How to assemble a PC

[Gelst]

Ok I'll try to be brief, with everyone's help on these boards I now have a PC that needs to be assembled. I have all the parts and I want to assemble the PC myself. I would have paid someone close to me to do it, but most people asking for a few days turnaround and if you guys are anything like me there is no way I am waiting days to put my PC together after waiting days to get everything in.

Ok so I have installed a video card before so I kind of have an idea on what I need to do. But I am omstly worried about the CPU and CPU cooler that I have. I mean where does the artic 5 silver paste go ? On the CPU that I am putting on the mobo or does it go on the Cpu cooler ? doesnt the cpu already come with paste on it, do I remove it and then put the artic 5 silver on it ?

What about all the plugs that connect the power supply to the mobo and everything else, it it plug and play ?

Anyway I have lots of questions ,maybe if someone could firect me to a webpage that lays it all out for me I would appreciate it or your more then welcome to help me here. Thanks for your time and Merry Christmas !

 

[elayman]

watch this all the way through. Make sure you follow the steps carefully and don't static discharge on your new expensive parts!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_56kyib-Ls

 

[cybneo]

that was a great vid!. The hardest part for me is cable management and air flow. Some cases are better than others. Follow the motherboard guide for details about fan/case plugs. most front case connector cables have a little arrow to indicate Positive wires. Also dont close the case until your sure everything turns on...

 

[JackNaylorPE]

While the big brown truck is making its way to your house, you should have visited all the component manufacturer web sites and:

1. Downloaded all the latest drivers, utilities, manuals etc.
2. Print out the manuals
3. Store the drivers, utilities etc on a USB stick
4. Print out and stick the manuals in a 3 ring binder
5. Read the manuals
6. Take a highlighter and hihjlight important sections.
7. Rinse and repeat Step 5 ..... 3 or 4 times.

Have a hobbyists screw driver / nut driver set, dikes, nail clippers are great for cutting plastic ties, single edge razor blade.

If you lived on Long Island, you could come over my house .... my son and I have been averaging a build a week of late. The build takes less than an hour, about 35 minutes of which is figuring out the cooler instructions if ya haven't used that model before Takes a bit longer if ya sleeving cables which we do most of the time

WARNING: CPU cooler instructions are written by dyslexic geniuses....they know exactly what to do and they assume you do to....so expect to be totally lost but don't worry about it, you'll get through it.....there's always an ''ah ha" moment.

There is a thermal pad on the stock intel cooler. If ya using that no need for AS5. If ya using a 3rd party cooler. d/l the instructions from the manufacturer's web site....application instructions are dependent on the material as well as viscosity of the product....what's good for one manufacturer does not necessarily apply for another.

For he PSU, make sure you mount it in the correct orientation.....after all the components are in the casde, this is what ya gotta connect. Look at picture at link below

http://www.antec.com/Believe_it/connectors.php?ProdID=24850

1. The 20+4 pin (1st from left in top row in ink above) usually connects to the upper right of ya MoBo when case in normal standing position
2. The 8 pin EPS connector (3rd from left, top row) is most common on enthusiast boards today. It usually connects a bit above and to the left of the CPU. Usually there is a cap over 4 of the 8 pins of the MoBo socket which should be removed. If ya PSU doesn't have this connector. leave the cap on and lug in the 4 pin connector (2nd from left in link above). Some real hi end mobos will take both and even some will take a molex but this is rare.
3. If ya have areal hi end GFX card like the 580, each will take two 8 pin or two 6+2 pin PCI-E connectors (4th pic from left in top row). A 560 will take two 6 pins (top row, furthest pic to right). You can use the 6 + 2 pin instead, just leave the 2 pin part hanging.
4. The SATA power cables go to the SATA devices....usually 3 connectors on each cable (1st pic bottom row).
5. Molex usage is getting rare (2nd from left, bottom row)....used to be for IDE devices, now sometimes still used for fans.us6. Don't think ya will sye a floppy connector.
6. Case fans are likely 3 pin and these will be wired to MoBo headers./....see manual for locations

 

[Gelst]

Best answer selected by Gelst.