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Table of Contents<\/u><\/i> Building a custom computer is a very rewarding endeavor, but it can definitely be very intimidating if one is a first timer in the process of building one. However, compared to what is was like building a computer back in 2003, they have become much easier to construct with the entire process being pretty streamlined.<\/p>\n Let’s get into the guide on how to construct an ITX-Based PC! This will give a general guidance on how to construct an ITX-based PC from scratch, and hopefully be informative as to how\/what is involved with doing such a process. The average time it takes for construction is about 4-6 hours, so make sure ample time is set aside for a build.<\/p>\n Please note, that I do not usually build PC’s with AMD Based Processors! This is for an Intel-based system, but the concept is the same for an AMD Based Processor. The only major differences are the motherboard and CPU would be AMD based compatibility instead of Intel compatible.<\/i><\/p>\n As time progresses, some variables will be outdated in this article, but the process for building a PC really hasn’t changed in the past 15 years or so.<\/p>\n I. Getting Started<\/b><\/p>\n These are all of the components that I used to build the ITX PC, excluding the actual Chassis itself (I’ll be showing that in a moment). This system is actually pretty basic, and practically everything shown is what would be minimally required to build a PC, except the DVD-ROM Drive. CD\/DVD\/BLU-Ray (Optical) drives are no longer required for a modern system to be fully operational thanks to the power of USB Booting. USB Booting is utilizing a USB Drive (normally one that is roughly 8GB or higher) to load the OS Installation files onto, and then telling the Motherboard to boot from USB first in the booting priority list. To list out what is required at absolute minimum, it would be the following in no particular order:<\/p>\n A big item to consider is how the PC is to be cooled. Cooling is a big concern with building a computer. Typically, if one is to simply run the computer at all stock settings (versus over clocking or usually referred to as just OC), then using a fan cooling circuit will normally suffice and keep the PC at good temperatures throughout its lifespan. I will not be discussing over clocking in any way, nor liquid cooling. I have never done either\/or and I will more than likely never dive into either subject in practical use or for writing. If one is interesting in either subject, Tom’s Hardware<\/a> is an excellent place to research said subject. What I will say is that the difficulty to liquid cool and over clock has sustainably been reduced in risk if executed correctly!<\/p>\n What I will be discussing is a stock-built PC with a Fan-cooled infrastructure. Depending upon what case style is picked, it will more than likely need some additional case fans to help cool the system down. There are so many types to pick from, and I’ll get into that when I reach the fan type that I picked, and why. I’ll also compare it to other types of fans one can purchase as well as the sizes.<\/p>\n I do realize I did not list a GPU (Graphics Processor Unit, also simply just called the Video Card) as a requirement. That is because these days the CPU, well on Intel CPU’s at least, comes with a pretty potent built-in GPU that can handle quite a bit. If the final intent is to run high-end gaming or 3D rendering software, then I would add a GPU to the list of required items. More on that when I reach that point in the article.<\/p>\n The workspace for building any type of computer needs to be clear of clutter, and more importantly, static electricity that can severely damage a component to a computer. These chips are extremely sensitive to static electricity and by just accidentally discharging static onto one will critically damage it. My workspace is on a clean piece of wood, on top of a card table normally.<\/p>\n If one is highly concerned about electrostatic discharge, there is a tool that can ground a person to keep them from creating static electricity. I personally have not used one, but I do discharge any possible excess static on something that is grounded, like a door knob. If one isn’t building a PC with wool socks on while walking around on shag carpet, and working on a conductive surface, the process should go well without an issue with static electricity. Here’s a link to one at NewEgg<\/a> as an example that can be purchased for pretty cheap. There’s various other brands and places to get them as well, though.<\/p>\n Time to grab a Phillips screwdriver and get to it!<\/p>\n Next Section ->><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/u><\/i> II-1. The Build \u2022 Section 1 – The Case Fans & Power Supply<\/b><\/p>\n This is the Chassis (PC Case) I picked, a Corsair Obsidian 250D Mini ITX Case. This actually is a larger-than-the-average ITX chassis because I wanted to make sure I had decent airflow inside the case, and this one had very good reviews and information as to how the airflow acted within. One can get smaller chassis for ITX PC’s, but with a smaller case, usually means a smaller cooling system and\/or an automatic change over to liquid coolant, which is not what I wanted to do. The huge bonus with this chassis is if I wanted to add a full-sized GPU, I could have. Small note, Corsair brand in general make exceptional parts, and I have been recommending them to people for quite some time now. It is possible to get the occasional lemon, but that is possible with any part from any manufacturer. If one does get said part, do not be discouraged, and go get a replacement part to try again. Let’s open this up and examine the innards.<\/p>\n I’ve moved off the attached cables to hang outside of the case to get a good view of the inside. What is visible is the 120mm case fan off to the right with the motherboard plate in the middle. One can always tell where the motherboard is to be mounted due to hex-shaped screws being on the plate with thread in the middle of them for accepting the anchor screw for the motherboard. On more complex motherboards and cases, one might need to add some of these screws to the plate for anchoring and\/or grounding. Both the motherboard manual and chassis manual typically touch on the subject and let the builder know which spots to place them at. In the lower right, is the area for where the Optical Drive is to be placed. We’ll get into more detail of each area of this case as I proceed through the build.<\/p>\n Just wanted to show this, which is the back side of the case. The top is for 80mm case fans, the lower left is for hard drive mounting, and to the lower right is for the Power Supply.<\/p>\n Now, as I pointed out previously, there’s a 120mm mounted case fan already in the system. This is the replacement for that fan and an additional one for the other spot. I picked Cougar because it’s one of the best case fans one can purchase because it’s a type of fan often called “Liquid Bearing,” or “Fluid Bearing” fan. These guys can last for up to 300,000 hours at low temperatures and are capable of being mounted both vertically, and horizontally without penalizing their lifespan.<\/p>\n There’s normally 3 very common types of PC case fans that can be purchased:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n If one can swing getting all Fluid Bearings, especially if this PC is to last a very long while, then I would recommend the Fluid bearings and especially the Cougar Brand.<\/p>\n There’s a few common uniform chassis fan sizes as well: 80mm, 92mm, 120mm, and 140mm. If one acquires or needs any of these sizes, it’s universal on how they will mount no matter what chassis or part they are to be fitted upon. The final size is 200mm, but this one varies in how it is mounted, but the nice thing about 200mm is the amount of air they can more as well as they’re normally very quiet. I have grown tired of messing around with 200mm sized fans due to their inconsistent mounting regulations, so I go with 120mm or 140mm when needed. Over the years, the standard fan size has shifted from 80mm to 120mm, and I expect that might change again depending on how technology continues to evolve. If one is unsure as to what fan size(s) are needed, just looking at the mounting bracket can be sufficient enough, or can always consult the chassis’ manual and specifications as they should be listed there.<\/p>\n Over time, one can immediately, or near immediately tell the difference between the sizes on a chassis. To be fair though, I do tend from time to time to goof up and mistake an 80mm for a 92mm and a 120mm for a 140mm spot.<\/p>\n This is the chassis’ fan brackets location for both of the 120mm fans on the side of the PC. That corsair is coming out and the nice Fluid is being put in its place, along with another one to go next to it. Now, Corsair does make excellent fans, but they are sleeve bearing, and I didn’t want those in this build. If one notices, there are four holes around the corners of the vacant spot for another fan, and the existing fan’s four screws can be seen. They’re just simple Phillips Head Screws, and they come out pretty darn easily.<\/p>\n About the orientation of chassis fans, which affects how they push\/pull the airflow in a case, which is pretty important especially in a fan-only set up. Airflow for case fans usually goes as follows:<\/p>\n The airflow is also dictated by which side of the label is facing where. If the label is facing outwards of the PC, that is an exhaust fan. If the fan label is facing inside of the PC, then it will be an intake fan. Another way to tell is where the fan’s structural framework is: the framework facing outwards (cross-beams in front of the blades in an “X” shape are typical) is an exhaust, while facing inwards will be an intake. Once it’s all built and unsure still, when it’s powered on, can check it by holding a sticky note in front of the fan.<\/p>\n On a quick note: rule of thumb for all four-point screws in a PC build – ALWAYS TIGHTEN THE SCREWS IN A DIAGONAL OPPOSITE CORNERS MANNER!<\/i><\/b> This helps keep the parts evenly tightened, and is critical for mounting the CPU’s cooling fan.<\/p>\n There’s the spots with the Cougars in place. Normally, I would make them intake fans, but for this build I made them exhaust fans to help out the smaller back exhaust fans. All it takes to mount them (and remove the existing) was a Phillips Screwdriver and some elbow grease. You’ll continue to utilize both for the entire build as that will not change. Sometimes fans will have a little resistance, and sound like a grinding noise; that is perfectly normal as they weren’t tapped during construction so when they’re being mounted for the first time, the screw is actually threading them in the process, which causes that noise to happen.<\/p>\n Okay, since I solely wanted Fluid Bearing, this was practically the only brand that made 80mm fans with that requirement. Arctic Brand are Fluid Bearing, and they come with an extra wire, too. If I recall, I didn’t utilize that extra wire option. There’s a piece of paper that came with the fan that explained what to do with it if not being used. I needed two of these for the back of the PC. I followed the normal rules for the back fans, and did make them exhaust.<\/p>\n This is where the 80mm fans are supposed to go, and just like last time they screw into the chassis at the four corners.<\/p>\n There they are! Nice and in place! Yes, this shot came out blurry a bit.<\/p>\n Onwards to the Power Supply (PSU)! The PSU is how electricity gets from the wall to all of the components in the PC, and it doesn’t matter whatever type of PC is being built, it will have a PSU of some kind of wattage. This is a Corsair AX series, which is one of the higher quality power supplies that Corsair makes. They make a wide variety of them, and each is designed with a certain purpose in mind as well as being fully modular, modular, or standard.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n I honestly don’t know what the benefit of a Fully Modular is over a Semi Modular since one must have the Motherboard’s cable to power up a system, but maybe there’s a reason that I have just never explored. I just picked fully modular for this build since it was an ITX and it was in a much smaller chassis where less cables are a better thing in the long run, and the cost made it more appealing than a Semi-Modular at the time of acquiring the PSU.<\/p>\n The little silver badge in the lower right corner is it’s energy star rating. There’s four ratings: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum, and as the rating goes up the more energy efficient it is. Normally the higher the better, but that is also at an additional cost. This one is a platinum rated power supply. Now the giant 760 is how much output in watts the PSU can dish out. You absolutely NEVER want to max out a PSU all of the time, as it will heavily reduce it’s lifespan and it could potentially cause some very severe problems up to and including fires. Depending upon the PC’s usage, depends on how much wattage one will need. Gaming rigs that utilize high-end graphics cards will need a much higher PSU than a PC that is only using the onboard video chip.<\/p>\n I can’t recommend a wattage to anyone, but what one can do is when picking out a motherboard, the manufacturer will put a minimum PSU requirement for it to function. There are also great wattage calculators on the internet that can help one decide on a final wattage number to sit at. nVidia I know has one as well if one is seeking out on of their cards to be used for gaming purposes. There’s also more advanced things like SLI\/Crossfire (multiple graphics cards linked together to act as one) that up the wattage requirements quite a bit. If one is planning on SLI\/Crossfiring during the life of the PC, then I would suggest making sure one has enough power for that, and those calculators are out there as well.<\/p>\n Why I chose a 760 is because based on the recommended minimum wattage of 550, I didn’t want it to sit near or around that number. I would have picked a 750 watt, but I couldn’t seem to find a nice modular one so 760 was the next one up. Having an absurd amount more wattage than necessary is never a bad thing either, as it can (possibly) be carried over to a new upgraded system if the wattage is high enough, or allow for some higher end upgrades to the current system without having to worry about over-taxing the PSU. The system will only pull the amount of wattage that is needed, so the PSU may never reach anywhere near it’s max usage, and that is a good thing.<\/p>\n This is the modular side of the PSU, notice how it has the connections labeled. The connections will only fit into their section and none of the others due to the small corners being the shape they are, and this makes sure that one cannot connect any of the connectors incorrectly. The fan control is personal preference, if the PSU has one. I left it as “hybrid,” which means the PSU’s internal fan won’t kick in unless it has to pull over 70% of its maximum wattage. Basically, if it’s not planning on being under heavy loads all of the time, then hybrid would be the way to go.<\/p>\n Here’s the PSU being installed into the chassis. The frame I’m holding is not a common thing, but in this chassis’ case, it’s part of the structure so the PSU actually is fully enclosed into the system whereas in most PC cases, it just slides in and then screwed into place in the corners.<\/p>\n One big reason why I like Corsair, they have a nice little bag for all of the cables that won’t be used in a PC.<\/p>\n There’s the PSU all installed, and ready to be hooked up to all of the internal components when the time comes!<\/p>\n <<- Previous Section<\/a> \u2022 Next Section ->><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/u><\/i> II-2. The Build \u2022 Section 2 – The Solid State Drive, DVD-ROM, and Motherboard<\/b><\/p>\n This is the Hard Drive that I picked out. It’s not a typical Hard Drive, but a Solid State Drive (SSD). The major difference between a typical hard drive and a solid state drive is that a standard hard drive is multiple platters that spin on a mechanical motor and has an arm that reads\/writes the data. The best way to visualize what it looks like is a record player.<\/p>\n A solid state drive is all chipsets that are designed to read\/write data, but at a vastly faster rate than a normal mechanical hard drive can even fathom. The other major benefit is that a solid state cannot “crash” like a mechanical hard drive potentially can. Think of a solid state drive like a massive flash drive. SanDisk, in particular, makes very nice solid state drives. There’s a few excellent makers out there as well, but SanDisk is my go-to for flash memory in general.<\/p>\n I just wanted to point this little frame out off to the left. Depending on how a SSD is installed, this might have to be applied onto the SSD itself before being installed into the PC to keep it from rattling around. Notebooks and some Next Unit of Computing (NUC) computers. However, for this Chassis, I didn’t need to use it.<\/p>\n Here’s the SSD being installed. This Corsair Chassis had a built-in SSD (up to 2), and HDD (up to 2) racks in this little corner. This omits having to either use 3rd party caddies and\/or messing around with screwing them into the caddies. A lot of PC Cases still utilize screws as the main installation method. A number of higher-grade PC cases utilize something called a “Tool-less Installation” method, kind of like this chassis does.<\/p>\n This is an example of a 3.5″ to a 2.5″ converter caddie. A standard HDD is 3.5″ and an SSD is 2.5″, so what this does is converts a HDD slot into two SSD slots without the use of tools for installing the SSD. Depending upon one’s chassis depends if this converter would have to either be tool-less installed or with screws. I use this one in my main PC and it works superbly well.<\/p>\n There’s the near-completed ports on the back of the PC! What’s left in the middle is where the Motherboard is to be placed.<\/p>\n This is the DVD-RW Drive I picked out; there’s really nothing special about this. It burns DVDs and CDs, as well as read\/writes them. Any brand would work as long as it reads\/writes at the very minimum.<\/p>\n Rotating back to the front of the PC, I punched out where the DVD-RW Drive is to be installed at already, and it just goes right in that spot.<\/p>\n Just slip that drive right in there! Usually it has to be inserted from the front into the PC Case. That’s not a couple of lines for the internet to enjoy, don’t judge me!<\/p>\n This is the motherboard that I picked; this is the main board in all computers that exist, and they can widely vary in size depending on their form factor. The most common types of form factors these days are ATX, Micro ATX, Mini ATX, and ITX. The form factor really depends upon it’s usage; the ATX usually has far more options than the other types, but in terms of picking a type, that all really comes down to personal preference on what it is being used for ultimately. I usually go with an ATX board size, but the smaller sizes like this ITX are beginning to gain some of the nice features of a full ATX.<\/p>\n This is where Intel and AMD boards vary; if one is building an Intel CPU-based system, make sure it specifies Intel on it and that the socket type matches up with the CPU’s. What I mean with the socket number is typically on both the CPU and the motherboard, there will be a number starting with LG and then 3-4 digits. For example, this board is a LG1150 socket type so the CPU is also a LG1150 processor to fit correctly.<\/p>\n AMD is the exact same thing, just make sure they both state AMD and the socket type are both the same and it’ll be smooth sailing.<\/p>\n As for brand, I’m a huge fan of ASUS brand motherboards as they tend to be one of the, if not the, best brand out there to purchase for a motherboard. ABit was an extremely good motherboard maker back in the Pentium 4 days, but they have long been out of that industry since then unfortunately. Gigabyte is a very good Motherboard maker as well, and I’ve built a nice Hackintosh with their motherboard.<\/p>\n This is their ITX line of boards, and it’s got some potent bells and whistles, that’s for sure! A lot of the bells and whistles are for OCer’s and not for regular builders, so if one is not OC’ing, then ignore some if not all of those things. This ITX allowed for some higher RAM speeds and that is the absolute primary reason I picked it, but more on RAM speeds later.<\/p>\n Okay, here we go. Big deep breath and this is where things have to be taken slowly.<\/p>\n Now, this is a custom CPU cooler. Most CPU’s come with a stock cooler, and that does a pretty decent job of keeping the CPU sufficiently cool. Since this was a small form factor, and I had never built one before, I wanted to make sure it stayed very cool.<\/p>\n Noctua is one of the highest rated CPU coolers on the market. They cost a little bit of money, but it is very worth it. If one’s CPU does not come with a cooler (the very high-end ones will not), then this is the cooler I would recommend if not going with liquid cooling. This is their “compact” version of their standard version, and it definitely does almost as well as their bigger counterpart, that would not fit into this case.<\/p>\n Custom coolers, in general, tend to be a little tricky to install. Take some time, keep a calm pace while installing a custom cooler, and everything will go just fine.<\/p>\n Also, another little note, custom coolers tend to have a socket range for their compatibility. As long as it states somewhere in the specifications and\/or on the box that it will work with the socket that the motherboard is, then it will be fine. This Noctua CPU Cooler, for example, fits LG1150, LG1155, and LG1156 Intel Sockets.<\/p>\n Did I mention go slow? Because, seriously, go slow.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n They really know how to package a cooling system; no one else does it this sexy.<\/i><\/p>\n This is the CPU socket completely opened without the CPU installed; they always come with a black plastic “shield” to protect all of those pins, just lift up the lever, which will also lift up the bracket, to the right and put that to the side; DO NOT DISCARD IT, EVER! I say that because if one decides to resell the motherboard, or upgrade the board and want this to be stored safely, that will need to be returned to the socket for shielding it. Take note of the arrow in the lower left corner of the lock bracket!!<\/p>\n I MUST TAKE THIS MOMENT TO REMIND EVERYONE TO HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO STATIC ELECTRICITY, AND DO NOT TOUCH THOSE PINS WITH BARE HANDS! IT WILL CAUSE A VERY BAD DAY TO BE HAD!<\/b><\/p>\n Okay, now, let’s install a CPU!<\/p>\n This is the CPU in place without the lock engaged. Notice in the lower left corner that arrow on the CPU Chip’s board aligns with the arrow on the lock bracket! THIS IS IMPORTANT!<\/u><\/i> The CPU should rest nicely in place, as there’s several other notches on it that will only line up properly with the socket when inserted correctly. The arrow is a huge indicator, though.<\/p>\n Alright now, quadruple check to make sure the CPU is properly in place before executing the next step.<\/p>\n Begin by carefully flopping down the silver bracket on top of the CPU and underneath the screw in the middle there. Now, slowly but firmly pull down on the lever and place it under the lock-hook like it was prior to the plastic shield being removed. This will cause A LOT of tension and some strange noises, this is perfectly normal, just keep going until it’s locked snugly underneath that hook like the photo above!<\/p>\n This is Thermal Grease, which is required for a CPU to operate properly. One only needs about a pea sized droplet of thermal grease to be applied to the top\/center of a CPU for it to cool properly. What this does is allows for the heat from the CPU to be transferred effectively to the cooler that is mounted on top of the CPU.<\/p>\n Thermal grease comes in a few ways, but the most common is a reusable syringe that just “injects” atop the CPU very slowly. This stuff won’t come flying out, unless one applies an absurd amount of pressure to the syringe. Antec, Arctic Silver, and Noctua’s brand of thermal grease are among the best choices. I’m using the one that came with the Noctua in this instance.<\/p>\n Here’s the Noctua mounted in place. I couldn’t successfully get photos of this installation. Basically just carefully follow the directions, even if it’s a stock cooler, and it will go swell. I must remind everyone at this time to utilize the diagonal opposite corner strategy for anchoring down the CPU cooler properly! For the Fan’s Power, on the motherboard there will be a 4-pin connector that has a label printed next to it that will say something like “CPU_FAN.” Just “plug” the connector into that spot and it’s good to go! The motherboard manual will have the spot noted as well if it is hard to spot on the motherboard itself. Normally it’s pretty close to the CPU socket.<\/p>\n This is the Motherboard’s back plate, and it’s a very nice back plate because the side hugging the board is foam padded. Some are not, and if a board’s panel is not padded, then just be careful to not damage the board upon installing it into the chassis. To install this guy, just push it firmly into place from the inside of the case. THIS HAS TO BE INSTALLED PRIOR TO THE MOTHERBOARD FROM THE INSIDE OF THE CHASSIS!<\/i><\/u><\/p>\n There’s the back plate installed successfully!<\/p>\n There’s the motherboard successfully installed! If the bracket has foam, then there could be some massive resistance on the board when trying to screw it into the motherboard plate. Just take the time to slowly screw in one at a time. I tend to start at the end opposite of the bracket first, then work my way towards the bracket. This seems to make the process far easier.<\/p>\n From here till completion is all down hill!<\/p>\n <<- Previous Section<\/a> \u2022 Next Section ->><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/u><\/i> II-3. The Build \u2022 Section 3 – RAM, and SATA Cables<\/b><\/p>\n This is the RAM I picked out, it’s really just coincidental that a number of parts are Corsair. I have had good luck with them, so I keep going back to them. There are several good RAM brands out there; my main uses Kingston Hyper X RAM, but there’s also G. Skill too.<\/p>\n Now, there are a vast amount of different RAM speeds, and numbers out there to mess with along with all of them varying in price. What needs to be considered is the following when acquiring RAM:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Generally speaking about balancing the channels, it is always wise to balance the channels so they match no matter what, but that does not necessarily mean all of the channels have to match.<\/p>\n Let’s say I have a Two Dual Channel (4 slots) on the Motherboard, and the board can handle a maximum amount of RAM at 32GB with speeds ranging from 1033MHz all the way up to 3100MHz of DDR3 type memory. I decide to only fill one Dual Channel with only 8GBs of 1600MHz RAM, which would be two 4GB sticks of matching CAS Latency. This leaves the other Dual Channel completely left open for future expansion.<\/p>\n I come back after some time and decide to add two more sticks to the remaining Dual Channel, but this time ramping it up to 16GB with speeds of 2400MHz, which would be two 8GB sticks of matching CAS Latency. That brings the final total up to 24GB of usable RAM across both channels for the system to utilize. The DDR3 part is the only thing that absolutely cannot change and has to be consistent, and the notches in the RAM slots on the motherboard will make it so that one cannot place non-compatible RAM into those slots (i.e. cannot install DDR2 into a DDR3 slot, and vice-versa).<\/p>\n I personally do not mess around with the CAS Latency or the higher speeds; I tend to go for the “Middle” level of RAM, and right now that seems to be 1600MHz. I do max out what the motherboard can handle, which allows for the PC to have more memory to work with. Some say this is overkill, but depending upon what one wants to do with the system, that may not necessarily be accurate. I would definitely recommend 8GBs as a minimum amount of RAM as of current technology standards. Memory commonly comes in what are called “Channel Kits,” to help making the installation of RAM easier. The RAM I got was a Dual Channel Kit, for example.<\/p>\n For newcomers to building, this is rather overwhelming, but it’s really not; so let’s move onto the build as an example.<\/p>\n Here’s the RAM slots on the ITX Motherboard; there’s only two and it maxes out at 16GB, and this board allows for up to 3300MHz speeds. This is a single-dual channel on the board, which means that I should balance both of these slots equally. Just so happens that is what I’m going to do! Take note at the lower end of the channel those tabs; one has to pull those back before installing a RAM stick into the motherboard. Some motherboards, there are two of those: one on each end. Also, pay attention of the notch on the bottom of the RAM and make sure that matches up with the notch in the slot, or otherwise it will not install properly. The notches in the slot can be seen in the photo above.<\/p>\n Quick Reminder: RAM normally comes in channel kits to make things easier, so just snag a kit or as many as needed to achieve the wanted amount of memory.<\/i><\/p>\n There’s the RAM installed! When the RAM is inserted into the slot properly, those tabs should automatically click back up into place as to hold the RAM in place on rounded notches at the ends of the sticks.<\/p>\n I’m pointing these things out because they’re a crucial, but annoying, step of every PC build. These are the front button cables. They go into little pins onto the motherboard and they control the power switch, reset switch, hard drive LED, and power LED. They also control the “DOS” audio speaker (the ‘beeps’ one hears when booting up PC’s equipped with it), but this is not required unless one wants to hear the beep every time and most cases do not come with one these days either. They can be handy for diagnosing issues during boot-up. I like the beep, so I tend to install the little speaker that goes here. However, I did not install it in this build.<\/p>\n To go about installing these things, sometimes the motherboard has it printed right at the pin marks to make it fairly straightforward, but if there is any doubt on how they are being connected, check the manual that came with the board; it’s usually very well labeled in the manual. Note the number 1 on the above manual example, that’s the positive (+) pin and\/or or the triangular arrow beveled on the back of the connector cable.<\/p>\n Here’s where the pins are on the motherboard, and just to the lower left of the screw, is the printed label on how the jumpers are installed on those pins. This one was kind of hard to understand, so I ended up checking the manual on how they are to be installed. Once that is known, they just slide right down into place on the pins; there will be minimal resistance.<\/p>\n That large black connector right behind the pins is the USB 3.0 connector that is part of the front connector pins, it only goes in one way and acts just like plugging a standard plug into a wall socket would go. Sometimes they’re not good and can be loose; just continually pay attention to it as the build progresses. There’s no negative of it disconnecting during the build or not even using it if one does not. It’s just a nice feature to have if the PC chassis comes with it.<\/p>\n Again, pay attention to the (+) on either the board, or the manual and match that with the triangular arrow that will be on the back side of the connector cable, unless the front side specifies (+) or (-). If not sure, then one can just trial and error it; if it is wrong on boot-up, simply turn off the PC and flip the connector. If nothing is specified, then it’s should be safe to connect it either way; normally the white label on the connector cable will face outwards.<\/p>\n Let’s begin the connection process for all of the internal parts! This is a Serial ATA (SATA) cable. They come in different speeds that are typically labeled with a Roman Numeral. The higher the number, the faster the cable can handle. Ideally, the motherboard and the internal component match the speed of the cable. However, if it doesn’t or can’t, the nice thing is the faster cables support slower speeds as well.<\/p>\n There’s two types of connection types: the straight connector (above), and an angled connector. They both can be of benefit depending upon where in the case they are being utilized. From what I have gathered through experience, the angled connectors are useful on the hard & solid state drives, whereas these type are more useful on the optical drives. It really just depends on where things are located in the chassis though.<\/p>\n Note on how there’s a silver bracket-like latch in the middle of the connector. That locks the cable into the components. It’s not necessary, and there are plenty of cables that do not come with them, but it does tremendously help keep the cables from unintentionally coming loose and causing havoc on an active PC.<\/p>\n Example of an angled SATA connector; the other end of this is a straight connector, and that would got into the motherboard.<\/p>\n This is what the back of a SATA-based component looks like; the shorter connector on the left is where the SATA cable is to be connected at, and the longer one on the right is where the power supply cable is connected at. They both have to be connected in order for the component to work properly.<\/p>\n Alright, let’s finish this up!<\/p>\n <<- Previous Section<\/a> \u2022 Next Section ->><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/u><\/i> II-4. The Build \u2022 Section 4 – Power Connections, and Cable Management<\/b><\/p>\n Here’s the PSU cables that I ended up using to connect the internal components to the power supply. On the far left is the 8-pin additional motherboard connector, middle is the 24-pin primary motherboard connector, and on the right is the SATA component connector(s). In modern systems, the left and middle cables are an absolutely necessary to power a system. Depending upon one’s build, the SATA cable may not be required. I ended up needing two of the SATA cables to reach the components. Back in the day, it was recommended that the hard drives, and optical drives, be on separate power cables. Theses days that isn’t the case, but if it can’t reach a component, don’t force it and just grab another one to reach whatever components.<\/p>\n The first one listed here is for modern GPUs to be powered. I didn’t use these in this build, but they are absolutely necessary in modern GPUs to function properly. Most of the time, it will require two 6-pin connectors. However, there are some occurrences that it can be a combination of an 8-pin and 6-pin connector to power the GPU properly. They are always labeled as PCI-E on the ends as shown. Typically on a PSU, there will be two 6\/8pin connectors stemming off of one chain from the PSU block (modular or not); so one only needs a single chain to power a GPU.<\/p>\n The other one is a Molex connector, and this is becoming obsolete. It’s purpose these days is typically for either an older component, or a chassis fan that needs power when the motherboard cannot power it itself. I ended up needing one Molex Cable for the two Cougar side fans. The Cougars came with a Molex to 4-pin converter so they could be powered properly. Most chassis fans do come with said converter, so don’t worry about having to hunt one down. When connecting the Molex connectors together, be sure to hold down both the plastic part and the wires, as they tend to pop out of the plastic connector. If they do, just push them back through the connector; it won’t break it.<\/p>\n Cable Management is a term used for how the cables are “organized” in a PC. The better they are organized, the better the airflow is. This is an example of bad cable management and it needs to be corrected. In ATX cases, there’s usually some space behind the back panel for cables to be looped through and tied off. In this ITX case, however, it’s a tad more finessing. The thing to keep in mind in any build is to keep the cables tied and placed out of the way of the chassis fans so they can do their job as effectively as possible.<\/p>\n This is with the cables all cleaned up and organized so the fans can do their job as effective as possible! Sometimes the length of the cable and the distance between components can be a hindrance to how the cable is managed. if this happens, then nudge it off to a side and\/or tie it down if possible. If not, just make sure it’s clear of any moving or heated components.<\/p>\n Here’s the top view with everything connected. The two 80mm fans are connected to two 4-pin fan connectors on the motherboard, and those were labeled on both the motherboard and in the manual. This is the time to make sure there are no cables in the way of fan blades, and to double check if all of the cables are connected properly!<\/p>\n Here’s the completed system with all of the sides put back in place! All that is left is to boot it up for the first time! Make one last pass on making sure everything is connected properly, and there are no cables in the way of heat sources, or fan blades (if they’re in a fan blade, it will become extremely apparent once it’s turned on).<\/p>\n Success! The PC booted up and did the initial first-boot check to make sure everything was good. If anything weird happens, or a bad component is found that will fatally cause the system to not continue to function, it will let the builder know here. If nothing happens at all, check to make sure it has power, and all of the cables are hooked up correctly. One way to tell if a PC has power is normally by a LED light on the board itself that continually stays lit up, even when the system is powered down.<\/p>\n If everything was hooked up correctly, but does not power up nor have the LED lit up on the board, then it could be a bad PSU. If the LED is lit up, and it doesn’t turn on, check the front panel connections again to make sure those are hooked up properly.<\/p>\n RAM is important to check as well just in case those are not in the sockets properly, then the system either will not boot, or it will give an error message during the first boot. Final thing it could be is a bad or improperly seated CPU that could cause a failed boot-up.<\/p>\n Don’t get discouraged if it doesn’t work, just backpedal a bit and make sure everything was done correctly, and if it was, then it might just be a bad component. Replace the bad component, and then try again when that time comes.<\/p>\n If everything looks and runs great, then get a ceremonious drink of choice!<\/p>\n <<- Previous Section<\/a> \u2022 Next Section ->><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/u><\/i> III. The First POST<\/b><\/p>\n Now, after the POST is successful, it will typically require first time access to the BIOS screen. This is what this motherboard’s BIOS looks like. Normally all that is required is to just go to where it says “Set Optimal Settings” like where my mouse cursor is pointing in the photo above, then save and exit the BIOS for it to reboot. This board was being a silly filly and I had to enable XMP for my RAM to be registered correctly. That’s not a common occurrence, but something to take heed of if the RAM is saying incorrect speeds in the BIOS’ status screen. Another item to check is the boot order; make sure whatever route the OS is being installed as, whether it’s an Optical Drive or USB, set that as the first boot item in the priority list with the Hard\/Solid State Drive as the second item listed.<\/p>\n Once everything looks good on the status screen, and the boot order is all set up, save and exit. Now is the time to do an important test before even beginning the OS installation.<\/p>\n This screen is MemTest 86+ and it’s entire purpose is to stress test the RAM that was installed into the PC. I highly recommend to anyone that is building a PC, whether it is one’s first or fiftieth, run this program as it will save so much headache later on. The program can be loaded onto either a CD, or a USB boot drive. The PC will boot into this program immediately upon powering up or right after a restart if one set the boot order correctly to one of those two drives as the first boot.<\/p>\n It is recommended that this runs for around 24 hours to make sure there are no errors in the RAM. If there is even one error, replace the RAM with another one. There’s no way to repair bad RAM. Usually within the first hour or so errors will appear, so it’s not normally necessary to wait the entire 24 hours for an error to appear. Once one does, stop the test, replace the RAM, and then re-test again. Errors will appear in the bottom of the screen as entire red lines with an “ERROR” and then which slot on the motherboard it came from. If it was a Channel Kit, then just pull both out, return\/replace the said kit from where it was purchased. If it was a couple of random sticks one had lying around, and the error doesn’t make sense, take out all the RAM but one stick and then single-stick test each one for an error. It’s tedious, but it is so worth it in the long run to get these issues addressed before proceeding.<\/p>\n After the eighteenth hour and no errors, I called it. Now it just needs to be rebooted and the OS installed! Time for a beer!<\/p>\n <<- Previous Section<\/a> \u2022 Next Section ->><\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Table of Contents<\/u><\/i> IV. Final Thoughts<\/b><\/p>\n I won’t be going into how to install an OS in this, as this was just to explain how to go about building an ITX system. If it’s a Windows system, then I would recommend once that is complete to run Prime95 for another 24 hours to make sure everything else is stable and is running correctly as that program stress tests everything. SpeedFan is a good program to have running alongside of Prime95 to make sure the system temperatures are well within a safe threshold even at an improbable peak of use. This PC maxed out at about 60 Degrees Celsius, which is excellent. The system was idling at about 40 Degrees Celsius, which is pretty good.<\/p>\n If a GPU was installed, then running 3DMark after all of that is a good idea just to make sure the GPU is in good working order. That can run for 4 hours ideally, but I think the longest I’ve ever ran 3DMark is 2 hours. The reason for that program is to check for fractals, making sure the GPU works correctly, and that it is powered correctly. Running that will test all of that within those four hours. If MemTest 86+, Prime95, and 3DMark all pass, then the system is consider rock solid stable.<\/p>\n So there it is, how a PC is built using an ITX build as an example. It’s really not all that bad, and everything does fit all pretty nicely. Building any other PC type, like ATX, or Micro-ATX are pretty much the same process, but just have to keep in mind to make sure the chassis will accommodate those boards. All PC Cases boxes and\/or manuals are usually labeled what form factor they can handle, and a number of them are able to accommodate multiple types of boards, too.<\/p>\n Hopefully it was informative, and helps with explaining how Custom Computers are built. I know I left some items out, and some things I might have accidentally, and there are a lot of resource sites out there to assist with any major technical issues or hurdles that could possibly come up, especially for some of the major technical details for each item. As stated way back in the beginning, Tom’s Hardware<\/a> is an excellent place to go for all of those resources, and I go there from time to time for various scenarios that tend to happen. I may come back and write up how to install an OS, and some of the nifty tools to help keep that custom PC running as good as new down the road.<\/p>\n So now, go forth and build! Comments, questions, corrections, are always welcome!<\/p>\n <<- Previous Section<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Table of Contents I. Getting Started II-1. The Build \u2022 Section 1 – The Case Fans, and Power Supply II-2. The Build \u2022 Section 2 – The Solid State Drive, DVD-ROM, and Motherboard II-3. The Build \u2022 Section 3 – RAM, and SATA Cables II-4. The Build \u2022 Section 4 – Power Connections, and Cable … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":771,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1085","page","type-page","status-publish"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1085","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1085"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1085\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/771"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.murphsterproductions.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1085"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nI. Getting Started
\nII-1. The Build \u2022 Section 1 – The Case Fans, and Power Supply<\/a>
\nII-2. The Build \u2022 Section 2 – The Solid State Drive, DVD-ROM, and Motherboard<\/a>
\nII-3. The Build \u2022 Section 3 – RAM, and SATA Cables<\/a>
\nII-4. The Build \u2022 Section 4 – Power Connections, and Cable Management<\/a>
\nIII. The First POST<\/a>
\nIV. Final Thoughts<\/a><\/p>\n![\"All](\"..\/Images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/01-AllParts.jpg\")
\nFigure 1:<\/b> All of the parts nicely gathered!<\/div>\n\n
![\"Clear](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/02-ClearAntiStatic.jpg\")
\nFigure 2:<\/b> Cleared wooden plate to work on.<\/div>\n![\"ITXHeader\"](\"wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/ITXHeader.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nI. Getting Started<\/a>
\nII-1. The Build \u2022 Section 1 – The Case Fans, and Power Supply
\nII-2. The Build \u2022 Section 2 – The Solid State Drive, DVD-ROM, and Motherboard<\/a>
\nII-3. The Build \u2022 Section 3 – RAM, and SATA Cables<\/a>
\nII-4. The Build \u2022 Section 4 – Power Connections, and Cable Management<\/a>
\nIII. The First POST<\/a>
\nIV. Final Thoughts<\/a><\/p>\n![\"The](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/03-PCCase.jpg\")
\nFigure 3:<\/b> The Case!<\/div>\n![\"Open](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/04-OpenCase.jpg\")
\nFigure 4:<\/b> The Open Case!<\/div>\n![\"Back](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/05-BackPanel.jpg\")
\nFigure 5:<\/b> The Back Side.<\/div>\n![\"Cougar](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/06-Cougar120.jpg\")
\nFigure 6:<\/b> Cougar Brand 120mm Fan.<\/div>\n\n
![\"Current](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/07-SidePanel.jpg\")
\nFigure 7:<\/b> Side Panel with Original Fan that came with the PC Case.<\/div>\n\n
![\"Cougars](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/08-SidePanelCougar.jpg\")
\nFigure 8:<\/b> Cougars in Place!<\/div>\n![\"80mm](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/09-80HydroBearing.jpg\")
\nFigure 9:<\/b> 80mm Arctic Fluid Bearing Fans<\/div>\n![\"Back](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/10-Backat80.jpg\")
\nFigure 10:<\/b> Back View with no 80mm’s in place quite yet<\/div>\n![\"Back](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/11-Backwith80.jpg\")
\nFigure 11:<\/b> 80mm’s in Place!<\/div>\n![\"Corsair](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/12-PSUCorsair.jpg\")
\nFigure 12:<\/b> Corsair AX Power Supply.<\/div>\n\n
![\"PSU's](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/13-ModularExplain.jpg\")
\nFigure 13:<\/b> The Modular Side of the PSU with all of the optional connections.<\/div>\n![\"PSU](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/14-PSUInstall.jpg\")
\nFigure 14:<\/b> PSU being installed into place.<\/div>\n![\"Modular](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/15-ModularPerk.jpg\")
\nFigure 15:<\/b> Perks of Corsair’s Modular PSU’s.<\/div>\n![\"PSU](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/16-PSUInstalled.jpg\")
\nFigure 16:<\/b> PSU Completely Installed!<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nI. Getting Started<\/a>
\nII-1. The Build \u2022 Section 1 – The Case Fans, and Power Supply<\/a>
\nII-2. The Build \u2022 Section 2 – The Solid State Drive, DVD-ROM, and Motherboard
\nII-3. The Build \u2022 Section 3 – RAM, and SATA Cables<\/a>
\nII-4. The Build \u2022 Section 4 – Power Connections, and Cable Management<\/a>
\nIII. The First POST<\/a>
\nIV. Final Thoughts<\/a><\/p>\n![\"SanDisk](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/17-SanDiskSSD.jpg\")
\nFigure 17:<\/b> The Solid State Drive, by SanDisk.<\/div>\n![\"Optional](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/18-OptionalSSDFrame.jpg\")
\nFigure 18:<\/b> Optional SSD Install Frame<\/div>\n![\"Installing](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/19-InstallingSSD.jpg\")
\nFigure 19:<\/b> Installing the SSD.<\/div>\n![\"SSD](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/20-SSDBracket.jpg\")
\nFigure 20:<\/b> An Alternative Method to installing an SSD drive into a PC.<\/div>\n![\"Back](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/21-BackMinusMobo.jpg\")
\nFigure 21:<\/b> Back Side looking close to Complete!<\/div>\n![\"The](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/22-DVDDrive.jpg\")
\nFigure 22:<\/b> The DVD-RW Drive<\/div>\n
\nFigure 23:<\/b> Open DVD-Drive Slot on the PC<\/div>\n![\"Installing](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/24-InstallingDVDDrive.jpg\")
\nFigure 24:<\/b> Installing the DVD-RW Drive.<\/div>\n![\"The](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/25-Motherboard.jpg\")
\nFigure 25:<\/b> The Motherboard<\/div>\n![\"The](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/26-MoBoComponents.jpg\")
\nFigure 26:<\/b> BREATH! IT’S OKAY!<\/i><\/div>\n![\"Noctua](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/27-NoctuaCoolingFan.jpg\")
\nFigure 27:<\/b> Noctua.<\/div>\n![\"Noctua's](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/28-NoctuaBoxOpen.jpg\")
\nFigure 28:<\/b> Noctua~!<\/i><\/div>\n![\"The](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/29-CPUSocket.jpg\")
\nFigure 29:<\/b> CPU Socket no Open.<\/div>\n![\"CPU](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/30-CPUInPlace.jpg\")
\nFigure 30:<\/b> CPU has been Placed.<\/div>\n![\"CPU](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/31-CPULocked.jpg\")
\nFigure 31:<\/b> CPU Locked & Loaded!<\/div>\n![\"Thermal](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/32-ThermalPaste.jpg\")
\nFigure 32:<\/b> Thermal Grease.<\/div>\n![\"Noctua](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/33-CPUCoolerPlaced.jpg\")
\nFigure 33:<\/b> Noctua in Place!<\/div>\n![\"The](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/34-MoBoBackFrame.jpg\")
\nFigure 34:<\/b> Motherboard’s Back Case Bracket<\/div>\n![\"The](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/35-MoBoBackFramePlaced.jpg\")
\nFigure 35:<\/b> Back Plate in Place.<\/div>\n![\"Motherboard](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/36-MoBoInstalled.jpg\")
\nFigure 36:<\/b> Motherboard Successfully Installed!<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nI. Getting Started<\/a>
\nII-1. The Build \u2022 Section 1 – The Case Fans, and Power Supply<\/a>
\nII-2. The Build \u2022 Section 2 – The Solid State Drive, DVD-ROM, and Motherboard<\/a>
\nII-3. The Build \u2022 Section 3 – RAM, and SATA Cables
\nII-4. The Build \u2022 Section 4 – Power Connections, and Cable Management<\/a>
\nIII. The First POST<\/a>
\nIV. Final Thoughts<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Corsair](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/37-RAMCorsairVengance.jpg\")
\nFigure 37:<\/b> Da Random Access Memory (RAM)<\/div>\n\n
![\"Empty](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/38-RAMSockets.jpg\")
\nFigure 38:<\/b> Empty RAM Slots on the Motherboard.<\/div>\n![\"RAM](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/39-RAMInstalled.jpg\")
\nFigure 39:<\/b> RAM Installed!<\/div>\n![\"Case](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/40-CaseJumpers.jpg\")
\nFigure 40:<\/b> Fun with Front Cable Connectors.<\/div>\n![\"Front](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/40a-FrontJumpersManual.jpg\")
\nFigure 40a:<\/b> Example of how the front cable connectors appear in the motherboard’s manual, note how the speakers in this scenario are actually off a little bit from the main bunch. This is not typical as they’re usually altogether.<\/div>\n![\"Front](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/41-CaseJumperPins.jpg\")
\nFigure 41:<\/b> All of the Front Connectors Installed Properly.<\/div>\n![\"Standard](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/42-SATAFlatBracket.jpg\")
\nFigure 42:<\/b> Standard SATA Connector, but with a Little Metal Locking Tab.<\/div>\n![\"Angled](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/43-SATAAngledBracket.jpg\")
\nFigure 43:<\/b> Angled SATA Connector with that same Little Metal Locking Tab.<\/div>\n![\"Example](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/43a-SATAComponent.jpg\")
\nFigure 43a:<\/b> Example of what the back side of a SATA Component looks like up close.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nI. Getting Started<\/a>
\nII-1. The Build \u2022 Section 1 – The Case Fans, and Power Supply<\/a>
\nII-2. The Build \u2022 Section 2 – The Solid State Drive, DVD-ROM, and Motherboard<\/a>
\nII-3. The Build \u2022 Section 3 – RAM, and SATA Cables<\/a>
\nII-4. The Build \u2022 Section 4 – Power Connections, and Cable Management
\nIII. The First POST<\/a>
\nIV. Final Thoughts<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Examples](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/44-PowerCables.jpg\")
\nFigure 44:<\/b> Examples of the Modular PSU Cables used for this build.<\/div>\n![\"Example](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/44a-GPUCable.jpg\")
\nFigure 44a:<\/b> GPU Power Connector, alternative name is PCI-E Connector as labeled in the photo.<\/div>\n![\"The](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/44b-Molex.jpg\")
\nFigure 44b<\/b> The Good Ole’ Molex Connector.<\/div>\n![\"Example](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/45-MessCableManagement.jpg\")
\nFigure 45:<\/b> Houston, we have a Problem; messy Cable Management.<\/div>\n![\"Good](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/46-CleanCableManagement.jpg\")
\nFigure 46:<\/b> Good Cable Management<\/div>\n![\"All](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/47-DVDDriveConnected.jpg\")
\nFigure 47:<\/b> Everything all Hooked up and Good to Go!<\/div>\n![\"Front](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/48-CaseFront.jpg\")
\nFigure 48:<\/b> Completed Front Shot.<\/div>\n![\"Top](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/49-CaseTop.jpg\")
\nFigure 49:<\/b> Completed Top Shot.<\/div>\n![\"Back](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/50-CaseBack.jpg\")
\nFigure 50:<\/b> Completed Back Shot.<\/div>\n![\"Side](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/51-CaseIntakeSide.jpg\")
\nFigure 51:<\/b> Completed Cougar Side Shot.<\/div>\n![\"Alternative](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/52-CaseAltSide.jpg\")
\nFigure 52:<\/b> Completed Alternative Side Shot.<\/div>\n![\"Powered](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/53-PoweredUp.jpg\")
\nFigure 53:<\/b> IT’S ALIVE!<\/i><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nI. Getting Started<\/a>
\nII-1. The Build \u2022 Section 1 – The Case Fans, and Power Supply<\/a>
\nII-2. The Build \u2022 Section 2 – The Solid State Drive, DVD-ROM, and Motherboard<\/a>
\nII-3. The Build \u2022 Section 3 – RAM, and SATA Cables<\/a>
\nII-4. The Build \u2022 Section 4 – Power Connections, and Cable Management<\/a>
\nIII. The First POST
\nIV. Final Thoughts<\/a><\/p>\n![\"BIOS'](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/54-BIOSFirstRun.jpg\")
\nFigure 54:<\/b> The BIOS Screen.<\/div>\n![\"MemTest\"](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/55-MemTest1Hour.jpg\")
\nFigure 55:<\/b> MemTest 86+ The Blue Screen of Judgement.<\/div>\n![\"MemTest](\"..\/images\/Articles\/MurphTech\/01ITXBuild\/56-MemTest18Hour.jpg\")
\nFigure 56:<\/b> Ye Pass Judgement, ye not Guilty.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\nI. Getting Started<\/a>
\nII-1. The Build \u2022 Section 1 – The Case Fans, and Power Supply<\/a>
\nII-2. The Build \u2022 Section 2 – The Solid State Drive, DVD-ROM, and Motherboard<\/a>
\nII-3. The Build \u2022 Section 3 – RAM, and SATA Cables<\/a>
\nII-4. The Build \u2022 Section 4 – Power Connections, and Cable Management<\/a>
\nIII. The First POST<\/a>
\nIV. Final Thoughts<\/p>\n