Unpacking
Keep organized when assembling your PC. There are many little parts and screw that might be lost during the process. There are three ways to stay organized. The first is to only open the boxes of the components you need as you use them, and setting aside the packing materials to avoid clutter. The second is to follow an outline. My motherboard manufacturer Gigabyte included a handy, "Hardware Installation Guidebook" which was my bible throughout the assembly process. Finally, get a magnetic bowl (see video). You will use this thing for the rest of your life for all kinds of projects, and they're cheap, available at any Sears store with a Tools department.
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Building Outline
1 - Install CPU and Heatsink onto Motherboard
2 - Install Memory
3 - Prepare Case and Install Power Supply
4 - Install SATA, IDE, and FDD Devices
5 - Installation of Motherboard
6 - Installation of an expansion Card
7 - Connect to Case Indicator Light and Power
8 - Connection Ports on Case
1 - Install CPU and Heatsink onto Motherboard
Leave the motherboard in its box and place all other accessories in the motherboard's packaging to the side. With the motherboard sitting on its foam packing, you can safely install some devices that require putting firm pressure on the board. The first is the Intel LGA775 Processor, which (disconcertingly for me) has no pins. Rather, it sits lightly onto a "bed of nails" in the LGA 775 socket. This means removing the plastic covers on the processor and socket.
With the protective covers off, we can lift the handle that holds down the socket cover, then lift the cover itself to reveal the processor bed (of nails!). The CPU should fit easily onto the bed, and has distinctive markings to indicate which orientation is correct. If you had trouble with round pegs and square holes with your child toys, you might want to get some help seating the processor.
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Once the processor is seated, close the cover and lock the latch back in its original position. This may require some modest pressure, but not force.
With the CPU in its socket we now need to mount the heatsink. The retail CPU comes with a heatsink with pre-applied "thermal compound," a paste that conducts heat between the processor and the heatsink. I, however, needed to make things more complicated, so I carefully removed the original paste with a razor-blade (do not do this, as you can scrape off the copper, use a credit card followed by cotton swabs and rubbing alcohol, instead) so that I could reapply aftermarket thermal compound, called Arctic Silver. You may not need to do this if you are using the factory thermal grease.
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Applying the thermal grease seemed easy, I just slathered on a thin coat. It is important to keep the coat extremely thin, less than a millimeter. Of course, I did it wrong. I applied too much grease, and I should not have spread the grease from edge-to-edge. You need only apply the thermal grease (if you choose to do so, the factory thermal compound is sufficient if you do not plan to overclock your PC) in a thin ribbon on the center of the processor, then insert the heatsink. The pressure of the heatsink will spread the compound for you. An example of what happens when you apply the thermal compound is below:
Oops. That smooshed thermal grease means I applied it wrong. I cleaned the grease off as best I could with Q-Tips and reapplied as directed.
To mount an LGA775 heatsink, place it over the processor with the four feet over the four corresponding holes of the motherboard. Press the top of each leg firmly into the holes until you hear a "click." If it does not click, you may need to turn the black plastic casing 90 degrees using a screwdriver, and try reinserting the feet of the legs into the motherboard. Note that the Intel instructions mistakenly indicate you use a screwdriver to lock down the feet. This actually unlocks the heatsink for removal. I of course had to do this to clean off the excess thermal grease.
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Once the CPU is in its socket and the heatsink locked down, locate the CPU Fan Header on the Motherboard. While it should be clearly labeled, you may want to check the motherboard manual to be sure. You do not want to plug it into a system fan header. This should plug in easily
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2 - Install Memory
You are done with the processor. Installing the memory is easier. Remove you memory modules from their packaging, and check your motherboard manual for the correct slots in which to insert them. Then, open the clips on either end of the memory slots, be sure the memory modules are lined up with the slot in the correct direction, and push them down firmly into the slot. The two clips you just opened should click down to secure the memory in place.
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Do not worry if you inserted them incorrectly, the motherboard will give you several warning beeps when you first turn it on to warn you if you did it incorrectly.
Next up: More hardware assembly.