Oh, it's a tool in other words.

Ok, sorry for being so dense.

But, to show even more dumbness, if I screw that in tight, which in turn screws the thing below in tight, when I go to remove it, what's to stop the bottom one from turning and loosening instead of the just the socket turning and loosening???

Am I making sense with my question??? I can 'see' what I'm trying to ask, but don't know it I'm communicating that well or not. In other words, once I tighten the stand off down using the socket and a screwdriver, why wouldn't the whole thing turn when I go to unscrew the socket??

Just screw the stand off tight in the case, screw the moboscrews less tight. ;o)
I can give complicated answers in using locktite or torquewrenches if you want but that seems unnecessary to me.
In the worst case scenario you described the stand off would come loose anyway so you could always remove the mobo.
But don't tighten anything too much otherwise you will damage the treads and then you have to buy a new case. ;o)

Oh, DOH!!!

Now that I actually found the damn thing, I get it. Jeebus what a moron. I was thinking it had a screw like all the others but it doesn't.

It just slides down onto the stand offs, I tighten them with my phillips screwdriver, and then lift the socket off.

Damn I'm a moron. So easy once I was holding the thing in my hand. Jeebus, this is NOT a good beginning... lol The good news is, if this moron can successfully build his own, then everyone must be able too.

Damn that's so stupid now that I found the thing and was holding it in my hand. That's exactly what it is, a socket. That fits down on bolts just like a regular socket does except it turns with a screwdriver instead of the usual.

My God my stupidity can flabbergast even me. lol

Lol. It's ok OFG. We all have those brain-fart moments.

Well, here's another lol.

It's frustrating because every time I search for video tutorials on building a pc, the ONLY one I find made within the last year is the Newegg one. And that one just did NOT go into enough detail.

For example, I'm sitting here looking at all the wires hanging in the case. I'm assuming they all need to attach to something. Yet the case doesn't have ANYTHING about what attaches exactly where. And each fan has TWO 4 pin connectors coming out of it, plus another end that is.... weird, don't know if that thing plugs into something or just hangs.

The friggin "manual" for the case is like 5 pages, with illustrations showing where the major components go, but no down and dirty details about hooking things up.

I'm going to stop now again. If I don't find another helpful video that goes into extreme detail, then I really once again feel like I can't do it. The quality of the "manuals" that came with all these parts is disgusting. My gosh, whenever I buy something (like furniture) that says "some assembly required" the instructions are usually so detailed a moron like me can follow them. These, mostly just say "Connect this next, then that" but no detail on EXACTLY where and how.

I literally have NO CLUE what I'm supposed to connect all the fans too, and whether or not they all get plugged into two or three different things or not. NOTHING came with the case explaining that. NOTHING.

And all the wires tied together dangling in the case, my gosh it looks like dozens, NO DETAILED EXPLANATION AT ALL on where all of those plug into, whether all of them in fact even need to be plugged into something. I have found the USB 3.0 wire and know where that connects on my motherboard, and from reading the MB manual I know where a couple of the others connect on the motherboard, but dammit this is frustrating there is just not enough detailed explanation for someone that's never done it.

Incredibly frustrating.

Most of the power cords should be labelled, like SATA/PCI Express, etc. One thing the manufacturers do for power cords is use different connectors to prevent you from plugging the wrong thing into the wrong place.

If you have to force the cord onto the jack, then it's probably not the correct cord. If you look at the ends, you'll see different shapes for like the six pin power cord. Maybe like a square, circle, etc.

And yes, you'll have a lot of extra cords hanging around. You might consider using some zip ties (those one way plastic connectors that cops like to use) once you have everything hooked up, in order to control where your cords end up.

I'm not even talking about the power cords. My PSU is 100% modular. I've already got that in and there is not ONE cord coming out of it.

I'm talking right now about the cords hanging from the inside of the case and from the fans. Are you saying many of those cords will NOT be plugged in??? Makes me wonder why they're there.

Oh, and THANK YOU very much for the help. I know I'm a moron, and most folks don't have a lot of patience with morons. lol So thank you. I've plus oned every one of the posts in this thread so I hope that by you having helped so much you'll get at least one point of rep for this. lol

The fan cords will be plugged in, or they should at any rate. The only cords that shouldn't would be extraneous PSU cords, but since yours is modular, it's doubtful you'd have any.

The fan cords will go to the PSU. Look for matching plugs. Should be white (or black, but probly white) 4-pin female connectors. Make sure each of the fan cords are plugged in to one of those. There'll probably be several leads on one cord. There MIGHT (a VERY big might, can't recall exactly) be a cord for the fans that plugs into the motherboard. It's also possible that your fans are in series and plug into each other with only one fan plugging into the PSU.

As for other case wires, those would be for your power switch, front USB ports/plugins, reset button, power lights, etc. Those should go onto your motherboard. Follow the wires to where they go on the case and you should be able to match it with description in your MB manual.

EDIT - If I get anything wrong, please correct me other peoples. I'm working mostly from memory of putting mine together last year.

EDIT 2 - If you look at Newegg's page for your motherboard, you can zoom in and see the labels for the different connections. Like your CPU fan's power port is right by the RAM slots. It looks like the panel lights(?) connector is right by that 2 digit LED.

Well that's the thing. Each fan has TWO ends with plugs on it. They each plug into two places?? Plus it's a got a third end that has what looks like a little white plastic thing that looks like it plugs into something.

Why would each fan need to be plugged into three different places???

And thank you again, I am going to assume that all of the case wires hanging go somewhere. Like I said, I've got a good idea for most of them because they plug into the motherboard and the MB manual was a big help. But I'm not remembering any more than maybe two places on the MB that a case fan would plug into. And I've got 4 big ass fans lol. I'm gonna try to get the fan make and model and google it if I can without uninstalling it. Maybe that will have some answers for me.

Still, IMO, those fans came with the case. The case manual should've explained why each fan has THREE ends that can potentially plug into something and what they're for. Gonna try to get the fan make and model now.

Again, thank you for the patience. I know it's hard not to give up helping someone that doesn't even understand the most basic stuff, so I thank you.

Don't worry about it. :)

If you could take and post pictures of the cords that are troubling you, that would be a big help.

There's a slot on your MB marked "Sys Fan". It would take a small, 3-prong female connector that has a notched edge.

I have no camera. Sorry.

I just googled the fan's numbers printed on there and yet NONE of the fans that came up look like mine nor the plugs, but I did find one that was close, so I'll try to find that one again. The plug that looked different I'll try to explain. Sorry for no camera. lol

Cooler Master A23030-07CB-3MN-F1

Okay, if you look at the photo of the wires to this one, they look a lot like the ones on mine. Two 4 pin connects coming from it plus that one strange one that is kind of point down and to the right in this photo. Now the difference between mine and this one is that in this photo, that strange one looks like a female while all four of my fans all look like a male that would plug into a plug like that one. So, I'm thinking this may be what you were talking about hooking several together and then only plugging in one or two or whatever.

But I don't get if both of the 4 pin connectors coming from the fan are supposed to be hooked up to something or if they just provided two (one a female and one a male) so as to give the user a choice???

LINK: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Cooler-Master-Megaflow-200mm-Case-Fan-Blue-LED-110-CFM-/170628232154?pt=AU_Components&hash=item27ba3c33da

According to this you can connect all the fans in series. Meaning the bigger 4-pin white connectors go in one long line with the first one in the series being plugged into the PSU. You won't get individual fan speed control though. They'll all spin at max speed.

They provided both the male and female connectors so that you could daisy chain them along.

Edit - If you daisy chain them, I think, but am not sure, that you do nothing with the 3-pin connector. Just leave that one alone and unplugged in. I think it might be an either/or situation like DarrkPhoenix suggests.

I'll try to explain that picture to linked to. The cord pictured is to allow the fan to plug into one of the PSU cables instead of plugging into the motherboard. Those large 4-pin connectors pictured plug into PSU cables designed to power hard drives and optical drives. The reason there are two of them is that so you can basically attach the fan in-line, with one end plugged into the cable from the PSU and the other plugged in to a HDD or optical drive. The actual power connector for the fan is the small 3-pin connector, and this is what can be connected to one of fan connectors on the motherboard. So, regarding your fan, there are basically two ways you can power it- connect the small 3-pin connector to one of the fan connectors on the motherboard, OR connect one of the large 4-pin connectors to one of the cables from the PSU.

Ok, EVERYTHING is IN. Yay me! (pats self on back, dislocates shoulder)

Now the wiring. One at a time, starting with the case wires, one at a time. Then one component at a time and I've listed them all right here so I won't forget any. Only wiring I've done so far is the CPU Cooler fan wire is plugged into the motherboard and the two major power wires (24 and 8 pin) from PSU to MB are plugged in. Lots and lots of room to work here, so I'm going to do one wire at a time, plan how I want to neaten them up as I go, and go from there.

Hope that wasn't a dumb strategy. I guess most folks probably wired as they installed?? With this case having so much room and so many options to hide the wires, I thought this way would be best. I'll find out if I'm wrong I guess.

And as far as the fans are concerned, I've got them figured out now. THANkS FOR YOUR HELP!. My motherboard has two 3-pin connecters for system fans, and my case has 4 fans. So, I'm going to piggyback to the front and side ones together (intake) and plug them into one of those on the MB, and take the rear and top (outtake) and piggyback those 2 and plug them into the other one on the MB. Seem like a good idea????

Getting there folks. I know 99.9% of folks doing this would've been finished early yesterday after starting yesterday afternoon, but I've never done this, went slow stopped and researched everytime I had a question, and well, it just took a long long time. I'm much more worried about doing it right than doing it fast. Anyway, THANKS AGAIN TO EVERYONE. If I get this wiring completed by this evening, I'll fire it up the first time and let everyone know the result. *crossing my toes again*

I knew I was forgetting a post I wanted to make, turns out it was the one about the fans and their power connectors...
So, the 4 pins one you are asking about are the Molex Connectors, which is one of the standard connectors for HDD and Optical Drives, or at least was the Standard before SATA took over. The male and female connectors on the fans are so you don't use up a power cord when you plug them, but mostly use it as a passthrough. For example, you remove the power from your Optical drive, connect that cable to the fan, so the fan has power, then connect the output of the fan back to the Optical drive, so it also has power.
Main difference between the Molex Connector and the 3-pin fan connector is that the molex doesn't allow you to control the speed of the fan, it will either be ON or it will be OFF, while the 3-pin one will allow you to also have it as "Silent". Not sure if the noise will annoy you or not, but I think you can only connect one power supply to the fan, not both.
There are some Fan Controllers that use one or two of the 5,25" slots, like this one, though I haven't used any, and I'm not sure if you need it or not. If the extra fans do make a lot of noise though, see if you can find one that you like.