| So far you have a computer case with several components in it and it is starting to come together. Now it is time to install the rest of this computer's guts. |
| The first step in finishing it off is the installation of the audio card. The reason for this is our audio card is rather complex and must be connected to the front 5.25in. interface panel as well as any other internal components that require sound, such as a modem and TV/Tuner card.Our motherboard came with on-board audio, however our 3rd party audio card is far superior and gives us many more options over the on-board audio. Install the audio card in one of the white PCI expansion slots. To do this, first remove the slot cover. In this case, it was fairly easy, all we had to do was use a bit of pressure and slide the cover away from the motherboard and it popped right outs. Then, connect any connections that need to be made to the card. For us, this meant the data ribbon that went from the front 5.25in. interface to the card and the audio data cable that we would use for the connection to our TV/FM Tuner card. This also includes the audio cables to our DVD-burner. Once all of the connections are made, place the card over the expansion slot and apply even pressure over the card until is slides in to place. You will know it is in all the way when you can only see a little bit of the gold connectors. Screw the holding screw in place to secure the card. NOTE: when handling any expansion cards, DO NOT touch the gold connectors. The oils from your hand can inhibit the card from working correctly. |
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Now that the audio card is seated properly, is connected and installed, we can finish interior components off. The image to the left is what we have so far. To this point, it should take you about 1 to 2 hours, depending on your skill level. As you can see from the picutre, we have connected the header blocks from the 3.5in. interface that came with the motherboard, all of the case fans, the data ribbon cables for the audio card and the DVD and CD-burners, the CPU, cooling kit (CPU heatsink and fan), RAM, and the audio card. From here on in, the rest of the installations are easy. Now is a good time to check your work. Make sure everything is secured and in the right places. If you want to take a break, now is a good time. Okay, so now we will finish this computer. The next step is to install the video card.
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| As previously mentioned, the graphics adapter we purchased is the Asus N6600 PCI-Express video card. It uses the Nvidia 6600 chipset, which is currently the second best on the market. It utilizes the Nvidia 6600 GPU, which will give us amazing graphics, no matter what we are doing. This computer will be used for testing games and creating graphics, so it is important that it have a strong graphics card. This card also uses the PCI-Express form for connectivity which is faster and more versitile than AGP, so this will allow us to use this card in future computers if we wish. As you can see from the picture at right, the card even has its own factory-installed heatsink and cooling fan. This is one hot video card. Now lets install it. |
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The installation of the video cards is much like that of the audio card. Remove the rear slot cover, then position the card in place. Carefully apply equal pressure to the entire card until it slides in to place. Be VERY careful not to hit the RAM when inserting the video card and, if necessary, remove the RAM so you do not hit it. Since the video card on our computer is a PCI-Express card, it will snap in to place and lock in. Once this occurs, screw in the slot screw to secure the card in place. Now is also a good time to install any other expansion cards that you may have. We have alread installed our TV/FM Tuner card, which you can see in the image at left below our video card. The TV card is the green one and the blue card is the video card. Below that, you can see the audio card. Once you have successfully installed all of your expansion cards, it is time to install the hard drives. |
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