Putting Together a PC

Install the Fan Assembly

Plug the fan cable into the

motherboard next to the processor

heat sink.

First attach the green fan cover to the

fan by aligning the notches and swinging

the cover down.

Four tabs should fit into four

notches in the case, then slide

over to lock into place. At the same

time as they slide over, a clip on the

fan should snap into another notch.

Now run the fan cable around

the top of the heat sink while moving

the fan into place. The fan will press right

up to the case with the green fan cover

laying over the heat sink.

Believe it or not,

you are finished

assembling the

computer!

Install the Motherboard

Install the Processor

Make sure the pins are set

properly in the holes, then

lower the little handle until it

clicks in.

Be careful not to bend any of the tiny gold pins when you unpack the processor. Bending the pins can permanently damage it.

First, lift the little handle at the side of the processor socket. Now look at the pin side of the processor. Notice the notch where two pins are missing in the upper left. Notice the socket also has two pins missing on the upper right. Turn the processor over and fit the pins right into the holes in the socket.

Carefully

Lay the case on its side. Line up the holes in the motherboard with the holes in the bottom. Screw in 8 screws.

Please handle it

carefully!

Now just slide the

case cover on and

plug in the right

cables.

Pivoting the retention module clip is SO much harder than they make it sound. It's really tricky and there are two of them, one on each side. Make sure they look like this.

The many-colored ports should fit in the space provided at the back of the case.

Install the Power Supply

Now for the fun part: Connecting

the power supply to all of the different

components.

Holding the bundle of wires out of the way,

slide the power supply into the case, sliding the bottom in first.

Slide the power supply against

the back of the case and put in

the 4 screws that secure it.

Now attach the retention module

to the motherboard with the

four screws (oops, the picture

is missing the processor).

Insert the connector labeled

P1 into the motherboard.

Insert the connector labeled

P3 into the hard drive and the

connector labeled P9 into the

optical drive.

P2 goes into the motherboard

near those colorful ports.

In the lyrical verse of Dell, "Insert the notched end of the heat sink onto the end of the retention module which is next to the power supply. Lower the heat sink until it fits securely in the module. When the heat sink is secured, pivot the retention module clip down until the tab snaps into place to secure the heat sink." See the next picture for more on the retention module clip... 

7

Attach the Front Panel

4

10

Install the Optical Drive

1

2

To replace the front panel, attach the side hinges and then rotate the front panel until it snaps onto the front of the computer.

Now lay the case back down. Gently slide the drive into place. Use the securing screw to attach the drive to the computer.

Attach the end of the white ribbon that says SYS BOARD to the white connector on the board. Attach the other end that says DRIVE to the back of the optical drive.

11

Assembling a Desktop PC

Install the Memory (RAM)

8

Press out the securing clip at each end of the memory module connector. 

Align the notch on the bottom of the module with the crossbar in the connector. 

6

9

3

NOTICE: To avoid damage to the memory module, press the module straight down into the connector while you apply equal force to each end of the module. Insert the module into the connector until the module snaps into position. 

If you insert the module correctly, the securing clips will snap into the cutouts at each end of the module.

5

Install the Power Switch

Make sure everything is lined up in front.

Connect the power switch cable to the motherboard.

Install the Audio and USB Ports

The power switch has a tab on either side. The smaller tab fits into the lower slot but you'll have to squeeze the switch to fit the bigger tab into the upper slot.

You might turn the case upright for this step. First slide the two cables through the audio/USB port slot.

Install the Hard Drive

Install the Ethernet Card

Align the cutout on the bottom of the card with the crossbar in the system board connector. Gently rock the card into the connector until it is fully seated.

Then secure the audio/USB port

container to the case with the

tab on the left side and the screw

on the right.

NOTE: The illustration shows

the card going into the first

slot, but in our case it should

go in the middle slot.

Place the hard drive in the bracket so that all three screw-holes in the hard drive line up with their respective holes in the bracket. Insert the 3 screws.

Snap the plastic cover on the front of the case covering the audio and USB ports.

Ensure that the card is fully seated and that its bracket is within the card slot.

Connect the data cable to the back of the hard drive. Make sure to plug in the side that says DRIVE.

Plug the two cables into the motherboard connectors.

Attach the filler bracket to the case with the

screw.

Slide the hard drive bracket into the front side of the case. Notice that two tabs have to fit into the front of the case and one has to fit in the bottom.

Attach the bracket into the computer with the bracket-securing screws, one inside and one outside.

Finally, connect the other end of the data cable- the end that says BOARD-to the motherboard.