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Which Screw Goes Where?
Anonymous Coward writes "I saw this link over at HardOCP. Finally, a definitive (well, they hedge a bit at the end) guide that explains
where to use each one of those little screws that come packed with new PC cases. All that and a 'test your knowledge' quiz in the bargain. Definitely bookmark-worthy."
Not exactly front page material, if you ask me.
The screws with the big threads attatch peices of case together, hard drives to the case, and component cards to the case... The finer threaded screw attatch the motherboard to the case, as well as 5 1/4" drives.
I didn't have to read the article for that.. Sorry.
It seems to me that the Internet is still growing, larger and larger, every day. It is a beautiful thing.
...
The fact that there is now a 'screw guide' in existence just floors me, at a point in my life where I simply thought I would never be flabbergasted again
; -- the corruption of government starts with its secrets. a truly free people keep no secrets. --
Three screws? For what? Most of mine do just fine with 2 each. That way I always have just enough for the next drive. :)
Wow ... You fail high school algebra ....
7 threads, 5 heads, 42 lengths =
7 * 5 * 42 combos =
1470 combinations. Very reasonable.
Think of it this way - for each of the 7 thread types, there are 5 different heads - 5*7 combos, and each has 42 lengths - 5*7*42 total combos.
I have to wonder if I've been trolled, the parent is so horrible wrong...
A Minesweeper clone that doesn't suck
where's our fuzzy logic? aren't we human supposed to have the ability to try things and adjust accordingly.
next week we'll see "The Guide To Showers": If you prefer 32'C shower, turn the handle clock-wise 10 degree.....
Cases are like women... push hard enough and they'll take a big screw in any hole.
Other than screws, I suggest buying some paper washers that go between the screw and the motherboard. Not really necessary, but they insure that there's no electrical short and prevent damage of the motherboard.
around the screwholes in motherboards is usually a ring of soldered area which is actually designed to meet the risers and form a ground connection...
Well said!, yes, but :)
/rant :) :)
;)
;)
If it feels wrong, it's wrong, don't force it.
Man, you wouldn't *believe* how many times I've run across screws that were literally forced into the wrong holes (cross threaded or wrong threads, or wrong size). I don't own a full tap set for nothing.
You're assuming that a lot of these kids^H^H^H^H people screwing^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H assembling boxes know what cross threading a screw even means, much less what it feels like. I currently work in a hardware store, in addition to fixing machines in my spare time, and I've seen and heard it all too often.
It's not something that you can teach over the Internet; it needs hands-on (Note to Self: cut the jokes already) teaching.
Seriously tho:
My feeling (after fixing so many MCSE^H^H^H^H inexperienced screwups), is that if someone can't even figure out which screws will fit properly then they probably have no business whatsoever assembling a whole machine inside a case (installing components that mount to the case is the *easy* part, fer crying out loud! )
I just had to get that off my chest...dammit, it's hard to be serious about this when you're giggling constantly *grin*
Yeah, we all learn somewhere. I understand that. But at least *ask* someone before you muck up $80 of hardware? (then try to return it) - I know many techs aren't willing to spend the time, but there are others who are. (as a side note, it's amazing how much more people listen to a hardware guy vs. how they listen to a computer tech. It's been enlightening, sad, and infuriating at the same time)
Note: This is one of those subjects that there will never, ever be agreement on. So be it. Twenty years ago I was rethreading spark plug ports, and for the same reason.
It should be applied to ANY screwing you do
Especially the kind that can result in fork()
SB
It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.
You can't fool us... you have no sex life.
Ron Paul 2012
I wonder about that.
:)
:) this is the first time I've seen this discussed on /. :)
On the one hand,the contact areas around the screw holes isn't typically (with one or two exceptions) connected to anything on the board, much less the board ground. That tells me that it's not that important.
OTOH, why would the engineers (at the additional cost/board, small, but still there) include the extra traces on the board?
I've always made sure the board was grounded thru at least one screw; even in the old plastic riser days. It's been nearly twenty years since I built a 8086 clone, I can't remember if the mobo mounts were grounded or not.
with too much solder so that the screw will angle as it gets tightened, so that it rubs against the PCB board (which voids the warranty).
Hrmmm....shouldn't that be a manufacturer defect? Even if one is using washers, if the screw rubs against anything conductive on the board the conductive part is just a *little* too close to the screw...using (Asus's?) reasoning...
Anyone have any real info on this? I'm not a EE/board designer.
I, too, have built many hundreds of systems, never had a problem (although I have have had problems with systems I assembled onbench that had no mobo to case ground, in particular with older 486 sys and ISA cards not working until the mobo was grounded). To make it clear, those sys were put together on a rubber mat, with no case, and occasionally (especially with video cards) the system wouldn't boot until I made sure the board was grounded with a wire between a board mount and the power supply case).
Needless to say, I don't do that anymore
Wow, talk about YMMV
SB
It's old. The more humans I meet, the more I like my cats. At least they are honest.
Since when do MSCE's know anything about hardware? All they know is MS product info.
All components using (metrical) M3 screws have originally been built by european and/or japanese companies: As far as I know, the 3,5" diskette has been introduced by Sony in 1980, the CD-ROM drive was originally developed by Philips and Sony and introduced in the midth of the eighties.
In contrast, the 5,25" floppy disk drive (which uses non-metric screws as well - if I remember correctly) was "invented" by Shugart in 1976, the harddisk is an american invention as well ...
Just an idea ...
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