Before you can put the motherboard inside of the case there are a few things that need to be done. You must first install the CPU, cooling fan and memory onto the motherboard before placing it in the case.
The CPU mounts in the ZIF Socket located on the board as shown below.
Proceed by placing the CPU gently into the Socket after the retention bar has been raised. No force should be necessary to install the CPU if it is done correctly and the pins are lined up right.
Next you must secure the CPU by lowering the retention bar and locking the CPU in place. Once again no force should be necessary to accomplish this or something is wrong.
The cooling fan is an essential part of the computer because it keeps the brain of your system from becoming too hot and unworkable which causes system freezes and Blue screens. Using a good Thermal compound such as Artic Silver helps to maintain an air free environment between the CPU and the cooler providing better Thermal protection.
First apply the Thermal compound to the CPU by applying it directly in the center of the CPU die / bit as shown below. A good solid squirt should do the trick.
Use a plastic bag such as a sandwich wrapper or other plastic to cover your finger and then spread the compound over the entire bit for a complete seal. This protects the CPU from body oil and you from the compound itself.
The next step is the attachment of the cooling fan which can be hard or easy depending on the product you are using.
First you must determine the placement of your fan making sure it is covering the CPU properly and then you attach one side to the motherboard by the clips on the cooling solution as shown.
Next you attach the second side of the cooler which can be done by hand or by a screwdriver depending on your preference and the cooler being used. Be very careful during this process as to much pressure can harm AMD CPUs by crushing their die/bit.
Last but not least the final step in the cooling fan installation is to attach the cooling fan power lead into the motherboard in its appropriate plug. Some fans come with a direct lead from the cooling solution to the power supply use that connection if it applies to your cooler.
If you would like more help in installing the processor, I have added in video's to help you install a processor straight from AMD
The memory is the last thing that needs to be installed before you put the board inside of the case and it is very easily done.
You will notice that the memory is slotted in one or more places depending on your memory type and you need to insert the memory into the slot closest to the CPU with the memory slots matching up to the receptacle. This should take just a little push till the memory securing tabs fold into place.
