The power supply is usually easiest to install prior to motherboard installation. It's typically held in place with four coarsely-threaded screws.

Recheck standoff positions before inserting the motherboard at a slight port-first angle, aligning ports with cover plate holes while guiding the motherboard until it rests flat against the standoffs. Grounding tabs on the port covers will typically push the motherboard out of position by approximately half the hole's width, but the board should be easy to push into place. Align one hole perfectly with the standoff and affix a screw, then push the board into alignment for a second hole before tightening the second screw. The first two screws should prevent the board from twisting out of position while installing the remaining screws.

Installing RAM And Cards

RAM is keyed so that it only fits one way. Check to make sure that the notch in the module's contact area aligns with the slot's "key", and press each module into the slot until a "click" is heard or felt from the latches. Fully seating modules may require a relatively significant amount of pressure.

RAM cannot be fully inserted backwards, as a misaligned key prevents it.

Our configuration called for a pair of modules in corresponding slots, to enable "dual channel mode". Check your motherboard manual to see which slots should be used for this performance enhancing feature.

Though our motherboard included onboard graphics, we chose to use a PCI Express graphics card for enhanced performance. The card is inserted until a latch on the slot engages the card's "hook". These latches are present on most PCI Express x16 and AGP slots, but are not found on lower-bandwidth interfaces, such as PCI and PCI Express x1.

As with other cards, a case screw or quick-release latch secures the top of the card's metal bracket at the opposite end.