Installing hardware into a fresh PC is not that complicated, really.
If the prongs and the holes line up, read the part number and look it up and check compatibilities. Sometimes some hardware is too powerful, so checking specs is always a plus. 80% of the time they will work, but sometimes you can run into problems — like an AMD Athlon XP will not fit into an AMD Athlon 64 board. Same goes for AMD and Pentium. Prongs won’t line up.
The red wire always faces toward the power source. Look really close to the IDE cables (even the ones with the center top hole filled); you will notice there is a red dotted wire. Magnify it if you need to. Same with the FDD seven cable twist. FDD plugs in after the twist — never before.
PCI or AGP video cards just clip in. If it has a hook at the end, it is AGP. If not, then it is not. AGP will be the smaller slot.
Memory is just a clip in, also. Look up board manufacturers and part numbers and read through the specs for the board to know the minimum and maximum memory capabilities for your PC. (I have also looked this up more than… well, plenty of times and can easily do it. You can, too!)
With the CPU, once again, part numbers and manufacturer numbers are of wonderful help. Check board specs, check CPU specs, and always double check before the hard part, which is sliding the CPU into the dock. Squirt a thin layer of heat sink paste on the side facing away from the motherboard. Set the heatsink onto the CPU and center it before it actually touches (so you don’t smear off the heat paste while wiggling all around to position it). Clasp the retainer on either side. Screw the fan down to the heatsink. Plug the fan into the board.
With the power supply, make sure you have one strong enough to run your fan and that meets your CPU’s requirements. Make sure it is fastened really tightly; clip all wires into what ever hole they fit in (this is usually true). If you have one drive power connector that has no other splices or additional connectors on it, I would suggest you either use it for the master drive or you could plug your fans and lights into that connector.
With IDE and FDD cables, red goes toward the power source.
The use of a hot glue gun by splatting a tad at the clasps for most parts except the CPU is okay to prevent stuff from falling out of place.
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