The new computer. Part 2
The previous part is here.
Assembling
Just to reiterate, with your case or with a motherboard, you have standoffs that connect the motherboard to the case. For this particular case, they were already attached but they were not very tight. And there is provided a tool that helps to tighten them. It is a good idea to tighten them before you attach the motherboard.
I assembled everything in the following order:
- Placed cooler brackets around the CPU socket.
- Placed CPU into the CPU socket and closed lever. Pay attention to its orientation.
- Placed power supply.
- Tighten standoffs on the case.
- Placed the motherboard into the case and screwed it to the case. 9 total bolts are required. Some look like they are fine, but they are not. Do not force them.
- Connected power to the CPU at the top left side of the board. It will be hard to do it later with a cooler attached.
- Connected 24-pin connector from the power supply to the motherboard.
- Placed memory. It is very close to the CPU cooler and it is better to place it before the cooler.
- Placed the thermal paste. You should not overdo it. I usually placed 5 dots of very small pea size (around 3mm). 4 of the near corners, but not too close, and one in the center. Remember this is not a sandwich. The thermal paste is supposed to just fill tiny imperfections between the heatsink and CPU lid that otherwise would be filled with air.
- Then I screwed the cooler to the brackets.
- Powered system and monitor diagnostic LEDs. They are located on the right side of the motherboard. Normally the CPU LED should be on, then the DRAM one and CPU LED should turn off, and then the light should jump to the VGA LED. But make sure, to give it some time. The first time the system takes quite a while to start because it training memory, etc.
If the light is on the CPU LED then there is a CPU issue and perhaps the BIOS does not support your CPU and you need to update it.
If the DRAM LED is on then there is an issue with your memory. Very often it means that some module didn’t lock in properly in the slot or it could be a memory incompatibility. Also, make sure that you check the motherboard manual and place the memory module(s) in the correct slot.
When the VGA LED is on then it means that there is no video card detected or if you have a CPU with a video card then it means there is no video cable plugged into the motherboard. - Then I powered it off and connected the video cable directly to the motherboard. As soon as I see something on the screen I power the system off because the cooler does not have fans attached. It is not a big deal but in general, I want to be safe.
- Then I attached fans to the CPU cooler.
- Next was SSD. Make sure to place it before you place a video card because it will be really hard to do if a video card is installed.
- Then I placed a video card.
- The attached front panel cables: power button, power LED, HDD LED. Then front Audio and USB.
- Then I attached the case controller to the power supply via SATA cable and I attached the case controller to the fan and RGB connectors of the motherboard.