Installing a motherboard requires attention to detail.
Installing a motherboard in a desktop computer cabinet does not require any special skills. It does require a meticulous attention to detail and the ability to follow step-by-step instructions in the motherboard manual. The most important pitfall to avoid is static electricity, which can cause computer problems that may not appear until months after the motherboard is installed.
Instructions
1. Put on a grounding wrist strap. A grounding wrist strap is attached to metal that runs to the ground to prevent static electricity. Static electricity can be damaging to a motherboard, and the damage may show up months later in the form of glitches like freezes or sudden shutdowns.
2. Remove the metallic plate from the case that will be attached to the motherboard. It's easier to mount memory chips and cards when the motherboard is outside the case but near it.
3. Screw the motherboard to the metallic plate. Match up as many of the screw holes as possible in the motherboard to those in the metallic plate. Most of the motherboard holes will have a metal ring around them and are designed to help ground the motherboard. Rubber washers should not be used on these holes. If the motherboard comes with foam backing for protection, the foam should be removed before screwing the motherboard to the plate.
4. Install the proper finishing plate to the case. The finishing plate fits around the sockets on the back of the motherboard. Many motherboards come with a finishing plate that should be used instead of the finishing plate that came with the case.
5. Install the central processing unit, processor cooler and memory cards on the motherboard. Some motherboards are shipped with the processor and cooler already installed. Press these items carefully into their sockets according to instructions in the motherboard manual.
6. Attach the front panel wires. These wires may control the power switch, audio control or ports on the front panel. They usually are attached by pressing them onto pins. Some require the correct polarity, so the negative and positive ends must be attached to the proper terminal.
7. Install the I/O cards for USB ports, audio connectors, networking and other uses. These cards are pressed into card slots at the rear of the motherboard so that their sockets are accessible from outside the case. If the motherboard has DIP switches, these can be set at this time according to the manual's instructions. DIP switches have variable settings for the type of processor and motherboard. Many motherboards use software for these settings instead of switches.
8. Hook up the cables for the power supply and drives. Flat gray cables are used to connect the hard and optical drives to the motherboard. One side of the cable is marked with red and should be connected to the pin marked "No. 1." The drives also may be installed in the case at this time.
9. Attach the motherboard and metallic plate to the case. Screw the I/O brackets down in the back of the case. Connect any cables, such as the power supply cable, that were too short to connect when the motherboard was outside the case.
10. Use ties to organize the cables. Bundling the cables is not just for neatness. It also will improve ventilation in the case and help cool the motherboard and processor.
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