Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Static Guard
To minimize problems with static, wear wool or cotton clothing and avoid rubber-
soled shoes. Static problems increase when the air is dry, as is common in winter
when central heating systems are in use. You can reduce or eliminate static with
a spray bottle filled with water to which you've added a few drops of dishwashing
liquid. Spritz your work area thoroughly immediately before you begin working.
The goal is not to get anything wet, but simply to increase the humidity of the air.
(Whatever you do, avoid wetting the case or components themselves, especially the
connectors and slots, which must be kept clean and dry at all times.)
A Snake in the Woodpile
Some PCs use a variety of screws
that look very similar but are in fact
threaded differently. For example,
the screws used to secure some case
covers and those used to mount
some disk drives may appear to be
identical, but swapping them may
result in stripped threads. If in doubt,
keep each type of screw in a separate
compartment of your organizer.
Keep track of the screws and other small parts
Building a PC yields an incredible number of small pieces that need to be
kept organized. As you open each component box, your pile of screws,
cables, mounting brackets, adapters, and other small parts grows larger.
Some of those you'll need, and some you won't. As we can attest, one
errant screw left on the floor can destroy a vacuum cleaner. Worse, one
unnoticed screw can short out and destroy the motherboard and other
components. The best solution we've found is to use an egg carton or old
ice cube tray to keep parts organized. The goal is to have all of the small
parts accounted for when you finish assembling the PC.
Use force when necessary, but use it cautiously
Many topics tell you never to force anything, and that's good advice as
far as it goes. If doing something requires excessive force, chances are a
part is misaligned, you have not removed a screw, or something similar.
But sometimes there is no alternative to applying force judiciously. For
example, drive power cables sometimes fit so tightly that the only way
to connect them is to grab them with pliers and press hard. (Make sure
all the contacts are aligned first.) Likewise, some combinations of expan-
sion card and slot fit so tightly that you must press very hard to seat the
card. If you encounter such a situation, verify that everything is lined up
and otherwise as it should be (and that there isn't a stray wire obstructing
the slot). Then use whatever force it takes to do the job, which may be
substantial.
Check and recheck before you apply power
An experienced PC technician building a PC does a quick scan of the new
machine before performing the
smoke test
by applying power to the PC (if
you don't see any smoke, it passes the test). Don't skip this step, and don't
underestimate its importance. Most PCs that fail the smoke test do so be-
cause this step was ignored. Until you gain experience, it may take several
minutes to verify that all is as it should be—all components secure, all
cables connected properly, no tools or other metal parts shorting any-
thing out, and so on. Once you are comfortable working inside PCs, this
step takes 15 seconds, but that may be the most important 15 seconds of
the whole project.
A Screw Loose Somewhere
After we build a system, we pick it up,
shake it gently, and tilt it front-to-
back and side-to-side. If something
rattles, we know there's a screw loose
somewhere.
