Close Encounters of the Small Kind

Some Assembly Required

Other than pre-built systems, every home-built computer requires some assembly. It's not terribly difficult, but the first time that you build a computer, you'll likely run into some difficulties and you may require help. Our basic assembly process is as follows:

1. Install the CPU, heatsink, and RAM on the motherboard.
2. Put the motherboard standoff screws in the appropriate locations on the motherboard tray. (This is not always necessary, depending on the case.)
3. If the case doesn't include a power supply, install one now. Certain cases allow you to do this later, but on many, the CPU HSF can get in the way, so it's better to take care of it first.
4. Install the motherboard into the case - carefully, of course.
5. Connect all the small wires from the front panel of the case to the motherboard. For many, this can be the most difficult part as the wires and connections are small, and they are not always labeled clearly. If you can understand technical manuals, you should be able to figure it out, but it can still present problems for even the best of us.
6. Install the hard drive(s), floppy drive, and optical drive(s) and connect their interface cables.
7. Connect all the power cables to the drives and motherboard and clean up the cables with zip ties, twisty ties, Velcro wraps, etc. You don't have to clean up the cables, but it's always nice to do so.
8. Install any expansion cards - usually, at the very least, a graphics card. If necessary, connect a power cable to the graphics card.
9. Add in any extra case fans that you'll be using as appropriate. (It might be easier to do this early in the build process, depending on the case.)
10. Connect all the external devices - keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc.
11. Power up the system and verify that all of the fans are spinning, and then proceed to install and configure the OS and applications.

That's not meant as a comprehensive guide to building a computer, but just a rough overview of the process. The reason for this is that when you shift to the world of SFF cases, things change quite a bit. For starters, several of the steps are unnecessary as the motherboard comes pre-installed. All of the front panel connections are already in place, as are all of the rear connections. Depending on the case, the remaining changes vary, but here's the revised process for most SFF cases:

1. Remove the CPU HSF from the case if it was pre-installed - this is done in about 2/3 of the cases. You may also have to remove the power supply in some designs.
2. Install the CPU and RAM, then reinstall the CPU HSF.
3. Install the DVD, hard drive, etc. into the case. Many of the designs have a metal unit that holds the optical drive, floppy/flash drive, and hard drive. You remove this, install the devices, and then put it back into the case. Other designs are more like a miniaturized ATX case.
4. Connect all the power and interface cables to the devices and clean up the cables as necessary.
5. Install the graphics card - with a power cable if necessary.
6. Connect all the external devices - keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc.
7. Power up the system and verify that all of the fans are spinning, and then proceed to install and configure the OS and applications.

While that may be a shorter list, the total time to assemble a small form factor system is actually not much different from that required for an ATX case. The reason for this is that the cramped quarters of most SFF cases make the routing and installation of cables take longer to complete. The other devices can also be much more difficult to install, depending on the design. My experience with the two SFFs used here was quite different.

Click to enlarge.

The ASUS at first seems to present no problem, as it is basically a miniature ATX. As the setup progresses, however, several issues become apparent. First, the PSU needs to be removed before the RAM and CPU can be installed. Once that's done, the installation of the other drives can begin. The optical drive, in particular, takes far more effort than normal as the front panel needs to be removed before the DVD can be slid into place; and after mounting the drive, you put the front panel back on. The floppy comes pre-installed, however, and as the case is supposed to come with an optical drive, this step should be unnecessary. The hard drive cage has some issues of its own. First, it needs to be unscrewed and then slid out, and once the hard drive is mounted in it, you have to slide it back into place. This can be rather difficult, due to the numerous wires in the area - it took a couple minutes for me to get it installed properly. The cables for the DVD and HDD are not pre-installed, which means that you have to do it as well, and getting the cables to look clean for the DVD takes some effort. The AGP card wasn't particularly difficult in itself, but again, the pre-installed PCI card that powers many of the extras can get in the way. So, it may need to be removed and then replaced after the AGP card is installed. Once everything is done, the ASUS works fine, but the process could certainly be more efficient.

Click to enlarge.

Click to enlarge.

The Shuttle design is much smaller, and after the difficulties with the ASUS, I expected more in the way of difficulties [with the Shuttle]. However, it ends up being a lot easier. The HSF and case use thumb screws, for starters. Once the case is open, you remove the HSF and the metal cage that holds the optical drive, floppy drive, and hard drive. This opens things up quite a bit, and the actual installation of the CPU is done easily. With the drive cage removed, it is easy enough to install the optical drive, hard drive, and floppy. (You could also use a 3.5" Flash drive in place of the floppy if you so desire - Shuttle sells these as an optional accessory.) Once this is done, you drop the cage back in place and replace the screws. Shuttle also has several of the interface cables pre-routed and plastic clamps are placed strategically throughout the case to help keep everything tidy. One difficulty with the G5 design is getting the eject button of the DVD/CD drive to line up properly with the button on the flip-down cover of the case. If the drive is misplaced by more than about 1/16 of an inch - either too far forward so that the button is always depressed or too far back so the button doesn't reach in far enough - you need to reposition the drive and try again. This same problem could also arise with other cases, and there doesn't seem to be a perfect solution, so it's something to be aware of, but not to be considered a serious problem. Like the ASUS case, however, once everything is put together, you won't notice these issues.

When you get right down to it, assembling a SFF system is about as difficult as assembling an ATX system, with the exception of installing the motherboard and connectors. That exception can actually be a pretty major deal to those new to the world of system building. If you're a first-time system builder, SFFs can be a very good stepping stone. We should also mention that many companies will pre-build systems - SFF or ATX - to your specifications for a nominal fee.