Step 1: Mounting the power supply to the computer case
A fairly simple step to get your started. Before messing with the motherboard, RAM, and CPU, I mounted the power supply to the computer case.
Simply slide the power supply into the computer from the INSIDE. I’ve heard horror stories of people trying to jam the power supply through the back. Once you get the power supply into the case, the mounting holes should line up like so…
Simply tighten down the screws that were provided and TADA, you have taken the first step in building your own computer! Congratulations!
Step 2: The Motherboard
Adding the processor (CPU)
The CPU is considered the “brains” of the computer. This little piece of metal and silicon is involved in 100% of your daily computing activities whether it’s something as simple as clicking your mouse or something as complex as editing the video you just took of a recent vacation. Because of its importance, you should handle this piece with EXTREME care.
Once you have located your CPU socket, the area that will house your CPU, you are ready to mount the CPU to the motherboard. Unpackage your CPU and any other parts that came with it (likely a heat sink and maybe some thermal compound). Typically, new CPUs will come with a heat sink and thermal compound applied to it already but if not, you WILL need to apply thermal compound to it. Processors can easily reach 100 degrees Celsius otherwise known as the boiling point for liquids…not a good thing! Properly cooled CPUs should run anywhere between 20 and 60 degrees Celsius depending on its activity and depending on the type of processor.
Here we’ll need to pay extra special attention to how to actually insert the CPU into the CPU socket as it ONLY GOES IN ONE WAY! If you click on the above (or below) image you will get a much larger version of it. Once enlarged, look very closely at the bottom left hand corner of the CPU socket; do you see two tiny white triangles facing each other? If not, I’ve placed a red circle on the same photo below to help you out.
So what’s the significance of these white triangles? These white triangles tell you how to insert the CPU because the CPU will also have a triangle on it (as seen below). These triangles need to match up. Essentially these triangles are telling you the correct pin configuration. Again, it will only go in one way; so find the triangles on the motherboard and the triangle(s) on your CPU and match them up. Gently but evenly apply pressure to the top of the CPU until it’s securely in place like so…

Above is a full shot with the CPU installed. And below includes a photo of the locking mechanism securely holding the CPU in place.
Once the heat sink is properly mounted on top of the CPU, simply lock the heat sink in place. In the above image you see three black locking devices (a fourth is hidden from view). Simply twist these locking devices into the motherboard, locking them in place. Its worth noting that heat sinks have different locking mechanisms but generally all will need to be fastened to the motherboard. We will get to connecting the heat sink power to the motherboard shortly.
Adding the RAM
Most of your performance is determined by a combination of your CPU and the type and amount of RAM your computer possesses. Many people ask me, “Can you clean up my computer…it’s so slow…”. True, a congested (or fragmented) system can bog it down but the quickest, most effective, and cheapest way to increase performance on your computer is to add more RAM. Note that a motherboard will only support specific types and amounts of RAM. For instance, my BIOSTAR motherboard supports DDR3 1333/1066 RAM modules and supports up to 16GB of this particular RAM. You can’t add DDR2 RAM modules to this motherboard or add more than 16GB, so be aware of its specifications.
Each one of these “sticks” contains 4GBs of RAM. Notice the notches towards the middle left of the modules. You’ll find where the RAM is to be inserted will have a “male notch” indicating the proper way to install the RAM. The below photo shows these notches in greater detail.
On opposite sides of the RAM rails as I call them, are eight locking levers, four on each side for the four rails. To open them, simply take your thumbs (one of each side for the specific rail you wish to open) and firmly press down. This should open the rail so you can install the RAM modules. After that, line up the notches as described earlier and firmly but EVENLY push down on the RAM modules until the locking levers return to their original position. Note that sometimes the locking levers will not fully return to their original position so you might have to help them out a bit. The key here is to listen for the click, indicating the RAM was installed correctly. Improperly seated RAM can cause the system not to start as well as a variety of memory errors.
You’ll notice in previous pictures this particular motherboard has 4 RAM rails (2 white and 2 red). The color combination does exist for a reason and here’s why. If you are not planning on filling up the motherboard with RAM, you’ll need to insert the RAM in very specific RAM rails. Since I’m not filling up my RAM rails, I have to place my two RAM modules in “bank” or “rail” “DDR3_A2″ and “DDR3_B2″. Below is an image detailing the rail naming convention.
The other options are of course “DDR3_A1″ and “DDR3_B1″. Consult your motherboard manual and/or documentation for specific information in regards to which banks or rails to utilize if you’re not filling them up during the initial install. As mentioned earlier, improperly seated RAM can cause system failures and malfunctions and so too can utilizing the incorrect rails. If you’re planning on filling your RAM rails up during your initial install, you can safely ignore this information.
Step 3: Mounting the motherboard to the case
Mounting the motherboard to your case is a relatively straight-forward process; so long as you heeded my advice and made sure the case you selected during your initial purchases will accommodate your motherboard and vice versa.

The above image indicates the appropriate mounting holes for my size motherboard. You see some holes without the brass fittings that are used to accommodate other motherboard sizes, so when preparing to mount the motherboard to the case you’ll need to lay the motherboard inside to get an idea of which mounting holes you’ll need to use. Once you locate them, take the brass fittings that were supplied with the case or motherboard and screw them into place. These brass fittings allow for the motherboard to be elevated so it is not in direct contact with the case.
Once the brass fittings have been fixed to the case, simply lower your motherboard over them and fasten the motherboard down with the appropriate screws that came with the motherboard or case as illustrated below
Step 4: Installing the hard drive
Hard drives are somewhat sensitive to movement because of the platters and read/write heads located inside the actual hard drive, so be gentle when handling them. Solid state storage hard drives (the technology used in thumb drives, flash drives, etc.; no moving parts) are becoming popular due to the limited life span of these moving parts found in their traditional hard drive counterparts but for now, traditional hard drives will do the trick. I considered purchasing a solid state hard drive but as of this writing, they are still a bit expensive.

Installing a hard drive is as simple as opening the case side panel, placing it on the shelf, and fastening it to the sidewalls with the screws provided. In the below image, note the holes in the sides of the hard drive. These are used to mount the hard drive to the sidewall of the case.
Line up the holes on the hard drive with the holes in the sidewall and fasten them down with the screws provided like so:
Once you’ve secured the hard drive to the sidewall, you can connect the cables to the motherboard.
Step 5: Installing the DVD/CD Drive
Installing your DVD/CD drive is much like installing a hard drive. They are similar in size and shape, are fastened in place very much the same, and connect to the motherboard almost exactly the same. The primary difference though is that generally DVD/CD drives are inserted from the outside in. Here is an image of my case before I inserted the DVD/CD drive.

Once the face of the case has been removed, simply insert the DVD/CD drive from the OUTSIDE IN. Much with the power supply issue, I’ve heard of people struggling to install a DVD/CD drive from the inside out, so please refer to your documentation on the proper way to install your particular DVD/CD drive.
Slide the DVD/CD drive all the way back until it’s flush with the front of the case AND the mounting holes are lined up.
Complete on both sides and you’re done! Now all that’s left is to connect the cables from the DVD/CD drive to the motherboard, much like you did with the hard drive.
Step 6: Connecting the power supply and peripherals
If you haven’t already began connecting your power supply and peripherals to the motherboard, now is a good time to do it. So far I’d like to think we’ve understood one thing: every part in a computer has a dedicated home and will only fit where it is designed to fit. The power supply connectors are not any different. Different connectors of different shapes and sizes are only meant to go in one location and one way (I’ve heard that somewhere)!
In the past, power supply units generally came with everything already attached inside the power supply. While convenient in some aspects, this leads to unused power connectors restricting air flow (which I’ll get to in a bit) or otherwise just being in the way. Now days, power supplies are more modular, meaning you only connect what you need. Unfortunately I didn’t take a good shot of it, but my power supply comes with the main ATX connector already connected as well as the ATXPWR2 connector; and that’s it. The other necessary power connectors accompanied the power supply unit but they can be connected on an “as needed” basis by simply plugging the needed power cables into the power supply via modular connectors. Here is an “ok” image of just the main ATX power connector in the power supply.

So anyway, onto connecting everything. As already referenced, the main ATX connector is the main power supply connector. This is what breathes life into your motherboard as a whole. It’s by far the largest power connector of any others and very hard to miss. It’s often even labeled for you as you can see on my motherboard “ATXPWR1″
Much like the CPU had to be inserted a very particular way, so do these connectors. You see the white 90 degree angle at the bottom left hand side of the power connector? That is very similar to the white triangles I mentioned earlier. It indicates the correct pin configuration. In this power connector example, this is often known as “Pin 1″. Incorrectly situating the power connector in this slot can damage the electrical system thus rendering your motherboard useless, so use extreme caution. Here’s a close up of “Pin 1″ and the white angle I mentioned.
Simply connect the ATX power connector to this slot.
Another connection that needs to be made is to “ATXPWR2″. This is a much smaller connection but again, easy enough to find as it is generally labeled for you as seen below.
Some of these are 4-pin connectors and some are 8; depending on your motherboard. My power supply came with a 4 and 8-pin configuration so I was covered either way.
Since my “ATXPWR2″ has a 4-pin configuration, I connected the appropriate cable to the slot (read motherboard & power supply documentation to find out which you should use) and attached it like so:
Step 7: Cable Management
Cable management while not entirely necessary can impact the performance of your system. How you ask? My answer is air flow. Much like a vehicle runs much better when its cool (think cold air intakes) computers operate much better when a steady cool air is flowing through it. The fans that reside inside your case act as an intake and exhaust system. Generally the front fans suck in the air and the fans near the back of the case act as exhaust fans; pushing out the warm air. If you have a cluttered case, air flow can be restricted quite a bit. Managing cables and clearing obstructions between the intake and exhaust fans can extend the life of your computer and to help with cable management, I implore you to purchase cable ties. These come in very handy in this step. Here are a couple tips in cable management: * Route your cables in such a way that you can tie a number of cables together with a cable tie * Route the cables in such a way that they are not in the path of any fans. While this can be nearly impossible depending on the size of your case, the location of the connectors on your motherboard, and the amount of add-on cards, devices, and other components you have, just do the best you can.