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Loading ...Basic build
clocked
I received all the components for my new PC over the weekend and completed the basic build. I used an anti-static wristband throughout the assembly. Didn’t really feel like frying any new components on my first build, it’d be the kind of thing that would really destroy my confidence.
The first task was to get the PSU installed. This was made a bit more difficult by the fact that none of the holes on th PSU lined up with those on the case, so a small amount of drilling (of the case, not the PSU) was in order, after which the PSU was firmly fixed in place.
I installed the two hard drives before placing the motherboard in the case. In hindsight this may not have been the best idea, as it forced me to insert the motherboard at an awkward angle. I kept the two hard drives out of the way of the front intake fan, being fairly confident that they wouldn’t need much cooling.
After that I followed the standard procedure for assembling the computer, installing the CPU and RAM, and attaching the HSF before inserting the motherboard into the case. Removing the HSF from its box was quite a surprise, it was huge, or bigger than I expected at least, this being my first build. It absolutely dwarfed the AMD reference cooler. I removed the pre-applied TIM from the base plate of the HSF, replacing it with a tiny amount of Artic Silver 5 on the CPU. All went according to plan, with the processor sliding into place nicely and Akasa’s mounting mechanism making the HSF installation very simple. I placed the memory modules in slots 3 and 4 ( 2 and 3 in the BIOS, starting from 0 ), allowing them to operate in dual channel mode without the HSF being too close to them.
The next major task was installing the motherboard, and, as I mentioned earlier, this was made more complicated by my decision to install the hard drives before the motherboard. A bit of complex maneuvring later though and it was securely in place.
Next, I began connecting up as many cables as possible, those that wouldn’t interfere with other components that had yet to be installed. As you can see I wasn’t too careful with my cable routing because my main concern was getting it to POST and ensuring everything was working.
The last major component to be installed was the graphics card. This was a simple process, involving removing the correct backplate, lining up the card, slotting it in and screwing it down. I also installed the USB and Firewire backplate that was bundled with the motherboard, ’cause you can never have too many USB ports, though I’ve yet to find a use for Firewire. I then completed any necessary wiring, however I forgot to connect the extra Molex required for overclocking the graphics card, though that can be added to the list of tasks for next weekend.
Next came the moment of truth. I powered on the computer and it POSTed first time. Installing Vista was another matter though, with multiple crashes and BSODs, almost all of which were due to the RAID driver. The system crashed every time the SATA optical drive was opened. This seemed to be because I had set up the RAID in two different menus, the BIOS and the RAID setup, and changing the BIOS option to IDE seemed to rectify the problem, with Vista still just showing the single drive while Device Manager shows both. Many install attempts later ( so many I now know my 25 character Vista product key by heart, literally ), and the system is fully operational.
Unfortunately, not living at home during the week, I had to leave for college before I got to run any games on it, though I did get a few installed, and the rest of my family get to play with it and report any bugs. I did get to see AMD Overdrive in operation, and it seems sweet, with tons of options laid out far clearer than they could ever be in any BIOS. The system appears to run very cool, rarely breaking 35 degrees C, with the CPU remaining under 30 degrees C, though this could change when I check it with CoreTemp.
If anyone happens upon this blog and knows the purpose of AMD’s RAIDxpert, could you please comment on it, as I’m completely in the dark, being presented with a login screen in Internet Explorer every time I try to start it. Any further advice or feedback would also be greatly appreciated.
A quick thanks to my father for his help with the assembly, and to all my family for putting up with me during my moments of extreme frustration.
My tasks to be completed next weekend, in time for next weeks post, include making a CMOS clear switch from a DIL socket and a 2-way toggle switch, swapping the graphics card and the USB and Firewire backplate, and hopefully fixing the wiring situation.
So until then…
I’m glad your first build has gone relatively trouble free.
Hope you get some time to enjoy your rig when you get back home next.