Get into the BOX!

Test build successful!  On to the next phase!

The motherboard is attached to the case using stand-offs.  These are little brass fixtures that screw into the appropriate case holes to match the board mounting holes.  You can eyeball it pretty easily.  If you really want to be sure a template is a good choice.

Next up you want to mount the power supply.  Mine goes fan down on the bottom of the case (which is very common now).

My power supply is modular.  So you only need to use the cables you want.  The rest you store in a bag for later.

Next up are the drives.  For the DVD you remove a panel from the front of the tower and slide it into place. This tower is tool-less so it has some handy knobs that lock the drives down.

DVD in place!  Next the hard drive.

This case comes with some rails that snap onto each side of a standard drive.  Then you just slide it into position.

Finally the motherboard. Start with the back plate which labels all your various ports.  It just snaps into place.  Next you place the board slide it towards the back and secure using the mounting screws into the a fore mentioned stand-offs.

Using the back panel and some small black zip-ties you work the various cables through the channels to the proper position.  Less spaghetti cables mean better cooling.  I start by running power to everything, then data connectors to everything else. Including the case cables for the on off buttons and front panel USB and audio ports. Next I systematically secure the cables.

Any add-on cards, like a graphics card requires removal of a back panel (usually a screw, or you might have to bend-snap it off) and securing it into the socket.

Now you attach keyboard, mouse and monitor.  Plug in the power supply, hit the power supply on switch (if it has one).  Then push the start button.

TECH SUPERSTITION!  NEVER close up the side panels prior to starting up your system for the first time.  In fact, leave them off till after you install the OS.

Note how clean of cables this case is?  It is a work of art.

Here it is running!

Next up, Installing the OS.  This is something I may not blog about... Not sure yet.  Its a lot of looking at this:

-fini-