Datasheet

14
Part I: Preparations and Planning
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Keep a magnetic screwdriver handy. It never fails. Sooner or later, you end
up dropping a screw inside your computer case. If no loose components are
in the case, feel free to pick up the case, turn it upside down, and let gravity
do its thing. However, if you’ve installed a component that’s not screwed
down yet, I recommend using a magnetic screwdriver for picking up way-
ward screws.
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Check all connections after you install a component. I can’t explain this
phenomenon (other than to invoke Murphy’s Law), but you’ll often connect
a new component firmly only to discover later that you somehow discon-
nected some other connector accidentally.
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Never forget the common foe: static electricity. I’ll show you how you can
easily ground yourself before you touch any circuitry or adapter cards —
grounding sounds painful, but it’s not! Unless you ground yourself, you run
the risk of damaging a component from the static electricity that might be
lurking on your body. Chapter 3 covers grounding in more detail. It’s a good
habit to adopt from the very beginning.
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Leave the computer cover off during assembly. There’s no reason to
replace the case’s cover immediately after installing a part. After all, what
if you connected a cable upside down? Instead, test your newly installed
device first, if possible. As long as you don’t touch any of the circuit boards
inside the case, you’ll be fine.
By the way, nothing inside your machine will explode or spew nasty radiation, so
you don’t have to step behind a lead screen when you fire it up. Simply make sure
that you don’t touch any circuit boards inside while the machine is running.
Personally, I replace the case’s cover on a work-in-progress only at the end of the
day (to fend off dust, felines, and small fingers).
The primary, number-one, all-important,
absolutely necessary, required rule
Do not panic!
There’s very little chance that you can destroy a component simply by connecting it
the wrong way. Take your time while you build your computer and move at your own
pace — you can avoid mistakes that way. Here’s an important Mark’s Maxim:
Building a computer is not a contest, and there is no time limit.™
After you gain experience by building a few machines, you can work on speed
records; for now, just try to schedule as much uninterrupted time as possible. For
example, I know several supertechs who can assemble a complete PC in a single
hour. Of course, people often laugh at them at dinner parties. (Being a techno-nerd
does have its dark side, I guess.)
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