Building Your Own Computer – Part Four
Custom computer build
If you are installing the motherboard on a removable plate, the only
thing left to do to prepare the motherboard for the case is install the
memory. Press down on the tabs on either side of the memory
module slots and insert the RAM. Memory modules are notched so it
is impossible to put them in the wrong way. When they are in
place, gently lift the tabs to secure the module in place.
The motherboard plate can now be installed in the case. The
plate may either swing or slide into place according to the design of
the case.
If you are working on a case without a removable plate, the
motherboard must be installed in the case first, after which the CPU
and memory can be installed as explained above.
Cables
With the motherboard in place, attach the main power cable from the
power supply unit to the motherboard. This is a rectangular
connection that is slotted to prevent improper connection.
Next, attach all the small wires to the LED, the power switch, the
reset switch and the internal speaker. These wires are clearly
labelled and are attached to the motherboard with small plugs which
have two or four wires.
Now attach the drive cables to the motherboard. Drive cables are flat ribbon cables that usually have three connectors 
to them. One connector is attached to the motherboard and the
other two are attached to the hard drives or optical drives. The
floppy drive cables are thinner than the cables for the hard drives or
the optical drives and also have a twist in them.
Floppy drive cables are standard for any type of motherboard, but
there are two different types of cables for hard drives depending on
whether your motherboard has ATA or SATA controllers. The
traditional ATA (or EIDE) cables can connect two drives and are limited
to 18 inches in length. SATA cables, on the other hand, have just
one connector and can be as long as 40 inches.
Both ATA and SATA connectors are keyed so it's impossible to connect
them the wrong way. Attach the required cables to the motherboard
before installing the drives.
Floppy Drives
You are now ready to install the hard drive, the floppy drive, and
the CD and/or DVD drive. Start with the floppy drive as it is the
smallest and least accessible in the case. Find an appropriate
floppy disk bay and remove the face plate. The case should have a
3.5" bay specifically for floppy drives, but if it doesn't, you'll have
to install it in a 5.25" bay using an adapter front panel.
Insert the drive from the front of the case and secure it using two
screws on either side. Make sure the front of the drive is flush
with the front of the case.
Once the floppy drive is secured, attach the twisted ribbon
cable. If you have one floppy drive, use the connector after the
twist. If you are installing a second floppy drive, drive B is
attached before the twist. Make sure that pin 1 is connected to
cable 1 (marked in red).
Next up is installing the hard drives and the optical drives.
