How come the P5W manual doesn't say not to mount the mobo directly to the case?

[Navaros]

I was wondering why the manual for the P5W mobo doesn't say not to mount the motherboard directly to the case? It makes no mention of this at all.

I've read that motherboards need to go on mounts so they don't get shorted-out, is this correct?

If so then where do the mounts come from?

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

A small zip lock bag should have come with your case.
In the bag you will find (probably) brass stand-offs.

Read me http://www.mechbgon.com/


...Galvanized

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Navaros
I was wondering why the manual for the P5W mobo doesn't say not to mount the motherboard directly to the case? It makes no mention of this at all.

I've read that motherboards need to go on mounts so they don't get shorted-out, is this correct?

If so then where do the mounts come from?

Possibly because most people who build there own PC are assumed to have some idea of what they are doing!!
As its obvious you do...by asking this question!!

 

[Howard]

How do you even secure the mobo without the standoffs?

 

[Navaros]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda


Possibly becuase most people who build there own PC are assumed to have som idea of what they are doing!!
As its obvious you do...by asking this question!!

The ironic part about that is that I do know how to do most of the stuff listed in the P5W manual like installing DIMMs, installing PCI cards etc. etc. Yet the P5W goes into great detail about all that newbie stuff. I'd think not shorting-out the mobo by mounting it directly is much less known than how to install a DIMM or PCI card would be. :Q

Usually I just paid a technician to install my mobo and CPU and heatsink. That's why I don't know about mounting mobos. Think I'll pay a tech to do it again this time too.

 

[Zepper]

It is very simple. When you buy a case, you get a baggie of hardware along with it. Among the hardware will be at least 9 standoffs. They are usually hexagonal with a female thread on one end and a male t hread on the other and the hexagonal part is about 1/4" long. Some cases have little spring metal stanchions that snap into square holes in the mobo pan. Others have the standoffs pressed right into the mobo pan, so all you need is screws to mount the mobo. Your case should give at least a mounting diagram that shows where the standoffs go and which ones to use where to use them. At least one case I had had two heights of standoffs.

In any case, go to http://www.mechbgon.com and read his beginning PC builder's guide. It will remove a lot of the haze around stuff like mounting mobos, etc. Well worth your while even if you don't intend to grapple with installing the mobo yourself. At least you'll have some clue as to whether the tech did his part of the job correctly.

.bh.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Navaros
I've read that motherboards need to go on mounts so they don't get shorted-out, is this correct?

Originally posted by: Howard
How do you even secure the mobo without the standoffs?

You bet it's possible! A friend of mine did this once -- no kidding! :laugh:

I know it's hard to believe, but the threads on the bottom of the stand-offs are the same size as the screws that go in the top -- so this bonehead just screwed his mobo directly to the chassis.

He couldn't figure out why the boards wouldn't fit into the sockets right, but that didn't stop him -- he lit it up anyway!!!

Hahahahahaha!

 

[Zepper]

Luckily a quality PSU will shut itself down when it is shorted out by mounting the mobo tight to the mobo pan. You did get a quality PSU, didn't you???

.bh.

 

[modestninja]

Originally posted by: Zepper
Luckily a quality PSU will shut itself down when it is shorted out by mounting the mobo tight to the mobo pan. You did get a quality PSU, didn't you???

.bh.

Is this the point where the enhance PSU recomendation comes in? Seems like it happens every thread that mentions a PSU...

PS: Mine is working out really nicely.

 

[Baked]

Even the $5 Ultra X-Finity PSU has built-in short circuit protection.

 

[Aluvus]

Some cases (mostly older cases) have little "bumps" instead of standoffs. And the motherboard manufacturers probably consider this an issue for case manufacturers to deal with.

 

[Zepper]

Hey modest,

This isn't a PSU thread, but if you plan to do bonehead things like cinching your mobo right down to the pan, then you'd better have a decent one... I'm glad it's you who brought up the subject this time.

Convince me that there is a better PSU available than the 51x0GH models for the same or less money and I'll be glad to recommend that. In a couple of posts lately I've recommended Seasonic. For some applications I recommend Zippy or the Fortron PLG. It's just that 90% of contemporary sytems would be well served by one or the other of those Enhance models.

.bh.

 

[modestninja]

Originally posted by: Zepper
Hey modest,

This isn't a PSU thread, but if you plan to do bonehead things like cinching your mobo right down to the pan, then you'd better have a decent one... I'm glad it's you who brought up the subject this time.

Convince me that there is a better PSU available than the 51x0GH models for the same or less money and I'll be glad to recommend that. In a couple of posts lately I've recommended Seasonic. For some applications I recommend Zippy or the Fortron PLG. It's just that 90% of contemporary sytems would be well served by one or the other of those Enhance models.

.bh.

I was just giving you crap. I think it's great that you're spreading the word about them. I absolutely don't think there is a better value for the moneyh. I think it's a great recomendation for 90% of users out there and so far I'm more than happy with mine (with the rock solid rails) and the extra $30-$40 in my pocket.

Anyway, like Baked said most decent, modern PSUs have short circuit protection in them (although I'm not sure it they are all equal).


Getting back to the subject on hand, when they have so many steps like putting in RAM and PCI and video cards you'd think they at least mention making sure you used the standoffs. I know I put in RAM and PCI card well before I ever put a mobo in a case Although the first time I did was after I had taken the current mobo out of there so the standoffs were already in there -- I'd also done some reading so I knew why they were in there. Sadly, I still shorted the mobo out because I didn't notice that I had dropped a screw underneath the mobo.... You live and learn.

Cheers.

 

[VinDSL]

Er...

AFAIK PSUs have had 'short circuit protection' for a LONG time -- maybe since day-one. After all, these things are switching power supplies, and dangerous as h*ll. I've never blown one up, but I HAVE shorted them out dozens of times over the years, accidentally dropping screws into the case while the computer was running, and so forth, and so on. I'm sure all of you have done the same!

Anyway, my buddy wasn't so lucky. It fried something on his mobo, even though nothing was visible. No big deal! It was a brand new mobo, so he just returned it to the place where he bought it, and told them it was DOA... I lesson learned...

 

[Zepper]

Well, under test conditions, at least one X-Connect blew up before shutting itself down. Of course it was hooked up to a dummy load that was pretty indestructible. Don't know what would have happened had it been in an actual system.

Yes, mobo manuals could be a bit clearer, but I doubt it is possible for the Asian mind to comprehend the levels of stupid that exist here. If you don't know how to do something and have never done something before it would make sense that one would educate oneself before proceeding (there is a cornucopia of PC building guides on the web and in book, CD and video forms) - but not here. I have read in these forums of several instances of forum members having pulled the bonehead stunt of which the OP speaks.

Unfortunately some case mfrs have begun stamping the standoffs right into the metal of the mobo pan (mine for one) so "standoffless" installation might be assumed, by some that had only seen such, to be the norm.

.bh.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Zepper
Yes, mobo manuals could be a bit clearer, but I doubt it is possible for the Asian mind to comprehend the levels of stupid that exist here...

Bwahahaha! No kidding!

The funny thing is, they look up to 'us', so what's that say about them? :laugh: