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INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Essential Handling Precautions
IMPORTANT. Read this section before unpacking your motherboard!
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Power Supply
Be careful! Always ensure that the computer is disconnected from the power supply
when working on the motherboard and its components. On the motherboard are 2
LEDs. One is green and indicates that the power connector is attached and the
system is in Standby, with 5V of power active to the motherboard. The other is red
and indicates that the system is in Suspend Mode. Serious damage could occur if
you remove or install any components when the green LED is lit; while additionally,
you could experience a nasty shock if you touch anything inside the case when the
red LED is lit.
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Static Electricity
Static electricity may cause damage to the delicate integrated circuit chips on your
motherboard. Before handling the motherboard outside of its protective packaging,
ensure that there is no static electric charge in your body. A static discharge strong
enough to damage computer components is not perceptible by a human. Observe
these precautions while handling the motherboard and other computer components:
1. If possible, wear an anti-static wrist strap connected to a natural earth ground.
2. Touch a grounded or anti-static surface, or a metal fixture such as a pipe or the
chassis of your system, before touching the motherboard.
3. When you have removed the motherboard from its anti-static packaging, try to
hold it only by the edges, without touching any components.
4. Avoid contacting the components on add-on cards, motherboards, and modules
with the gold-colored connectors which plug into the expansion slots.
5. Handle system components only by their mounting brackets.
6. Keep components which are not connected to the system in their anti-static
packaging whenever possible.
