Motherboard preparation
Once you have brought all of your components together, it is time to get to work. The first thing you'll want to do is prepare your motherboard for insertion into the case. This involves installing the CPU and RAM onto the motherboard and then screwing it into place.

CPU Install
Though it goes without saying, be sure to handle the CPU with extreme care! Every socket designed in the last ten years uses what's called a Zero Insertion Force socket (ZIF). It has a lever by the side of the socket that allows you to simply plop the CPU right into place, and then upon returning the lever to it's lowered position, the proper amount of electrical contact is established. If the CPU does not fall into the pin holes under it's own weight, then you've aligned them wrong. Do NOT push it down, you may bend the pins which leads to colossal headaches. Once the CPU is installed and the level has been pushed back down, it's time to install the heatsink/fan unit (HSF).



HSF Install
In the old days, installing an HSF unit that came with the retail processor was a bit of a hassle. You had to screw it into place, trying to guess the correct pressure required for proper thermal transfer, but without cracking the CPU core. However, these issues are a thing of the past with retail HSF's today. They feature a simplistic retention bracket that makes proper installation, literally, a flip of a switch away. If you purchased a retail processor, don't worry about thermal paste in this situation. All retail HSF's come with a thermal pad already applied to the bottom. If you want to replace that therma l pad with some higher quality paste, such as arctic silver 5, first remove the existing thermal pad with an organic solvent, such as 99% isopropyl alcohol (at your local pharmacy). Then make a dot no larger than a BB in the center of the chip with the new thermal paste. The pressure will spread it out. Place the HSF on top of the processor, and hook the metal brackets under the socket's retention system. Once in place, flip down the retention level until it snaps under the tab on the side of the socket. This will take quite a bit of pressure, and it will cause the board to creak. Don't let either of those facts scare you. It's quite safe. Once the HSF is properly secured, connect the fan to the 3-pin power connector labeled “CPU fan” on your motherboard.

RAM Install
Installing RAM is probably the most fool-proof part of any rig-building project. All one must do is push the tabs on either side outwards, then install the DIMM stick so that the notches match up with what is in the socket. Apply pressure to the top of the stick to push it into the socket, and through this, the outer tabs should automatically pop back into retaining position. Be sure the DIMM is deep enough into the socket to allow the retaining tabs to return to their original position, or the DIMM won't work.

As a side note, most motherboards have color coded DIMM slots for dual channel memory configurations. It's usually best to put the two DIMMs in similarly colored sockets.

Your motherboard is now complete and ready to be mounted into your case. Congratulations, you have just completed the easy part.

Case Mounting
We're now ready to put all of our parts into the case. By following these instructions in proper order, you'll run into the least headaches when it comes time to really try to cram things in.

Motherboard
We're now ready to put all of our parts into the case. Since the motherboard is the largest part, it makes sense to put it in first. Install all the proper spacers or standoffs into your case so that they match up with your motherboard's mounting holes, and install the back panel plate, which came with your motherboard. Now slowly lower the motherboard into the case so that it lines up with the screws. The motherboard holes might be a little off, but as long as you can get a screw started, the pressure from screwing it in will put the motherboard in it's proper position.


Hard drives, floppy drives, and CD drives
All of these devices are mounted in the front cages of your case. Depending on the case you have, they either feature a snap in, screw less rail design, or have a more traditional screw-based mounting system. In this particular case, the hard drives and DVD-RW are mounted with screws, whereas the floppy uses a rail retention system. Either way, it's a very easy install. All you have to do is match up the screw holes on the drives with those on your case, and screw them in. The rail system attaches to the floppy via the same screw holes, and then snaps into place. Hard drives are always mounted from inside the case, but most of the time you insert floppy and CD drives from the front bezel instead of from the back interior.

Power Supply
The power supply has it's own personal compartment, generally above the motherboard. It's hard to miss. In order to install, one must merely line up the power supply screw holes with the case screw holes and screw it in.

Everything you need to run the computer is now installed. All you have to do now is connect everything.