Hey everyone. So I got my Lian-li PC-A71 case. But I've run into a problem, and actually, my primal fear of building computers, that I've somehow managed to forget until right now. The I/O shield and motherboard screwes dont line up. I dont like it, and I'm frustrated. Even more so because I can do everything else, but about predict where the holes will be before a buy, and now I'm stumped at what to do. I don't have a way to set screws in the MB tray either. I've tried a lot of combinations, including trying to use the Xeon back-plate that came with it somehow, but to no avail yet.

I'm going to go back and plug away at it. If someone can tell me what they do when they reach this sort of "crisis," I'd appreciate it. I got an Evga 780i MB.

Do any of the holes line up? On my system, the far right holes didn't line up right, but the way we did it was to get the plastic standoffs, and cut the tops off and leave a little sticking up so the mobo couldn't short on the case. Works great.

Can you elaborate a bit? What exactly causes the MB to short-out?

Right now, I got one in it to the motherboard. I was able to screw down this expansion plate for a server motherboard, and then screw the motherboard hole down with that, I'm up to two.

The MB tray sits a little far back, so I have to kind of prop it into the I/O shield, so it might be a blessing in disguise the front of it isn't flush. I have a large cooler going on it, so I hope that doesn't screw me in the end.

I'm also counting on resting on the I/O shield, and the GPU being securely screwed in to help me out.

I never did figure out how one shops for a MB that will line up with a case.

Dashbarron, as long as a case has the correct holes to place a motherboard, whick the A71 has for your motherboard, then you are fine. Are you absolutely, positively, undeniably sure you are using the I/O shield that came with the MOTHERBOARD and not the CASE? Also, in theory, a motherboard that touches the case can short out, the I/O shield is meant to fix that, the only thing you need to remember to do is make sure there is a little bit left of the pins that you pushed before, though that might not even be needed.

silly question. Are you using the motherboard standoffs that came hith the case?

Not a silly question at all, you would be surprised by how many people simply screw the motherboard directly the case. This sounds like another one of them.

Yeah, first thing I did was put in the new I/O shield from MB to case. That wasn't really the issue. Simply put the MB holes and the MB tray don't line up. I got one to line up, and with the server plate, I was able to haphazardly secure another one. Even so, the MB sits too far back into the tray, and while I was able to get it lined up the IO shield, the IO shield was sitting to far "in" and the tray to far against the wall. With only the two screws towards the front of the case, I was able to "lean" the MB into the I/O shield. Not at all professional, but it seems my options are small. I'm always up for ideas.

I'm not sure what you mean by "standoffs?" Apparently not a silly question. I'm using the screws-heads that go into the MB tray, and then the MB screws into those, elevated a 1/4 of an inch from the MB tray if that's what you mean? - But then again, had to use the server plate to give myself an artificial hole where there wasn't a hole on the MB tray. It has 8 of these elevated bolt-holes on it, and I was able to secure the MB to one of them. Although, because of it's rectangle design, there is still one of the remaining 7 touching the MB at some point.

Google search.....>>>motherboard standoffs<<<...their is some articals with pics about mounting the motherboard and placing the standoffs!
http://compreviews.about.com/od/tu [...] IYMB_5.htm
http://biorobots.cwru.edu/server/h [...] mountmobo/
thier gave ya 2 to get ya going? hope it helps???

looks to me like it should line up just fine...


http://lian-li.com/v2/tw/product/u [...] detail.jpg

Sounds like your putting a server board in a regular case. I've never used server parts. Its possible you need a server case.

it`s not a server board.....and even if it was he has a full tower case that supports full eatx mobo`s up to 12x13 anyways

The Lian-Li A71 comes set for a E-ATX motherboard, so you must use the included standoffs and screw them into the correct screws on the motherboard tray, the manual will help you.

Well, it looks like you have an ATX case and an ATX MB so the two should play together nicely. The picture below shows the inside of the case. I put GREEN circles where the MB should line up without a problem. The RED circles are where the center row of holes on the MB should have corrisponding holes on the back plate, looks like you might not have any in that area. You might have to use the plastic standoffs in those areas, just to give the board support when adding cards to the PCIe slots and to prevent shorting with the case. The other holes should use the usually brass standoffs to mount the MB. You should be able to slide the MB into the case to see what holes line up. Hope this helps... kinda hard to see whats really going on without pics.

Well I seem to be having a little trouble getting my image posted.... but I'll get a link posted as soon as I can.

I hope this link works.... here's the picture I mentioned.

A stand off is usually a small non-metalic piece that attaches to the motherboard to support the weight of it and keep it lifted off the metal mounting tray. Sometimes these standoffs are metal,but the mobo manufacture will include non-metalic washers to break any circuit from the mobo to the mounting tray.

The only time you use the stand-offs is when no holes of the mounting tray line up with the holes of the motherboard.

Trying to fit an ATX mobo into an AT form factor won't work and so on.

Actually all the standoffs I have ever seen are metallic. The reason for this (and the fact that there is usually a metal donut around the screw holes in the motherboard) is for grounding. Some/all the holes in the motherboard are surrounded by metal that the screw tightens down on. This is connected to ground, so when you screw the motherboard down tight onto the standoffs, it connects the motherboards ground to the chassis. This allows the case to act like a ground plane, reducing EMI.

as techgeek mentioned.... all the standoffs I've also used were the small brass hex type with a drilled and tapped hole on top so you can mount the MB. As far as I've ever known and seen, you ALWAYS need standoffs, to keep the MB from shorting on the back side of the board as well as to raise it the 1/4 inch or so that the case requires for it to line up properly with both the IO sheil and the card slots. Also, as he stated, almost all screw hole areas of the MB are connected to ground or just isolated on the MB. Use of the little fiber washers the MB manufacturer supplies are debatable, I personally never use them.

Oops... just after I pressed submit, I do recall one case that had raised bumps that I think the MB mounted to directly. The threaded bumps or dimples acted as the standoffs. All other cases I've ever worked with had flat back plates.

Not familiar with your particular case, but an ATX motherboard should always fit an ATX case. I've never had one that didn't fit. If you truly don't have the correct location for the standoffs, you could drill and tap the holes yourself.

That exact motherboard will fit in this case, I have seen a system built with that exact motherboard.

Hey guys. Thanks for all your advice and help, no idea how much I appreciate it. The problem has been solved, and I've only suffered a few hours lost time, and a serious blow to my ego.

But thanks It's past midnight, we'll fire her up tomorrow and hope for the best