Assembling the Dell Inspiron

Follow the steps below and the associated images to create a working machine.

1: Get a screwdriver with a phillips head

Step 2: Install RAM on motherboard. Be careful here since we need to align the pins on the bottom of each ram card with the pin on the motherboard. Push down with firm pressure. Make sure the tabs on either side of the RAM slots are open when you push down the RAM cards.

Step 3: Position and install the power supply

Step 4: Screw in power supply

Step 5: Position Motherboard in computer case

Step 5-2: Screw in the motherboard

Step 6: Slide the CD Room into the expansino bay into which it fits. Lock it in place with the blue spring-loaded locking bar

Step 7: Slide in the peripheral bay and lock it in place

Step 8: Close the expansion bay cover. First hook it on the lower end toward the side of the tower that is covered in metal. Then push the teeth into the top so it locks in place with the spring loaded ocking arm (blule plastic)

Step 9: Drop in and lock the hard disk drive into its nice little slot

Step 10: Install expansion video card to the mother board. First open the expansion card loatch. Drop in the card. Seat it carefully so the pins line up and the latch catches the card onto the mother board. Close the latch

Step 11-1 and 11-2: Attach the communication ribbon to the front port card with the metach bracket on the back. Then position the front port card into the case

Step 11-3: Attach the other end of the data cable from the front port card to the motherboard. Then route the cable as shown.

Step 12: Attach card reader expansion bay data cable to the expansion box and the motherboard

Step 13: Attach the power cable that fits from the power supply to the CD ROM Drive

Step 14-15: Attach the two power supply cables to the motherboard. The ports are on opposite corders of the motherboard

Step 16: Position and set in the CPU fan assembly

Step 17: Install the CPU heat sync pivot bar directly into and through the motherboard

Step 18: Affix the heat sync unit onto the pivot bar

Step 19: Screw in the cpu heat sync assembly to the motherboard. Note that the screws are spring-loaded on the heat sync assembly and need to be carefully aligned to the holes in the motherboard and screwed down firmly but gently

Step 20: Attach the cpu fan control and power cable to the motherboard

Step 21: Connect power and SATA data cable to the HDD and the motherboard. You may have to rearrange cables on the Mobo to get the SATA cable into the port on the Mobo called SATA 1 in very tiny print

Step 22: You're done on the inside. Get the monitor hooked up

Step 23: Attach peripherals to the back of the tower. NOTE THAT you need to plug the VGA display cable into the expansion card and NOT the back of the motherboard

Step 24: Plug power into the power supply with the "spade" cord and try booting the machine! You should see this screen and then a prompt that says grub>. If so, congrats!

`