Help installing motherboard...

[Kente]

Hi, this is my first attempt at building my own computer and i have a simple question for you. I'm about to screw my motherboard into place but the panel at the back of the case is giving me problems. Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I have to ask it.... the "panel" is actually the cutout for the serial, parallel, usb ports, etc... Now on this thin metal cutout there are small strips of thin metal jutting outward. My friends says these are used as springs kind of.... well, it just seems that after i screw my board into place my usb devices, printer connector, and everything else won't fit snug against the motherboard ports. I'm not sure if I have the cutout panel inserted correctly or not.

Any help would be appreciated....

 

[poMONKey]

I just took a look at the back of the computer i didnt build and those little metal jutty things are there, as they are on my new empty case, right between the mobo and the panel.

check the panel again...

 

[Kente]

Cool thankyou, i had it right after all

 

[cmdrdredd]

yeah it's a bit bothersome when you attempt to do it the first time. After that it's cake.

 

[clumsum]

Originally posted by: Kente
Hi, this is my first attempt at building my own computer and i have a simple question for you. I'm about to screw my motherboard into place but the panel at the back of the case is giving me problems. Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I have to ask it.... the "panel" is actually the cutout for the serial, parallel, usb ports, etc... Now on this thin metal cutout there are small strips of thin metal jutting outward. My friends says these are used as springs kind of.... well, it just seems that after i screw my board into place my usb devices, printer connector, and everything else won't fit snug against the motherboard ports. I'm not sure if I have the cutout panel inserted correctly or not.

Any help would be appreciated....

The small metal spring-like contacts are there to make sure your pc case rear I/O panel, and the fixed motherboard I/O connector housings (serial, parallel, USB, video etc.), are all at the same ground potential.
They are under tension (when the mb is installed) so they will continue to make positive grd. contact.