well.
Tape ribbon cables in flat bunches, and secure them to the chassis,
well away from the processor and fans. We've used
everything from masking tape to duct tape with equal success,
although the heat inside a PC can make some types of tape gummy and
hard to remove. Fold over a quarter-inch or so at the end of the tape
to provide a pull tab in case you need to remove the tape later. If you have a tape drive or CD/DVD burner, run a full backup and
stick it on the shelf. If your backup software allows you to make an
emergency recovery disk, make one now. If you have diagnostic software that provides a burn-in function, use
it. Most hardware failures occur immediately. Those that
don't are likely to occur within hours or days. When
we're not in any hurry, we generally allow a system
to burn in for a week or so before declaring it complete. Even when
we are in a hurry, we generally insist on burning in the new system
at least overnight. If you have hardware problems,
it's better to find out now than later.
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the case, and move the system to its permanent new location. Connect
the monitor, keyboard, mouse, and any other external peripherals.
Connect the power cord and start using the computer. Enter a recurring to-do in your calendar
to remind you to check every 30 to 60 days for updated drivers for
the main system components, particularly video and sound. This is
especially important if you've built the system
using newly introduced components, or if you're
using a relatively new release of your operating system.
