Motherboard Installation

05 Motherboard Installation

What you will need

At this point in your computer building journey, we will mount the motherboard to the inside of the case. There are a few additional parts you might need, but these extra parts will be in the box your motherboard came in.

In your box, you will find standoffs, screws, and the I/O shield, but sometimes your case will come with these items already installed in your case. Let’s talk about some of these parts in a little more detail.

Motherboard Case

Screwdriver

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I/O shield

The I/O shield is a small rectangular sheet of metal that is sometimes silver or black in color. This piece protects the ports of your motherboard that face the back opening of the case. This will be pressed into that back opening of the case, but be sure to remember that the orientation needs to be correct when you install it to the case.

Standoffs

Standoffs are small screw-like parts that allow the motherboard to stand off the side of the case. This way it is not touching the case which is important for the circuitry on the bottom of the motherboard. The standoffs also allow for the motherboard to be screwed into them which holds it snugly in place. One important note when you get to mounting the motherboard: make sure that you do not drag it across the standoffs to avoid damaging it! Let’s go over some important safety tips when it comes to motherboard installation.

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Connecting the PSU

You will then want to get ready to start connecting the PSU to the motherboard. You will notice cables coming out of the PSU you installed earlier, and out of those cables, there is an 8-pin connector and a 24-pin connector. These will be connected to the motherboard after it is installed in the case.

Power cables

The power cables are the 8-pin and 24-pin cables coming from the PSU. Here, we will look into detail at where exactly these connectors are on the motherboard. It is good to be prepared in knowing where these are so that when it comes time to connect you will know where to put them. These cables send the electricity coming from the PSU to power the motherboard and all the components connected to it.

IMPORTANT!

• Be careful that you do not drag the motherboard across the standoffs on the case.

• Wear your anti-static wrist strap so you do not accidentally short circuit anything with a static charge.

• Do not over-tighten the screws to the motherboard.

• Be careful handling the I/O shield so it does not break, and make sure it is oriented correctly.

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8-pin connector

24-pin connector

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Let’s mount the motherboard!

Now we are going to install the motherboard. To do this you might need to go back to the box your motherboard came in and find the screws and I/O shield. In most cases, your motherboard will come with nine screws which we will use for mounting.

The I/O shield is a piece designed to go in the case before the motherboard so that the ports will match up and be protected by it. If this piece is not attached you will simply want to snap it into place on the back of your case, but make sure that the orientation of the cutouts is correct. Once the I/O shield is in its correct place, we can start installing the motherboard.

A full ATX motherboard will normally come with nine screws, but different sizes can have different amounts of screws. Place the motherboard into the case by carefully aligning it with the I/O shield and start attaching at the center screw. Once all screws are in place, you will want to connect the PSU to the motherboard using the 8- and 24-pin connector cables coming out of the PSU.

36 // How to Build a Computer Congratulations on installing the motherboard! It is finally starting to come together. Our next install is going to be the GPU which is a very exciting part that sends a picture to your monitor!

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