The Iwill ZPC (later re-branded the ZPCgx) is not difficult to assemble, but the manual that comes with it is poorly written. Here's a more thorough guide to building a computer from the ZPC barebones unit.

If you've bought the full ZPC package with the CDRW/DVD combo drive included, then all you'll need in terms of parts are:

• 2.5" notebook hard drive (preferably Toshiba, Hitachi or IBM)
• Socket 478 Intel Pentium4 or Celeron CPU
• One stick of DDR memory (preferably PC2700; Corsair memory or any other RAM that uses a heatspreader or double-stacked chips cannot be used due to space constraints)

Obviously if you did not get the CDRW/DVD drive, you will need to purchase one separately or do without an optical drive.

Here's what you'll need for tools:

• Small (2.5mm) Phillips head screwdriver
• Larger (#1 or #2) Phillips head screwdriver

Some say you should use an anti-static wrist strap, but I'm not in favor of those kinds of tools because they can get in the way and it's very easy to knock things over when you're wearing one. Instead you'll notice that I'm wearing Hyflex gloves in the example photos. They prevent electro-static shocks from transferring from your hands onto the equipment, and also protect the components from the oils on your skin. You'll also eliminate cuts and scratches from sharp components.

First let's take a look at everything that comes in the package. You've got a CDRW/DVD combo drive; a three-prong power cord; the AC power adapter; a baggie with screws, the manual, the Nero Express and Iwill driver CDs; and of course the ZPC unit itself.

Carefully remove all of the parts and lay them out where they'll be accessible, preferably on an anti-static mat or on a clean workbench of some kind. Open up the baggie and remove the sealed bag of screws (but don't open it yet). Ordinarily I'd recommend reading the manual first, but the ZPC has very little room for variety or mistake -- it's pretty straightforward and this guide is far more comprehensive than the manual Iwill provides.

Unwrap the Iwill ZPC unit and use your large Phillips head screwdriver to remove the four screws from the back of the unit. Remove the rear I/O faceshield and set it aside. The internal components will simply slide out through the back of the chassis. Set the chassis aside so that you can work on the motherboard unhindered.

On the top of the motherboard you have the IDE converter card (Iwill calls it a daughter board) which is where your hard drive and optical drive will attach. Remove it by prying up on it to remove it from the three socket connectors on the motherboard. Set the daughter board aside for now.

Next you'll remove the two retention clips on the CPU fan. Press down on the thumb tab and pry it outward while securing the motherboard with your other hand. It takes a moderate amount of force, but you shouldn't need to use any tools to remove the clips. Once they're removed, disconnect the fan wires and remove the heatsink/fan unit.

Take your Intel CPU out of its box and remove the CPU from the clamshell. Raise the ZIF socket lever on the CPU socket on the motherboard and drop the CPU in as it is in this photo. It will only fit in one way and it will not require any force to install it. If the CPU doesn't just drop in then you've got it facing the wrong way. Once the CPU is in place, bring the lever back down to lock it in.

Open up the baggie and remove the paper tube of white heatsink compound. Rip or cut it along the perforation and apply a very thin and even coating (or in slightly thicker stripes as shown) on the top of the CPU's integrated heatsink. Do not put any on the heatsink/fan unit and do not put too much on; don't worry if it doesn't cover the entire CPU. Thermal stress and pressure from the heatsink/fan will spread it out to where it needs to be.

Remove the sticker from the bottom of the heatsink/fan unit and then reinstall the unit exactly as you removed it -- don't forget to attach the fan wires.

Next you'll take your hard drive and connect it to the bottom side of the daughter board. Make sure the label side is facing up and gently push it into the socket on the card. Once it's installed, open up your bag of screws with a pair of scissors -- don't try to rip it open or you'll get the tiny screws all over the place and I can guarantee that you won't find them all. Separate the screws into the four small ones and three larger ones (there are two extra, shown here in the bag). Flip the daughter card around so that the hard drive is on the bottom, then use your large screwdriver to install the three larger screws into the bottom of the hard drive, securing it to the daughter board.

Unwrap your slimline optical drive and slide it into place above where you just screwed in the hard drive. It'll snap into the connector with little effort. Then take your small screwdriver and the four small screws and put two in each side of the optical drive through the rails on either side of the daughter board. When you're done, replace the daughter board by gently pressing it back into place on top of the motherboard.

Spread the two RAM module retention clips and install the DDR module -- it only goes in one way, so make sure you have it lined up before you try to force it in. When the retention clips snap back into place, the RAM is properly installed. This is no different than on a normal PC.

Now you're ready to put the assembly back into the chassis, but make sure that it goes in the right way. When you removed the motherboard, you probably didn't notice that it fits into guides in the bottom of the chassis. This photo shows you how to line up the motherboard with the guides. Once it's lined up, the board will easily slide back in where it came from.

Before you put the I/O shield back on, verify that the reset and power buttons on the front of the unit are properly lined up. If they don't feel like they click when you press them, you may have to take the motherboard out and realign it. When you're ready to put the I/O shield on the rear of the unit don't torque the screws down too hard or else the buttons on the front won't work. Before you finish reassembly, check the buttons one more time to make sure they click. If they don't, back off on the rear screws by about 1/4 turn and see if that fixes the problem. If it doesn't, you'll have to remove the I/O shield and verify that the motherboard is correctly installed in the metal guides.

And that's it! You're done with the assembly and ready to install an operating system.

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Copyright 2003-2005 Jem Matzan.