Big Stuff Goes In First

A principle that applies to everything from packing a suitcase to warehousing is to put big things in first and stuff little things around it. A PC is no different; it is better to get the single biggest piece, the Power Supply Unit (PSU), in first. You will have more room to work, and won’t have to worry about dropping or bumping that big heavy brick into your delicate components.

When working in a smaller case though, the PSU can block access to other components, and those have to go in first. People replacing a PSU in an existing machine also face this slight complication. We will do it in a smaller case, with the motherboard and CPU already in place. If you are working in an empty tower, the procedure is largely identical but easier to execute and you can skip to the next section.

If you have a smaller case or equipment is already installed in the PC for whatever reason, look carefully at where the PSU will go before you start screwing it in. Make sure it isn’t going to block access to any connectors or such you will need to reach later in the build (or upgrade) process.

Of course, you can’t figure out if the PSU will block anything until you answer one important question…

Where Does It Go?

Power Supplies are almost universally located along the back panel of the machine. In a tower, this will be at the top or bottom of the back panel. In an SFF, the PSU can be anywhere along the back panel.

If your PSU came with screws, use those. If not, they are almost always case screws (hex head with Phillips screw) anyways. There should be enough included with your case to spare.

Note that the holes are not symmetrical and your PSU will only go in one way. Some cases have three holes top and bottom; you still only use four, but it allows you to mount the power supply in the direction you prefer, this can be important if the PSU has a fan on the top or bottom which will obviously not do much good if it is up against a panel.

Simply screw in the four screws while supporting the unit from the inside. Even if you don’t have anything delicate in the case yet, the PSU is plenty heavy enough to break plastic and dent metal panels if dislodged.

Are We Done?

Not exactly; the Power Supply is screwed into the case, but there are still all those wires to deal with.

For now, do your best to get all the wires out of the way so you have some room to work.

source: http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/8874.aspx

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Come and see as we put our screwdrivers to work and begin the hands-on crafting of our little bundle of joy.

Have you read the instructions for your products? Do you have a well lit space to work so you can see what you’re doing and a couple bowls so you won’t lose the screws you remove? Do you have a screwdriver (a couple Phillips and flat head bits will do)? Did you inspect the case for damage? Have you grounded yourself to prevent static damage to your computer?

If you answered yes to all of those…

Opening a Case

This is usually pretty straight forward on just about any case. Many cases make the process incredibly easy by using latches or buttons that allow a panel to be opened; this would be explained in the instructions for your case.

More traditionally, one removes a few screws and the panel or several sides of the case can then be slid towards the rear and removed. Some cases will have hinges and the panel will swing clear instead of coming off completely. Enthusiast-type cases will often use thumbscrews instead of the Phillips ones so that people who open their case a lot can do it without getting out a screw driver. Note that you can replace the normal screws holding your case’s panels on with thumbscrews if you will be working in there often.

These screws are generally along one or more edges of the rear side of the case. They have yellow squares around them in the first picture. Remove them, put them in one of your bowls, and slide the panel off.

Many manufacturers will place bags of screws and other small items inside the case. Since this is also the point at which you can see everything inside the case more clearly than you ever will again, and if there is something wrong you would rather know sooner than later, now is a good time to inspect the case for damage and make sure nothing the manual says should be there is missing. Pull the front panel connectors (the wires coming from the front of the case for things like USB outlets and the power switch and light) out of the way as best you can so you have more room to work.

You can also clear some space in your work area and protect your shiny new case panels by placing them, outside-down, on something soft. Depending on where you are working, a couch, bed, upholstered chair, clean out of the way carpet and so on can all work. This will protect the flanges on their insides and the finish on the outside. Damaging a tab or rail on the side panel can make it impossible to get it back on the case, so it is worth getting these out of the way.

Removing Brackets and Braces

Many cases have a bracing bar or fan bracket. These provide strength to the case or allow you to put fans in critical locations. They do have to be removed to make room for you to work inside the computer, though.

Don’t leave the brackets, cages, and anything else you won’t need until you are almost done lying around; like with exterior panels, damaging a flange can make them fit wonky or even catawampus, depending on your choice of English dialect.

The Next Move

Depending on the size of your computer, you may have a choice of in what order you complete the next few steps. In many Small Form Factor (SFF) and smaller tower cases the motherboard and possibly CPU must be installed before the power supply as the last will block access to the former two. That is the how things go with the Sugo and the order in which the articles are presented. You should head to the next article if your case also requires installing the motherboard first.

If you have a larger case, it is often better to install the power supply before the motherboard, as this eliminates the chance of dropping the heavy power supply on a more delicate component.

source: http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/8871.aspx

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