4. 4
Choosing Motherboard and Case
• Figure out the type of motherboard you want:
– CPU type – RAM type and size (think for future)
• Think about form factor. It influences the type of case.
• How rich in features is the motherboard.
• Select the case that matches your space needs, budget, and
form factor. Cases come in five basic sizes: slimline,
desktop, mini-tower, mid-tower, and cube.
• 3 options point to better case: a removable case, a
detachable motherboard mount, and front-mounted ports
for USB, FireWire
6. Options to Look for in Case
• Removable face
• Front-mounted ports
• Detachable motherboard mount
• Power supply
7. Removing the Motherboard
1. Remove all the cards
2. Remove obstructing drives
3. Remove the power supply (only if
necessary)
4. Note the wires for the speaker, power
switch, reset button, LEDs
5. Unscrew the old motherboard
– The motherboard mounts to the case with
small connectors called standouts
8. Installing the New
Motherboard
1. Install the CPU and RAM on the new motherboard before
putting it in the case
2. Check/adjust the location of the standouts
3. Mount the new motherboard in the case
4. Reinstall the hard drive(s), power supply, and so forth that had
to be removed to get the old motherboard out
5. Insert the power connections and other wires
6. Test!
9. Wires, Wires, Wires
• LEDs have positive and negative
connections
– They work one way;
they don’t work the
other way
– It’s okay to
experiment
11. Troubleshooting Symptoms
• Catastrophic failure
– System will not boot
– Although uncommon, most motherboards will fail (if they’re going
to) within the first 30 days due to manufacturing defects, called
burn-in failure
– Electrostatic discharge is the other most common cause
– To fix, replace the motherboard
12. More Troubleshooting
Symptoms
Component failure
• Microprocessors Errors
• If the Microprocessor fails to work, you must hear
a slow beep sound or no display occurs at the
monitor screen. This tells that some internal
hardware or configuration errors have stopped the
microprocessor’s internal circuitry to work.
• Some kinds of internal problems allow
microprocessor to work but in case of extra
working, microprocessor fails to perform
additional work.
13. • The best solution for the microprocessor’s
problems is to replace it with a new one.
• If the system locks up for a continuous few
minutes, this means that the fan of the
microprocessor or the internal cooling mechanism
is not working properly. In this scenario, you
should replace the fan of the microprocessor to
provide it continuous cooling.
14. ROM BIOS Setup Errors
• A malfunctioning or damaged ROM stops the
systems’ working completely.
• Another cause of the system’s failure or problem
is the malfunctioning of the CMOS battery. If the
system fails to display the current time and date,
the most likely reason for this is the faulty CMOS
battery and the only solution for this is to replace
the battery with the new one. .
15. RAM Errors
RAM is a serviceable part of the system board and the
RAM failure basically can be categorized into the
following two categories :
• Soft-memory errors: Soft memory errors are the
errors that are caused by the infrequent glitches in
the operation of the system. These errors can be
controlled just by restarting the system.
• Hard-memory errors: Hard memory errors are the
permanent physical errors and that requires that
memory units should be checked properly and
replaced.
16. More Troubleshooting
Symptoms
• Ethereal symptoms
– Things just don’t work all the time
– PC reboots itself for no apparent reason
– Blue Screens of Death
• Causes include faulty components, buggy device drivers or
application software, slight corruption of the operating
system, and power supply problems
17. Troubleshooting Techniques
• Isolate the problem by eliminating potential
factors
– If the hard drive doesn’t work, try a different
hard drive or try the same hard drive with a
different motherboard
• If the new hard drive works, you know it wasn’t the motherboard
• If the same hard drive with a different motherboard works, you can
suspect the motherboard
• Fixes include flashing the BIOS or replacing the
motherboard
18. 18
Buying a motherboard
• Intel or AMD processor
• Motherboard manufacturer: Asus, Abit,
Biostar, DFI, Gigabyte, Intel, MSI, Shuttle
• ATX case and ATX power supply
