Once all of the parts arrived over the span of about four days, I started unpacking items and scrutinizing the manuals. Unfortunately, when you buy multiple components like this, there really is no single grand-scheme installation instruction that tells you exactly how it all fits together. Maximum PC has a nice article here detailing many of the steps necessary to build your own PC and I found that article helpful in tackling my project. Of course, I also had at my disposal the in-depth knowledge of guod who has built many PCs over the years and has helped many lost home builders navigate the perils of construction via telephone. I would avail myself of guod’s knowledge time and again during the process and, frankly, I don’t know if I would have even attempted this without his guidance.
The Antec Nine Hundred case is roomy, sharp looking, and sports a nice configuration of pre-loaded fans necessary to cool a high-performance machine. Looking at the bare innards of the machine was pretty sobering. I’d be filling that thing up with all kinds of expensive parts that all had to work together to reach the end result — a functioning PC.
The first thing to go in would be the power supply unit (PSU). It seated in perfectly and it looks like the PSU and case manufacturers have agreed to some sort of standard that makes installation a breeze. The Medusa’s head of cables coming off the PSU was pretty intimidating but the ends of each cable were labeled, giving a hint to their ultimate function. The power supply should be carefully considered. The amount of power isn’t the only consideration when purchasing. I also needed to be sure the video card and motherboard will be happy with my choice.
