Manual labour - Assembling my new PC

[Jonboy]

This is the first time I'm actually assembling my new components myself, previously would always select the individual parts and let the shop assemble them. Now, however, decided it's time to do this myself, so all my parts arrived from Prophecy yesterday (Coolermaster Elite 430 chassis, Mushkin DDR3 1333 4Gb RAM kit, Asus P8P67 Mobo, Seagate Barracuda Sata 6G hdd and Sandybridge Core i3 2100). Am scavenging my PSU and optical drive from my old machine.

Only had a short amount of time last night to start assembling and accomplished installing the motherboard header screws, clipping the motherboard IO plate in place. Maybe I'm being doff here, but how exactly does one align the motherboard and the IO plate properly? When I fit the mobo and align with the header screws, the IO plate seems somehow off with a few USB ports not lined up too well, but if I line them up 100% then the header screws don't align. There's those little "prongs" (for lack of a better word) on the IO plate - do those clip into the mobo or do they rest just on top of the IO ports (i.e. pushing them down)?

Question also for tonight, how much thermal paste should I apply to the processor?

And finally, I have my shiny new Windows 7 retail box sitting there, should I go for the 64 bit or 32 bit install? The last time I went with a 64 bit XP install the hassles with compatibility were endless and don't feel like that again. I trust though that MS has improved on this? Would just use the 32 bit if it could utilise all 4Gb of RAM.

[IcePick88]

Did you put the I/O plate in the right way? Just kidding.
Just a bit of wiggle work and it should line up. That depends how far off they are. Otherwise there might be something not lekker.

Regarding the thermal paste, just spread a thin layer all across the CPU or CPU cooler. Then push it down and fasten the cooler.
Not too much, nor to little. But if you accidently put a little more on, don't fret, more is always better than less here. If you don't know if your thermal paste is conductive or not, rather not mess on the mobo if you can.

Go 64bit. Windows 7 64bit is a dream to work with and I have not run into any of those old 64bit issues. Drivers are there so there should not be a problem. Unless you got some legacy peripherals connected. Then drivers might be a teeny weeny issue. I just ordered another 8GB of Corsair memory for some virtualization playtime, and 64bit can then go moggy with all that memory.

[Jonboy]

Did you put the I/O plate in the right way? Just kidding.
Just a bit of wiggle work and it should line up. That depends how far off they are. Otherwise there might be something not lekker.

Regarding the thermal paste, just spread a thin layer all across the CPU or CPU cooler. Then push it down and fasten the cooler.
Not too much, nor to little. But if you accidently put a little more on, don't fret, more is always better than less here. If you don't know if your thermal paste is conductive or not, rather not mess on the mobo if you can.

Go 64bit. Windows 7 64bit is a dream to work with and I have not run into any of those old 64bit issues. Drivers are there so there should not be a problem. Unless you got some legacy peripherals connected. Then drivers might be a teeny weeny issue. I just ordered another 8GB of Corsair memory for some virtualization playtime, and 64bit can then go moggy with all that memory.

Lol, cool ( thermal paste cool, lol).

The new Core i3 processor is tiny and yet packs a PK punch (if you know what I mean).

And whoever decided to put a mounting screw adjacent to a RAM slot should be shot in the foot.

Another question, with dual channel, do I install the two chips in the same colour RAM slots or in separate coloured RAM slots?

[SykomantiS]

That depends entirely on your board.
RTFM should do the trick

[Jonboy]

That depends entirely on your board.
RTFM should do the trick

We are men, we don't read manuals

[SykomantiS]

Well then...

[IcePick88]

Another question, with dual channel, do I install the two chips in the same colour RAM slots or in separate coloured RAM slots?

Just look on the board. It should say DIMM 1,2,3 and 4.

I assume your memory is 2 x 2GB, so install them in the light blue sockets.

[KillerByte]

Even I RTFM when I don't know. Read it and be informed.

I have a great trick with the thermal paste and processor. Put some compound on the processor and heatsink then with the heatsink facing up put the processor on it and manually spread the compound around using the processor. This should get you a spread.

Lift the flaps on the backing plate up so that the i/o ports can line up easily. If you've put the standoffs in the right holes then you should be able to line up the i/o plate and the standoffs with the motherboard. CM chassis are quality so they should line up.

[Jonboy]

Even I RTFM when I don't know. Read it and be informed.

I have a great trick with the thermal paste and processor. Put some compound on the processor and heatsink then with the heatsink facing up put the processor on it and manually spread the compound around using the processor. This should get you a spread.

Lift the flaps on the backing plate up so that the i/o ports can line up easily. If you've put the standoffs in the right holes then you should be able to line up the i/o plate and the standoffs with the motherboard. CM chassis are quality so they should line up.

+1 for some good tips, thanks KB and IcePick for the RAM tip.

[Stuart]

That depends entirely on your board.
RTFM should do the trick

We are men, we don't read manuals

We're also from Alberton; we don't read. Pictures, please!

Even I RTFM when I don't know.

Even you? Nowai! There we have it, ladies and gents. If KB sometimes has to read the manual, ask no more!



Install your memory in the blue sockets.

Edit: I see Icepick already told you that. In my defence, I am from Alberton, and therefore don't read.

[Jonboy]

That depends entirely on your board.
RTFM should do the trick

We are men, we don't read manuals

We're also from Alberton; we don't read. Pictures, please!

Even I RTFM when I don't know.

Even you? Nowai! There we have it, ladies and gents. If KB sometimes has to read the manual, ask no more!



Install your memory in the blue sockets.

Edit: I see Icepick already told you that. In my defence, I am from Alberton, and therefore don't read.

Why read manuals when we could be using that extra time to service the myriad of vehicles littering our gardens

Blue sockets, awesome, they're labelled very badly (or I'm just thick), but my thoughts were do you use DIMM1A and DIMM1B together or would dual channel be 1A and 2A, hence the confusion, and reading a 60 page motherboard manual at that time on a Thursday night was not on my list of things to do.

[KillerByte]

Of mice and men... or should I say a dead mouse who will be found with his body parts stuffed inside a non-functioning car that litters his garden.

[IcePick88]

Well, from the Memory QVL of your board is says to install memory in slots A2B2 for best stability. I'm guessing it's the blue ones.

[Jonboy]

Okay now tell me this, what recommendations do you guys have for cable management. Got my first swanky case with a perspex side, however, for all it's swankiness it lacks cable routing options and just has some cable ties included in the box.

[THE_STIG]

We're also from Alberton; we don't read. Pictures, please!

And we only need one tool out here, a hammer

The best way to install an IO shield(and I am not joking) is with a hammer, just be gentle when you do this.

[IcePick88]

Okay now tell me this, what recommendations do you guys have for cable management. Got my first swanky case with a perspex side, however, for all it's swankiness it lacks cable routing options and just has some cable ties included in the box.

Cable tie as much as you can then.

For instance, cable tie all you sata cables together and tuck them away. Do the same with the PSU cables that go to the drives and also tuck them away. And then the same with the front USB, power switch and audio cables.

I've tried to neaten mine as much as I can, but my case is not really cable management friendly.

[Stuart]

Just pull out all the cables and go wireless instead.

Actually, cable management can be a rather time-consuming thing, and requires a good deal of patience. I've never had the patience to do proper cable management (did I mention I'm from Alberton?), but I really admire some of these guys that get their cases so neat.

I'm not sure you can do anything other than try, fail and try again. If you want a neat case, you're just going to have to put the necessary time into it. Those Cortinas in your backyard are going to have to wait for a while.

[IcePick88]

Just pull out all the cables and go wireless instead.

Actually, cable management can be a rather time-consuming thing, and requires a good deal of patience. I've never had the patience to do proper cable management (did I mention I'm from Alberton?), but I really admire some of these guys that get their cases so neat.

+1000! I don't have much patience either and I'm not even from Baberton!

Those Cortinas in your backyard are going to have to wait for a while.

[THE_STIG]

Okay now tell me this, what recommendations do you guys have for cable management. Got my first swanky case with a perspex side, however, for all it's swankiness it lacks cable routing options and just has some cable ties included in the box.

Cable tie as much as you can then.

For instance, cable tie all you sata cables together and tuck them away. Do the same with the PSU cables that go to the drives and also tuck them away. And then the same with the front USB, power switch and audio cables.

I've tried to neaten mine as much as I can, but my case is not really cable management friendly.

That is what I have done, my case is a standard Aopen black/sliver case with no cable management options whatsoever. I did customize the case so it now has a shiny neptune blue perspex window and lots of shiny fans and led's and the cables are all neatly tied and hidden as well a possible.

I unlike stu and other Albertonians do have some patience for certain things, traffic and people are not one of them

[Stuart]

I don't have much patience either and I'm not even from Baberton!

Barberton? WTH? If I ever buy anything from you, please don't ship it to me. I'll get someone to collect.

[IcePick88]

I don't have much patience either and I'm not even from Baberton!

Barberton? WTH? If I ever buy anything from you, please don't ship it to me. I'll get someone to collect.

You say Alberton, I say Barberton. Doh!

My reading skills has let me down there.

[Jonboy]

So the assembling went smooth and the new PC is going like a dream.

Decided last night I should upgrade some peripherals too - I bought an A4 Tech Gaming KB + Mouse combo two years back, the G7 mouse is really nice but I HATE the keyboard which gives endless conflicts and goes off on a tangent trying to open every program on the desktop. I've never been able to bring myself to spend R800 on a gaming keyboard, just can't justify that price. Can you guys recommend a decent KB in the "I'm not insane to spend that on a keyboard" price range?

[THE_STIG]

Microsoft have some nice keyboards in the R150-300 price bracket