The Core of the System
Without a motherboard, your CPU is a very
expensive silicon and plastic keychain accessory. Without a
motherboard, that Radeon 9700 graphics card makes a great doorstop.
Without a motherboard, there is no PC.
Motherboards used to be a
pain in the derriere to install. A typical motherboard had zillions of
jumper settings for different CPU clocks, frontside bus speeds,
floating point coprocessors and memory module sizes. That time passed
long ago, as chronology of technology is measured. Today's motherboards
are more complex than ever, in terms of features sets, but are easier
to install and simpler to set up than ever before. Building or upgrading your system can be a rewarding and educational experience. However, it's often a painful
learning experience. It's been said that good judgment is the result of
experience -- and experience is the result of poor judgment. We're
going to offer up our own experience, so you can proceed directly to
the "good judgment" category. Just because we've broken the heatsink
clip off a CPU socket, or crushed the corner of a CPU by incorrectly
installing the cooler, doesn't mean you need to learn in quite that
manner. We're going to walk through
the process of installing a motherboard, with lots of pictures to help
you understand the process. If you've swapped out a myriad of
motherboards, then this isn't for you. But if you've never done it
before, or have done a couple and still feel nervous about the process,
read on.
Note that
we're dealing purely with hardware here, so there's no detailed
discussion of installing any operating system. We do offer up a few
bits of advice on software installation, but a full-blown discussion of
installing an OS for another day.
Preparing the System
We're going install the motherboard into a
clean case. Note that if you're planning on upgrading your system, the
first step is to remove the old motherboard. Here are a few tips for a
smooth disassembly:
- Always make sure you ground yourself. Also, detach the power cable!
- Make sure you remove
cables gently. We've seen IDE cables where the connector separated from
the cable and remained attached to the hard drive.
- Be cautious when
taking out the AGP graphics card. Many motherboards have special
retention brackets that are designed to prevent the AGP card from
accidentally falling out. Usually, you move a small lever to facilitate
AGP graphics card removal.
- Use care when removing the screws that hold the motherboard to the case.
- If anything
protrudes over the motherboard, such as part of the hard drive, remove
it. If it can't be removed -- for example, a non-detachable hard drive
cage -- take out the drives to give yourself as much room as possible
to slide out the motherboard.
- Lift the motherboard out gently -- there may be screws still attached you haven't spotted.
Okay, now that we have a "clean slate", let's install the motherboard.
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Step 1: Take an Inventory
Unpack the motherboard box and check to
make sure all the component parts are present. Some motherboards come
with a number of small accessory boards, cables and other items that
may or may not need to be installed. In particular, check to make sure
the driver CD and the manual are actually in the box. In a few cases,
the motherboard manual may only reside on the CD. In those cases, there
may be a quick reference guide that will help you attach front panel
connectors and walk you through other key steps.
In our case,
we're installing a Chaintech 7NJS Athlon XP motherboard based on the
Nforce2 chipset. Note that there are relatively few differences between
installing an Athlon motherboard and a P4 board. We'll touch on
specific P4 issues along the way. Most of these deal with differences
in CPU insertion and installing the heatsink.
|  | | click on image for full view |
Step 2: The ATX I/O Shield
With the explosion in motherboard designs
comes an explosion in the layout of the back panel I/O. This often
means that each motherboard will ship with an ATX I/O shield that
differs from other boards. The I/O shield is typically a thin sheet of
aluminum with holes punched in it to mate to the I/O options on the
back of the motherboard.
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Before
actually snapping the shield into the opening in the case, check to
make sure it really aligns properly with the I/O connectors on the back
panel of the motherboard. We've seen cases where an incorrect I/O
shield is included in the package. If you install the shield, then try
to force the motherboard to fit, you may end up with a broken I/O
connector.
More common are unpunched
cutouts which mate to an I/O port. Again, trying to force an I/O
connector through an unpunched cutout could end badly. Make sure any
cutouts that need to be punched out are, indeed, removed.
|  | | click on image for full view |
Step 3: Check the Mount Points
Note that some builders prefer installing
the CPU, memory and heatsink before installing the motherboard into the
case. This tactic is useful if your case is small and leaves little
maneuvering room inside for your hands. If that's your situation, skip
ahead to our article on Installing Memory, CPU and Heatsink, and then return here.
Now that you've installed the I/O
shield, it's time to check the mounting holes, and install any mounting
hardware. As we noted in our feature on choosing the right PC case, mounting hardware comes in several flavors.
Most current generation cases only have mounting holes for ATX
motherboards; some older cases, or bigger towers, will sometimes have
mounting points for additional motherboard formats. If you have one of
these, make sure to install the mounting hardware in the correct holes.
In the Antec SX-835 case
we're using for this tutorial, there are only ATX mount points.
Typically, there are three rows of mounting holes. Full size
motherboards may use all three rows, but many boards only use the first
two rows.
|  | | click on image for full view |
Note that some motherboards may have four
screw holes in the first row (the row closest to the I/O cluster). It's
usually only necessary to use one of the center mounting positions in
that first row. However, many other boards have only three screw holes. If you have one of those make sure the mounting hardware under the location without a screw hole has been removed!
Otherwise, the mounting hardware could come into contact with a bit of
solder or circuit trace, resulting in either a simple ground fault (the
board doesn't boot), or a spectacular failure. Neither is good.
Finally, many cases ship
with small fiber washers. You shouldn't use these, as today's
motherboards have insulators around the holes.
Step 4: Installing the Motherboard
Aligning the motherboard on top of the
mounting hardware can sometimes be tricky. Tolerances in your PC
chassis can best be described as "loose", especially if the case has a
removable motherboard tray. Your best bet is to install the center
screw loosely -- don't tighten it. Then install the other screws in a
zig-zag pattern, much like attaching the lug nuts when you change a car
tire. Don't tighten any screws until all of them are in. You may have
to wiggle the board a bit to get some of the screw holes to align with
the underlying mounting hardware.
Another
potentially tricky bit is aligning the I/O cluster with the cutouts in
the ATX I/O shield. Most shields have some flashing -- bits of metal
still attached to the shield from the manufacturing process -- and you
may have to clip or bend them out of the way to slide the ports all the
way through. Typically, serial, game and parallel ports protrude
through the shield while mouse ports, USB ports, audio ports and
FireWire ports remain behind the shield.
Once you have all the screws into their mount holes, screw them down. If you're not using an electric screwdriver with a clutch,
make sure you don't over-tighten the screws. The screws and mounting
hardware typically strip pretty easily. Once the motherboard is screwed
down, pause for a moment to admire your handiwork.
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Step 5: Front Panel Connectors
Every motherboard has a set of pins that
connect to the front panel of your case. These pins usually consist of
power switch, reset switch, power LED, hard drive activity LED and
internal speaker connectors. Your motherboard may also have additional
connectors for suspend states and sleep switches, but we haven't seen
too many DIY cases that support these additional connectors.
|  | | click on image for full view |
Some motherboard makers
clearly silkscreen the identity of the connectors onto the motherboard
itself, but you usually have to consult a diagram in the manual or
quick reference guide to determine the identity of each set of pins.
The good news is that the jumpers from the front panel almost
universally have ID markings these days. A few years ago, you sometimes
had to engage in a puzzle-solving activity to determine the correct
jumpers.
|  | | click on image for full view |
If you have large hands,
consider using a pair of forceps (hemostat) to insert the jumpers. Note
that the power switch, reset switch and speaker connectors can be
installed without worrying about the polarity. The LED jumpers,
however, must be installed with the correct polarity. This usually
means that the (+) pin is connected to the non-black connector.
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Step 6: Power Connections
Now we connect the power supply to the
motherboard. ATX motherboards typically have a single, keyed power
connector, unlike the bad old days of AT-style boards that required
twin, aligned power connectors. The ATX power connector is a 20-pin
connector, with a latching key on one side.
|  | | click on image for full view |
Attaching the power connector
simply means you align the connector so the locking tab is on the side
with the latching key, then push the power supply connector straight
down into motherboard power receptacle.
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Pentium 4 motherboards, and a
few Athlon boards (mostly from ABIT) also require an additional 4-pin,
12V power connector. This connector is called the ATX12V connector.
(Never let it be said that engineers lack imagination…). One side of
the connector is has the same type of latching key as the 20-pin ATX
power connector.
|  | | click on image for full view |
A few boards have an additional MolexTM
style 4-pin connector -- the same type of connector used to attach hard
drive power cables. If your power supply lacks an ATX12V cable, then
you can use this Molex-style connector to deliver the needed 12V power
that the Pentium 4 likes to receive.
The one other power
connector you may occasionally encounter is the auxiliary power
connector. You can mostly ignore this, even if your power supply has
the matching cable. The reason is that this auxiliary power is to
deliver power to certain high performance, professional graphics
hardware (AGP Pro 50 cards). Optional Step: Accessory Installation
We're not going to cover installation of
optional accessories in any detail, but you should be aware of the
range of accessories.
The most
common option: additional USB ports. These are standard USB connectors
mounted in a slot cover, so if you install them, you lose access to a
PCI slot (or sometimes to an ACR or CNR slot, which is no big loss). In
most cases, the connection to the motherboard is a defined, keyed
connector that slides right in. However, in some cases, you're faced
with a cluster of single wires terminating in single connectors. These
are usually labeled, but often require peering at a manual page in
reverent silence for several minutes while you decipher the markings.
The key thing to remember is that all the pins for one port are on one
side of a parallel row of pins, and there's often an extra pin that
needs no connector at all.
Other accessories often
included: FireWire (IEEE1394) ports, additional audio connectors,
Bluetooth headers and even boxes with memory card slots that install
into a free drive bay.
That's it for our "How To Install a Motherboard" tutorial. The next step: install CPU and memory. You can go directly to our story for more details on these critical steps.
That story also contains some great troubleshooting tips to help if your system just won't boot.
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In our previous article "How to Install a Motherboard",
we took you through the steps of adding a motherboard to your case,
plugging in all the wires, and connecting the power supply. Now we
tackle the challenging tasks of safely installing memory, heatsink and
CPU.
Step 1: Installing the CPU
Once
you've installed the front panel and power connectors on your
motherboard, it's time to install the CPU. Of the two main CPU types,
installing an Athlon XP is a little more tricky than installing a
Pentium 4 processor. The P4 CPU die sits underneath a fairly sturdy
heat spreader that also serves to protect the bare die from all but the
most enthusiastic overpressure. I've seen users break motherboards
before they damage the P4 CPU. (Note, however, that bent pins are a
potential problem with any CPU install). The Athlon XP, on the other
hand, has the bare die, sitting on top of the organic pin-grid array
package.
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If you look at the top of the
Athlon , you'll notice a tiny triangle inscribed on one corner of the
package. This triangle matches up with a similar triangle on the
underside of the CPU -- the side with the pins. |  | | click on image for full view |
Note that two corners have
"missing" pins. These missing pins correspond to "missing holes" in the
CPU socket itself. These corner cuts act as a key to help you align the
CPU when you're trying to slip it into the ZIF (zero insertion force)
socket. Note that the Pentium 4 has a similar feature, except that the
pair of "missing" pins are both in one corner.
|  | | click on image for full view |
To install the CPU, you
simply lift up the ZIF lever, align the CPU correctly and ever so
gently push down. The CPU should simply slip into the socket. If you
feel like you need to exert any significant force to insert the CPU, STOP RIGHT NOW!
If the CPU doesn't simply
slip into the socket, either the CPU isn't properly aligned with the
socket, or the ZIF lever isn't raised all the way. Check both to be
sure. If, by happenstance, you've bent some pins on your precious CPU,
all is not lost. All you need to do is find a very narrow, stiff piece
of plastic -- like the credit card you used to buy the CPU -- and slide
it into the row where the bent pins reside and slowly, very gently,
wiggle the victims into line.
Once the CPU is seated in the socket, lower the ZIF lever until it snaps smoothly into place.
|  | | click on image for full view |
Step 2A: Installing the CPU Cooler
Installing the CPU cooler requires a bit of
up-front prep. If you have a stock heatsink with thermal tape attached,
it's your choice whether you want to use the supplied tape -- or not.
Thermal tape works well if you plan on never swapping out your CPU.
Otherwise, if you remove the heatsink later, you could have a sticky,
difficult-to-remove mess. If this is a system that will remain constant
for several years, by all means, use the thermal tape that ships with
the heatsink. But if you plan on upgrading later, it's best to simply
clean off the thermal tape with some solvent or degreaser and a craft
knife.
Next, you'll need to apply some thermal paste. The most popular type of paste among the DIY community is Arctic Silver,
which comes in an injector-style tube. When applying thermal paste, you
want only a thin layer. Too much paste simply oozes out over the CPU,
and in the case of the Athlon XP, too much paste can actually ooze
between some of the capacitors on the top of the CPU package and create
problems.
So all you need do is
squeeze out a small drop of thermal compound onto the CPU, then spread
it thinly with an edged surface, such as a craft knife. Don't use any
pressure to spread the paste, just a gentle, smooth spreading motion,
as if you were applying icing to the world's smallest cake. Use bit of
lint-free cloth to sop up any excess. |  | | click on image for full view |
Next, add a bit of the
compound to the underside of the heatsink, then spread it evenly with a
lint-free cloth until there's just a thin glaze of thermal grease
that's barely noticeable. |  | | click on image for full view |
Now align the heat sink so the groove in the cooler surface mates with the ridge on the CPU socket.
|  | | click on image for full view |
The next bit gets a little
tricky with some heatsinks. Typically, an Athlon XP heatsink clips onto
plastic tabs that are molded into the socket itself. Most of these
clip-attached sinks use only a single clip attaching to tabs on either
side of the socket. A few heatsinks have a clip that mates to all three
tabs on each side of the socket. The three-tab variety is more robust,
because if you break a tab, you can still usually attach the heatsink.
Our advice, though, is simple: be careful and don't break the tab.
Another problem with Athlon
(and Pentium III) systems is that the bare die that's on top of the CPU
package can be easily damaged. This is especially true if you apply the
force onto the heatsink from an angle in an attempt to align the clip
to the CPU socket tab. Some people like to use special shims, but the
only time I've ever destroyed a CPU was when a shim slipped a bit and
crushed the corner of the die -- no more shims for me.
Ideally, you want to attach
the clip to one side of the socket, gently set the heatsink on top of
the die, then apply force onto the other clip straight down until the clip latches onto the tab. This can be nerve-wracking, as it requires a fair amount of force.
|  | | click on image for full view |
First clip in place.
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Use a small screwdriver to push the clip straight down until it latches.
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Make sure to attach the power connector for the CPU cooling fan!
The final step is to attach the cooling
fan power cable to a 3-pin connector on the motherboard. Here's our
heatsink, in place, latched down, with the power connector attached.
|  | | click on image for full view |
This is only one example of
an Athlon XP heatsink -- some are easier, offering clips that have
thumb-operated levers. Some more exotic coolers actually attach to
mounting holes on the motherboard itself. However, the clip-on variety
is the most common.
Step 2B: Attaching a Pentium 4 Heatsink
Most of what we discussed regarding
attaching an Athlon XP heatsink applies to the Pentium 4, but there are
a few noticeable differences. Current P4 coolers mount into a plastic
retainer that's attached to the motherboard. These retainers typically
mount onto the board with plastic wedge pins. This is a big improvement
over the screw-mounted heatsink retainers of the early days of the P4.
|  | | click on image for full view |
If you examine a Pentium 4
active cooler mount, you'll see small risers on each corner with a
small, square hole. Corresponding tabs on the heatsink itself attach to
these holes -- in fact, they just snap in.
There are two types of P4
heatsink. The first, and most common type, have levers that latch down
the heatsink once you've snapped the device into the heatsink retainer.
The second simply snaps in, with no lever to increase attachment
pressure.
|  | | click on image for full view |
The
lever-mounted variety is on the left, while the snap-in type is on the
right. Note that a P4 heatsink looks huge when sitting next to an
Athlon heatsink. However, they're often quieter, as the fans tend to
spin more slowly. Also, they're much easier to attach. With the lever
mounted type, you snap in each corner post, making sure the lever is in
its raised position. Then you snap down the lever, which presses the
surface of the heatsink against the heat spreader that's part of the P4
package.
The "press-on" variety is even easier. You snap down two diagonally opposite corners, then snap down the remaining corners.
This discussion focuses only
on the base CPU installation. If you're interested in overclocking your
CPU, including issues such as lapping the die surface, check out Joel
Durham's how-to on overclocking.
Step 3: Installing Memory
Installing RAM is, literally, a snap. In
this section, we'll focus on installing a pair of DDR modules, but
RDRAM modules for some Pentium 4 systems install in a similar fashion.
Just remember that 16-bit RDRAM modules must be installed in pairs (not
an issue if you have one of those rare ASUS motherboards that support
32-bit RIMMs). Also, 16-bit RDRAM modules require blank termination
modules, called C-RIMMs (Continuity RIMMs) in any empty slots.
Motherboards
using DDR memory allow you to install memory a single module at a time.
However, a few motherboards now benefit from dual-channel DDR memory.
Nvidia Nforce2 boards gain some additional performance when two modules
are installed, though you only need to install one memory module at a
time. Pentium 4 motherboards using Intel's Granite Bay (7205) chipset
gain substantial performance when two identical modules are installed
in dual-channel mode, but you can use a single module if you must.
The key point to installing memory is the alignment notch.
|  | | click on image for full view |
In this picture, notice the
notch in the DIMM circuit board, along the contact edge. This mates to
a key in the memory socket. Once you've mated the notch to the key,
slide the module straight down, making sure the DIMM locking clip is
pushed out.
|  | | click on image for full view |
As you gently press down on the module, the clip snaps into place.
|  | | click on image for full view |
If the clip doesn't seem to
want to snap into place, double-check to ensure you really have the
notch aligned correctly. The notch is actually offset from the center
of the module. However, it's very easy to accidentally try to install
the module in backwards. If the clip doesn't snap into place, that's
often a sign that you're trying to install the DIMM backwards.
These techniques also work
for RDRAM, as noted above, and standard (single data rate) SDRAM.
Here's a quick note on installing older EDO or fast page modules on old
Pentium systems. Those SIMMs (single inline memory module) often were
installed in pairs. You'd actually slide them in at an angle, then push
them upright, which would snap them into place.
Step 4: Finishing the Installation
The last thing to do is reinstall any
expansion cards you want to use. Installing PCI cards is fairly simple.
Remember, though, when you reinstall your graphics card, that you
ensure the AGP retention mechanism is properly seated.
|  | | click on image for full view |
Also, when you reinstall your hard drives and optical storage, don't forget to attach the power cables.
|  | | click on image for full view |
The other item of note is
attaching the storage devices to the motherboard. Most motherboards
ship with ATA and floppy cables. You may prefer different cables. If
you do use alternative cables, just be sure that if there are plugged
holes in the connector -- often there to "help" you install the cable
in the correct orientation -- mate up to missing pins on the
motherboard connector. Otherwise, you could damage the motherboard. The
better cables are properly keyed on the external side of the connector,
so it's nearly impossible to install them incorrectly.
|  | | click on image for full view |
Troubleshooting the First Boot
Even if you do everything perfectly, you
can still run into problems when you first boot up. Here's a few
typical problems and how to solve them:
Nothing happens when you press the power button.
There
are several possible causes. First, check to see if the front panel
power connector is really installed correctly. If it is, check to see
if the CPU is properly installed. Finally, make sure your power supply
hasn't given up the ghost.
The power supply starts up, all the fan spins, but nothing else happens.
If
you're not even getting beeps on startup, check once again to make sure
the CPU is properly installed. Also check that the memory modules are
in correctly. Another possible source of the problem might be IDE
cables that are reversed. Finally, check your power supply to make sure
it's working properly. (The problem with this is that you either need
to hook up the power supply to another system, or attach a known good
supply to the system with the newly installed motherboard -- not always
a simple thing).
The system powers up, and you hear multiple beeps, but nothing appears on-screen.
Check
to see if the memory and video card are properly installed. Recently,
we were greeted with frantic beeping when trying to power up a new
system. It turned out that the power cable for the Radeon 9700 -- which
needs external power supplied through a floppy drive power connector --
had come loose.
You get power, you can get into the BIOS, but the system hangs on boot.
This
can sometimes be caused by a bug in the BIOS. Try resetting the BIOS by
selecting the "Load Setup Defaults" or "Load Fail-Safe Defaults" when
in the system BIOS. If it still hangs, disconnect the hard drives and
remove all expansion cards but the graphics card and try to boot. If it
works then, try installing your PCI cards in different slots.
Note that you may simply have a
bad motherboard. We've noticed an increasing number of DOA boards in
our product testing, and that's never a good sign. Always buy from a
reputable vendor who will be willing to at least swap defective
hardware with working gear.
Powering Up
Now
that you've got your motherboard in place, it's time to power up. Plug
everything in -- power cable, keyboard, mouse and display at a minimum
-- then hit the power switch. If you've followed our steps carefully,
you'll be greeted with the POST (power-on, self-test) text on screen.
Hit the appropriate key and set up your BIOS to your tastes.
If you want to know more about your BIOS, check out our three-part series on the system BIOS and tuning:
Now that you've successfully booted,
it's time to either boot into the OS or install a clean operating
system. But that's a topic for another time.
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