Computer Assembly - How To Assemble A PC
Install The Motherboard Into The Computer Case
The motherboard is ready to be installed in the computer case. At this point, the processor, CPU cooler and memory modules have been installed onto the motherboard so it looks like this.
Remove the right-hand panel from the computer case and lay the computer case on its side. The motherboard will lay flat inside the case, resting on brass-colored mounting posts.
This shot is taken looking straight down into the case at the position in which the motherboard is to be installed. The orientation of the motherboard when it is inside the case is the same as the picture of the motherboard above. It's easy to see in the enlargement of the picture below that the case comes with four brass-colored mountings posts already installed. There are holes in the case for additional mounting posts, but not all of them are appropriate for all motherboards.
The motherboard is ready to be affixed to the case. This is done using parts that came with the computer case, shown in the picture below. What's needed are some, but not all, of the brass-colored mounting posts shown in the upper-left of this picture, as well as some, but not all, of the mounting post screws shown in the lower-right of this picture. At this point, pair up screws that fit easily into a corresponding mounting post, including the four mounting posts pre-installed inside the case.
The motherboard is affixed to the case by inserting mounting post screws through holes in the motherboard and into the mounting posts. The first step is to determine in which case holes the mounting posts should be installed. The EPoX 8RDA+ motherboard has 10 holes for using with mounting posts. Place the motherboard down into the case, aligning four of the holes in the motherboard with the four pre-installed mounting posts. All four pre-installed mounting posts align with motherboard holes in the EPoX 8RDA+. In addition, all 6 of the remaining holes in the motherboard have a corresponding case hole for a mounting post, so 6 additional mountings posts can be installed. The 6 additional mountings posts should be carefully tightened (not overly tightened) into place using a 5mm socket wrench. After installing the additional mounting posts, the interior looks like this.
Before lowering the motherboard down in the case, the I/O shield that came installed with the computer case should be replaced with the one that came with the EPoX 8RDA+. Many motherboards don't need this step, but many do. You can just look at the I/O shield and see if it looks correct for the motherboard. Here, circled in blue, is how the I/O shield looks as it comes installed with the Antec KS-282 computer case. And comparing the shape, size and holes with those of the connectors on the EPoX 8RDA+ motherboard - it just won't do. It's not completely out of whack, but it's missing proper openings for everything to the right of the parallel and serial ports.
The I/O shield that comes in the retail box of the EPoX 8RDA+ is shown below in the picture on the left with one metal tab circled in blue. This tab should be removed since otherwise it will cover the LAN connector. When it's removed, the I/O shield looks as it does in the picture on the right.
The I/O shield is uninstalled from the computer case by pushing on the I/O shield to push it into the computer case. It is not held in place by screws. It is simply snapped into place. While pushing on the outside of the I/O shield to push it into the computer case, you'll simultaneously need to loosen the I/O shield from the inside of the case with a flathead screwdriver by gently prying up on the thin metal tabs around the edge of the I/O shield that help keep it snapped into place. Start with a corner and keeping pushing and prying along the edge of the I/O shield as it comes free. Once a long edge is free it will just about fall out. The new I/O shield snaps easily into its place and looks like this.
Now rest the motherboard down inside the case on the mounting posts. Insert the screws through the holes in the motherboard and into the mounting post, getting each screw started but not at all tight - just far enough in the mounting post so the screw does not fall out. Some screws were easy to place into their holes with just my fingers. For others, I lowered them into place with needle-nose pliers. Once all 10 have been started, all 10 can be tightened into place one at a time.
With the motherboard installed, you can now complete the power connection for the CPU cooler. The Thermaltake Volcano 9 CPU cooler requires a 4-pin connection to power supply. Many CPU coolers use 3-pin power connections and plug in directly to the motherboard, such as the Thermaltake Volcano 6 CPU cooler I used with my ABIT KR7A-133. But the Thermaltake Volcano 9 CPU cooler draws more power than can be safely drawn through a motherboard 3-pin connector. The 4-pin plug of the Volcano 9 is shown in the first picture circled in red. It's actually a throughway plug as can be seen in the second picture of the connector showing the back.
Now select a 4-pin power connector coming from the bundle of wires and connections offered from the power supply. The power supply 4-pin connector has a female connection and looks like the one shown in the first picture below. Connect it to the male side of the 4-pin power connector from the Volcano 9 CPU cooler so it looks as shown the second picture. Thermaltake's considerate design of the Volcano 9 power connection means that the 4-pin power connector from the power supply used for the CPU cooler is not lost from use by being dedicated solely to the CPU cooler. The female end of the Volcano 9 CPU cooler 4-pin connector can still be plugged into any device that takes such a connection, such as a CD-RW or hard drive, so the CPU cooler is essentially just "tapping into" the line.
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© 2001-2008, Rob Williams, all rights reserved.
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