Setting Up PC Hardware- A full guide

Discussion in 'General Hardware' started by Rifle_Grunt, Sep 6, 2007.

  1. Rifle_Grunt

    Rifle_Grunt Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,443
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Asus 460 TOP + 88k physx
    Hello everyone and welcome to my first guide for you guys on Guru3D.com. Today's guide is entitled “Setting Up PC Hardware- For Noobs”. It is a guide for everyone here not just those who are new to the world of PC hardware and as with those “for dummies” guides it functions for a quick reference for those who are already quite experienced in the field.

    Right then…. First some background on the guide. The guide was created by me and the pictures are (with me in ) from when I was installing a MSI P6N SLI FI Motherboard and Thermaltake Shark case, and yes to some extent this is a major theme to the guide but as a quick overview this guide will cover:

    Installation of a new socket 775 motherboard (can be applied to any motherboard)
    Installation of core 2 duo processor (with heatsink and after market thermal paste) {can probably be applied to most other processors}
    Installation of RAM (can be applied to both DDR1 and DDR2)
    Installation of PCIE graphics card (can be applied to AGP cards)
    Installation of power cables
    Installation of other cables
    Driver cleaning guide

    Section 1- Software- Drivers (Skip if this is a new PC build)

    Section covers:

    .Fully removing old drivers


    Drivers, drivers, drivers….. They are an essential part of any PC installation and unfortunately, when installing most new hardware, if not cleaned off of the hard disk, can be a right pain in the arse. The problem is that drivers, if not uninstalled properly, will interact with the new hardware in negative ways and this will probably mean poor benchmarks, system hangs etc so you want to get rid of the ones that may cause damage. If you are installing a new motherboard I suggest you get rid of any audio codecs (eg realtek HD audio), main board drivers (eg nforce and raid) and graphics drivers and finally, if you are installing a new graphics card then just get rid of the old graphics drivers (eg forceware and catylist drivers).

    The first step in getting rid of these it to uninstall them from the windows control panel (if you know anything about windows you should be able to arrive here in seconds). Here as I said look for drivers which may cause problems with your new hardware, for example in this shot we can see a Realtek audio codec)

    [​IMG]
    So, now If you have removed everything you think could cause problems, its time to make sure that every part of the driver has been wiped off of the machine. The reason for this is that an uninstall does not normally remove all the driver files and registry files. There are several ways to do this but personally I used the CCleaner and the Guru3D driver sweeper (available on this very website). Both are free tools and the G3D driver sweeper is able to handle all the common drivers.
    [​IMG]

    The CCleaner
    The Guru3d driver sweeper


    Step 2- Hardware installation- Case (and installation of other devices)

    Section covers:

    .Getting into a case
    .Installing a PSU
    .Installing HD’S
    .Installing CD/DVD/Blueray/HDDVD drives


    Right then, now we have finished our driver cleaning (or not if you have a new PC) it is time to open up our case and start taking out the old hardware we don’t want and installing our shiny new equipment. To do this we actually need to open our case which leads me to the equipment list for this build.
    1 set of mixed screw drivers
    [​IMG]

    And that’s about it….

    Oh as a note. Before you start, it is always a good Idea to check the new parts over and have a look everything should come with is in the box. There is nothing worse than for example, installing your new motherboard and finding that the socket pins are bent after you have spent a couple of hours installing it.

    Right then. Lets begin.

    We will first be installing the hard disk, PSU and any CD drives we have got into our case, witch is in the case of this tutorial a brand new Thermaltake Shark (see below).
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]

    First things first we have to open up our case to get at the inside. For me, this was a case of pulling a leaver on the side of the case and the whole side sprang off allowing me to get at the inside as you can see below.
    [​IMG]

    First of all I am going to install my hard disk into the computer. The hard disk is where all the files will be installed and since there are no cables on this, installing it first will still leave the case relatively tidy.
    Right then…. In the case I have, the hard disks are mounted in a hard disk cage (see the big mettle structure in the right below?). Now, on my case (yours may be different), I mount the hard disk on a trolley which can be slid into and out of the cage very quickly.
    [​IMG]

    To install the trolley is a fairly simply process. It involves lining up the 4 holes in the bottom of it with the 4 holes on the bottom of the hard disk. Then we screw 4 large screws into the holes which secures the disk firmly in place for now.

    [​IMG]

    Now all we have to do is just slide it into the hard drive cage and forget about it until it comes to wiring up all our parts. Simple eh?

    [​IMG]

    Next up is the turn of our DVD and CD drives- I am only going to demonstrate how to install for 1 because you do it in exactly the same way.

    Now. With your case you will have probably got some rails (mine were behind the blanker plates for the drive slots).
    [​IMG]

    Wondering what they are for? Well these allow us to slide in and out our DVD and CD drives whenever we wish! Very handy if… UM…..yeh anyway handy…

    Now . To fit these rails to the driver we need to get our screw driver ready and go hunting for holes again. Now before we start fitting the rails, I have some words of wisdom. This bit can be annoying and the reason that I say this is because the rails have multiple holes to fit different sizes of DVD/CD/Blueray/HDDVD drive. This means you will have to guess and hope that you get the right setting the first time or you will have to refit the rails so the drive fits in properly. Anyway, I am just stating that it can take some trial and error here.

    So to start we need to get our 2 rails and 4 medium screws.

    Next we screw the rails on to the drive (on the lower set of holes in my case) on the setting that you think will make it fit into the drive bay correctly. This isn’t to hard to fit though so if you do have to refit the rails, it wont take very long.
    [​IMG]

    Now, are your rails fitted and fairly tight? Yes? Then we can simply slide our drive down the rails until it clicks into place.
    [​IMG]

    And again, that is it until we have to wire it up!

    Now we also have to install our floppy drive (if you have 1). This is just as simple as in the last step.

    Under the drive bays for the larger DVD drives, you will find a pull out tray with 2 smaller blanker plates. This is where we have room for 2 floppies.

    [​IMG]

    All we need to do is pull the draw out, take out a plate by unscrewing it, push in the floppy drive, screw the bolt back into this and push the draw back in. Now you can admire your nicely fitted CD and floppy drives!

    The final big part we have to install before we can start with our motherboard is the PSU or power supply unit. This device will give our rig the juice it needs to operate and without this there would be no more kills for you!

    The PSU is installed into the rear of the case. For most cases including mine, this is at the top but on some Antec’s (like the 900 and P180) they are at the bottom. Either way makes no difference as they both install in the same way. By the way, the PSU I am using here is a Thermaltake Toughpower 700wt.

    [​IMG]

    We install our PSU by fitting it into the slot from the inside of the case. This means pushing it through the window and into the PSU area and then using screws to secure it from the other side of the case. We will use 4 medium screws in doing this.

    So then. Once the PSU is connected into the back we are finished. The wires are best left disconnected if it is a modular or tidied away if not so they don’t get in the way whilst we install the motherboard which is exactly what we are about to do!
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2007
  2. Rifle_Grunt

    Rifle_Grunt Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,443
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Asus 460 TOP + 88k physx
    Step 3- Hardware installation- Motherboard


    Section covers:


    .Fitting the motherboard and I/O shield


    Expect to receive a few accessory's with your new motherboard or video card, genraly you will only get the basics with the lower cost packages and as you work up the scale you will get more and more you wont ever use. Here is a list of what came with my motherboard
    [​IMG]

    A SATA cable
    An IDE cable
    SLI bridge
    Back plate (rear I/O shield shield)
    An instruction booklet
    A driver CD



    Now you are wondering why the bag your device came in probably says handle in a static free environment right? Well the static electricity that our body and clothing naturally retain from over the day via rubbing on other insulators builds up and can fry your new device. Not good. Well we want to get rid of this and to do this is very simple. Touch something that is mettle and earthed. A radiator is a good bid for this. Easy. Now we can start to install our new parts.
    [​IMG]

    Oh and by the way, one more thing whilst we are on the static them…. You want to be in an area with as little insulates as possible as these generate static electricity, so I recommend taking off cotton socks if you have them and also removing any rugs from the working area. Right then, lets begin!

    First, I removed all the parts from my computer that would obstruct the installation of the new motherboard, this means anything plugged into it such as RAM, VGA cards and all the cables. Once these were removed I stored them in a safe place where I would not stand on them or they would not be damaged in any way by the materials they were sitting on. The best way to do this is to punt them back in there original anti-static packing.

    Here you can see the Geforce 8800 graphics card being removed to put into its bag whilst I install the new parts. Obviously you wont need to remove all the parts I removed from your pc if, say you were just installing a graphics card.

    If you are installing a graphics card, remove: Plate covering the expansion slot in the back of the computer, any old VGA card and anything else that may get in the way of the card during installation.

    If you are installing ram, remove: Any ram already in the slot you wish to use.

    If you are installing a new motherboard, remove: anything attaching the old motherboard to the case, VGA card, sound card, PCI cards, all power and data cables and ram (and processor if you wish to reuse it).

    Here you can see that I have removed the old motherboard from the case.
    [​IMG]

    Right, a new motherboard means that we have a new shape of rear I/O plate. There rear I/O shield plate is the silver plate that guards the motherboard from stray cables and dust but still allows ports and plugs to extrude out the back of the case- for example the audio ports and the usb ports.

    Once you have popped the old one out (the force of the motherboard against it was what used to hold it in place), it is time to replace it with the new one. The problem with these at the moment is that the motherboard is what holds them in place and so we need to balance it in order to make it fit into place, as you can see below on older cases like in the one in the pic below however in most cases like my new SHARK case, the plate just pushes in and does not need to be balanced as it fully clips in.

    This is recommended by me as it is easier than having to hold the I/O shield, over the back of the motherboard when you are sliding it into the pc.
    [​IMG]

    Now then, we are ready to install the motherboard into the case. This is fairly simple. You will see that inside the case are some nuts which are raised from the rest of the case- these are called standoffs and are what we will secure our motherboard with. With some cases, especially if you have just got a new case, you will need to screw standoffs into the motherboard tray to correspond with the screw holes in your motherboard

    These standoffs are where we will secure the board to the case by screwing it down to. Right then, this part can be tricky….

    First , gently slide the motherboard into our case. Once it is in, we need to align it with the screw holes and rear shield. This can take some time and effort but hopefully you should not find it too hard. Once you have pushed it Into place against the rear plate, it is time to start to screw it down. This is normally done with the screws that are most probably supplied with your case or motherboard. Just make sure the holes on the board correctly correspond to the nuts on the board and then use a standard screwdriver (I used the same one for this and the rest of the work on my case including the opening of it and also the PCI-E card installation) to secure it. Once you have done this, you are well on the way to getting the board installed. Once done you should have something looking similar to below

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2007
  3. Rifle_Grunt

    Rifle_Grunt Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,443
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Asus 460 TOP + 88k physx
    Step 4- Processor installation

    Section covers:

    .Fitting a processor correctly
    .Applying thermal paste
    .Fitting a heat sink


    Right then. Now its installed in the case, its time too hook up our motherboard. First in line is the processor. This is, in my case a socket 775 core 2 duo processor. Different socket types do have different mechanisms for initialising the processor but they are mostly done in a similar way.

    Before we start I want to put 1 thing over you guys. If you are using an after market heat sink it can be much easier to fit the heat sink before you put the motherboard into the case . The reason that i say this is that you often need to fit a bracket to the underside of the motherboard as the after market heatsiks often are able to be used on multiple socket types and so the bracket acts as a universal adapter. It can also be a good idea to fit any prosessor heatink before fitting the motherboard because you are not having to work in a confined space or at an angle. It is your choice but since I had a stock processor heatsink, I would install it whilst the motherboard is in the case.

    First of all we need to open up our socket 775 slot so we can fit our processor in. There is a small lever on the side of the socket. Push this down and take it out of the clip, then pull it forwards, this should not be too hard…
    [​IMG]

    Now we can lift up the retention plate for the processor. This is done by simply lifting the mettle plate which is now loose, up. Now its time to install the processor itself. Right then first and foremost… DON’T TOUCH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE PROCESSOR! It can damage it to the point where it wont work so be careful and use the edges.
    [​IMG]

    I am sorry about the blurred photo above but it does show us two of the important groves in the processor which help us to align it in the socket 775. Also we have another tool at our dispose, the black mark on the top of the processor. This matches up with the mark on the slot to tell us where the processor fits in. When you are confident it is the right way round, gently drop it into the slot. It should drop in easily and you should have no resistance. There is also a gold triangle that you can use. This matches up with a point on the socket 775 processor

    Right, now time to finish the installation of the processor by retaining it properly in the slot. To do this we need to flick across the mettle plate on the top of the slot, over the top of the cpu. Next we will return the lever on the side of the slot to its original position- clipped down like it was when we got the motherboard out of the box. This should require more pressure than when you unclipped the lever because you are pushing the processor down, fully into the slot but if it become hard to do then I suggest you check that the CPU is in the slot correctly. If done right then it should look like the picture below.

    [​IMG]

    Now then. You see that greasy substance on top of the CPU? Yup, that’s my old thermal paste and to be honest it wont do a lot of good because the seal between it and the heat sink has been broken which will lead to higher temperature on the CPU. If this gets too high it wont do the CPU any good (frying tonight) but even a mildly higher temperature may reduce the cups lifespan and will limit overclocking . As a result I went down to my local pc shop and got some Alkasa thermal paste to put on instead.

    [​IMG]

    Ps: sorry the photo is a bit blurred- this proves my photographic skill!

    Anyway, we want to apply this new thermal paste but before we start- a word of warning: you wont need to use that entire tube of paste, all you need is a thin, even layer on top of the CPU. Too much paste and you are just throwing your money away….

    Now you need to clean off that old thermal paste, if you have a new CPU you don’t need to do this unless you want to use a different paste to the stock one. You can use some fluids to do this however I just used a piece of cloth (not damp) to clean off the surface where the new paste would be applied .

    Right then, paste time. First you need to apply a small blob of thermal paste to the top of the CPU or on the heatsinks underside where you push it ontop of the processor (i chose this as it was a strange shape so I didn't want thermal paste oozing out the side when I pressed down the heatsink!), just enough to spread a thin layer on the top of the CPU or the bottom of the heatsink. Its best to put a too small blob on and apply more than have to scrape excess off if you put to much on. To spread the thermal paste I used a thin plastic card, you should have one of these in a good quality after market paste however if you do not you could always use a old credit card or something with a similar shape and size. As you can see below its just a case of using the card to spread a thin layer over the top of the surface, as a gauge on how you should spread, I spread my paste so you could not see the surface of the processor/ heat sink pad.

    [​IMG]

    Now we are ready to fit the heat sink onto the processor. Different heat sinks will fit to the board in different ways (for example via brackets or via pins that push in), this depends on the brand of heat sink and the processor. For example some need a bracket fitted to the underside of the motherboard. However I am just using the stock socket 775 core 2 duo heat sink that came with the processor and as a result, I recommend consulting the heat sinks manual instead of this guide if you are fitting a different type of heat sink. This 775 Intel heat sink is very easy to fit. Make sure that the 4 pins on the edge are in the fully extend position (arrows facing away from the heat sink) and then press it down once it is aligned with the four fitting holes on the motherboard, when they are in correctly you should here them audibly “CLICK”. This can require some time and I found fitting the heat sink extremely annoying.

    Now we just need to twist the top of the pins so the arrows are facing towards the heat sink.
    Finally we need to connect the power cable up to the motherboard so the fan can spin. This is a small white piece of plastic with 3 pins (I believe )extruding from it. It is located very close to the area where you fit the processor and heat sink in If you have a passive (no fan) heat sink you may not need to do this although you are recommended to use a good fan with them.
    [​IMG]

    Now all we have to do is install the other components and we are ready to go!

    Finally a word of warning- make sure, if you are using any forum of fan based active cooling (fans), that any cable in the area wont be cut/ damaged by the fan blades.
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2007
  4. Rifle_Grunt

    Rifle_Grunt Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,443
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Asus 460 TOP + 88k physx
    NEW POST


    Step 5- Installing a graphics card

    Section covers:

    .Installing a graphics card
    .Fitting a PCIE Power cable
    .Identifying your graphics slot


    This is one of the most simple parts to install in a computer. I am reinstalling my 8800 into this motherboard- if you looked at the earlier parts of the guide (highly recommended) you will have seen that I have already earthed myself, opened the case and disconnected the computer from the mains electricity supply. All of these are essential unless you or you graphics card want to end up in A&E.

    Ok then, first we need to get our graphics card out of its box. Simple. Now we are ready to install. First lower the card (carefully) into your case. Now we need to find the right slot on our motherboard for our graphics card. If the card is new it will probably be a PCI express card- this is so say fastest bus speed and most modern powerful cards use it. Most middle and high price range motherboards come with this slot. These slots can come in many colours. All graphics cards (to my knowledge) that are pci express use the *16 slot. This is shown below

    [​IMG]
    AGP is another slot type. Allot of graphics cards still use these slot although they are now outdated by PCI Express slots. Below is a pic of an AGP *8 slot, the most commonly used AGP slot for graphics cards.

    They are often brown.

    [​IMG]

    Finally you have the plain PCI slots. Hardly any graphics cards use these slots anymore. If you do still have a PCI graphics card, the PCI slots look like the pic below. They are still heavily used for peripherals such as wireless network cards tough so most motherboards have them.
    [​IMG]

    Ok then, if you don’t know what type of slot your graphics card fits in, use the manual to help you, my 8800’s box clearly says on the side “PCI EXPRESS *16”. Once you have worked this out it is time to install the card in the appropriate slot.

    Before we install the graphics card we need to get rid of the blank rear shield plate in the slot we are going to install the card in as all the graphics cards that I know of have a rear plate on them which fits into the rear of the computer case in a similar style to that of the rear plate on our motherboard. Most of these rear slot shields should be able to be unscrewed or pushed out.

    This next part is easy. All you do is align the card in the above the slot you want to put it in and push it down so it securely slots in. Once you have done this we need to screw the card in so it is secure. I used the screw that came on the original rear shield plate and screw the same points in the new rear shield down.


    [​IMG]

    So now the card Is installed but before you could start it up and use it we need to make sure there are no additional power cables that are needed. These are usually only found on the more powerful graphics cards that require a lot of juice to run them. You should check your cards manual to see if it needs a power cable but it is usually quite obvious from the design of the card because it has a large socket for either a Molex connector or a PIC-E 4 pin plug. AGP cards usually use the Molex and pci-e usually use the 6 pin pcie connector. If your card needs one of the two then connect the correct cable from the PSU. It should be easy to see the difference.

    A Molex connector
    [​IMG]

    And a PCIE power connector

    [​IMG]

    If you have not got a PCIE connector on your PSU, the card should include an adaptor which works with Molex plugs.

    Ok If we have connected up the power and secured the card then we should be read to move on to fitting the RAM. We are getting close to finishing….
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2007

  5. Rifle_Grunt

    Rifle_Grunt Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,443
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Asus 460 TOP + 88k physx
    Step 6- Installing the RAM

    Section covers:

    .Fitting ram into your motherboard

    In modern desktops there are 2 types of memory. You have DDR and DDR2 (updated -and now DDR3 which is better than DDR2), the second of the two offering better performance and the 3rd beats that. All of these however are very easy to fit and this is done in the same way for these types of memory.

    You will have, on your motherboard, some long thin slots like those in the picture below (only a slight variation between DDR and DDR2 ones). Now these may be colour coded but only worry about this if you are using duel channel configurations, this is baring in mind that your memory slots all run the same type and frequency of ram. I will talk about that later…. For now, find the slot you are going to use for the memory and flick the two plastic clips by the side of the slot upwards. Now we can slot in our memory. This is just a case of aligning the memory with the slot correctly and pushing down as shown below
    [​IMG]

    If you do this right the two clips should automatically close, locking the memory in place. That’s it!

    To run in dual channel you simply need a memory controller (either in the motherboards northbridge or on the CPU if it's on-die) that supports the feature and to ensure that the individual channels total the same capacity. It is not down to the RAM itself, and the RAM doesn't need to be the same brand. You don't need to adjust any BIOS settings, just put the RAM in the correct slots. Consult your motherboard manual.

    Also, as hilighted by WildStyle, you may wish to install the ram on the motherboard before you install the motherboard into the case. The reason being that the sides and parts of the case don't confine your movement.

    When buying RAM/ memory, consult your motherboards manual/box to find out which type you need.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 8, 2007
  6. Rifle_Grunt

    Rifle_Grunt Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,443
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Asus 460 TOP + 88k physx
    Step 7- Hard drives, disc drives and that PSU

    Section covers:

    .Connecting the PSU power cables
    . Using IDE cables

    ALMOST THERE (YAY)! Now we have installed all our hardware, it is time to link it all together and finish our pc. This means linking our Disk Drives, Hard drives, peripherals, fans and case via a lot of cables and this is where the job can become confusing. However follow this guide and we will do it in simple and easy to follow steeps.

    Ok then, first its hard drive and disc drive time. These need to be linked in to our computer in two ways, the first of these being that they need to be linked to the motherboard , this is where the IDE cables come in and they also need a power input from our PSU. So today we will be using 2 (for some of use 3) cables.

    Firstly we have to fit and connect the IDE cables. These cables are wide and almost look thread like (pic below). Now these will need to be connected to the motherboard via the IDE slots on the motherboard. These are long rectangular slots that are yellow on my board. There are 3 of them and that is just enough for all my peripherals although you can get multiple connectors in a IDE cable.

    [​IMG]

    These go in to the back of our hard drive and disk drive. We will do the power later.

    Right then- I am also going to discuss another way of connecting your hard drives to the motherboard called Serial ATA or SATA. This method requires less cabling that the IDE cables and also has a faster data transfer rate. So if you are considering building a new computer and have a new hard drive, its probably the way to go. I thank Tat3 for providing these images!

    Data cable: So this is the data cable that we use when using SATA. This directly connects into a number of slots on the motherboard. The cables normally come in either a red or black colour.
    [​IMG]

    HDD:So you can see below where the cable connects into your HD
    [​IMG]

    MOBO: And this is where they connect in to your mobo.
    [​IMG]

    Power cable:Now Serial ATA can also use a different power connector to just your normal molex as it uses a lower voltage. The result of this is that you can use a adapter on one of your molex connectors or most newer PSU's have these cables (like my one). Apparently (source Wikipedia: Serial ATA), if you chose to use an adapter, hot plugging (removing and swapping SATA cables when the computer is on) may not work.

    [​IMG]

    In all honesty I am tempted to try this my self! By the way, you need a motherboard and hard disk that support SATA to be able to use it. SATA also gives you the possibility to use raid but that is a rather expensive and complex operation. For more info on this look at Wikipedia: RAID

    Anyway below is a pic of what we should have so far.
    [​IMG]

    Now comes the really confusing bit. The front panel connectors are my pet hate of all pc assembly… the reason is that they are so easy to get wrong. You will have a number of connectors for the front of your cable depending on what case you have, I had audio, fire wire and USB ports. Most of these are solid blocks that easily fit over the correct pins (see your motherboards manual). The other and more fiddly connectors are the front panel switch and led cables as they are small and require exact placement on a block of pins which is much bigger than they are. This means consulting the manual a lot so I cant help much here.

    [​IMG]

    Hopefully we now just the power cables remain and this does not take a long time. All we need to do is connect up any device that requires power. The graphics card should already be done, and now this just leaves the motherboard which requires 2 power inputs or the pc wont boot (These 2 connectors are 1 6 or 8 pin squareish connecter and very large fat long connector which will be either 20 or 24 pin depending on the PSU and motherboard that you have. My mobo used one 8pin connecter and one 24 pin connector.) , the HD, fans, LEDS, floppy and CD/DVD drives. Every one, save the floppy’s just require Molex (the 4 pin connectors) and the floppy requires a small thin connector which is a very small thin 4 pin connector.

    Step 7- Summery, notes and the big switch on!

    Now we should be wired up and ready for the big switch on! All we need to do is tidy up our cabling to the best of our ability (increases airflow). Now we just need to re-right the pc, put the side panel on (or not if you want to do a diagnostic run) and press that power button- if that does not work make sur the power switch on the PSU is turned on as I think I told you to turn that off at the start!
    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    You hear that single beep? that’s the sound of success as you have just managed to build your very first PC! WELL DONE!


    SUMMARY



    Well that’s it guys! Tell me what you think. Sorry for any spelling errors but finding those was not my priority when creating the guide and besides, I cant spell to save my life.

    So I hope this is helpful to everyone and perhaps gives some people a bit more confidence when trying there first pc build, no matter what the size of job or part.

    Anyway Enjoy!


    Version 1.3

    Change log-

    V1.3
    Added a section on Serial ATA.

    V1.2
    Added some pictures to assist driver un-installation
    Various additions and fixes
    Edit on some installation tips
    V1.1

    Changed a content mistake involving the I/O shield.
    Changed description on duel channel ram.

    Credits
    Me- for creating the guide
    Tat3: Serial ATA pics. (Thanks again!)
    WildStyle- Error spotting and consultation on dual channel ram
    The whole of the guru 3d community for your support!

    Created By Rifle_Grunt for www.guru3d.com
    Reuse: If you wish to post this guide anywhere you must first seek my permission- contact me via PM to do so.
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2007
  7. Sparx

    Sparx Guest

    Messages:
    1,339
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Asus HD 6950 OC 2GB
    Oops.. I posted in between, haha sorryyyyy.. ;)
     
  8. Mulsiphix

    Mulsiphix Guest

    Messages:
    1,272
    Likes Received:
    15
    GPU:
    GeFrc 260 /Samsung 226BW
    Ahh man posting in the middle of this beautiful guide :cry:. Maybe a mod could remove it for you? Definitely worth asking for.

    Rifle_Grunt this guide looks awesome!! My vote for sticky. Many thanks to you for providing this beautiful guide. So many pictures too :thumbup:
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2007
  9. InGen

    InGen Master Guru

    Messages:
    966
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    EVGA GTX 570
    Very nice guide mate!

    this deffinately warrants a sticky...
     
  10. Rifle_Grunt

    Rifle_Grunt Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,443
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Asus 460 TOP + 88k physx
    Thanks guys, this took so much time so i am realy pleased that everyone likes it and also there is a posibility of a sticky!:approval:
     

  11. Ali_NZ

    Ali_NZ Guest

    Messages:
    239
    Likes Received:
    1
    GPU:
    Strix GTX970
    Great guide! hopefully this should give first time builders some confidence. +1 vote for sticky.
     
  12. mikeva901

    mikeva901 Master Guru

    Messages:
    223
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    AMD 7970 1125/1575
    my vote for sticky :smoke:
     
  13. TooRiski

    TooRiski Banned

    Messages:
    142
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Asus EAH4870 @ 820/1100
    vote for sticky....good work.
     
  14. Tat3

    Tat3 Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    11,863
    Likes Received:
    238
    GPU:
    RTX 4070 Ti Super
    +1 vote for sticky

    (+1 post to Tat3)
     
  15. Rifle_Grunt

    Rifle_Grunt Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,443
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Asus 460 TOP + 88k physx
    BTW, what do you think of my new case?
     

  16. aircool

    aircool Don Aircooleone Staff Member

    Messages:
    13,763
    Likes Received:
    30
    GPU:
    Zotac GTX 560 Ti 448 Core
    Stickify now!

    Good job mate, its high time the elderly thread was modified with modern needs.

    Case is nice, not to found of the lack of window though. Makes a difference i guess.

    Good job.
     
  17. WildStyle

    WildStyle Guest

    Messages:
    15,248
    Likes Received:
    21
    GPU:
    MSI GTX 970
    1) The ability to run dual channel RAM is down to the chipset in use on the motherboard, not the type of RAM. The sticks don't need to be identical and you don't need to buy a dual channel kit you just need to make sure the individual channels total the same capacity. See the Guide to RAM. I don't want to confuse the issue.. but what you said wasn't correct.

    2) The motherboard backing plate is an I/O shield (input/output shield).

    3) IDE is yesterdays interface. You should mention SATA at least.

    I just skimmed some of it quickly. I may read it all later, but if this was to be a sticky it would need to be proof read for technical accuracy.

    It's a really great job though, I'm pleased to see a lot of people including yourself are taking the time to write guides recently. :cheers:
     
  18. Rifle_Grunt

    Rifle_Grunt Ancient Guru

    Messages:
    2,443
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Asus 460 TOP + 88k physx
    OK changing that now. Thx

    i dont know anything about sata soz. Someone will need to write that bit 4 me:smoke:

    You have been put into the credits now lol
     
    Last edited: Sep 7, 2007
  19. Sparx

    Sparx Guest

    Messages:
    1,339
    Likes Received:
    0
    GPU:
    Asus HD 6950 OC 2GB
    I think you could also do with neatening it up a bit, just making it look more organised.. Sort the contents, index, credits, etc.. Just making it look that bit better..

    Also could possibly shrink some of the images to save bandwidth and huge images, still see what's going on too.

    P.S. Wild could you delete my post that I got in between the middle of his guide please mate? Cheers. :p It's post #5 of the thread.
     
  20. WildStyle

    WildStyle Guest

    Messages:
    15,248
    Likes Received:
    21
    GPU:
    MSI GTX 970
    Post deleted Josh.

    Ok I've read it all... I'm not picking up on every little detail though as it'd get silly and I'm ignoring the spelling also.

    Quote in bold, my comment in italic.

    Here as I said look for drivers which may cause problems with your new hardware, for example in this shot we can see a Realtek audio codec)

    I see no picture. :p Either remove the reference or add in an image.

    There are several ways to do this but personally I used the CCleaner and the Guru3D driver sweeper (available on this very web sight).

    Aside from the obvious typo, I'd put links in here. People are lazy and need guidance.

    The problem with these at the moment is that the motherboard is what holds them in place and so we need to balance it in order to make it fit into place, as you can see below. This is recommended by me as it is easier than having to hold the I/O shield, over the back of the motherboard when you are sliding it into the pc.

    Push it harder, it will clip into position and all four corners will be held in place by the case. It may be a bit fiddly but you'll get there.

    You will see that inside the case are some nuts which are raised from the rest of the case.

    They're called standoffs.

    Right then. Now its installed in the case, its time too hook up our motherboard. First in line is the processor.

    It's much easier to install the CPU and heatsink outside of the case before you put the mobo in. This is especially true if your 3rd party heatsink requires a backing plate for obvious reasons. :) A heatsink can be awkward to access once installed in a chassis as you'll be working at an angle with limited space. I would also install the RAM at this point for the same reasons.

    I am sorry about the blurred photo above but it does show us two of the important groves in the processor which help us to align it in the socket 775.

    You can also look for gold triangles to determine orientation.

    First you need to apply a small blob of thermal paste to the top of the CPU, just enough to spread a thin layer on the top of the CPU

    http://www.arcticsilver.com/arctic_silver_instructions.htm Also your picture is misleading as it shows the paste applied directly to the sink, yet you're describing applying it to the CPU heatspreader.

    All you do is align the card in the above the slot you want to put it in and push it down so it securely slots in.

    There's usually some form of retention method on the right hand side of the slot. This needs to be in place holding the graphics card securely.

    or a PIC-E 4 pin plug.

    6-pin.

    first its hard drive and disc drive time.

    If you're talking about IDE you need to mention master/slave jumper settings and primary/secondary IDE channel.

    the 8 pin and very large fat long connector

    Can be 8 pin, can be 4 pin. Depends on the board. The 4pin block can be used here if your PSU doesn't have an 8pin connector. This connection provides +12v to the mobo. The fat connector will be a 24pin ATX. But again you can use a 20pin connector here if your PSU doesn't have a 24pin.
     

Share This Page