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Put these steps in order from first to last. Remember to consider logistics of space and convenience in your method. Person with the same order as me gets 6 internets.
1. Plug in the motherboard end of IDE cables moving from the outside to the inside of the motherboard, the hard drive or 88 wire cable going to the primary IDE channel.
2. Attach the power cable to the power supply, ensure the power supply is set to 115V if in the USA, and that the switch is set to | (on).
3. Working from top to bottom, insert the proper power cable (molex or SATA), and the proper head of an IDE or SATA cable to each 5.25 device. Ensure that drives set to master have a master head of an IDE cable and drives set to slave have a slave head.
4. Install front and rear fans using external screws if necessary and connect them to fan leads on the motherboard or fan power adapters from the power supply.
5. Lower the HSF straight down onto the processor, and clip or screw in the heatsink to the motherboard mounts, starting with opposite corners as not to crush the processor.
6. Open the memory clips. Pushing straight down, and with only just enough pressure, insert each stick of RAM, being careful to put dual (or triple) channel pairs in separate channel slots (consult color coding in motherboard manual).
7. Carefully place motherboard on standoffs in proper orientation. Screw in, moving across diagonals for easier access to the last screw hole. Re-attach the motherboard tray if necessary.
8. Prepare to install an OS, or enjoy using a thin client!
9. Open the case side door, unscrewing the required screws or using the appropriate button/lever.
10. Remove the 3.5 drive cage, slide in 3.5 devices top to bottom, and screw each in using four screws working across diagonals, or use provided drive rails. Ensure the drives have enough room for airflow in this orientation. Re-attach the drive cage.
11. Enjoy using your newly built PC!
12. Close the side door. Do a final check of cable connections, desktop ergonomics and case airflow.
13. Attach cables from the inside front of the case, such as auxiliary USB, audio jacks, power switch, and reset switch. Consult motherboard manual if pin labeling is not clear.
14. Attach the keyboard, mouse, and monitor in the most legacy configuration possible.
15. Remove the 5.25 drive cage (if possible), slide in 5.25 devices top to bottom, and screw each in using four screws working across diagonals, or use provided drive rails. Ensure the drives align properly with the front bezel. Re-attach the drive cage.
16. Working from top to bottom insert the proper power cable (molex or SATA), and the proper head of an IDE or SATA cable to each 3.5 device. Ensure that drives set to master have a master head of an IDE cable and drives set to slave have a slave head.
17. Hit the appropriate key to enter the BIOS setup. Poke through the menu, making sure hardware is being recognized, default voltages/clocks will be stable, and boot order is appropriate. Turn quick boot and initial splash off. At this point you may insert a bootable OS install or other boot disc into a media device. Exit and save changes.
18. Remove the necessary rear device cover plates and set aside.
19. Connect the 20+4 pin ATX power connector to the motherboard.
20. Carefully unbox all components and place them on an anti-static surface such as the anti-static bags included in each package. Clear a space on this surface on which to lay the case on its side.
21. Ground yourself by touching a piece of metal indirectly connected to an outlet, a screw on an outlet, or by using an anti-static wrist strap.
22. Plug in SATA cables in channel order, hard drive cables taking the first channels.
23. Insert rear devices, such as the video card, with straight down pressure from top to bottom. With each device make sure to attach the proper auxiliary power using converters if necessary.
24. Remove the plastic cover from the pins or pads of the processor, carefully holding the processor by the edges.
25. Make sure that jumper settings are correct on the back of each 5.25 and 3.5 device, either cable select or slave/master configuration for IDE devices.
26. Plug the CPU fan into the labeled fan power connector on the motherboard
27. Flip the motherboard over and remove the retention plate if present, careful not to put too much pressure on the top of the board. Flip the board upright.
28. Screw the power supply into the case from the outside. Tuck the wires away into a high drive cage for now.
29. Install drivers required for the motherboard, cpu, audio, video, and other devices compatible with your OS. Up to date drivers ensure best performance. If things still seem odd, boot to a volatile device other than your main boot device with a program loaded to flash your BIOS.
30. Remove the motherboard tray from the case, or screw in metal standoffs in the case to match your motherboard form factor. Remove unnecessary standoffs from the tray or case.
31. Press the power button. Pray.
32. Add a single drop of thermal paste to the center of the thermal plate on top of the processor, or inspect the heatsink-and-fan for clear contact to the thermally conductive material on the bottom.
33. With the computer off, attach all devices that will be used in the operating environment.
34. Ensure that all cables are seated properly, that all heat sinks have proper thermal contact, and that all fans have the proper power leads.
35. Lift the ZIF lever on the motherboard and slowly seat the processor. Close the ZIF lever
1. Plug in the motherboard end of IDE cables moving from the outside to the inside of the motherboard, the hard drive or 88 wire cable going to the primary IDE channel.
2. Attach the power cable to the power supply, ensure the power supply is set to 115V if in the USA, and that the switch is set to | (on).
3. Working from top to bottom, insert the proper power cable (molex or SATA), and the proper head of an IDE or SATA cable to each 5.25 device. Ensure that drives set to master have a master head of an IDE cable and drives set to slave have a slave head.
4. Install front and rear fans using external screws if necessary and connect them to fan leads on the motherboard or fan power adapters from the power supply.
5. Lower the HSF straight down onto the processor, and clip or screw in the heatsink to the motherboard mounts, starting with opposite corners as not to crush the processor.
6. Open the memory clips. Pushing straight down, and with only just enough pressure, insert each stick of RAM, being careful to put dual (or triple) channel pairs in separate channel slots (consult color coding in motherboard manual).
7. Carefully place motherboard on standoffs in proper orientation. Screw in, moving across diagonals for easier access to the last screw hole. Re-attach the motherboard tray if necessary.
8. Prepare to install an OS, or enjoy using a thin client!
9. Open the case side door, unscrewing the required screws or using the appropriate button/lever.
10. Remove the 3.5 drive cage, slide in 3.5 devices top to bottom, and screw each in using four screws working across diagonals, or use provided drive rails. Ensure the drives have enough room for airflow in this orientation. Re-attach the drive cage.
11. Enjoy using your newly built PC!
12. Close the side door. Do a final check of cable connections, desktop ergonomics and case airflow.
13. Attach cables from the inside front of the case, such as auxiliary USB, audio jacks, power switch, and reset switch. Consult motherboard manual if pin labeling is not clear.
14. Attach the keyboard, mouse, and monitor in the most legacy configuration possible.
15. Remove the 5.25 drive cage (if possible), slide in 5.25 devices top to bottom, and screw each in using four screws working across diagonals, or use provided drive rails. Ensure the drives align properly with the front bezel. Re-attach the drive cage.
16. Working from top to bottom insert the proper power cable (molex or SATA), and the proper head of an IDE or SATA cable to each 3.5 device. Ensure that drives set to master have a master head of an IDE cable and drives set to slave have a slave head.
17. Hit the appropriate key to enter the BIOS setup. Poke through the menu, making sure hardware is being recognized, default voltages/clocks will be stable, and boot order is appropriate. Turn quick boot and initial splash off. At this point you may insert a bootable OS install or other boot disc into a media device. Exit and save changes.
18. Remove the necessary rear device cover plates and set aside.
19. Connect the 20+4 pin ATX power connector to the motherboard.
20. Carefully unbox all components and place them on an anti-static surface such as the anti-static bags included in each package. Clear a space on this surface on which to lay the case on its side.
21. Ground yourself by touching a piece of metal indirectly connected to an outlet, a screw on an outlet, or by using an anti-static wrist strap.
22. Plug in SATA cables in channel order, hard drive cables taking the first channels.
23. Insert rear devices, such as the video card, with straight down pressure from top to bottom. With each device make sure to attach the proper auxiliary power using converters if necessary.
24. Remove the plastic cover from the pins or pads of the processor, carefully holding the processor by the edges.
25. Make sure that jumper settings are correct on the back of each 5.25 and 3.5 device, either cable select or slave/master configuration for IDE devices.
26. Plug the CPU fan into the labeled fan power connector on the motherboard
27. Flip the motherboard over and remove the retention plate if present, careful not to put too much pressure on the top of the board. Flip the board upright.
28. Screw the power supply into the case from the outside. Tuck the wires away into a high drive cage for now.
29. Install drivers required for the motherboard, cpu, audio, video, and other devices compatible with your OS. Up to date drivers ensure best performance. If things still seem odd, boot to a volatile device other than your main boot device with a program loaded to flash your BIOS.
30. Remove the motherboard tray from the case, or screw in metal standoffs in the case to match your motherboard form factor. Remove unnecessary standoffs from the tray or case.
31. Press the power button. Pray.
32. Add a single drop of thermal paste to the center of the thermal plate on top of the processor, or inspect the heatsink-and-fan for clear contact to the thermally conductive material on the bottom.
33. With the computer off, attach all devices that will be used in the operating environment.
34. Ensure that all cables are seated properly, that all heat sinks have proper thermal contact, and that all fans have the proper power leads.
35. Lift the ZIF lever on the motherboard and slowly seat the processor. Close the ZIF lever