P4C800-E Deluxe, Mounting it in case.

[Robert Longdon]

I am waiting on my new P4C800-E Deluxe MB and P4 3.0 MHz processor to be
delivered now. It seems to me that I read in this NG that someone
recommended that the MB should be insulated from the brass standoffs that
stick up from the base of the case? I seem to recall that someone said that
they put the little red insulating washers between the standoffs and the MB.
Is it necessary to provide this insulation and if so would black electrical
tape or something else do as well? With the nine screws that the manual
tells you to install thru the MB to the standoffs I have to wonder how I
would keep the little red washers in place long enough to get the MB
mounted. What is the story? Thanks in advance for your advice.

Bob

 

[Philip Callan]

I am waiting on my new P4C800-E Deluxe MB and P4 3.0 MHz processor to be
delivered now. It seems to me that I read in this NG that someone
recommended that the MB should be insulated from the brass standoffs that
stick up from the base of the case? I seem to recall that someone said that
they put the little red insulating washers between the standoffs and the MB.
Is it necessary to provide this insulation and if so would black electrical
tape or something else do as well? With the nine screws that the manual
tells you to install thru the MB to the standoffs I have to wonder how I
would keep the little red washers in place long enough to get the MB
mounted. What is the story? Thanks in advance for your advice.

Bob

Okay, first off 1) you thread the washer on the screw and VOILA, it stays in
place.

Yes it is necessary. Yes ASUS Provides these insulating washers along with
all the hardware
you need in the motherboard box, and NO i wouldnt recommend using
electricians tape .

 

[Robert Longdon]

Okay, first off 1) you thread the washer on the screw and VOILA, it stays in
place.

Yes it is necessary. Yes ASUS Provides these insulating washers along with
all the hardware
you need in the motherboard box, and NO i wouldnt recommend using
electricians tape .

Philip,

Thanks for the advice. I was thinking that the insulators would be under
the MB but from your reply I take it that they are on the top between the
screw head and the MB. Right?

Bob

 

[Hawkeye]

I generally pass by these posts but i couldn't pass this one by.

1. How do you thread a washer onto a screw?

2. No the washers and mounting H/W don't come from ASUS with the
boards they come with the case you buy.

3. No you don't need the washers on mounting if you have no circuit
board trace passing close screw head area or posts on bottom of board
that may short the board if screw/post contacts it once tightened.
This is what the insulating washers were used to prevent in the past.
I have 3 ASUS boards installed with none installed.

If you do decide to use the insulators the easiest way to do it is set
case on its side if you don't have a removable tray and set the
washers on the posts. Then lay board carefully onto the washers/posts

 

[John Tindle]

Whaaaaa??
Insulating washers are a neccesity?
You'd be doing yourself a dis-service if you tried to insulate the board
from the motherboard plate. Using metal standoffs screwed into the plate
then securing the board directly onto the standoffs is the only method that
provides grounding.
Even in the good-old days when slotted plastic standoffs were in fashion, at
least one or two metal standoffs and screws were used to ground the board...

JT

 

[Hawkeye]

http://www.pcguide.com/proc/physinst/mb.htm

Check out paragraph 7 in Procedure Steps:

 

[Philip Callan]

Im talking about preventing screws on TOP of the MB from touching traces.
Not about preventing the bottom of the board from grounding to the brass
standoffs.

 

[Philip Callan]

I generally pass by these posts but i couldn't pass this one by.

1. How do you thread a washer onto a screw?

I figured 'thread' gave the nut/bolt impression suitable for most people, as
'put the little paper ring thingy around the screw' sounded inane.

2. No the washers and mounting H/W don't come from ASUS with the
boards they come with the case you buy.

Actually, we're both right, but I chose to use the ones that came in my
P4C800-E
Box rather than the ones from my Antec case.

3. No you don't need the washers on mounting if you have no circuit
board trace passing close screw head area or posts on bottom of board
that may short the board if screw/post contacts it once tightened.
This is what the insulating washers were used to prevent in the past.

a.. Washers: Generally made of plastic or paper, these go under the screws
to keep the screw head away from the circuitry on the top surface of the
motherboard.

Umm, see that 'the TOP of the MB'

I have 3 ASUS boards installed with none installed.

Great, I've got a old TX-5 screwed to a piece of wood in my garage with a
old PSU to play mp3's but that doesnt mean its the way it was intended to be
assembled, and I never said it 'wouldnt' work without them.

 

[Z Man]

I am waiting on my new P4C800-E Deluxe MB and P4 3.0 MHz processor to be
delivered now. It seems to me that I read in this NG that someone
recommended that the MB should be insulated from the brass standoffs that
stick up from the base of the case? I seem to recall that someone said that
they put the little red insulating washers between the standoffs and the MB.
Is it necessary to provide this insulation and if so would black electrical
tape or something else do as well? With the nine screws that the manual
tells you to install thru the MB to the standoffs I have to wonder how I
would keep the little red washers in place long enough to get the MB
mounted. What is the story? Thanks in advance for your advice.

I mounted mine without any special handling, just like any of the dozens of
other motherboards I have installed, and have not experienced any problems.

 

[Derek Hawkins]

Same here, didn't have to insulate anything using the red washers. Works
fine.

 

[Derek Hawkins]

Standoff insulation is not necessary for **that** board IMO. Forget about
it, ignore anything Asus or anyone else says to the contrary unless you see
specific proof that it is necessary **for that board**. Otherwise, you may
be doing more harm than good.

Yes, some boards need them due to design screwups, poor ground plane
placement, poor track placement or what have you. Usually, the specific
problem is corrected in a later revision. I recall a Tyan motherboard back
in the nineties that had the ring around the hole connected to +5V instead
of ground. The problem was corrected in a subsequent revision but the word
was already out "All Tyan motherboards have to be insulated from standoffs".
Then it became "All motherboards have to be insulated from standoffs". No
doubt this view has popped up again in the Asus camp due to some screwup
confined to a specific board.

 

[John Tindle]

I have never seen a motherboard that has circuitry that close to the
mounting holes that it could short the board with a screw head. All boards
have a good clearance around the holes that will prevent shorting. The
goals in mounting a board are to provide a stable and rigid base and to
provide grounding to the case.

JT

 

[Robert Longdon]

As a follow-up to this request from me, I got the MB and mounted it
directly on the 10 brass standoffs with screws, no insulators, and we are
running fine. Looking forward to many days of happy puttering. Thanks to
all who responded to me.
Bob