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Step 6: Install CPUSee Step 6
If there is a most important component to your PC, the CPU is it. This delicate microchip is the brain of your PC and should be handled that way. You never want to touch the CPU pins, holding it by the edges is the best recommendation. Installing into the motherboard is not overly difficult. The CPU socket on the motherboard is generally easy to find and is covered by a load plate and load plate cover to protect the socket when the CPU is not installed. The first step of installing the CPU is to gently unfasten and life the load plate. The load plate/socket cover should push out without having to apply too much force. Once the load plate is up you'll want to align the CPU with the socket. Intel CPUs have two tiny groves cut out on opposite sides of the silicon which should line up with two notches in the socket. Line them up and gently drop in the CPU. Intel's multi-core CPUs (Socket T/LGA775) are a "pinless" design, meaning they don't have actual pins sticking out that fit into the holes of a socket. Instead they use tiny contact points which align with the socket's contact points. This means there's no need to push the chip or a risk bending any CPU pins. Some older chips, both AMD and Intel, still use the old technology but if you're building a new PC you're most likely using a new chip.
Once the chip is resting in place, close the load plate and secure it with the load lever. At first this may seem like you're pushing down a bit hard but as long as you're using the level and not putting much (if any) force on the load plate everything should be fine and your CPU will be locked in place.
Step 7: Install CPU Heatsink and Fan
See Step 7
Just prior to installing the CPU Heatsink and fan you'll need to apply some thermal compound or grease. Thermal compound helps transfer the heat generated by the CPU to the heatsink better. All you need is a thin coat, the Zalman CNPS9700 LED heatsink I used came with a small bottle and brush to apply but it your compound is in a tube just apply a small amount and spread it evenly on the chip with something flat (i.e. an old credit card, business card, etc...). If you're using the factory Intel or AMD heatsink you'll need to purchase some thermal compound seperately.
After the thermal compound has been applied you're ready to install attach the heatsink. With Intel and AMD heatsink/fans the fan blows directly onto the CPU from the top so you don't need to take any of the other fans inside the case into consideration. However if you have a heatsink/cpu fan that's geared more towards overclocking like the Zalman CNPS9700 LED that you'll need to make sure the orientation of the fan blades is correct and matches that of the case fans so air is being blown in the same direction. In the case of the NZXT Hush case, there is a intake fan in the front and an exhaust fan in the back so I want to make sure my CPU fan is blowing air towards the back of the case. Each case and CPU heatsink/fan can be different so it's best to read the manual for correct installation.
Actually installing the CPU heatsink is just a matter of locing down the fasteners or screwing in the mounting screws. Once this is done, go ahead and plug the fan cable into the motherboard CPU Fan connector.
Step 8: Install RAM
See Step 8
The last component to install onto the motherboard before installing it into the case is the RAM. Start by locating the empty RAM slots on the motherboard. The vast majority of motherboards will have DDR2 RAM slots, there should be at least two slots, with mid to high ending motherboards having four. Located on either end of the RAM slot are retaining clips that will hold the RAM in place, open these by pushing them in opposite directions away from the center of the slot. Then with both hands pick up the RAM memory module bit it's edges and line it up with the socket so the groved portion of memory lines up with the notch in the socket. It only fits one way so you'll want to make sure you have this correct before pushing it down into the slot. When you're confident you have the RAM chip lined up properly push down on both ends until the retaining clips snap into place.
Repeat this process for as many RAM memory modules that you're installing.
Step 9: Install the Motherboard
See Step 9
By this time all the hard work starts to pay off as you'll begin to see the internal parts of the PC start to come together. Prior to installing the motherboard, as mentioned in step #2, make sure you have cleared the motherboard area in the case of any cables and make sure the standings are in the proper position for your specific mobo. Then gently lower the motherboard onto the standings and insert the screws. Screws should secure the motherboard to the case, but they should not be too tight, as you don't want to damage the board. You also don't want it loose enough to where it can be moved around at all.
Step 10: Install the Graphics Card
See Step 10
Next on our list of things to do is install the graphics card. There are two types of graphics cards; AGP cards and PCI-e Cards. AGP Cards have become less favorable in gaming PCs as they typically don't run as fast or have as much on board memory as PCI-e cards. PCI-e graphics card also have the ability to be paired with a duplicate card this nearly doubling your graphics computing power. The dual graphics cards do need to be of the same brand and model however.
Much like insterting the CPU and RAM modules, graphics cards are going to snap into the PCI-e or AGP slots in much the same fashion. You will first need to remove the back plate from the back of the case and then carefully insert the card into the empty expansion slot, fasten it to the case and you're all done. Loading the drivers from the CD-ROM will happen after you've installed the operating system in step 15.
