Problem with assembling parts...

Sandvich

Here are the parts I'm using.



I'm trying to get the motherboard into the case, basically, and the cover for the connectors at the back(usb, audio, vga, hdmi etc.) has these sort of tabs at the back of it. That causes the cover to bloat when I have it in and makes it difficult to fit the motherboard in(Screwing is a nightmare).

I'm not sure what to do with them. I've tried twisting the tabs different ways but the sound connectors are a solid block and there's no way to position them so they don't push up against it.

Am I meant to cut them off?

lmimmfn

do you mean them metal covers on the backplate for the ethernet cable for example? if its those i just bend them out.

If its not those can you take a pic?

Sandvich

you can see them here

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/fullimage.php?image=597

though they aren't near as bad as on mine

demanufactured

You mean the little tabs in each hole for the ports???

They are meant to be there , for grounding the components.

When your installing the motherboard ,you need to push it up tight to the back plate.

Maybe the backplate isnt in properly?

Spunj

Or you have the backplate in backwards. I am embarrassed to admit that I have done this in the past.

Rule of thumb is that the folded round border faces out and is usually a snug fit

Edit: Oh and don't be afraid to push it home - that goes for both the backplate and the motherboard.

Sandvich

The instructions on the Vulcan Micro-ATX are piss poor. I can't figure out how to connect the fan at the back to the fan control at the front.

Solitaire

Spunj wrote: »

Or you have the backplate in backwards. I am embarrassed to admit that I have done this in the past.

Rule of thumb is that the folded round border faces out and is usually a snug fit

Edit: Oh and don't be afraid to push it home - that goes for both the backplate and the motherboard.

^ This. I've also done that before and cursed my way through the process of removing then reinstalling my mobo all over again...

Sandvich wrote: »

The instructions on the Vulcan Micro-ATX are piss poor. I can't figure out how to connect the fan at the back to the fan control at the front.

I can't think of any case with anything even approaching useful instructions And there's a fan control on the Vulcan? I didn't even know it supplied a rear fan!

Sandvich

There are ton of connectors on the vulcan that aren't explained at all in the manual. Some of them havethings like "USB2.0" written on them so they're self explainatory, but there's others that aren't labeled at all. I presumed 1 and 2 were for the fans, but there were two 1s and 2s... this is such a mess. The connectors for the various bits of the case itself aren't connected up to each other. And the Power Supply has a ton of different bits and bobs, not sure where they all go.

I'm having trouble finding the connector for the LED. Everything is so badly labeled.

I only have a couple of hours to finish this build before I have to take it down to Cork with me, and I have little to no room to do it there.

Please help.

Sandvich

I can't figure out where the power and reset switches(little connectors labelled power sw and reset sw) are meant to go

Solitaire

Mobo manuals, on the other hand, are almost always pretty decent. Read up on it before you try hooking up all those confusinating frontpanel connectors, as most mobos have two different pin headers for them to cater to both the two different standards

Anyway you should look at the FAQ and use the links. Building a PC might be handy, and for connector identification check out this bad boy

Three-pin Molex Jr. plugs coming from fans will have either three wires or just one. The former are low-wattage fans that run off the mobo or fan control's power. The latter use the single wire going to mobo/controller for speed control via PWM and also have a four-pin Molex (usually a pass-through plug) with two wires that are used to power the fan. They can draw more power for the fan than the three-wire version can.

Fans with a four-pin Molex Jr are usually CPU Cooler fans.

Stuff from the PSU:

4-pin Molex connectors (4x1) are usually used by higher-wattage cooling equipment such as 120mm+ fans, pumps etc.

SATA power connectors are used by internal HDDs, SSDs and optical devices.

PCIe Molex power connectors (PEGs) are used almost solely by high-power-drain graphics cards. There are 6- (3x2) and 8-pin (4x2) Molex varieties, and most 8-pin plugs have a part that unclips to turn it into a 6-pin plug if needed. Forgetting to install the correct quantity into the graphics card(s) is a fairly common rookie mistake.

The big 24-pin Molex connector (12x2) is the main power connector for the motherboard. Situated at the edge of the mobo, the socket for it is fairly unmissable Some varieties can still unclip the last four pins for full compatibility with older 20-pin-based motherboards.

The 8-pin (4X2) EPS12V connector and 4-pin (2x2) ATX12V are the Molexes used to supply power directly to the CPU. The socket is usually situated somewhere in the middle or "behind" the CPU socket, making it very easy to miss especially once the CPU cooler is installed Most EPS plugs can unclip to form an ATX12V plug; the half with the clip is the ATX12V connector, the other half isn't keyed right to fit the socket anyway. Missing this is probably the single most common rookie mistake.

Sandvich

Okay, here's the big problem now. There is only one SATA connector. I have two SATA devices.

What am I meant to do?

Sandvich

Nothing came with the right SATA connectors. I made sure to post my build and ask if that was everything I need. I'm pissed off now.

Solitaire

WTF?! :eek: Even budget mobos usually come with two SATA and one PATA cable! :mad:

Sandvich

Nope. It came with one eSATA cable, nothing more. Where can I quickly and cheaply order some? And what ones do I need, exactly? Also, can I have a picture of the standard type of SATA cable so I can show it to my parents, they can have a look around. I'm back in Cork now and couldn't take the machine with me, I'm having it brought up to me.

I'm confused though. I only saw one SATA port, and the SATA cable I got fits it.



It claims to have about 5 SATA ports though...


EDIT:

Ah I think this is the rest of them?



I didn't see them at first... So I just need another SATA cable... where can I get these? Don't think I have time to go out to maplins. Also, how do I connect up the external eSATA thing?

Solitaire

EDIT - You ninja'd me AGAIN!

Anyway I wouldn't bother trying to get one online if you're waiting on one to start the build, enlist a minion to grab a cheap one from PCWorld, Peats etc. Otherwise this cheap part will triple in cost and you'd be stuck waiting for days for it to reach your doorstep

Unregistered.

If you want to use your PC right now, forget about the Optical Drive and use this to create a bootable copy of Ubuntu! Although I do belive there are some hacks out the to install windows 7 from a USB, I haven't tried it myself.

Jonathan

I ordered a bundle of SATA cables from dealextreme. About 10 working days delivery.

Solitaire

DX's "a fortnight if you're lucky" is very cheap, but very, very slow

Sandvich

I'll head out to PC world when I get a chance then. I'll check Cartridge Kiosk in town too.