Building A ComputerBuilding A Computer

How to build YourHow to build Your

own Computerown Computer

G.TomlinsonG.Tomlinson

Hopwood Hall CollegeHopwood Hall College

Let's start the assembly processLet's start the assembly process

You will need a You will need a Phillips head Phillips head screwdriver, and screwdriver, and Snipenose pliers, Snipenose pliers, handy for recovery handy for recovery of dropped screws.of dropped screws.

Processor and Heatsink Processor and Heatsink InstallationInstallation

Heatsink and fan with a pre-applied thermal pad and a plastic clamp for mounting on the motherboard. Also a syringe of “Arctic Silver” heatsink compound and a tube of standard heatsink paste.

Install the Processor

Then line up the processor and drop it in. Gently press it down and lock it in placeby depressing the metal lever.

Lift the lever next to the socket

Heatsink compound.Heatsink compound. Start by placing a pea-sized dab of heatsink compound on the mounted processor.

Next, gently lower the heatsink on to the processor using the plastic guide rails. Press very lightly then lift the heatsink off the processor. You should have a small round blotch of thermal compound on both the processor and the heatsink.

Use a disposable cloth or Use a disposable cloth or paper towel to smear the paper towel to smear the blotch on the heatsink, blotch on the heatsink, and remove thermal and remove thermal compound until you have compound until you have a very thin film on the a very thin film on the bottom of the heatsink. bottom of the heatsink. When finished, you should When finished, you should see a broad silver see a broad silver discoloured area where discoloured area where the high-performance the high-performance thermal compound has thermal compound has filled in the tiny grooves filled in the tiny grooves and crannies in the and crannies in the bottom of the heatsink.bottom of the heatsink.

To complete the To complete the installation of the installation of the heatsink, plug the fan heatsink, plug the fan power cable into the power cable into the motherboard. The motherboard. The location of the fan location of the fan power jack varies power jack varies depending on the depending on the motherboard brand motherboard brand and model, but it is and model, but it is always close to the always close to the processor socket processor socket

RAM installation.RAM installation.

Fortunately, RAM Fortunately, RAM installation is much installation is much easier than easier than processor processor installation; the installation; the RAM DIMMs are RAM DIMMs are keyed so they only keyed so they only go in the right way.go in the right way.

In the picture In the picture below, you can see below, you can see the key slot in the the key slot in the RAM DIMMs and the RAM DIMMs and the key tab in the DIMM key tab in the DIMM slot.slot.

To install the RAM, push down the To install the RAM, push down the white locking tabs at each end of white locking tabs at each end of the DIMM slots. Line up the key the DIMM slots. Line up the key slot on the DIMM with the key tab slot on the DIMM with the key tab in the DIMM slot, and press the in the DIMM slot, and press the RAM into the slotRAM into the slot

Motherboard installationMotherboard installation

The motherboard is The motherboard is now prepared for now prepared for installation. To installation. To finish motherboard finish motherboard installation, we installation, we need to open the need to open the case and remove case and remove the motherboard the motherboard mounting plate.mounting plate.

The motherboard The motherboard mounting plate mounting plate dismounts much like dismounts much like the side panels; just the side panels; just locate the securing locate the securing screws, remove screws, remove them, then slide and them, then slide and lift out. lift out.

Once all the spacers are installed, place the motherboard over the mounting plate and line up the screw holes with the spacers.

Screw the motherboard into the spacers, with fairly light torque on the screws.

With the motherboard With the motherboard installed, we need to check installed, we need to check the input/output (I/O) plate the input/output (I/O) plate on the back of the case. on the back of the case. Compare the I/O plate to Compare the I/O plate to the I/O jacks on the back of the I/O jacks on the back of the motherboardthe motherboard

Compare the I/O plate (top) to the I/O ports on the backof the motherboard (bottom) and punch out any required holes on the I/O plate.

Mount the MotherboardMount the Motherboard

With the With the motherboard motherboard screwed on to the screwed on to the spacers and firmly spacers and firmly attached to the attached to the mounting plate, re-mounting plate, re-install the install the mounting plate in mounting plate in the casethe case

Make sure the I/O Make sure the I/O ports on the ports on the motherboard are motherboard are correctly aligned correctly aligned with the I/O plate, with the I/O plate, so they poke out so they poke out of the holesof the holes

Motherboard InstalledMotherboard Installed

That step That step completes the completes the motherboard motherboard installationinstallation

The Power Supply and The Power Supply and Front-Panel ControlsFront-Panel Controls

Hooking the power Hooking the power supply to the supply to the motherboard is easy; motherboard is easy; this motherboard only this motherboard only requires one power requires one power supply connector. It's supply connector. It's a unique connector a unique connector that is keyed to that is keyed to prevent incorrect prevent incorrect installation installation

LEDs (power, reset, etc.)LEDs (power, reset, etc.)

The inside front panel of The inside front panel of the case will have several the case will have several little wires and plugs little wires and plugs hanging out of it. These hanging out of it. These plugs attach the front plugs attach the front panel controls and LEDs panel controls and LEDs (power, reset, etc.) to the (power, reset, etc.) to the motherboard. To install motherboard. To install them, check your them, check your motherboard manual and motherboard manual and locate the appropriate locate the appropriate jacks on the motherboard; jacks on the motherboard; they are usually near the they are usually near the front lower portion of the front lower portion of the motherboard motherboard

Expansion CardsExpansion Cards

Time to install the Time to install the expansion cards expansion cards

Video CardVideo Card

Expansion CardsExpansion Cards

The second The second expansion card is expansion card is the NetGear the NetGear Ethernet PCI card, Ethernet PCI card, to connect this PC to connect this PC to my home to my home networknetwork

Once your cards are installed, use a screw from theparts bag that came with your caseto secure the back of the each card to the case

Hard Disks and Optical Hard Disks and Optical DrivesDrives

The case has four 5.25" drive bays and three 3.5" drive bays. The large drive bays come with mounting rails, so you can slide each drive into the bays, and the lower drive cage slides out the front of the case

The two IBM 80GB The two IBM 80GB hard disks go into hard disks go into the lower drive the lower drive bay, as well as the bay, as well as the 3.5" floppy disc 3.5" floppy disc drive. There is no drive. There is no special trick to special trick to installing them; installing them; just shove them just shove them into the drive into the drive

Cd RomsCd Roms

CD writer, DVD-CD writer, DVD-ROM and ROM and removable drive removable drive bracket with bracket with mounting railsmounting rails

The optical drives and removable drive bracket installed.

Multifunction Transfer PanelMultifunction Transfer Panel

The multifunction transfer The multifunction transfer panel will route several panel will route several useful connectors to the useful connectors to the front of the case, you won't front of the case, you won't have to pull out the have to pull out the computer each time you computer each time you want to plug something in. want to plug something in. The transfer panel can The transfer panel can include joystick ports, USB include joystick ports, USB ports, Firewire ports, audio ports, Firewire ports, audio ports. also can have a ports. also can have a thermometer with a sensor thermometer with a sensor on the end of wire; this can on the end of wire; this can be placed anywhere you be placed anywhere you want to check the case want to check the case temperature. temperature.

Cable Installation and FinishingCable Installation and Finishing

You can hook up the hard disks for the RAID array in any order you want, but remember that once you set-up the array, the hard disks need to stay plugged in to their respective RAID ports. If you disassemble your system, make sure to mark the drives so you can plug them into their original ports. 

Note that all the IDE cables in this project are 80-conductor ATA/100 compatible cables. Rather than mix and match 40-conductor and 80-conductor cables

Finish the cable Finish the cable installation by hooking installation by hooking up all the devices to up all the devices to the power supply, the power supply, including the front including the front panel cooling fan if panel cooling fan if available. When available. When finished, your case will finished, your case will look like you tossed a look like you tossed a stick of dynamite into stick of dynamite into a pot of spaghetti.a pot of spaghetti.

No, it is not pretty. With so much hardware in the case, cable clutter is inevitable. You can hook it up right if you plan ahead and install one cable at a time

Case CompleteCase Complete

Put the outer case Put the outer case panels back on, and panels back on, and the system build is the system build is complete. It's a lot complete. It's a lot prettier with the prettier with the case on! Hook it up case on! Hook it up to electrical power, to electrical power, monitor, mouse and monitor, mouse and keyboard and you keyboard and you are ready to go.are ready to go.

RAID Setup and Operating RAID Setup and Operating System InstallSystem Install

Follow the prompts Follow the prompts to create RAID 0 to create RAID 0 striped array with striped array with the two hard disks. the two hard disks. Or if you plan to set Or if you plan to set this system up for this system up for reliability instead of reliability instead of performance, performance, specify a RAID 1 specify a RAID 1 mirrored array. mirrored array. 

When you complete the array setup, When you complete the array setup, press ESC to close the setup utility press ESC to close the setup utility and save your changes. Now the two and save your changes. Now the two hard disks are joined together in a hard disks are joined together in a RAID array, and they will appear as a RAID array, and they will appear as a single hard disk to the operating single hard disk to the operating systemsystem

Install Windows XPInstall Windows XP To install Windows XP on this system, simply insert the To install Windows XP on this system, simply insert the

Windows XP CD and allow the computer to start from the Windows XP CD and allow the computer to start from the CD. During the initial start-up, Windows XP will prompt you CD. During the initial start-up, Windows XP will prompt you to press the to press the F6F6 key to install additional storage controller key to install additional storage controller drivers. When you see this prompt, press F6 and insert the drivers. When you see this prompt, press F6 and insert the driver disk included with your motherboard. After that, you driver disk included with your motherboard. After that, you just follow the prompts to set up your hard disk (actually just follow the prompts to set up your hard disk (actually two hard disks) and install the operating system. When the two hard disks) and install the operating system. When the computer restarts during the operating system installation, computer restarts during the operating system installation, you will need to remove the driver disk.  When the you will need to remove the driver disk.  When the operating system is completely installed, you will need to operating system is completely installed, you will need to install the video any other hardware drivers.install the video any other hardware drivers.

The P4 project system is The P4 project system is ready to go!ready to go!

G.TomlinsonG.TomlinsonHopwood Hall CollegeHopwood Hall College