Good guide. I just kind of browsed and made sure the infamous "hey asshat, your heatsink is on backwards" picture was there.
Did you get paid for this or was it just out of the kindness of your own heart? 
It's nice, looks like a lot of work went into it. I have a case just like that.
I hope Antec sent something nice your way.
It's nice, looks like a lot of work went into it. I have a case just like that.
I hope Antec sent something nice your way.
The first pic is all wrong!!! Building a PC is a complex task that requires a steady amount of food. Your reference to pizza is correct and shame on you not to follow thru!! Anyway, I can help you remedy this problem:
PIZZAAAAAAA
You may use this image with my compliments
The rest of the guide is really good! Bookmarked for newbie friends getting adventureous.
PIZZAAAAAAA
You may use this image with my compliments
The rest of the guide is really good! Bookmarked for newbie friends getting adventureous.
- Oct 31, 1999
- 30,699
- 1
- 0
It was out of the kindness of my heart, I see the newbies asking for a guide every once in a whileOriginally posted by: Mavrick007
Did you get paid for this or was it just out of the kindness of your own heart?
It's nice, looks like a lot of work went into it. I have a case just like that.
I hope Antec sent something nice your way.
Let's see how far I get before my ISP smacks me upside the head for 1000X'ing their typical user traffic level :QIf Antec plans to send me something, it's news to me
(sniff)
That video of putting on the heatsink was so beautiful it almost made me cry.
You might want to mention, though, that the latch for that thing is very stiff and will take a good amount of controlled force unless you use a big screwdriver with a lot of leverage.
That video of putting on the heatsink was so beautiful it almost made me cry.
You might want to mention, though, that the latch for that thing is very stiff and will take a good amount of controlled force unless you use a big screwdriver with a lot of leverage.
mechBgon
u rock
thx for all the help when i was building my first comp, wish i had this guide back then, but hey, i'm typing now huh
i hope ppl benefit from all the work u put in
btw, i dont think recommending a 400W is really better.
Seasonic should be reccommend and i like CoolMAx tarus Cx series for cheap and very quiet.
U should have a link to slientpcreview too, i learn a bunchload from there.
SilentPcReview
~RaNDoM
u rock
thx for all the help when i was building my first comp, wish i had this guide back then, but hey, i'm typing now huh
i hope ppl benefit from all the work u put in
btw, i dont think recommending a 400W is really better.
Seasonic should be reccommend and i like CoolMAx tarus Cx series for cheap and very quiet.
U should have a link to slientpcreview too, i learn a bunchload from there.
SilentPcReview
~RaNDoM
Just read the whole thing in detail ... just one thing to say...
Guides like this will make dell go outta business
p.s. I have never assembled on my own...
but soon .....
Guides like this will make dell go outta business
p.s. I have never assembled on my own...
but soon .....
Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Planning on putting in an "AGP for no0bs" later?
- M4H
Other then no AGP thingamabob, it's a VERY nice guide, very nice. Keep the good work up.
Well done. A very thorough guide, through most of the steps involved in assembling a PC.
I particularly like the discussion about CPU heatsink installation, in particular the major pitfall of putting it on backwards.
You raised many good points, that having had many years of experience, I would probably have taken for granted - things like the mechanical keying of the DIMMs and the role of the apparently redundant power connectors
There are however, several points that were skipped over, or could be expanded on:
1. Very little discussion of ESD. This is only discussed in the HD section, but it is equally relevant for assembling the CPU/Mobo/RAM - this in an important concept and could easily result in costly immediate damage, or long-term instability and malfunction which could be otherwise blamed on poor quality parts/software. At the very least advice to leave the PSU plugged into a mains socket, but switched off at a power strip - together with avoidance of working on carpet and the use of woollen clothing. The photos showing no wrist strap unfortunately set a bad example for people who may not be aware of ESD.
2. It would be a sensible to test the motherboard/CPU/RAM/Video card prior to inserting it into the case. This would provide rapid feedback of a critical mistake, especially as RAM insertion or HSF installation shouldn't really be done with the motherboard mounted in the case (the insertion force can bend or damage the motherboard if it is mounted on supports).
3. It would be sensible to describe the screws in better detail - typically 2 types of screws are used in PCs. UNC 6-32 are used for mounting drives (HD, optical and FDD). M3 are usually used for case screws and for mounting motherboard/card retention brackets (some apparently use UNC 6-32 for case panels but I've never come across one of these personally). I've found that cases almost always never come with enough screws for all your peripherals - at least if you know what you want you can get more.
4. A very minor point, but when connecting case LEDs and switches, it's worth mentioning that sometimes the manufacturers get either the markings on the mobo or the manual wrong. If you don't get success then check the other source of information. (This caught me out once - an Asus board as well).
5. When inserting ribbon cables for IDE/FDD - although many are now keyed, there are still a lot around which aren't. The red stripe on the cable indicates pin 1. On the motherboard pin 1 is usually marked with an arrow.
6. There has been a change in the ATX specification recently. Previously the main motherboard connector was a 20 pin molex connector, now it has been extended to 24 pins. You may find that if you get a brand new case or PSU the connector doesn't match the one on an older mobo. Usually adaptors are supplied with new PSUs - particularly if someone is trying to use a brand new mobo with an older PSU (e.g. bought 2nd hand).
I particularly like the discussion about CPU heatsink installation, in particular the major pitfall of putting it on backwards.
You raised many good points, that having had many years of experience, I would probably have taken for granted - things like the mechanical keying of the DIMMs and the role of the apparently redundant power connectors
There are however, several points that were skipped over, or could be expanded on:
1. Very little discussion of ESD. This is only discussed in the HD section, but it is equally relevant for assembling the CPU/Mobo/RAM - this in an important concept and could easily result in costly immediate damage, or long-term instability and malfunction which could be otherwise blamed on poor quality parts/software. At the very least advice to leave the PSU plugged into a mains socket, but switched off at a power strip - together with avoidance of working on carpet and the use of woollen clothing. The photos showing no wrist strap unfortunately set a bad example for people who may not be aware of ESD.
2. It would be a sensible to test the motherboard/CPU/RAM/Video card prior to inserting it into the case. This would provide rapid feedback of a critical mistake, especially as RAM insertion or HSF installation shouldn't really be done with the motherboard mounted in the case (the insertion force can bend or damage the motherboard if it is mounted on supports).
3. It would be sensible to describe the screws in better detail - typically 2 types of screws are used in PCs. UNC 6-32 are used for mounting drives (HD, optical and FDD). M3 are usually used for case screws and for mounting motherboard/card retention brackets (some apparently use UNC 6-32 for case panels but I've never come across one of these personally). I've found that cases almost always never come with enough screws for all your peripherals - at least if you know what you want you can get more.
4. A very minor point, but when connecting case LEDs and switches, it's worth mentioning that sometimes the manufacturers get either the markings on the mobo or the manual wrong. If you don't get success then check the other source of information. (This caught me out once - an Asus board as well).
5. When inserting ribbon cables for IDE/FDD - although many are now keyed, there are still a lot around which aren't. The red stripe on the cable indicates pin 1. On the motherboard pin 1 is usually marked with an arrow.
6. There has been a change in the ATX specification recently. Previously the main motherboard connector was a 20 pin molex connector, now it has been extended to 24 pins. You may find that if you get a brand new case or PSU the connector doesn't match the one on an older mobo. Usually adaptors are supplied with new PSUs - particularly if someone is trying to use a brand new mobo with an older PSU (e.g. bought 2nd hand).
I'd be happy to put it up, or do something about it as a full article... It's all up to however mechBgon would like it though.
Great guide! I know alot of people that would find this useful (including myself).
I have a friend who is contemplating building for the first time. This will tell him in an hour (or less) what I could explain to him in a week.
Thanks.
- Aug 22, 2001
- 32,072
- 32,599
- 146
Good point about the big screwdriver. After my first couple of builds I found it *MUCH* easier to use a big screwdriver.
Tom
Great guide, mechBgon. I'll be using this soon to build my second rig; the first I put together in 2001 and have forgotten much of the process. Yep, 'time' itself noobed me. Again.
I liked the pictures of the screw threads. I liked the on-edge shot of the mobo showing the need for standoffs. As I read the initial portion about standoffs I wondered how you knew which holes to put the standoffs in? Initially I also wondered why you thought the "outie" standoff was a good idea because I didn't remember the mobo being like a wet bar of soap in the case, in need of restraint. However, later I learn of the EMI prongies.
I had a Very Audible Laugh <VAL> with your words regarding how to tighten down the mobo. I won't spoil the fun for others by alluding to it further.
On a separate issue, you write,
...I wonder if "in all cases" should say "in all instances"? Just for clarity's sake. I got bungled for a moment here.
...Additionally, I was initially confused by these two sentences of yours but figured it out after a few minutes. My confusion stemmed from believing the first sentence wasn't compatible with the information in the second sentence. Allow me to demonstrate: a cable will have 3 connectors {all the time?}, one at each end and one in the middle. The first sentence plainly tells me to utilize the connectors at either end of the cable, eschewing the middle one. Okay, good. The next sentence tells me vacant sections of cable can cause signal bounce... uh oh, I left that middle connector vacant, I'm gonna get signal bounce; better re-read the first sentence. Re-read first sentence, still feel its plain to understand. Re-read second sentence, still feel I'm getting that one, too. Something isn't right, click pictures, re-read, click pictures, re-read. WTF? Nobody else mentions this in the review, so its gotta be me, what am I not understanding here, its gotta be something easy? Then something clicked and I understood you meant that *had* I used the middle connector then there would be a vacant section of cable with a vacant connector, the one at the tail end of the cable. Made for a frustrating 5 minutes.
This is a pleasurable and informative guide, thank you for providing it.
-SynapticBliss
I liked the pictures of the screw threads. I liked the on-edge shot of the mobo showing the need for standoffs. As I read the initial portion about standoffs I wondered how you knew which holes to put the standoffs in? Initially I also wondered why you thought the "outie" standoff was a good idea because I didn't remember the mobo being like a wet bar of soap in the case, in need of restraint. However, later I learn of the EMI prongies.
I had a Very Audible Laugh <VAL> with your words regarding how to tighten down the mobo. I won't spoil the fun for others by alluding to it further.
On a separate issue, you write,
...I wonder if "in all cases" should say "in all instances"? Just for clarity's sake. I got bungled for a moment here.
...Additionally, I was initially confused by these two sentences of yours but figured it out after a few minutes. My confusion stemmed from believing the first sentence wasn't compatible with the information in the second sentence. Allow me to demonstrate: a cable will have 3 connectors {all the time?}, one at each end and one in the middle. The first sentence plainly tells me to utilize the connectors at either end of the cable, eschewing the middle one. Okay, good. The next sentence tells me vacant sections of cable can cause signal bounce... uh oh, I left that middle connector vacant, I'm gonna get signal bounce; better re-read the first sentence. Re-read first sentence, still feel its plain to understand. Re-read second sentence, still feel I'm getting that one, too. Something isn't right, click pictures, re-read, click pictures, re-read. WTF? Nobody else mentions this in the review, so its gotta be me, what am I not understanding here, its gotta be something easy? Then something clicked and I understood you meant that *had* I used the middle connector then there would be a vacant section of cable with a vacant connector, the one at the tail end of the cable. Made for a frustrating 5 minutes.
This is a pleasurable and informative guide, thank you for providing it.
-SynapticBliss
- Oct 31, 1999
- 30,699
- 1
- 0
SynapticBliss: good catch, I'll iron that out.
Mercenary4Hire: agreed, I need to get an AGP-card shot in there, because the majority of people will be using an AGP card, not onboard video. Maybe I'll run down to the office later (where my camera is) and get some photos of that, and also stage a "test-the-bare-essentials-outside-the-case" shot as several folks suggested
Abhi: uh oh, you're onto me :Q
Thraxes: you da man! I'll definitely put that in there, along with the tip about washing one's hands
MDE: as best I recall, you quoted it like this:
We don't want to give the Fluffaron more credit than it's due...
Thanks again for the feedback so far, everyone... Hopefully I'll have the next draft in place by tonight (Pacific Standard Time).
Oh, and AndyHui, when it's ready for prime time, it would be great if you had room for it amongst the FAQs, yeah! I don't know if it's polished enough for front-page AnandTech.com usage but you are a better judge of that. I could edit it into a more polished form, of course... I've been deliberately casual in order to avoid scaring the newbies off.
Mercenary4Hire: agreed, I need to get an AGP-card shot in there, because the majority of people will be using an AGP card, not onboard video. Maybe I'll run down to the office later (where my camera is) and get some photos of that, and also stage a "test-the-bare-essentials-outside-the-case" shot as several folks suggested
Abhi: uh oh, you're onto me :Q
Thraxes: you da man!
I'll definitely put that in there, along with the tip about washing one's hands MDE: as best I recall, you quoted it like this:
- Take a bag of Doritos
- Pound it with your fist a few times
- Stick a label on the outside saying "now 30% more chips inside!!"
- Tada, you've got a Celeron! ( :evil: )
We don't want to give the Fluffaron more credit than it's due...
Thanks again for the feedback so far, everyone... Hopefully I'll have the next draft in place by tonight (Pacific Standard Time).
Oh, and AndyHui, when it's ready for prime time, it would be great if you had room for it amongst the FAQs, yeah!
I don't know if it's polished enough for front-page AnandTech.com usage but you are a better judge of that. I could edit it into a more polished form, of course... I've been deliberately casual in order to avoid scaring the newbies off. Ahahahaha I like it, the first part about the snacks is funny, there was a lot of funny stuff in there... some of it is a little too basic, but hey you never know who is gonna be building a computer. I would recommend it to noobs that need to learn how to make a computer.
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