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Case Motherboard
Sound Video
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| Case
Maintenance: |
| Dust
& Dirt |
Wipe down the outside
of the case with Windex, 409, or any mild cleaner, and
a cloth. |
| Integrity |
Make sure all of the
screws are secure. |
| Case Replacement: |
| Power |
Turn off the PC, and
disconnect the power cord from the outlet AND from the
PC. |
| Remove |
Remove the PC Case
cover.Remove all of the cards inside the case, and put
them to the side, in a safe place. (Watch out for static
electricity!) Make a note as to what slots each went into,
to make it easier to re-install them in the new case.
Disconnect all the data and power cables, and remove them.
Remove all of the drives.
Note the location of the motherboard standoffs and ground
screw(s). then remove the screws. Use a pair of flat-nosed
pliers to pinch the plastic standoffs. This will allow
the motherboard to be pulled free.
When you are done removing everything from inside the
case, you should be left with the case shell/framing and
the power supply. |
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| Install the motherboard |
Install the motherboard
in the new case. If you need help, check out the Motherboard
page |
| Connections |
Make sure you connect
all of the data and power cables to the motherboard, including
those that come from the case. |
| Intstall |
Install all of the
drives.Install all of the cards.
Finish by connecting these to their respective cables.
Make sure that the cables Pin 1 goes to Pin 1 on the drives. |
| Checks |
Never assume anything.
Double-check EVERYTHING. |
| Testing |
Be prepared!
Before you turn on the power, make sure you are paying
close attention for anything out of the ordinary. This
will include: strange whining sounds, crackling,
smoke, multiple beeps, no video, no control with the motherboard,
etc. If you see or hear anything like this, turn off the
PC and power immediately! Then, go back and re-check EVERYTHING.
Make sure that cables are not broken, or shorting against
any metal.
Some of the NORMAL things you
should expect: power supply comes on, LED’s light,
power supply fan runs, video BIOS name on the monitor,
system BIOS info on the monitor, memory check and count,
and then (if the BIOS doesn’t require any tweaking)
you’ll hear one beep, and then the Operating System
will start up.
In any case, make sure to double-check everything! If
the BIOS requires tweaking, make sure you follow the
specific instructions for your motherboard.
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| Cover |
Replace
the new PC case cover. |
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| Motherboard
Maintenance: |
| Dust
& Dirt |
After some time, and
especially if your PC is in a dusty area, you'll need
to clean off the dust build-up that will occur. Dust and
dirt will cause the components on the sound card (any
electronics, for that matter) to overheat. |
| Time |
Over time (months and
years) it is possible for the cards connected to the motherboard
to work their way out of proper seating in the slots.
This is primarily caused by contraction and expansion,
as the PC is turned on and off. To fix this, just re-seat
the cards in their slots |
| Top
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| Motherboard
Replacement: |
| First things
first |
Remove the PC Case
cover.You’ll want to get all the pertinent system
info and data BEFORE you start replacing the motherboard.
Make sure you have a bootable floppy disk ready. Make
notes of where all the cards go, what connectors go where,
and what is connected to the motherboard from the case.
Re-boot your PC, and enter the BIOS setup. Write down
ALL the parameters listed. You’ll be glad you did…later.
And make sure you get the Hard Drive and CD-ROM parameters
as well. |
| Power |
OK, now power down
your PC, and turn it off. Unplug it from the wall outlet
too. |
| Remove |
Remove
the PC case cover Remove all the cards from your current
motherboard, storing them out of the way and in an anti-static
bag if you have them. Remove all connections to the motherboard
from the Hard Drive(s), floppies, etc. Remove any I/O
connections to the motherboard. Remove the power
supply connectors. Remove the screws which hold the motherboard
plane to the case. Remove the motherboard (and if it’s
a good tower case, the motherboard plane.) |
| Top |
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| Configure
the motherboard |
This usually requires
setting jumpers on the motherboard depending on what CPU
you’ll be using. Many of the newer motherboards are
jumperless, so there’s no jumpers to set. Make
sure you have the motherboard manual. If you’ve lost
it or didn’t have one to start, then check go to
our Mfr’s Link and get the manual from the boards
manufacturer. When you’re ready to set up the
CPU speed with the jumpers, make sure you are using the
actual CPU speed (as with the AMD & Cyrix CPU’s
– some of them have what is called a P-rating. This
shows what the comparable speed is to an Intel Pentium
CPU. As always, when working with circuit cards, take
care to get rid of any static electricity before handling
the cards. This is easy enough – just touch the metal
case (with the power off!) to drain off the static. You
don’t want to ruin a card or motherboard this way...unless
you’ve got money to burn! Go through the motherboard
manual and read everything! Hopefully, the board you have
has a decent manual. Some manufacturer’s have yet
to implement decent proof-readers. Let alone, English-speaking
one’s. Set the voltage settings for core voltage
and I/O voltage. Set the CPU speed by setting the system
bus speed and a multiplier jumpers. Double-check all the
settings – it’s easier to do this with the board
out in the open – than later with everything mounted. |
| Install
the CPU |
Install the CPU into
its slot or socket (depending on what CPU you’re using).
Notice that the CPU only fits correctly ONE WAY (Look
for a notched/cut corner and match it up to the socket/slot.)
Verify the correct way to install your CPU BEFORE trying
to force it in. One bent pin and you could be back at
the store, buying another CPU. (Believe me, the guy who
sold you the CPU is NOT going to give you a refund/exchange
because you didn’t know what you were doing. On top of
the CPU, there should already be a heat sink and fan.
If not, you’ll have to add them. If you do, make sure
you use a thermal grease on the underside of the heat
sink. This will ensure a good transfer of heat from the
CPU to the heat sink & fan. Then connect the CPU’s fan
to a power connector, or to the motherboard. Read your
manual to find out which. |
| Top |
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| Connections |
Connect the power
cables (usually labeled P8 and P9) to the motherboard.
Make sure all the black wires are together in the middle.
If they aren’t and you power up the system –
then you’ve just fried it and you’ll be buying
another motherboard! On the newer ATX motherboards, there’s
only one connector for power, and it only aligns one way.
Connect the connectors that come from the front of the
PC case. These will usually include the following: Power
Switch, Power LED, Reset, Keylock, Speaker (the small
internal one for beeps), Turbo (usually only on the older
cases and generally no place on the newer motherboards
to connect it), HDD Light (for the Hard Drive – it
shows Hard Drive activity), and sometimes several others.
To find out what you have and what the motherboard provides
connectors for, read the manual. If the motherboard didn’t
come with the memory installed, then now is the time to
install the modules. Most new boards are using what are
called DIMM’s (Dual Inline Memory Modules). If you’re
using an older board, it will more than likely use SIMM’s
(Single Inline Memory Modules). They’re very easy
to tell apart. DIMM’s have 168 pins and SIMM’s
only 72. In plain-speak, the DIMM’s are longer |
| Securing
the motherboard |
First, find the holes
on the motherboard and the holes on the case’s motherboard
plane, and line them up. (What you’re trying to do
is determine where the standoffs will go, and which holes
in the plane [this is the place where the motherboard
sits] you can use.) Once you’ve determined this,
go ahead and install the standoffs. Some will screw into
the plane and other’s just slide into place. This
will depend on the type of standoffs you’re using.
When you’ve got all of the standoffs in place, go
ahead and, holding the motherboard over the plane, line
it up with the standoffs. The idea here is that you want
the tops of the standoffs to come through their respective
holes in the motherboard. Generally, there are one or
two metal screws to attach the motherboard to the case.
These are grounding screws. Before you install them, make
sure that there is a plastic or cardboard spacer between
it and the motherboard, and tighten the screw(s). Don’t
overdo it, or you could crack the board. Now, double-check
that all of the spacers are correctly aligned, and that
all the connectors are set properly. With that done, you
can now re-install the motherboard & plane into the
case. With the motherboard secured inside the case, go
ahead and connect the I/O connectors for: Serial
ports, Parallel ports, USB, and any other port connectors.
(You won’t have to do this on some, as all the ports
are integrated into the edge of the motherboard.) Connect
the Hard Drive, Floppy Drive, CD-ROM and other cables
to the Primary and Secondary IDE connectors on the motherboard,
as well as those cables that connect to the cards you’ve
just installed. Re-install any cards you have: Sound,
Video, Fax Modem, SCSI Host Controller, etc. Connect the
mouse and keyboard, as well as the monitor. |
| Top |
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| Checks |
Never assume
anything. Double-check EVERYTHING. |
| Testing |
Be prepared! Before
you turn on the power, make sure you are paying close
attention for anything out of the ordinary. This will
include: strange whining sounds, crackling, smoke,
multiple beeps, no video, no control with the motherboard,
etc. If you see or hear anything like this, turn off the
PC and power immediately! Then, go back and re-check EVERYTHING.
Make sure that cables are not broken, or shorting against
any metal. Some of the NORMAL things you should expect:
power supply comes on, LED’s light, power supply
fan runs, video BIOS name on the monitor, system BIOS
info on the monitor, memory check and count, and then
(if the BIOS doesn’t require any tweaking) you’ll
hear one beep, and then the Operating System will start
up. In any case, make sure to double-check everything!
If the BIOS requires tweaking, make sure you follow the
specific instructions for your motherboard. |
| Cover |
When you're done installing
the motherboard, go ahead and shutdown the system. Turn
off the power, and replace the case cover. |
| Top
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| Sound
Card Maintenance: |
| Dust &
Dirt |
After some time, and
especially if your PC is in a dusty area, you'll need
to clean off the dust build-up that will occur. Dust and
dirt will cause the components on the sound card (any
electronics, for that matter) to overheat. |
| Time |
Over time (months and
years) it is possible for the card to work its way out
of proper seating in the slot. This is primarily caused
by contraction and expansion, as the PC is turned on and
off. To fix this, just re-seat the card in its slot. |
| Top
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| Sound
Card Replacement: |
| Power |
Turn off the PC, and
disconnect the power cord from the outlet AND from the
PC. |
| Remove |
Remove the PC Case cover.
Remove the audio cables and connectors from the card.
Note the function of the cables/connectors PRIOR to
removing them. Either write it down or mark the cables
using some masking tape.
Remove the screw holding the card in place. Remove
any internal cables and be sure to mark down where they
will go on the new card, as well as what they connect
to inside the PC. (For example, the CD-ROM, Fax/Modem,
etc.) Gently but firmly grab the card and rock it out
of its slot. Take care not to bend the card, nor move
it side-to-side. This could damage the slot on the motherboard
(or the riser card, if you have a slim-style case).
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| Install the new Card |
Carefully, align the new card with its slot and rock
the new card down into it.
Reconnect all of the audio cables and connectors to
the card.
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| Checks |
Never assume anything.
Double-check EVERYTHING. |
| Sound Card Setup |
The new sound card will usually
come with a software setup program, to install new audio
drivers. If you are using Windows 95/98, when you re-boot
the PC, it will tell you that it has found some new
hardware. Follow the instructions for installing the
new drivers from the software that came with the card.
(In some cases, you may need to run an additional setup
program for the sound card, which will add special functions,
as deemed by the manufacturer.)
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| Cover |
After installing the
software and making sure that the card is fully functional,
go ahead and shut-down Windows. Turn off the power, and
replace the case cover. |
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| Video
Card Maintenance: |
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| Dust &
Dirt |
After some time, and
especially if your PC is in a dusty area, you'll need
to clean off the dust build-up that will occur. Dust and
dirt will cause the components on the video card
(any electronics, for that matter) to overheat |
| Time |
Over time (months and
years) it is possible for the card to work its way out
of proper seating in the slot. This is primarily caused
by contraction and expansion, as the PC is turned on and
off. To fix this, just re-seat the card in its slot. |
| Cables |
If you move you PC,
or clean around it - there's a chance that the cable(s)
can become loose at their connections. After moving or
cleaning the area, make sure that the cables and connectors
are secure. |
| Top |
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| Video
Card Maintenance: |
| Power
Off |
Turn off the computer
and monitor - completely. |
| Remove |
Remove the PC Case cover.
Remove the video cables from the video card. Note the
function of the cables/connectors PRIOR to removing
them. Either write it down or mark the cables using
some masking tape.
Remove the screw holding the card in place. Gently
but firmly grab the card and rock it out of its slot.
Take care not to bend the card, nor move it side-to-side.
This could damage the slot on the motherboard (or the
riser card, if you have a slim-style case).
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| Install |
Carefuylly, align the new card with its slot and rock
the new card down into it.
Reconnect the video cables to the card.
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| Video Card
Setup |
The new video card will usually come with a software
setup program, to install new video drivers. If you
are using Windows 9x+, when you re-boot the PC, it will
tell you that it has found some new hardware.
Follow the instructions for installing the new drivers
from the software that came with the card. (In some
cases, you may need to run an additional setup program
for the video card, which will add special functions,
as deemed by the manufacturer.)
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| Checks |
Never assume
anything. Double-check EVERYTHING. |
| Cover |
When you're done,
go ahead and shutdown the system. Turn off the power,
and replace the case cover. |
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