Computer Assembly - How To Assemble A PC
The Motherboard
The ABIT KR7A retail box includes one IDE cable suitable for up to a Ultra ATA/133 hard drive and the ribbon cable for the floppy drive. The CD includes the motherboard chipset drivers and utilities, such as a Hardware Doctor which shows the temperatures of the processor and system.
Here are closeups of the motherboard and cables since we'll be working with them a lot more.
The ABIT KR7A-133 motherboard provides an excellent assortment of back panel connectors. From left-to-right: the light-blue circled connector is a PS/2 mouse connector, the purple circled connector is a PS/2 keyboard connector, the two green circled connectors are USB 1.1 connectors, the red circled connector is a parallel port connector (LPT), and the two blue circled connectors are serial port connectors (COM1 and COM2) . It's becoming increasingly common to connect devices via the USB connectors for the ease of use and since the devices can be daisy chained together so you don't run out of USB connectors. But it's not uncommon to use a printer or tape drive backup system on the parallel port, or to use the PS/2 keyboard and mouse connectors for their intended purpose. The back panel connectors protrude from the back of the computer case once the motherboard is installed so that they are accessible without opening the computer case.
I'll be installing the CD-ROM on IDE 2. For best performance, the hard drive and CD-ROM should not be installed on the same IDE. The retail box of the motherboard includes one IDE cable, so a second IDE cable must be purchased separately. Here is a high-quality, Belkin, standard length 18-inches IDE cable. The connectors on the cable are color-coded to identify where each one is connected. Blue for the motherboard, black for the master IDE device, and gray for the slave IDE device.
My complete recommendations for building a computer with quality components at unbeatable
prices is on my home page at
Build A Computer
Like My Super PC - Cost To Build A Computer. Here again are the recommendations for a motherboard!
| Description
| Where I Would Get It Today
| Today's Price
| Comments
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| ASUS Z97-A LGA 1150 |
Amazon
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$155.99 |
The Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UDH5 motherboard I'm using has outstanding quality and is a top performer.
Unfortunately, it's been discontinued. This ASUS motherboard is very similar and would be my choice today.
One difference is that the ASUS does not come with IEEE 1394, but it is cheaper and FireWire can be
added for low-cost with a plug-in card.
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Bundles, Barebone Kits
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| Motherboard Bundles |
TigerDirect
|
Varies |
Clicking the link takes you directly to the page for bundles and systems. All of the components in My Super PC were purchased separately so that I got exactly what I wanted. But if you come across a bundle you like then you can be sure that all of the components are compatible. Bundles typically include at least the processor and motherboard, but can include much more.
|
| Combo Deals |
Newegg
|
Varies |
Clicking the link takes you directly to the combo deals page. Once there you can search by category, such as "AMD Motherboards" and brand, such as "Gigabyte". |
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© 2001-2011, Rob Williams, all rights reserved.
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