Part V: Forming an "Order of Battle" Plan [Archive]

BitBender

05-25-2002, 03:02 PM

Ye gods, what could an "Order of Battle" be ?? Well, it's the steps, or 'sequence' that can be used for an orderly approach to the construction of a computer system, in this context. It defines the different phases of the constrution, and the approach to be used.If this is your first full build, or you are still unsure of the process, it's best to consider using a phased approach to your construction. This ensures that the work is approached in segments that are easy to complete, and afford the greatest ease. It's all too easy to go too far at one sitting, and get frustrated, or worse still, forget a step. One should approach this with plenty of time, and willingness to break it into manageable steps. Make a checklist, similar to the one below, although tailor it to your specific setup, and needs. Take notes, if you have to step away, to help keep you in sync of where you left off. As one gets more and more familiar with the process, it is easier to go from memory, but at the outset, you should always follow a checklist, and check each item twice. There are only a few places you can get into real trouble, and the double checking more than pays for itself in the long run. Trust me on this one. Nothing like tearing your build apart, only to find out you forgot to plug it in.Phases Of Construction<hr>Phase I - Primary Machine Contruction - Estimated Time: 2 hours<hr><ul><li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?threadid=44113"> Arranging your parts, and getting started!</a><li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?threadid=44114">Case Preparation - Removal of all pre-mounted mobo studs, PSU considerations</a><li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?&postid=151375#post151375">Main board preparation - Test mounting of the empty mobo to the case, and placement of the studs</a><li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?&postid=151384#post151384">CPU Alignment and Mounting - Ensuring the CPU Pins are straight, and the chip mounts easily, thermistor considerations</a><li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?&postid=151420#post151420">Thermal Paste Application - Not too much, not too little, and how to spread it</a><li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?&threadid=44125">HSF Alignment and Mounting - How to do it without cracking the ceramic, or worse!</a><li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?postid=151482#post151482">Motherboard Mounting in Case - Mounting the mobo to the case, and securing it</a><li/><A href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?postid=151545#post151545">Memory Installation - Knowing the correct DIMM slot, and how to insert the card</a><li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?postid=151550#post151550">Video Card Installation - AGP or PCI</a><li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?threadid=44141">Main Board Power Plug Connection</a><li/>Fan header Connections<li/>Case Wire Harness Connections<li/>Floppy Drive Installation - Cable, and physical drive mounting<li/>HDD installation - Jumper settings, physical Drive mounting, and cable connections<li/>CD-R/CD-RW/DVD-R/DVD-RW Installation - Jumper settings, physical Drive mounting, and cable connections</ul><hr>Phase II - Setting up the BIOS - Estimated Time: 1 hour<hr>It should be noted the list below is from the build illustrated in this series, yours may vary significantly, and you will need to consult your motherboard guide, website, and forums to determine the best settings to use. In the end, the best settings are those that perform the best with your rig!<ul><li/>The "First" Post Test - Lets see if the damn thing will start!!<ul><li/>First Power up, and health check<li/>Knowing the Beep Codes if all is not well<li/>Using the Bios to "See" connected devices</ul><li/>Primary Bios Settings- <ul><li/>CPU Operating Speed<li/>CPU Power Supply<li/>Fast CPU Command Decode<li/>Enhance Chip Performance<li/>Force 4-Way Interleave<li/>Dram Clock</ul><li/>Advanced BIOS Features <ul><li/>Quick Power On <li/>First Boot Device<li/>Second Boot Device<li/>Third Boot Device<li/>Boot Other Device</ul><li/>Advanced Chipset Features <ul><li/>Bank ?/? Dram Timing - One for each memory slot you have<li/>DRAM Bank Interleave<li/>Fast R-W Turnaround<li/>Video Ram Cacheable<li/>AGP Aperture Size<li/>AGP 4X Mode<li/>AGP Driving Control<li/>Fast Write Supported</ul></ul><hr>Phase III - Loading an OS on the Computer - Estimated Time: 1-3 hours<hr><ul><li/>Pre-preparation of the HDD<ul><li/>Using FDISK to partition the drive<li/>Pre-Formatting the Drive<li/>Letting the OS Install Partition and Format the Drive</ul><li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?&threadid=46039">Installing the Operating System</a><li/>Installing or Updating Drivers<li/>Installing OS service Packs<li/>Adding OS feature Add-Ons (DX)<li/>Installing Virus Protection(if req) <li/>Installing a firewall(if req)</ul> <hr>

This is only a sample checklist. You may find a format that works better for you. The whole point is to make a checklist, and stick to it. If you do, problems will be more easily solved, and the effort to make and keep the checklist is far less than the diagnostic time required without one.<hr>
Previous Article Links <li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?threadid=44105">Should I build, or should I buy?</a><li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?threadid=44106">Setting an Inventory and Ordering it All</a><li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?threadid=44107">Setting up the Work Area</a><li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?threadid=44108">Having the right tools for the job</a><li/></ul>Next Article Link <ul><li/><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/showthread.php?threadid=44111">Let's Take a Drive</a></ul><a href="http://www.bitbenderforums.com/vb22/announcement.php?forumid=133">Please click this to read BBF Caveat Statement</a>