Preparing the motherboard (step by step build a computer)

 STEP 7: Preparing the Motherboard

It may not even be necessary to do anything on this step, depending on the age and type of your motherboard.

Motherboards over time have lost many of the 'jumpers' that were required for configuring the board. Most of the setup is done with the BIOS (Basic Input Output System) that is accessible when you first turn on your computer.

You will need to view your motherboard instruction manual, and see if any jumpers need to be set on the motherboard itself for configuration. Common settings include CPU voltage and bus speed, so read through the directions and make sure that these or anything else does not need to be configured on motherboard before continuing.

After you set anything on the motherboard that is necessary, you will want to lay out the number of screws you need to install the motherboard inside the case, and set the motherboard on a flat surface so we can install the CPU and memory. It is a good idea to keep the motherboard on the anti static bag that it came with to reduce the possibility of damage due to static.

We also recommend to have the motherboard manual handy as we start to build your computer.

Let's move on to installing the CPU and heatsink next!