Datasheet

13
Chapter 1: A Screwdriver Is All You Need
Keep the following CA rules in mind when handling and connecting computer
components:
⻬
Give yourself plenty of empty space and adequate lighting. If you’re build-
ing a computer on the dining table, make sure that your work area is cov-
ered with newspaper to avoid scratches. I also recommend keeping an
adjustable desk lamp handy to shine light where you need it.
⻬
Don’t start without all the necessary components. If you don’t have every-
thing that you need to follow a project from beginning to end, don’t start yet
(only to find you have to stop halfway through). It’s too easy to miss a step
or forget something if you leave your computer’s bedside and come back
the next day.
⻬
Treat your components carefully. This commonsense rule doesn’t mean
that you need to wear gloves when handling cables or that you need to
refrigerate your adapter cards. Just don’t drop a part on the floor or toss it
to a friend. Keep components in their antistatic packaging until you’re ready
to install them.
⻬
Follow the Three Absolutes of Component Care and Feeding.
1. Never bend a circuit board or an adapter card.
2.
Always make sure the cables that connect your parts aren’t pinched.
3.
Never try to make something fit. Take the component out, check the
instructions again, and try it a different way if possible.
Installing adapter cards on your motherboard can sometimes take a little
longer or require a little more force than plugging a game cartridge into a
video game. But determining whether a card is aligned correctly with the
slot is usually easy because the slot is keyed to the shape of the corre-
sponding card.
⻬
Read any documentation that comes with each computer component.
Although I provide step-by-step assembly instructions throughout this
book, one of your components might require special switch settings or
some other unique treatment.
⻬
Keep all your parts manuals together for easy reference. Store all your
component manuals for a particular PC that you’ve built in a separate
binder. After your computer is running, you can refer to your manuals
quickly if you need to change any settings. In the future, if you want to sell
the old device and upgrade, it’s considered good manners to provide the
original manual with the component. (
Complete with manual makes a better
impression on eBay.)
⻬
Save your boxes and receipts. Although it’s rare, you might find yourself
stuck with a brand-new defective item, and you’ll need the original packag-
ing to return it.
⻬
Use a box to keep your small parts. Loose screws, jumpers, and wires have
a habit of wandering off if left on their own. If you end up with extra screws
or doodads after successfully assembling a PC, put these parts in a box and
start your own spare-parts warehouse. Trust me: They’ll come in handy in
the future. If you’re a true techno-nerd, get thee hence to a hardware store
and buy one of those wall racks with all the little compartments — they’re
perfect for organizing everything from screws to wires and jumpers.
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