In Part 2, we looked at the essential parts of your motherboard that you should be aware of. We installed the CPU and the HSF, then installed the memory. Your motherboard is ready for fitting...
In part 2 we will discuss:
- Installing the Motherboard
- Fitting the hard disk drive (HDD)
- Making the right connections
- Fitting a Dedicated Graphics card
Installing the Motherboard
Now that you have the CPU, CPU HSF and Memory installed on to the motherboard, you can now start to think about installing the motherboard into the case. But before you do, there are a few preparations to make before proceeding.
Firstly, and probably the most important, is to install the motherboard standoffs.
The motherboard stand offs are small hexagonal screws, normally brass, that rise the motherboard above the metallic casing therefore avoiding direct contact and shorting the motherboard. An expensive mistake to make.
Most cases accommodate for most combinations of form factors; ATX BTX, Mini and Macro ATX etc. This means that regardless of the case and motherboard combination, the standards imposed will guarantee that the standoff locations will match. The holes are normally marked to indicate which factor they are associated too.
Fixing the motherboard standoffs is essential if you don't want fireworks!Lay the case on its side and insert a stand-off into each hole that corresponds to the form factor (ATX for example) then tighten each standoff with nose pliers to ensuring that each screw is firmly in place and can’t be easily turned.
Make sure you insert the standoffs into the correct ATX placement.
Next you’ll need to insert the rear I/O shield at the back of the case. Always use the I/O shied that came with the motherboard. Do not use I/O shields from other motherboards and certainly don’t use the I/O shield that is supplied with the case which is just for show. With the rear I/O void, place the new I/O shield towards the back of the case making sure that it’s the right way round then press firmly until you have a tight fit. You should have a flush fitting inside the case and around each connector. Be careful, these blighters can be razor sharp.
The rear IO shield needs to be fitted before you install the motherboard.
Tip.. Have a look if there any cables that can be routed under the motherboard, such as Control Panel Cables, 4/8pin power supply cables etc.. Make sure they will reach the designated connection on the motherboard when fitted. This isn’t essential but makes for a neater job.
You are now going to fit the motherboard in to the case. Make sure you take all necessary anti-ESD precautions and handle the motherboard by the edges only. DO NOT LIFT BY THE HSF or any other component!!
With the case still on its side, gently lower the Motherboard into the case making sure the edge where the rear I/O connectors are facing the I/O shield you have just fitted. When completely lowered push the motherboard towards the rear I/O plate until each rear I/O connector is pushed through and accessible from the outside. Check also that the standoff screws are visible in each of the stand-off holes.
Make sure you can see the standoff screw through the motherboardWhen you are happy that all rear I/O connectors are visible and the standoff screws are visible, screw the motherboard down using the M3 screws. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN! Only screw down as far as the strength of your fingers will allow. DO NOT USE PLIERS!! Over tightening will result in the standoff screw turning with the screws which makes life a bit more awkward.
Repeat the process until all screws are in place.TIP.. Can’t reach all the screws? Here’s where the Blu-Tak comes in to play. Use a small ball of blue take and stick hard on the end of the screwdriver and gently pick up the screw with the Blu-Tak. As soon as the screw is in place, screw in a half turn and lift out. Remove the Blu-Tak from the screw driver and go back to finish the job.
With all the screws fastened, the motherboard is in place. Things are starting to shape up.
With the motherboard now attached, let’s install the Hard disk drive.
Installing the Hard Disk DriveYou may be forgiven if you said that not much has changed for the humble hard disk drive over the past ten years or so. Appearances are deceptive however, underneath the familiar shinny casing the HDD has seen many beneficial changes over the years. The SATA interface has replaced the all but defunct PATA interface. Storage space has increased significantly from just a few GB to ridiculously large TB (terabytes) drives. Improved platter design and densities have all contributed to hard drive performance and therefore it’s continued use. However, as CPUs, RAM etc break new boundaries in terms of performance; the aging mechanical drive is starting to hold back many high end systems. The appearance of Solid State Drives (SSDs) may see the beginning of the end for the traditional hard disk drive as we know it.
As I said at the very beginning of the guide, to a degree there’s no hardened rule as to which order you install your components. However, I have deliberately delayed the Hard Disk Drive (HDD) until now simply because in some cases, the drive can obstruct motherboard installation. This of course depends on the chassis design.
Hopefully, you’ll be installing a newer Serial ATA (SATA) drive but if you are installing or replacing a legacy IDE HDD, read my section on “Connecting and Configuring IDE devices” as you will need to configure the drives before installation,. Otherwise, apart from the cabling, fitting an IDE drive into the chassis is no different to installing a SATA drive.
All chassis will come with one or more HDD bays. Installing multiple drives can be useful for backups, RAID or even just for secondary storage from media files. For this guide however; we’ll just be installing a single drive.
Always check your chassis manual for HDD installation as many cases use different installation methods. Some higher end cases may use drive caddies which pop out of the case so one or more HDD drives can be installed altogether outside the case. The caddy then slips back in to place as one unit of drives. Personally, I’m not a great fan of drive caddies as invariably you have to disconnect all drives to get the caddy out.
Before installing your HDD(s) you must think about spacing and cooling. If you are installing more than one drive then make sure there is enough space between the drives. Leave one empty drive slot between them if you have enough room. Ideally, you’ll want to place the drives behind fan so that cool air passes over or underneath them. Some HDDs (including the CM-335) are located behind the front intake fan which is ideal.
If you are using tool-free fitting (such as the CM-335) then you may want to remove these now. Refer to your case manual for instructions.
WARNING – When handling your HDD make sure you take ESD precautions and hold the drive by the outside casing only, Never touch any circuitry underneath.
Simply insert the drive into the bay on the chassis or the caddy making sure it runs on the sliders provided. For most drive bays, the drive is inserted with circuitry down and the connectors facing into the case but this may be different from chassis to chassis.
Make sure that all four holes (two on each side) align with the chassis or caddy holes. If they don’t then you have the drive incorrectly placed. Remove drive and check.
Once aligned, secure the drive with M3 screws or the tool-free mechanism as you did with the optical unit. Make sure the drive is secured both sides and can't be moved.
TIP - Try fitting some rubber washes between the HDD and the chassis. This limits any vibration as the disk spin.
Installing Solid State DrivesSolid State Drives or SSDs, use NAND flash technology to store data rather than the conventional magnetic platters used by high HDD. Since there are no mechanical parts , SSDs are faster and silent in operation. SSDs in the past have been low capacity and very expensive so it isn't too uncommon to see installations with one small SSD for the Operating System only while having a secondary traditional Hard Drive for programs and file. You get the benefit of both types at relatively low cost. However, affordable and larger capacity SSDs are become more mainstream. The days of the hard Drive are nearly over.
SSDs are smaller by design and are normally 2.5” standard which are more associative with laptop hard drives than desktops. Installing an SSD isn’t much different to installing a standard HDD but you may need a 2.5” drive adaptor which fits’ inside the 5.25” drive bay. These are normally shipped with most SSDs but check first.
Retrospective of their very different technology, SSDs are still regarded as HDDs an installed he same way too.
Making the right connectionsNow that all your components are installed, you’ll need to connect them to a power source, data cable or both. Your case, for example, comes with a host of different coloured cables which connect to your motherboard to enable you to switch on the PC on and your PSU will come with various different cables and connectors that will supply your PC and it’s components with the power it requires. To a beginner, the sight of the vast amount of cables can be quite daunting but generally, if the connector fits, then you have the right connection.
However, there’s nothing worse than a mess of cables inside a PC unit. Bad cable management can compromise the chassis air flow, obstruct fan operation and looks crude. Take time to plan and route your cables where they look neat and tidy. Use cable ties to anchor the cables out of the way and route the cables behind the motherboard tray where ever possible. If you have a modular PSU, only use the cables you need. Cable management takes time and practise but the finished job looks more professional.
It might be worth giving my article “PSU Cables and connections” to become familiar with all the different connectors before you start.
Power AdaptorsIf your PSU doesn’t have the right connectors, don’t panic. In most cases you can purchase adaptors for many situations.
For example, if your PSU doesn’t have 15-pin SATA connectors for your SATA drives then you can use a 4-Molex to 15-pin SATA adaptor cable. Similarly, if your motherboard requires an 8 pin EPS12v connector but you only have a 4-pin ATX12v you can use a 4-pin Molex to EPS12v adaptor as shown below.
There's normally an adaptor for most situations where you don't have the required connector
Front Panel ConnectorWhen you first opened your chassis earlier, you probably noticed various loose cables inside. These cables provide function for USB, Audio, Power on, System reset and so on. Each cable is connected to a header on the motherboard.
The power switch, reset switch, HDD activity LED etc are all connected to the motherboard via the front panel header. The front panel header is an array of pin heads each with their own function as shown in the picture below.
The coloured front panel header pinsThe front panel cables are instantly recognisable as they come in pairs of coloured wires with small connectors on the end and each connector is marked with their function, such as PW (Power Switch) for example, and will also have positive (+) and negative (-) alignment markings. These must be connected to the corresponding pins on the front panel as shown in the following example.
Our motherboard fortunately labels each pin on the PCB underneath which makes identification easier but not all motherboards do so. In which case you must refer to your motherboard manual making sure you understand the layout of the header before making any connection. Many failed first time start-ups are because the power switch is in correctly fitted.
Don’t be alarmed if you don’t have all the connectors. Not all chassis come with an intruder alarm or HDD activity LED. I would however worry if there wasn’t a Power On switch.
Power Switch
The Power Switch enables you to switch on the PC from the case. The +/- connector must be connected to the corresponding PW+ and PW- pins respectively.
Reset SwitchThe Rest Switch enables you to force a system reboot where the system has frozen causing the system to reboot as normal. The +/- connector must be connected to the corresponding RES+ and RES- pins respectively
Power LEDThe power LED on the case indicates that the system is switched on and is receiving power. The +/- connector must be connected to the corresponding PWR+ and PWR- pins respectively
Hard Drive LED The Hard Drive LED on the case indicates any activity on the connected internal Hard Drives. The +/- connector must be connected to the corresponding HD+ and HD- pins respectively.
SpeakersYour case may come with a very basic internal speaker for basic keyboard errors and diagnostics. The speaker will emit a series of bleeps if any problems are found during the POST (Power On Self-Test) process and each bleep corresponds to an error. Likewise, a single bleep normally indicates that all is well. Although it’s not essential to operation, it’s a good idea to have a speaker connected. If your case doesn’t have a speaker, you can buy one from any good electronic retailer. The +/- connector must be connected to the corresponding SPEAK+ and SPEAK- pins respectively
Chassis IntruderWhen connected, an alarm will raise when the case side panel is opened. Your case must be fitted with intruder sensor or switch. The +/- connector must be connected to the corresponding CI+ and CI- pins respectively
Message/Power/ Sleep LEDThis is indicates the current power mode, i.e. Sleep or Powered On. The +/- connector must be connected to the corresponding MSG+ and MSG- pins respectively
Using a Front Panel Block connector
Connecting the front panel connectors to the header can be a fiddly and frustrating experience. Particularly when you have just learnt one is in the wrong place. To help, some motherboards supply a front panel block connector. The block connector shares the same pin orientation as that of the motherboard header allowing you to make all your connections to the block outside the PC. When all your connectors are in place simply attach the block to the front panel header in one easy connection.
Make sure all your connections are securely in place as they can be become easily disconnected when working inside the case.
USB ConnectorsMost cases supply a number of USB ports for you to connect USB compatible devices. These are normally located on the front of the chassis for you convenience. The cables that supply the USB functions are connected to a 10 pin USB header on the motherboard.
The USB header has one pin missing (pin 9) and the corresponding pin on the connector is blocked out so that you can only place the connector one way. Simply slip the connector down the pins until it can’t go any further. If it does fit then rotate the connector. Never force it otherwise you may bend or break the pins.
Note - you may have more than one USB cables. Each must have it's own header.
Firewire IEEE1394 You’d be hard pushed to find a motherboard with Apples failed IEEE 1394 port today but if you do then you should know that firewire the connector and ports are identical to the USB so make sure you are using the right connection and not get them confused.
The Firewire (IEEE1394) and USB headers look identical so be sure you make the right connection.Front Panel AudioYour chassis may support some front panel audio ports much as headphone and mic jacks and these normally support either High Definition Audio (HD) or AC’97 audio. The cable that supplies the audio functions normally has two connectors on the same cable which is connected to a 10 pin audio header on the motherboard. The connectors will be marked to identify which one is which.
Some motherboards supply two separate headers, one for HD audio and the other for AC’97. Simply connect the corresponding connector to the associated header. If however, there is only one connector and the motherboard supports both HD and AC’97, the chances are that both HD and AC’97 connectors can be connected to the same header but you may to configure which one you are using in the BIOS or Software.
The Audio header has one pin missing (pin 8) and the corresponding pin on the connector is blocked out so that you can only place the connector one way. Simply slip the connector down the pins until it can’t go any further. If it does fit then rotate the connector. Never force it otherwise you may bend or break the pins.
Tip – Bundle the front panel, USB and Audio cables together using cable wrap. Make sure you mark out the correct length of wrap and some cables may need to exit the wrap sooner. It can make things look a bit neater but you can do this at a later date. In some cases, you can also route the wires behind the motherboard but this comes with a little experience.
That's all the front panel connections done, let's hook up some power...Connecting the 20/24 pin ATX Motherboard connectorUnless you are building a PC from old parts, most modern ATX motherboards require a 24-pin ATX connecter as opposed to 20-pin of older generations . Make sure you have the right connector or adaptor to connect power to the motherboard.
Most 24-pin connectors use a combination of a 20-pin and 4-pin connector that is normally bundled on the same cable. The connector can normally be split or joined to fit either combination on your motherboard.
If however, your PSU has only a 20-pin connector but the motherboard requires a 24-pin connector then you can use a 20 to 24-pin adaptor as shown below. Likewise, if your 24-pin doesn’t split, you can also purchase 24 to 20-pin converters.
When fitting, simply align the ATX power connector with the motherboard socket. The connector will only go in one way. The connector will only go in one way so if the connector doesn’t push down then you may have the connector the wrong way round. If aligned correctly, push the connector firmly downwards until the connector clicks into place. Make sure the retention lever is over the lug on the socket.
A 24-pin ATX Connector securely in place. Note the retention lever is clipped over the socket lug. Connecting the 4/8-pin CPU connector
Your motherboard may require a supplementary CPU power connection, which is either a 4-pin ATX12v or 8-pin EPS12v connector. The socket is normally located somewhere near the CPU.
As with the 20-24 pin, most modern PSUs supply both types of connectors on either separate cables or a single two way split (as shown below). Older PSUs however, may only come with single 4-pin ATX connectors. In this situation, you could use an 4 to 8 pin adaptor but in some cases you can connect the 4- pin ATX connector anyway by placing the connector into pins 1 -5 as shown below.
Again, align the connector with the socket. The connector will only go in one way. Push down firmly into place making sure the retention lever is over the lug on the socket.
The 4-pin ATX12c connector is in place.. Note the additional unconnected 4-pin connector for 8-pin EPS12v sockets.Connecting your HDD and Optical drivesIf you are installing a SATA hard drive, then you’ll need to connect a 15-pin Serial ATA power and a 7-pin data connector to your hard drive. They stand out from the rest of the connectors as they look flatter by comparison and have a slight alignment key to one side. This gives them an “L” shape appearance. The larger of the two is the power connector and the smaller is the data connector. Installing the HDD is identical to that of installing an Optical drive.
HDD/Optical Drive PowerFor power, simply align the large 15-pin SATA connector from the PSU with the large header on the drive and push in securely. Don’t use too much force; the connectors can be easily broken.
The 15-pin SATA Power (left) and 7-pin SATA Data (right) headers are clearly visible on this DVD drive.
Older PATA drives will need to be connected to a standard at 4-pin Molex peripheral connector. Like many other connectors, the Molex connector can only be fitted one way where one side is flat whilst the other side has rounded corners. Unlike the SATA connector, Molex connectors may need some persuasion to make a full connection. Some can be pinched to help align the pins. Make sure the connector is all the way in and secure. Sometimes these can appear connected when they are not.
[color=FF0000]Connecting the data cables[/color]
You motherboard should supply at least a couple of 7-pin SATA data cables to connect your HDD/Optical drives to the motherboard Serial-ATA controller.
You should check which SATA version your drive requires to run at its maximum speed. For example, if you have the newer SATA-3 drives, you'll want this connected to a SATA-3 controller to enjoy the full benefits 6GB/s performance. All drives are backward compatible, so if you connect a SATA-3 drive to a SATA-2 controller it will still operate but at SATA-2 speeds.
Some motherboards also come with multiple controllers so you may well find two sets of SATA headers. Different speeds and different controllers are normally colour coded. Check your motherboard manual as to which set of SATA headers you should be using.
The distinctive array of 7-pin SATA ports are easy to identify by their "L" shape appearance.
Our motherboard only has the one set of SATA-2 controllers. Align one end of 7-pin SATA data cable with the smaller SATA Data header on the drive and push firmly into place. The other end of the drive is connected to any SATA header on the mainboard. As with the power connector, don't use too much force, the connectors can be easily broken.
Connecting power to the Chassis fansMost fans supply 3-pin power connectors and most motherboards will have at least a system fan header (SYS_FAN). These are identical to the one used when connecting the CPU HSF earlier. Simply locate the header on the motherboard, align the connector and slip over the pins until the connector is at the bottom.
If your fans are supplied with 4-pin male Molex connectors, then the chances are these are just 2 pins inside. The fans must be connected to a spare female Molex connector.
The fans will work fine when either connected to the motherboard or Molex connector. However, the advantage of attaching your fans directly to the motherboard is that you can monitor and control fan speeds from either the BIOS or an application.
That's it for part 3. We're almost done. Everything should be in place and connected. It's nearly time for the big switch on. In chapter 4 we'll look at the final inspection and powering up for the first time, the BIOS, installing Windows and what happens if thing don't go quite to plan.
Fitting a Dedicated Graphics cardFitting a dedicated graphics card is optional where the CPU has graphics support but advisable if you are using the PC for gaming. Our processor and motherboard supports low end graphics which is fine for general use and video playback.
Details about fitting a dedicated graphics card is available in section 3 in my
Graphics Card Guide