Static electrical discharge can damage electronic components. To prevent damage to printed circuit boards, it is important to handle them very carefully (see Chapter 4). Also note that the size and weight of the motherboard can cause it to bend if handled improperly, which may result in damage. To prevent the motherboard from bending, keep one hand under the center of the board to support it when handling.
The following measures are generally sufficient to protect your equipment from static discharge.
Precautions
• Use a grounded wrist strap designed to prevent static discharge.
• Touch a grounded metal object before removing any board from its antistatic bag.
• Handle a board by its edges only; do not touch its components, peripheral chips, memory modules or gold contacts.
• When handling chips or modules, avoid touching their pins.
• Put the motherboard, add-on cards and peripherals back into their antistatic bags when not in use.
Unpacking
The motherboard is shipped in antistatic packaging to avoid static damage. When unpacking the board, make sure the person handling it is static protected.
Handling the Motherboard
Chapter 5: Advanced Motherboard Setup
Chapter 5
Advanced Motherboard Setup
This chapter covers the steps required to install processors and heatsinks to the
