More build pics

[Smooth*{MEOW}*]

Chip and RAM in.

[Smooth*{MEOW}*]

SI-120 heatsink in.  Half an hour to get that thing in, they put so much tension on the clips.  Almost put a screwdriver through the board doing it.

[NighEve*{MEOW}*]

Awsome.. looks like something on the SciFi Channel LOL

[Smooth*{MEOW}*]

Now if I could only get it in the case.  Worked on it all last night and a few hours today.  I had it in there once, but then the bracket on the video card didn't line up on the back.  Now I took the card out and tried to get the board out and the screws are giving me problems.  I swear, those stupid extender studs are junk.  Screwing it in, no problem, taking it out and it might come out, it might not.  I guess I'll have to try installing the board with the case upright so I can get around back with some pliers to hold the studs.  Absolutely rediculous.

[THEKATZ*{MEOW}*]

I only use a few 'Screw in' brass extenders, the rest is plastic snap pins.  These screw to the case backing and then the MB actually snaps in.  Removal is a synch as well.  Those plastic snap pins can also be found as spacers as well.  The spacer snap pins allow a little more support for the board.

[Kat*{MEOW}*]

Hhhhmmmmm,  I use the brass standoffs all the time, never had that problem Smooth.  I screw them down tight into the case and then just snug the MoBo screws.  The screws don't have to be real tight.

I also install my MoBo's with only the CPU and heatsink fan installed.  Memory and vid card get installed after MoBo is in the case.  This way there is less clutter to deal with while lining the MoBo screws up and lining the board up with the I/O plate on the case. 

I'm sure you've noticed the screw holes in the MoBo are larger than the thread diameter of the screws.  This allows for some wiggle room to match up with various cases and motherboard trays and I/O plates.  I get the board in and all screws started and then check alignment of I/O plate.  Then while holding board in place I tighten down all 4 corner screws.  After that you can let go of the board and snug down the rest of the screws.

No real right way or wrong way, just passing along what I have learned through the years and numerous builds. 

[Smooth*{MEOW}*]

Success!

[Kat*{MEOW}*]

DAAAAAAAMN, you got a ton of room in that case!!! 

Looks good Smooth.  Fire that bad boy up, lets see what she'll do!!   

[Smooth*{MEOW}*]

Does this look right to you guys?  They used yellow sleeving on the power lead, which should be red.  Typically yellow, blue, or white sleeving is used for rpm monitoring leads on fan wires.

Standard 3 pin arrangement, when looking top down on the connector, as I have it in the back of the controller:

From left to right

Ground, power, rpm monitoring

[Felix*{MEOW}*]

the plugs are made to plug in one way.. the board does all the converting and blah blah.
So you should be good to go.

[THEKATZ*{MEOW}*]

It is easy to be complacent with the colors of wires.  The biggest misnomer is that black is ground and white is hot.  Totally not. It all depends on the wiring schems.  When it comes to color coding wires you must use the schematics that came with the product and not rely on 'Red' is hot and 'Yellow' is common and so on.

[Smooth*{MEOW}*]

Rgr that guys.  TK I know Thermaltake uses black for ground, red for power, and yellow for rpm in their fans.  However Zalman uses the same thing, except white for rpm.  But you're right about referring to the schematic.  Zalman has 2 slots where you place spliced ground and power leads on this controller if you want to use a 12v/off/5v toggle switch for a fan or a case light or something.  They actually printed the words black and red on the PCB next to the slot.  Get an abnormally sleeved wire in there and it's toast.

[Kitty*{MEOW}*]

well bud the molex connectors will only Plug one way as they are molded with a bevel on one  side corners. so just plug em in and go man.

[Smooth*{MEOW}*]

Yeah, im just hoping it's the right one of the 2 4 pin connectors on each of the fans.  The fan controller is basically rheostats, you power the controller, it regulates and sends out voltage to the fans.

[INSTINCT]

smooth you forgot to place the goldfish bowl 

what camera do you use?