Musings of an infrequent builder

[Bill]

Its hard to stay focused when you know that somewhere on a UPS truck are the makings of a new toy.  What to doââ?¬Â¦..download the user manual.  8.5MBs later I started skimming through the 120 pages of charts, pictures and very limited text from Gigabyte.  A couple items jump from the pages- configuring 7.1 audio ââ?¬â??hmm, a few ozs. of copper embedded in the motherboard serving as a heat sink, and I stopped on the picture of the I/O plate.    Well, there are the cutouts for the mouse and keyboard, and the RJ45 jack but it seems something is missing.  There are half a dozen USB ports, and 5 or 6 audio ports, but wait, where is the hole for the LPT port?  Gone!  Not important, printers are IR or USB; not mine.  My newest printer is an HP LaserJet 2100, still using the original cartridge, that I bought in August 2000; LPT only.  Well Iââ?¬â?¢ll cross that bridge laterââ?¬Â¦.

Another breeze through the manual and I notice that the instructions begin with the installation of the CPU.  Funny, they donââ?¬â?¢t mention mounting the motherboard in the case.

Delivery day finally arrives and I anxiously carry my one, 16 lb, $700 box up to the office.   Canââ?¬â?¢t really start this ââ?¬Ë?till the weekend; what to do?  Be productiveââ?¬Â¦create the floppy for the SATA driver installation.  Tearing through the carton and with peanuts flying I finally find the motherboard box.

To Be Continued�.

[Bill]

Did they really have to bury the MB  disc? 
The reason I began this project is that my CD drive failed.  One day it simply wouldnââ?¬â?¢t mount a disc, any disc.  This is the perfect motivation for building a whole new machine; why just replace a $30 part? 

In any event, I canââ?¬â?¢t use my own machine to create the SATA driver disc, even though I have a floppy drive,  Hmm.  The only machine I can think of is an old one in the office.  ââ?¬Ë?Course it never occurred to me to actually look at the driver disc, I just packed it with a couple of floppies, and off to work.  Get a couple of free minutes and tackle the old machine but it wonââ?¬â?¢t mount the driver disc on the first 3 tries, but the floppy drive works.  ââ?¬Å?Well of courseââ?¬Â says a fellow worker, ââ?¬Å?the Gigabyte disc is a DVD, that old machineââ?¬â?¢s CD drive was built before DVDs were even thought of.ââ?¬Â  Drats!  This becoming more of a problem than I envisioned.  The day was a failure.  Same fellow asks, ââ?¬Å?Did you buy a new DVD drive for the new build?ââ?¬Â  Aha!  I have to install the DVD drive in the case eventually, why not before I take the old one apart?

TBC�.

[pat]

but wait, where is the hole for the LPT port?

In reviewing the manual for that motherboard I see there is a port on the motherboard for an LPT cable. If you wish to continue using your current printer you may be able to get a cable, if one wasn't included with your motherboard.

http://www.pcconnection.com/IPA/Shop/Product/Detail.htm?sku=5640365&oext=1038A&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=5640365

Might call first just to make sure it is the right one.

[Bill]

I spotted the MB port as well.  The link you provided is the correct part, presently out of stock with pc connection.  Newegg doesn't seem to carry them at all.  Nor does Mwave or Directron. Going to check TigerDirect and a couple others, hopefully closer.  Shipping costs more than the part!

Bill