I’m currently typing this from my old and under-powered laptop computer as my desktop is now partially disassembled. I took apart the case, removed the various cards off the motherboard, detached the CPU cooler from the CPU, and then removed the motherboard from the case itself. The case itself was full of dust so I had to thoroughly vacuum the inside. I didn’t even realize that I had a removable and washable air filter in the case. I removed it for the first time tonight and it had built up a solid wall of dust. Bleh.
Tomorrow I’m going to take my new motherboard and install the new CPU on it. They say that modern motherboards now make the CPU installation process idiot- and fool-proof but it still makes me nervous. If I get past that step, the next one will be to apply new thermal paste onto the CPU and attach the CPU cooler. After that, it should be time to put the motherboard into the case but I just realized tonight that the fit is going to be super tight. This is an ATX sized board and the one I had before was mini-ATX so there won’t be any room for wiggling. I’ll probably have to connect all the cords, dongles, connectors and stuff before placing the board into the case. There’s just not enough room for my hand to get into those spots to plug in everything. This will probably be a pain in the ass.
I’m hoping my new computer will be up and running by sometime on Tuesday evening.