Help assembling computer...

[Mrvile]

I spent all afternoon hacking and slashing away at my new computer, and I ran into some questions...

1. My PSU has a connector labeled "Aux." I couldn't find a matching plug for it on the motherboard (K8N Neo2 Platinum). Where does this go and is it necessary?

2. My motherboard came with an IDE cable for the optical drives. The cable is a normal IDE cable but has an extra connector in the middle. The top connector is labeled "Master" and the middle one labeled "Slave." Am I supposed to plug "Master" into the first CD drive and "Slave" into the second one?

3. Cable management! AHH! Cables everywhere! BTX probably has the worst cable arrangement since the PSU is on the bottom of the case. Any good homemade cable management techniques?


Thanks!

 

[mechBgon]

1) You won't need the AUX plug, just tuck it away somewhere in the case

2) It won't usually matter if the Master drive is on the middle or end plugs, but the color coding tells you which end goes to the motherboard (typically blue, sometimes I see red... the colored end belongs to the mobo).

3) you will need to use your common sense for this one

 

[Mrvile]

Seems like I'm doing it all right. Thanks!

 

[Regs]

Wow, I think you are the first member to mention building a new PC with the new BTX standard. At least for me.

Could you be so kind to list your temps of your CPU and/or video card after completion?

Good luck!

 

[Mrvile]

Thanks Regs. I would but I couldn't afford a thermometer at the time and I don't know if the MSI motherboard has a thermometer built into it.

Anyway, I got everything set up, ready to boot for the first time but I couldn't get myself to do it so I'll save that for tomorrow. While I was away making this post my dad used twisty ties and zippy ties and tied all the cables and wires together and it looks really nice now. I was looking over all the fans I had and...

I have one big 120x38mm Panaflo fan and two smaller 120x25mm AddA fans. The AddA fans are complete crap (61cfm at 38.7dba) but the Panaflo is amazing (85cfm at 35dba). Anyway I really wanna put the Panaflo to use but the only place it will fit is in the back as the main exhaust. The holes in my case I have are: 1x front 120mm, 1x top 120mm, 1x back 120mm. I was thinking of something like: AddA fan in front as intake, AddA fan in top as exhaust, Panaflo fan in back as exhaust. However if I do this my exhaust/intake ratios will be way off (if you factor in PSU too). Is having too much exhaust (almost a 4 to 1 ratio) bad for the computer? I use the Lian-Li V1000, which has a lot of holes made to passively suck air in, but I was just wondering if my ratios are a bit overkill.

 

[Regs]

I'm not a physics major, but I would have to believe that your exhaust fan will only be able to exhaust as much air as your intakes take in. Maybe if your case was vacumed sealed.

 

[Insomniak]

Having a higher exhaust rate than intake rate will create a partial vacuum in your case, and air will be drawn in through other openings. The Cooler Master Centurion is actually built around this idea, which is why it has a larger exhaust than intake mount, and why the entire front bezel is mesh. It allows for a ton of air to enter the case passively and thus cools as well as cases with twice as many fans.

The thing you have to be wary of with this method is dust. It's a good idea to put dust filters over openings where air will passively enter. The Centurion comes with them on the front mesh, and I added some inside the vent holes on the sides.

So anyway, a high exhaust - intake ratio is no problem...just be sure to clean the dust outta there regularly.