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Build A PC - Build Your Own Computer

Computer Assembly - How To Assemble A PC

The Computer Case and Power Supply

This is the Antec Sonata II computer case. The computer case frequently ships in its own box. It appeared that mine had been shipped this way to intermediates, but had finally arrived to me within another box. This particular case has the open bays behind a door, as can be seen in the second photo. Having the open drive bays behind a door, and one that locks as this one does, is not really a nuisance as I thought it might be, and is actually handy if you want to make sure that kids and others don't accidentally eject an optical disk.

How To Assemble A Computer - PC Assembly Guide, Antec Sonata II side with lock     How To Assemble A Computer - PC Assembly Guide, Antec Sonata II door open
Packed inside the computer case is the black power cord that attaches to the power supply from the rear of the computer case to an electrical outlet, and a small, brown cardboard box that contains parts used to mount the motherboard inside the case. The inside of the computer case has quite a bit of black ductwork for directing airflow. Ductwork is a decent idea that's years too late. Computers run much cooler than they have, and the ductwork just gets in the way of add-on cards and other parts that install inside the computer case. It's completely unnecessary and impractical, and thoughtfully designed to be easily removed.

How To Assemble A Computer - PC Assembly Guide, Antec Sonata 2 interior     How To Assemble A Computer - PC Assembly Guide, Antec Sonata II interior with ductwork removed

The small, brown cardboard box includes brass colored mounting posts as well as screws of various sizes. The screws in the lower-left corner are bracket screws. The screws in the lower-right corner are mounting post screws. The mounting posts and mounting post screws are used to secure the motherboard to the interior of the computer case.
How To Assemble A Computer - PC Assembly Guide, Antec Sonata II computer case screws and motherboard mounting posts

The Antec Sonata II computer case comes with a 120mm case fan for exhaust already installed as shown circled in yellow. In my experience, this is sufficient. Although the Antec Sonata II computer case provides room for an intake case fan, an intake fan adds very little cooling. However, it usually makes a noticeable increase in the amount of noise since it installs in the front of the computer case and the front of the computer is closer to the user. If computer case fans are needed then brand doesn't make much difference - I typically use Sunon case fans - as long as the fan provides a reasonable amount of airflow without being annoyingly loud. Get the size best suited for the computer case, which is most likely either 80mm or 120mm. Case fans that are 120mm in size tend to be quieter because they can spin slower than the smaller 80mm case fans and still produce the same amount of airflow. In addition, the actual noise made by 120mm case fans is lower in pitch, which is less intrusive.
How To Assemble A Computer - PC Assembly Guide, Antec Sonata II Computer Case Fan

Here is the view of the rear of the case, resting on its side. This orientation is with the computer case lying flat as it does when the case is open to install components. When set upright, the power supply on the left - circled in yellow - is at the top. Circled in blue at the center is the I/O shield - the input/output shield - which provides access for external devices through USB, IEEE 1394 FireWire, and other means. Circled in red at the right are the slot covers for the expansion slots. Typically the slot covers are removed as part of installing an add-on card to provide access for connecting a device to the card, such as a monitor or modem. The Antec Sonata II computer case provides seven slot covers to support external access for up to seven add-on cards. The large round grid area above the I/O shield is an exhaust opening for the pre-installed computer case fan. And the rectangular grid area above the slot covers is a second opening for ventilation.
How To Assemble A Computer - PC Assembly Guide, Antec Sonata II Rear View I/O Shield

The computer case comes with the power supply already installed, but I removed it to give a better look at it. If a more powerful power supply is called for then now is the ideal time to swap it out since there is nothing else in the case. The particular power supply that comes with the Antec Sonata II computer case is an Antec SmartPower 450-watt power supply. This is a good power supply and is sufficient for the component set I'm using.
How To Assemble A Computer - PC Assembly Guide, Antec Sonata II SmartPower 450 watt power supply

The power supply is easy to swap out (and actually, many computer cases do not include a power supply). All that's needed is to remove the screws that secure it in place, work the power supply out of the case, and insert and secure the new one with the same screws. This picture shows the back of the Antec Sonata II where the power supply is installed with the screws shown circled in yellow.
How to build a computer - Antec Sonata II Computer Case Power Supply Screws

Here are the types of power connectors available from the Antec SmartPower 450-watt power supply.
    Leftmost is a 4-pin 3.5" Molex mini-power connector for the floppy drive.
    Next is a 4-pin Molex power connector used most often for IDE drives - in particular the optical drive but also possibly other devices.
    Next is a 6-pin PCI-E power connector used for PCI-E video cards.
    The next two connectors are the ATX connectors that connect to the motherboard, a 4-pin connector arranged 2 x 2 and a 24-pin connector arranged 2 x 12.
    And finally a SATA connector for connecting SATA drives - in particular the hard drive.
How To Assemble A Computer - PC Assembly Guide, Antec Sonata II SmartPower 450 watt power supply connectors





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How To Build A Computer. Step By Step Instructions To Assemble. Skip To Any Assembly Step.

  Parts List
  Tools
  Computer Case and Power Supply
  Motherboard
  Processor, CPU Cooler and Thermal Compound
  RAM - System Memory
  Video Card
  Monitor
  Keyboard and Mouse
  Hard Drive
  DVD RW
  Sound Card and Speakers
  Modem
  Install the Processor onto the Motherboard
  Install the CPU Cooler
  Install the RAM - System Memory
  Install the Motherboard into the Computer Case
  Install the Video Card
  Connect the Power Supply to the Motherboard
  Connect the System Panel Cables
  Ready the Monitor
  Ready the Keyboard and Mouse
  First Boot
  First Boot Common Problems
  Install the DVD RW Drive
  Install the SATA Hard Drive
  Connect the Speakers (if using built-in sound)
  Second Boot
  Configure the BIOS Parameter Settings
  Test The Hard Drive
  Install the Operating System - Windows XP
  Install the Operating System - Windows Vista
  Driver Installation


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