[ITP 5 – Network Design and Management]

Student: ABLING, CARIN C. Rating:

Year-Section: II-F2 Date Performed: JULY 12, 2013

Activity No. 2
PC Disassembly and Assembly

Purpose
The purpose of this activity is to be able to properly disassemble and disassemble a typical PC system. In
this activity, the student should be able to know how to handle the components properly and be aware of the effect
of ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) to semiconductor components. In addition, the students should also be
familiarized with the different FRU's (Field Replaceable Unit's) in the system; and know how to remove and install
each of the PC component.

Materials
 1 System unit
 1 PC Tools Kit

Procedure
A. Disassembly Preparation
1. ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) Protection
a) Touch a grounded portion of the system chassis to balance the charge of your body to the
component, or
b) use an anti-static wrist wrap with ground wires attached to the system chassis.
2. Record all the physical configuration of each component, including jumper and switch settings, cable
placement and orientations, ground wire location, and even adapter board placement.

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B. Disassembly Procedure
1. Remove the Cover
a. Power off the system. Disconnect all of the cables at the back of the case, including the power
cable.
b. Remove the screws holding the case cover on the chassis.
c. Once the screws are removed, grasp the cover and slide or lift it off.
2. Remove Adapter Boards
a. Note which slots each adapter is in; if possible, make a diagram or drawing.
b. Remove the screw that holds the adapter in place.

c. Note the positions of any cables that are plugged into the adapter before you remove them.
d. Remove the adapter by lifting with even force at both ends.
e. Note the positions of any jumpers or switches on the adapter, especially when documentation
for the adapter is not available.
3. Remove Disk Drives (FDD, HDD, Optical Drive, etc.)
a. Locate the screws holding each drive bracket or drive assembly in the case and remove them.
b. Disconnect from the drives the power cables, data cables, and any ground wires if present.

c. Slide the drive completely out of the unit.

4. Remove the Power Supply
a. Remove the power-supply retaining screws from the rear of the system unit chassis.
b. Disconnect the cables from the power supply to the motherboard, and then disconnect the
power cables from the power supply to the disk drive. Always grasp the connectors themselves;
never pull on the wires.
c. Lift the power supply out of the chassis.

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5. Remove the Motherboard

a. If the motherboard has onboard floppy, hard disk, serial, or parallel ports, document those cable
connections and mark them before disconnecting them.
b. There are numerous small wires that go from the front panel on the case to the motherboard.
Before disconnecting them, document the wire connections to the motherboard, and use some
masking tape or some kind of label to mark the small wire connectors as you take them off the
motherboard. Marking these wires will save you a lot of time later during the installation.
c. If there is an active heat sink in the CPU which incorporates a fan, unplug the power lead to the
CPU fan.
d. If you have not already removed the power supply, document how the power supply cables are
plugged into the motherboard, and disconnect the power supply connections to the board.
e. Locate and remove the motherboard retaining screws, making sure you save any plastic
washers that might be used.
f. Slide the motherboard away from the power supply about a half-inch, until the standoffs have
disengaged from their mounting slots.
g. Lift the motherboard up and out of the chassis. Place it on a static- free surface, such as an
antistatic mat.
h. Remove the memory modules
h.1. Gently pull the tabs on each side of the SIMM or DIMM socket outward
h.2. Rotate or pull the SIMM or DIMM up and out of the socket.
i. Remove the CPU (for Socket 321)
i.1. Lift the socket handle that locks up the CPU on the processor socket.
i.2. Gently pull up the CPU from the processor socket and place it on an antistatic mat.

CAUTION: Be careful not to damage the connector. If you damage the motherboard memory connector,
you could be looking at an expensive repair. Never force the module; it should come out easily. If it doesn't,
you are doing something wrong.

C. Assembly Procedure
1. Install the Motherboard
a. Install the CPU
a.1. Take the new motherboard out of the antistatic bag it was supplied in, and set it on the bag or the
antistatic mat if you have one.
a.2. Refer to the motherboard manufacturer's manual to set the jumpers to match the CPU you are
going to install. Look for the diagram of the motherboard to find the jumper location, and look
for the tables for the right settings for your CPU.
a.3. Find pin 1 on the processor; it is usually denoted by a corner of the chip that is marked by a dot
or a bevel in that corner. Next, find the corresponding pin 1 of the ZIF socket for the CPU on
the motherboard.

Insert the CPU into the ZIF socket by lifting the release lever, aligning the pins on the processor

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with the holes in the socket, and pushing it down into place. When the processor is fully seated
in the socket, push the locking lever on the socket down to secure the processor.
a.4. If the CPU does not already have a heat sink attached to it, then attach it now. Most heat sinks
will either clip directly to the CPU or to the socket with one or more retainer clips. Be careful
when attaching the clip to the socket; you don't want it to scrape against the motherboard, which
might damage circuit traces or components. In most cases, it is a good idea to put a dab of heat
sink thermal transfer compound (normally a white-colored grease) on the CPU before installing
the heat sink. This prevents any air gaps and allows the heat sink to work more efficiently.

b. Install the Memory Modules

b.1. Gently pull the tabs on each side of the SIMM or DIMM socket outward
b.2. Insert the SIMM or DIMM in the socket until the tabs locks the module.

2. Connect the Power Supply

a. If the system uses a single ATX-style power connector, then plug it in; it can only go on one way.

If two separate six-wire connectors are used, the two black ground wires on the ends of the
connectors must meet in the middle. Align the power connectors such that the black ground wires
are adjacent to one another and plug the connectors' in.

b. Plug in the power lead for the CPU fan if one is used. The fan will either connect to the power
supply via a disk drive power connector, or it may connect directly to a fan power connector
directly on the motherboard.

3. Install Disk Drives (FDD, HDD, Optical Drive, etc.)

a. Slide the drive inside the unit.
b. Screw the drives on their rails or special brackets. Make sure you are using the proper screws to
mount the drives. Fine threaded screws will be used in mounting FDD, CDROM drive, and DVD
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drive.
c. Connect the power supply connector for each drive.

4. Connect the I/O and Other Cables to the Motherboard

a. Connect the floppy cable between the floppy drives and the 34-pin floppy controller connector on
the motherboard.
b. Connect the floppy cable between the floppy drives and the 34-pin floppy controller connector on
the motherboard.
c. On non-ATX boards, a 25-pin female cable port bracket is normally used for the parallel port.
There are usually two serial ports: a 9-pin and either another 9-pin or a 25-pin male connector port.
Align pin 1 on the serial and parallel port cables with pin 1 on the motherboard connector and plug
them in.
d. If the ports don't have card slot type brackets or if you need all of your expansion slots, there may be
port knockouts on the back of the case you can use instead. Find ones that fit the ports, and push
them out, removing the metal piece covering the hole. Unscrew the hex nuts on either side of the
port connector and position it in the hole. Install the hex nuts back in through the case to hold the
port connector in place.
e. Most newer motherboards also include a built-in mouse port. If the connector for this port is not
built into the back of the motherboard (usually next to the keyboard connector), then you will
probably have a card bracket type connector to install. In that case, plug the cable into the
motherboard mouse connector and then attach the external mouse connector bracket to the case.
f. Attach the front panel switch, LED, and internal speaker wires from the case front panel to the
motherboard. If they are not marked on the board, check where each one is on the diagram in the
motherboard manual.

5. Install Bus Expansion Cards

a. Insert each card by holding it carefully by the edges, making sure not to touch the chips and
circuitry. Put the bottom edge finger connector into a slot that fits. Firmly press down on the top of
the card, exerting even pressure, until it snaps into place.
b. Secure each card bracket with a screw.
c. Attach any internal cables you may have removed earlier from the cards.

6. Replace the Cover and Connect External Cables

a. Slide the cover back on the case and insert the screws that hold the cover in place.

b. Before powering up the system, connect any external cables. Most of the connectors are D-shaped
and only go in one way.
c. Plug the 15-pin monitor cable into the video card female connector.
d. Attach the phone cord to the modem, if any.
e. Plug the round keyboard cable into the keyboard connector and the mouse into the mouse port or
serial port if a serial mouse is being used.
f. If you have any other external cabling such as joystick or audio jacks to a sound card, attach them

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now as well.

Review Questions
1. What is ESD? And why do we need to be aware of it when working with PC's components?

Electrostatic Discharge, or ESD, is a single-event, rapid transfer of electrostatic charge between two
objects, usually resulting when two objects at different potentials come into direct contact with each other.
Because there are a lot of activities that generate static, which you need to be aware of as part of an ESD control
regimen. The simple act of pulling tape off a dispenser can generate extreme voltage. Rolling around in a chair is
another static generator, as is scratching.

2. What is the type of memory module is used in the system? How did you install the module?

DIMM (dual in-line memory module) is a double SIMM (single in-line memory module). The installation of most
SIMM memory is the same. The memory must be entered at an angle, about a 75-degree angle and while still in the
memory slot, moved to a vertical or 90-degree angle. As the memory module is moved to a vertical position it
should snap into place. When installed, ensure that both sides of the memory module are snapped into place. If a
memory module is not installed properly or not all the way in, this could cause damage or the computer.

3. What is the proper seating of motherboard in the case?

Hold the motherboard over the chassis in the position that you will mount it. Typically all or all but one of the
holes in the motherboard align with a stand-off spacer installed in the chassis. The motherboard is secured to the
chassis by passing a screw through each of the motherboard screw holes and into the matching stand-off spacer. The
final hole, usually the one nearest the back left corner of the motherboard, may use a slide-in spacer rather than a
screw, which makes it easier to line up the motherboard with the other stand-off spacers. Most cases have many
more mounting holes than are needed to secure any particular motherboard.

4. State the Pin 1 Rule for data cable connections. What are the different ways to identify the Pin No. 1?

Pin 1 on the processor; it is usually denoted by a corner of the chip that is marked by a dot or a bevel in that
corner. Next, find the corresponding pin 1 of the ZIF socket for the CPU on the motherboard. On non-ATX boards,
a 25-pin female cable port bracket is normally used for the parallel port. There are usually two serial ports: a 9-pin
and either another 9-pin or a 25-pin male connector port. Align pin 1 on the serial and parallel port cables with pin 1
on the motherboard connector and plug them in.

5. What is the proper handling and installation of I/O cards?

 Insert each card by holding it carefully by the edges, making sure not to touch the chips and
circuitry. Put the bottom edge finger connector into a slot that fits. Firmly press down on the top of
the card, exerting even pressure, until it snaps into place.
 Secure each card bracket with a screw.
 Attach any internal cables you may have removed earlier from the cards.

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Observation

In my observation in this activity we can properly disassemble and assemble a typical PC system. We have
different connectors that you’ve seen this activity that’s why you can familiarize. And also you can use your
technique to make it easy when you are make it.

Conclusion

Therefore proper handling of components should also consider. Carefulness should be maintain at all the
time.

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