First time builder - finally starting!

This isn't easy.

The first and biggest hassle is the power supply. I've got the Antec P182SE with the PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610W. The cage is on the bottom and fits very tightly with the lower fan. I'm thinking I may have to install the PSU upside down to better run the cables behind the MoBo. The cords form a massive bundle that do not negotiate the case as well as I'd like. Research on the internet (what a Godsend) came across a guy that did a great, clean cable install but it required some drilling, etc. I'm trying to avoid that route.

I'm currently working on the wiring with the motherboard. The hardest part is trying to make two separate manufacturers work together. Deciphering what the Gigabyte (GA-P35-DS3L) instructions are asking from the case and what the case actually has ... THEN ... there are a couple of issues where, what the case actually has doesn't quite jive with the Antec manual! I've an email in to them for the power LEDs because the titles are different.

RE: the motherboard - I've a really stupid question. The instructions are pretty skimpy but I'm trying to figure out just where to screw it to the case. I've got it lined up with the back plate and 6 holes. While there are a few others, none are marked (small silver arrows pointing in like the sun) EXCEPT for one that doesn't line up with anything and the "rays" only go half way around. Anyone with this board know whether the six I've fastened are sufficient or if there is anything I need to do for that "partial" hole?

And another stupid question... I've got the Zerotherm BTF90 cooler that's shaped like a butterfly. I've seen it installed with the butterfly facing upright (antenna to the sky and fan toward the bottom) and facing to the side (antenna to the back and fan toward the front). This case has a fan at the upper back AND at the top back so I'm not sure it really matters. (Unless one draws in and the other pulls out...but I don't know for sure) Any thoughts?

The DVD drives were a cinch. Great rail system that just pops in. Plus they're SATA. Hard Drive has a lovely little drawer so it was also quite easy.

Time for me to get back to the crazy wiring, while awaiting suggestions. To all first time builders, plan on spending quite a bit of time (much more than you might think) on the wiring. :)

This isn't easy.

The first and biggest hassle is the power supply. I've got the Antec P182SE with the PC Power & Cooling Silencer 610W. The cage is on the bottom and fits very tightly with the lower fan. I'm thinking I may have to install the PSU upside down to better run the cables behind the MoBo. The cords form a massive bundle that do not negotiate the case as well as I'd like. Research on the internet (what a Godsend) came across a guy that did a great, clean cable install but it required some drilling, etc. I'm trying to avoid that route.

The most you might have to drill is one or two holes in the case so you can align your screws with the power supply. I dont think this should happen, tho; I am looking at my power supply right now (well, about a minute ago) and the screw placements looked symetrical, meaning it should work upside down.

I'm currently working on the wiring with the motherboard. The hardest part is trying to make two separate manufacturers work together. Deciphering what the Gigabyte (GA-P35-DS3L) instructions are asking from the case and what the case actually has ... THEN ... there are a couple of issues where, what the case actually has doesn't quite jive with the Antec manual! I've an email in to them for the power LEDs because the titles are different.

Wiring should be straight forward; ive never heard of there being the wrong amount of pins. Just consult the motherboard; if it says "put six pin connection here" then go your power supply, look for a six-pin wire, and plug it in.

My first build went horribly because I had a tough time putting the power, HD, reset, etc because, like you said, its not explained clearly. Trial and error was my solution lol but that took forever.

RE: the motherboard - I've a really stupid question. The instructions are pretty skimpy but I'm trying to figure out just where to screw it to the case. I've got it lined up with the back plate and 6 holes. While there are a few others, none are marked (small silver arrows pointing in like the sun) EXCEPT for one that doesn't line up with anything and the "rays" only go half way around. Anyone with this board know whether the six I've fastened are sufficient or if there is anything I need to do for that "partial" hole?

Ah yes, motherboard alignment...a cruel mistress. I didnt even put all my screws in; five aligned, and five is what I ended up doing. It works fine, so dont worry about it. With that said, get as many screws aligned and gently screwed in, then carefully push the motherboard around until that last hole lines up. If it doesnt, well, not a big deal to be honest.

And another stupid question... I've got the Zerotherm BTF90 cooler that's shaped like a butterfly. I've seen it installed with the butterfly facing upright (antenna to the sky and fan toward the bottom) and facing to the side (antenna to the back and fan toward the front). This case has a fan at the upper back AND at the top back so I'm not sure it really matters. (Unless one draws in and the other pulls out...but I don't know for sure) Any thoughts?

This doesnt really matter; ideally you would want it so the exhaust from the cooler streamlines with the fans on the back and top of your case, which are likely exhaust fans. But, since you said you have exhaust casefans on the top and the rear, this wont really matter. Also, dont forgot to connect the fan to power; you know this in all likelihood, but Ive read that some people do forgot and this will fry their CPU...dont sweat it tho since most CPUs have a failsafe or something know iirc.

The DVD drives were a cinch. Great rail system that just pops in. Plus they're SATA. Hard Drive has a lovely little drawer so it was also quite easy.

Time for me to get back to the crazy wiring, while awaiting suggestions. To all first time builders, plan on spending quite a bit of time (much more than you might think) on the wiring. :)

columbia93

I'd Googled my specs and found someone who had the same case and PSU as mine and they put it in upside down with no problems. Getting the thing OUT of the case right side up was a b***h - the PCP&C box is longer than most so it is pressed severely against ... well... EVERYWHERE! :P Flippped it over, stuck it in the back, and it was a breeze. Slid in nicely and the cords work alot better. I can get just about everything around to the back or side except for the front audio that has to stretch right across the middle of everything. Since I've got an audio card and speakers with headphone jack, do I even need to plug this in?

Put the eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS KO 512mb in with no issues. However, it's so freakin' big it covers up one of the PCIe x1 slots and cramps the one below it. Since my audio card AND TV card are both PCIe, I'm a bit worried. I put the audio card (Creative Labs X-FI Audio) into the PCIe x1 slot below the graphics card and it leaves about 1/8" space between them. Since the audio card is shorter, the fan isn't blocked. Will this be alright? And can I just add that it's a bit weird that they go to so much trouble with the graphics on the fan side of the card when it just ends up getting turned over and never seen again!?!

Tomorrow - hopefully will have an email from Antec on the front panel "plugs." Gigabyte mentioned something about one of the plugs having a certain color as positive but nothing about the rest - and nothing at all in the Antec manual. Since such a big deal was made of making sure it was positive to positive, etc., this seemed a bit odd.

I also need to find out about the 1394 plug - the Antec manual said to plug it into the motherboard heading (what does that mean exactly) and the Gigabyte manual says NOT to plug it into the USB headings (the pins look the same) but doesn't address it any further.

I'll also install the TV card - we'll see what, if any, challenges that will bring. Finish hooking up the rest of the power and tucking away the cords as best I can. Luckily my case doesn't have a window so it doesn't have to look spectacular! Hook up the monitor and give it a go - installing all the software, that is. THAT gives me pause and am keeping my fingers crossed that it will go fairly smoothly. I've not got a lot of experience with BIOS and, with the manuals lacking in a lot of areas...eeks!

So thanks all - those who helped me decide what to buy those weeks ago and those who have (and hopefully will continue to :D) assist/ed me in all the terrific and understanding ways this group does. You guys are priceless!

On your motherboard there will be pins for the 1394 port cable to plug into. Consult the diagram of your motherboard to see where these pins are. Plug the cable into these pins and then screw the other end where a card would normally go in your case. It will more than likely take up a card slot that you would use for something else, so you may want to skip installing it all together. Or, it could be that you have a firewire port near your other ports on the motherboard above the cards. If that is the case, then it is still relatively straightforward.

The case cables that fit onto the motherboard can be the hardest part without a manual. If you do have a manual, they can be frustrating when you don't have the required knowledge. White or black colored wires are negative, while any colored ones are positive. The only one that is critical though, is the power switch cable. As long as that one is plugged in, your computer will turn on.

I think this motherboard didn't come equipped with the 1394 firewall so I've just tucked it away.

Plugged the case in and nothing blew up so feeling better! Apparently I did get the Power Switch plugged in the right way! Looks really nice on the inside - I've got the P182SE so it's all black and elegant :) Turned the PSU over and the cables ran much better on the back instead of up the middle. Got them all tacked down as best I could - there's a slight bulge but only slight.

Got my monitor out and am setting it up. I put on the DVI cable to the graphics card but the monitor is showing a sign that it's looking for the VGA cable. So I guess I'll go to the VGA for now - just to get things set up.

Next step - Vista!

BTW - did anyone have any thoughts on my sound card being so closely installed to the graphics card? I don't know what, if any, heat comes off the card so I don't know if it might be a problem.

Thx!

I think this motherboard didn't come equipped with the 1394 firewall so I've just tucked it away.

Plugged the case in and nothing blew up so feeling better! Apparently I did get the Power Switch plugged in the right way! Looks really nice on the inside - I've got the P182SE so it's all black and elegant :) Turned the PSU over and the cables ran much better on the back instead of up the middle. Got them all tacked down as best I could - there's a slight bulge but only slight.

Got my monitor out and am setting it up. I put on the DVI cable to the graphics card but the monitor is showing a sign that it's looking for the VGA cable. So I guess I'll go to the VGA for now - just to get things set up.

Next step - Vista!

BTW - did anyone have any thoughts on my sound card being so closely installed to the graphics card? I don't know what, if any, heat comes off the card so I don't know if it might be a problem.

Thx!

columbia93

Congratulations, dude! Sounds like you did a very clean, thorough, elegant build.

As for the sound card, I wouldnt be too concerned. People dont understand that so long as you have airflow, you dont need a ton of space between your hardware...air flows quickly inside a PC case. Its funny people think you need like 3 inches between all your stuff, you only need like an inch, sometimes even less if the hardware doesnt put off too much heat.

Yep - it was a really great build until a few hours later. The computer asked for a restart for some hardware CDs I'd installed so I did and now I've got a black screen saying that Windows failed to start. It's an 0xc0000428 error, which I've Googled and it seems impossible. The only thing I really need to know is what caused it. My DVD drives (2) have quit working so I can't repair from the Windows disc as the error is asking. The keyboard will only work with DEL, F9, etc., so I can't use the arrow keys to move around in the BIOS menu. The graphics card never was recognized. On another forum, it appears this error happens alot - some can get it fixed with the repair, someone else had to take out the hd, install in on another computer, reformat then reinstall, someone else ended up with a bad Mobo. Is there any way to find out where the problem lies? How would I know if it's the Mobo? Does the fact that it never recognized the graphics card be a clue?

I've gone from the heights of euphoria in feeling like I conquered something I don't know enough about to feeling like the biggest idiot who has just wasted $2000 for a gorgeous piece of junk.

Yep - it was a really great build until a few hours later. The computer asked for a restart for some hardware CDs I'd installed so I did and now I've got a black screen saying that Windows failed to start. It's an 0xc0000428 error, which I've Googled and it seems impossible. The only thing I really need to know is what caused it. My DVD drives (2) have quit working so I can't repair from the Windows disc as the error is asking. The keyboard will only work with DEL, F9, etc., so I can't use the arrow keys to move around in the BIOS menu. The graphics card never was recognized. On another forum, it appears this error happens alot - some can get it fixed with the repair, someone else had to take out the hd, install in on another computer, reformat then reinstall, someone else ended up with a bad Mobo. Is there any way to find out where the problem lies? How would I know if it's the Mobo? Does the fact that it never recognized the graphics card be a clue?

I've gone from the heights of euphoria in feeling like I conquered something I don't know enough about to feeling like the biggest idiot who has just wasted $2000 for a gorgeous piece of junk.

columbia93

Worst case scenario: you cant get it to work, you take it to your local PC shop, and for 60 or so bucks they build it up for you. Ask them how they got it to work so you know in the future.

If your computer is refusing to boot right after installing new hardware drivers after working fine, then it is the drivers causing the problem. This has a simple fix: Press F8 right before the Windows logo screen would appear. Chose Boot to Safe Mode. In safe mode, go to your Control Panel and then go to System and then Device Manager. If you have Vista, it will just be Device Manager in Control Panel. Once in device manager, disable whatever drivers you installed that were either incompatible or corrupt. The easiest way to do this is right click the device and then click disable.

If Windows boots after this, then you know the driver for the hardware was causing the problem. If that's the case, try updating the driver using an .inf that is compatible with both your Operating System and your hardware. Hope this helps - regards.

Thanks for writing back. I'm guessing this error 'windows failed to start" because of a digital verification issue is more common than you might think. I've been on several forums and no one can come up with an actual solution that will work. You can disable the verification process but it is reset after a reboot.

I was able to get an old keyboard and change the BIOS to reboot from the Cdrom (default was the floppy - how stupid is that!) It then completely reinstalled vista - putting all of the first install into an ".old' file. I've not added anything since then (just the os) because I'm afraid that error will come up again. I'm not sure what is causing this - other people with the same error are getting it on different files...some on an upgrade from XP...some on server 2008...seems kinda random. Besides, my build items are pretty common so ...

I am wondering about another issue though and hope someone can steer me in the right direction. Neither of the two expansion cards are registering with the system. I've got eVGA 8800 GTS 512mb KO graphics card in the pcie16 slot and the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Audio in the lower pciex1. The system is showing standard graphics and sound. Is this a problem with the motherboard or could it be something else? (Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L). Other than this, and the above issue, everything seems to be fine.

Wait...one more thing...and truth to tell, I've not really done any research on it yet but...my Dell 2408WPF's highest resolution option is 1600x1200. Since it's supposed to be 1920x1200, is there something else I should be doing?

Still need information regarding how to tell if a motherboard is bad...

But here is the next thing...

I don't have an internet connection yet on the other computer so I downloaded a new 64bit driver for the eVGA graphics card on another one, copied it then tried to install on my new computer. It wouldn't install because it is saying my OS setup is 32bit and the driver is for 64bit! The disc I've got (OEM) says it is 64bit, which is what I ordered. Under properties for Computer it just says Vista Home Premium and nothing about the bit. Is there a way to find out for sure that the OS I installed is 64bit?