Can you answer two quick questions please?

[Pinecallado]

This is my first build and almost everything is finish but I hit two major roadblocks. I also have a cooler master elite 120 mini itx by the way.

First, I can't figure out how to install the I/O sheild. Here's a picture of it.

I'm scared I will have to completely unscrew the motherboard out and put the I/o sheild on the inside of the case and screw the motherboard back in :\
Maybe it will be easier just to put the I/o shield on and then tape it with ducktape. But it will look sloppy.

Secondly, I can't get my Hard Drive to go into the hard drive bay! I have a WD blue caviar HD. Its 3.5 inches. In the video I looked at where a guy was installing it in the same case it just slid right in!
I was going to put it in the dvd bay but that isn't as secure as the HD bay,

Here's a picture of it

Please help!

 

[Pinecallado]

Okay everyone so I figured out how to install the i/o shield. I actually had to take out the motherboard and put the i/o sheild into place from the inside!
Now I just have to figure out how to slide the hd into the bay!

(Building computers truly is A LOT harder then what many of you people make it out to be. So much for "Its just like putting together lego blocks" )

 

[Steltek]

Your case will hold three 3.5" hard drives in the hard drive bay. Check your mounting hardware again - they should have sent you several rails that snap into the screw holes on the sides of the hard drives which you use to slide the drives into the bay. Something must be hanging that is preventing you from sliding the drives all the way back in.

Your first machine is always the hardest to build. After that, it comes a lot easier.

EDIT: from your picture, you are trying to stick the drive in backwards (you have the right side facing up, just need to rotate the drive and put the other end in first). The retaining clips on the rails should be on the outside of the drive cage. When installed correctly, the hard drive SATA and power connectors should be visible from the outside of the cage once the hard drive is installed.

See the installation video on the Cooler Master support website from time 7:30 onwards to see a visual demonstration of how the hard drive is supposed to fit in (video in the VIDEOS section, at the right top side of the screen):

http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=3102

 

[Pinecallado]

Your case will hold three 3.5" hard drives in the hard drive bay. Check your mounting hardware again - they should have sent you several rails that snap into the screw holes on the sides of the hard drives which you use to slide the drives into the bay. Something must be hanging that is preventing you from sliding the drives all the way back in.

Your first machine is always the hardest to build. After that, it comes a lot easier.

EDIT: from your picture, you are trying to stick the drive in backwards (you have the right side facing up, just need to rotate the drive and put the other end in first). The retaining clips on the rails should be on the outside of the drive cage. When installed correctly, the hard drive SATA and power connectors should be visible from the outside of the cage once the hard drive is installed.

See the installation video on the Cooler Master support website from time 7:30 onwards to see a visual demonstration of how the hard drive is supposed to fit in (video in the VIDEOS section, at the right top side of the screen):

http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?product_id=3102

I swear I'm so stupid. I actually had to take one of those racks (as you can see laying next to the computer on the picture) out before I put the Hard Drive in!!! Now the hard drive is securely in the HD rack

Noob mistake and thanks a lot for the help! Now all I have to do if plug my HD in and pray that I plugged the front panel connections on my MB correctly and no electrostatic electricity destroyed my CPU or Hard Drive! I also hope you're right about computers being easier to build after your first build!

 

[Pinecallado]

ONE MORE QUESTION!

Is it okay to leave the extra power cables that I'm not using in the dvd bay? I'm using a cheapo $19.99 PSU that doesn't have cables you can unattached from. The electricity won't travel from the plug to the metal right?

 

[Steltek]

ONE MORE QUESTION!

Is it okay to leave the extra power cables that I'm not using in the dvd bay? I'm using a cheapo $19.99 PSU that doesn't have cables you can unattached from. The electricity won't travel from the plug to the metal right?

Yes, you can't really do cable management on a ITX build, though it does help to have a modular power supply. Just try to secure them down or ziptie them to ensure they they can't work down into the CPU fan and that they won't obstruct air flow.

 

[Vectronic]

Definitely easier after the first. You stumbled into one thing you'll probably never forget again... put the I/O shield in first.

HDD bays aren't quite as simple, since almost every vendor has a different method, but the slide in/out has been a mainstay for a long time, how the HD is attached to that slider differs. (some clip, some screw, some are two rails, others a solid carrier, etc)

Lego doesn't make sense at first either, but... it is as simple as lego.

 

[Pinecallado]

Yes, you can't really do cable management on a ITX build, though it does help to have a modular power supply. Just try to secure them down or ziptie them to ensure they they can't work down into the CPU fan and that they won't obstruct air flow.

Thanks, I was worried about it. will be sure to tie the extra cables!

Definitely easier after the first. You stumbled into one thing you'll probably never forget again... put the I/O shield in first.

HDD bays aren't quite as simple, since almost every vendor has a different method, but the slide in/out has been a mainstay for a long time, how the HD is attached to that slider differs. (some clip, some screw, some are two rails, others a solid carrier, etc)

Lego doesn't make sense at first either, but... it is as simple as lego.

RAGFJKDSFN;LGASFDL!!! After I FINALLY finished putting everything together and plugged it in....low and behold it won't power on right. The light and motherboard turns on for like 3 seconds...and then it turns off. It keeps doing the same thing every 5 seconds.

Now I don't know if its a problem with the way i plugged in the Motherboard or a problem with the PSU. :\

Now I have to painstakingly unscrew everything once again and check it out
(And people say building it yourself is better! )

 

[Pinecallado]

I decided the reason my computer isn't turning on right is because the power supply I brought is bad. I'm going to return it to Microcenter.

I guess the lesson I learned is to never buy a cheap power supply ever again. I though the warnings people gave about cheap power supplies were exaggerated but I was wrong.

If anyone is curious about what PSU I had, I had a COOLMAX I-400 400W ATX Power Supply. I'm sure the 1 star reviews on newegg and tigerdirect speak for itself. Never picking a power supply again without doing research on it also. :/

 

[Sleepingforest]

You can get a quality Corsair CX500 for only $30 after a $20 rebate.

 

[BrightCandle]

This particular problem is also sometimes caused by a short on the motherboard to the tray. Based on your questions I think its prudent to ask if you screwed in brass spaces into your motherboard tray and then the motherboard into those or was the area you screwed into raised? If the answer is no to both then those copper coloured screws will likely solve your problem, they go into the case where the motherboard screws in and the motherboard screws into those.

 

[sandorski]

Don't return it yet. Doublecheck your connections,m especially your case Power Supply connection to the Motherboard. You may have plugged it in the wrong position.

 

[mfenn]

Yes, avoid $20 power supplies in the future. Buy something from a good brand like Corsair, Seasonic, XFX, or Antec.

You should should always put the computer together outside of the case first (laying out of a wooden or plastic table is fine) so that you can make sure it works BEFORE having to take everything back apart.

 

[mfenn]

This particular problem is also sometimes caused by a short on the motherboard to the tray. Based on your questions I think its prudent to ask if you screwed in brass spaces into your motherboard tray and then the motherboard into those or was the area you screwed into raised? If the answer is no to both then those copper coloured screws will likely solve your problem, they go into the case where the motherboard screws in and the motherboard screws into those.

:thumbsup: Great suggestion.

 

[Steltek]

Thanks, I was worried about it. will be sure to tie the extra cables!



RAGFJKDSFN;LGASFDL!!! After I FINALLY finished putting everything together and plugged it in....low and behold it won't power on right. The light and motherboard turns on for like 3 seconds...and then it turns off. It keeps doing the same thing every 5 seconds.

Now I don't know if its a problem with the way i plugged in the Motherboard or a problem with the PSU. :\

Now I have to painstakingly unscrew everything once again and check it out
(And people say building it yourself is better! )

Please provide us with a list of ALL of your components (i.e. motherboard, CPU, DRAM, video card), including the model numbers.

 

[Pinecallado]

This particular problem is also sometimes caused by a short on the motherboard to the tray. Based on your questions I think its prudent to ask if you screwed in brass spaces into your motherboard tray and then the motherboard into those or was the area you screwed into raised? If the answer is no to both then those copper coloured screws will likely solve your problem, they go into the case where the motherboard screws in and the motherboard screws into those.

Yes, just like the video said on screwed the cooper colored screws into the motherboard tray first, position the motherboard holes on top on the screws, and then screwed the black colored screws in so the motherboard is raised.

Don't return it yet. Doublecheck your connections,m especially your case Power Supply connection to the Motherboard. You may have plugged it in the wrong position.

I'm still going to return it because based on the reviews I read about it, it looks like its going to cause me nothing but trouble in the future.
But anyway I'm sure I plugged it in correctly. I plugged the 20pin connector to the right and the 4pin connector to the left. Then I connected the 4pin 12v connector to the correct spot.

And I re checked it like 10 times

Yes, avoid $20 power supplies in the future. Buy something from a good brand like Corsair, Seasonic, XFX, or Antec.

You should should always put the computer together outside of the case first (laying out of a wooden or plastic table is fine) so that you can make sure it works BEFORE having to take everything back apart.

I'm too scared of getting electrocuted to put the power in without a case covering it! If you touch the motherboard while its still plugged in will you get electrocuted?

 

[sandorski]

I'm still going to return it because based on the reviews I read about it, it looks like its going to cause me nothing but trouble in the future.
But anyway I'm sure I plugged it in correctly. I plugged the 20pin connector to the right and the 4pin connector to the left. Then I connected the 4pin 12v connector to the correct spot.

And I re checked it like 10 times

Those are not the connections I was talking about.

The case itself has wires that require being plugged into the motherboard. Doublecheck those, especially the Power Switch button.

 

[Pinecallado]

Please provide us with a list of ALL of your components (i.e. motherboard, CPU, DRAM, video card), including the model numbers.

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H61N-USB3
CPU:Intel Core i3-3225 Dual-Core Processor 3.3 GHz
Ram:Microcenter 4GB DDR3-1333 (PC3-10666) CL9 Dual Channel Desktop Memory

I have no video card

 

[mfenn]

I'm too scared of getting electrocuted to put the power in without a case covering it! If you touch the motherboard while its still plugged in will you get electrocuted?

*touches motherboard*

Still here! :awe:

But seriously, a computer is not some Victorian-era deathtrap. The voltages are quite low and there isn't really any exposed surface with live current running through it. The only place with potentially dangerous voltages is the input side of the PSU, which is why that has it's own casing.

 

[mfenn]

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H61N-USB3
CPU:Intel Core i3-3225 Dual-Core Processor 3.3 GHz
Ram:Microcenter 4GB DDR3-1333 (PC3-10666) CL9 Dual Channel Desktop Memory

I have no video card

Aha! Here's the problem. You have an H61 motherboard but an Ivy Bridge processor. Those are not compatible without a BIOS update. Since you have no Sandy Bridge processor to do the update with, you need to return the board and get a B75.

By the way, I don't see a GH build thread with these parts in it. If you're unsure (which you are), you should post before you buy.

 

[Pinecallado]

Those are not the connections I was talking about.

The case itself has wires that require being plugged into the motherboard. Doublecheck those, especially the Power Switch button.

Oh you meant the front panel part! I honestly wouldn't be surprised if that was the problem. I kept redoing that part over and over again but nothing never changed.

When you plug the cables in to that part does the front of the cables where the words are have to show? I think you have to turn it backwards so the negative and positives can match.

 

[mfenn]

The specific location of the lettering on the headers doesn't matter. Really, you only need one front panel cable connected for the PC to boot (power switch), and orientation doesn't matter for that one.

 

[Pinecallado]

Aha! Here's the problem. You have an H61 motherboard but an Ivy Bridge processor. Those are not compatible without a BIOS update. Since you have no Sandy Bridge processor to do the update with, you need to return the board and get a B75.

By the way, I don't see a GH build thread with these parts in it. If you're unsure (which you are), you should post before you buy.

UGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGH! WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY!!!!!

When I was at microcenter buying the parts I was originally going to buy a i3 3220 but the guy who gave me the cpu told me that microcenter was taking $50 off any compatible motherboard that is brought with a intel core i3 3225. That seemed like a wonderful deal to me Too bad he didn't tell me H61 motherboards was incompatible with ivy bridge cpus. This is such a noob mistake.

Is anyone familiar with microcenter return policies? If I explain the situation to them do you think they will let me exchange this motherboard for a compatible one with the same $50 off deal?

(Hope my parents arn't too mad about this )

 

[Sleepingforest]

Hm... there is no hard-and-fast rule for these things (in reference to which thing goes where for the power button and so on). Use your motherboard manual to figure it all out.

As for returns: they should give you the money you spent back; whether they let you get another part as a combo deal is up to how the employee feels/manager says is allowed.

 

[Pinecallado]

Hm... there is no hard-and-fast rule for these things (in reference to which thing goes where for the power button and so on). Use your motherboard manual to figure it all out.

As for returns: they should give you the money you spent back; whether they let you get another part as a combo deal is up to how the employee feels/manager says is allowed.

Do you think they will let me just return the i3 cpu so I can get a older i3 that's compatible with my motherboard.

And also, would giving up intel graphics 4000 be worth it?