1. Attaching The Motherboard
The first step is to take the cover off the case. Then take the motherboard out of the box and put it into the case. There are holes for screws that should match the ones in the case. To make sure that it is in right, there should be USB ports, and audio ports sticking out of the back of the case that will slide into position as you attach the motherboard to the case.
Make sure that you put in all of the screws, and hand tighten them but not too tight, you would hate to have to pay for a new motherboard if you split it tightening the screws too tight.
2. Processor
With the motherboard now securely attached to your new computer's case, you are now ready for the next step. Look for your processor and take it out of the box. If you do not know which component this is, it will either say INTEL or AMD on it.
When you take it out of the box, there will be a face that has writing on it telling you which processor it is, and another side with tiny pins sticking out. Make sure that you don't touch the pins when you take it out.
Now on the motherboard you will see the slot where the processor slides in. There is usually a little clip that pushes the processor down, and you will need to undo that and expose the "socket" as it is referred to, to continue.
Now that you have the socket exposed, do not just put the processor in. if you look at the front side of the processor, there should be an arrow on one of the corners. Match this arrow with the one on the motherboard and place it gently onto the socket. Now it is important here not to press down hard, because if you bend any of those pins, you will need to buy a new processor, so tread lightly on this part.
When the processor is in the socket, then re-close the mechanism that holds it down, and then attach the fan. You may need to apply thermal paste (a little tube of glue like stuff that came in your processors box, to the top of the processor before placing the fan on top.
Once the fan is on, there is a tiny cable that gives it power. Take a good look at the end of the cable, and find the appropriate little socket for it to attach to which should be just around the processor. It is most commonly a little black or white plastic box, and it shouldn't be too hard to find.
3. RAM
Alright, the processor is the hardest part so don't get discouraged, you will have your computer up and running in just a few minutes. The next step is to find your RAM or memory. Depending on how much RAM you bought this may get tricky, but if you only have one stick of memory this is a breeze.
Now when you pick up the memory you will notice that there is a groove on the side that goes into the motherboard. Make sure you align this appropriately, and as before, don't ever force it. It should slide in gently and easily with just a little bit of pressure.
If you look at the motherboard, you will see a few slots for memory, if you can't distinguish them, then look back at your memory, and then look for something that matches that exactly. It should be pretty easy to find.
Now all you need to do is match the groove, and slide it in. Some memory sockets have a release mechanism, and before try to force it in, check around the memory area for any levers or anything like that.
As a good rule of thumb, if you have more than one stick of RAM, make sure that those two are the same brand and speed. This should be easy to see if you just look at it.
4. Graphics Card
If you have a dedicated (not integrated) graphics card, then you will need to install that as well. Most low-end computers have an integrated graphics card, if this is you then skip this step. If you are unsure if this is you or not, take your monitor cable (should be either a blue, white, or HDMI plug) and try to plug it into the back of your case. If there is no appropriate plug, then you need to do this step.
Once you take your graphics card out of the box, you will want to install it near the back of the motherboard (towards the back of the case.) If you don't know which one is the graphics card it will probably say either NVIDIA or ATI on it. Now its important to find the right slot here, cause there are few that are similar. If you graphics card is a high-end card, then you are going to want to look for a blue socket, not the white one. The white sockets will be used later on in this guide.
When you slide the graphics card in, the port goes towards the back, sticking out the case. When it slides in, on the inside of the case, there should be a hole for a screw to go in. Screw this in (the screw should be either with the motherboard or the graphics card) and you are good this step.
5. Hard Drive(s)
This step can get a little bit tricky, especially for older computers. When you take the hard drive out of its box, take a look at the back of it. There should be either one or two cables that came with the hard drive and you will need these for this step.
Unless your computer is before 2005, you should be using SATA connection. There should be two cables (sometimes only one) that came with your hard drive. Plug these cables into the corresponding slots on the back of the hard drive.
When you plug them onto the motherboard, keep an eye on tiny numbers next to the slot where you slide them in. It should say something to the effect of SATA 1, SATA 2, SATA 3...and so on. You want to plug your hard drive into SATA 1. If you have more than one, plug the second one in to SATA 2, respectively.
The last part of this step is to attach the hard drives to the case. Now every case is different but there should be a "holder" for the hard drive near the front of the case where the cd drive will be (not in the cd drive.) There will be either screw holes, or some kind of plastic securing device. Make sure the hard drive is secure before continuing.
6. CD/DVD Drive
Next is the CD Drive. This plugs in almost exactly the same as the hard drive does, except if it is an older CD Drive.
Once again, make sure that the cable is plugged into the CD drive, and onto the motherboard. The CD Drive will slide into the slot on the case where there is a cd drive opening on the front. It will be secured with either screws, or some kind of plastic secure device.
7. Sound Card
Most sound cards are integrated into today's motherboards, but I will include this step if yours is not. Also, some audio designers and audiophiles put high-end sound cards into their computer, this step is for you.
Do you remember the blue slot where you put your graphics card into? Ok, not that one. The white one that looks similar to it, but not the same.
The sound card should slide into the white slot, and the audio ports should be sticking out the back of the case, similar to the graphics card.
8. Wireless Card
Now for the wireless card. If there are antenna attached to the card when you take it out of the box, you will want to remove these while you install it (you can put them back on once you finish this step.)
The wireless card should slide into a white slot similar to the sound card. There should be anywhere from 2-5 of these slots on your motherboard. If there is only one, you are going to need to choose between a sound card and a wireless card. Another option would be to upgrade your motherboard to one with more PCI slots.
Once you slide it in, reconnect the antenna, and put the screw through the top to fasten it securely in place. Make sure that you hold onto the CD that came with the card because very few motherboards support wireless cards without first installing the drivers via CD.
9. Plugging It All In
Be careful with this step. All parts should be installed (minus the power that is this step.) There should be a big box with 10 or so cables sticking out. If you cannot find it, it should be about 6 inches x 4 inches and have anywhere from 250 Watts to 1000 Watts written on top of it.
Do not plug the box into the wall. Make sure you install the box to the computer first, and then and only then plug it in and give it power. On the back of the case (with all of the graphics and audio ports sticking out), towards the top of the case there will be a big hole that should match the size of your power box. To put it into the box, you are going to want to install it from the inside and box should slide into place.
Once you finish that, reset the case on its side with the motherboard visible. Now look through the cables the come out of the power box. Find the one with the biggest adapter, and there should be a match for that adapter on the motherboard. If it doesn't slide in on first try, flip it around and try it that way. Once again, don't force it. There may be 1 or 2 more plugins for the motherboard. If your computer is older, you may have to plug in separate components individually. You will still have to plug in the CD drive, and possibly the hard drive. If you have a really high-end graphics card, you may have to give it separate power.
10. Final Steps Of Assembly
Now to reassemble the case. First check out your installation. Make sure there is nothing loose inside, and that all the cables are where they need to be before you reassemble the case.
Slide the cover back on the case, and stand the case upright. Plug the power cable first into the back of the box on the computer and then into the wall.
When you power it on for the first time, the first thing you are going to want to do is insert your Windows (or Linux) Installation CD.
