This is perhaps a really silly question, but is there some way to install these that I'm missing?
I began just trying to brute force push it in and wasn't getting anywhere... I suspect I just need to keep at it and it will eventually go in, but after a few attempts I started wondering if I this was the wrong way and figured I'd ask here and see if anyone has any advice.
For the motherboard I am using, I need to install two of these.
Obviously, your board doesn't use this type of plastic standoff. If you can't figure out what it needs, you may need to improvise.
In your picture, I can see a screw hole. That implies you should use metal standoffs.
Obviously that screw hole doesn't line up with the motherboard or I would've tried that first. 😀 I guess I will take a look at what other standoffs I can get. The only other kind I had seen had a little screw at the back which would fit in the smaller screw hole (which doesn't help me here).
Well, I apparently gave up waaaay too easily the first time and was too overly worried about breaking something in the process. Just needed a little bit more wiggling and forcing and they do pop in eventually. *facepalm*
Gered wrote:Well, I apparently gave up waaaay too easily the first time and was too overly worried about breaking something in the process. […] Show full quote
Well, I apparently gave up waaaay too easily the first time and was too overly worried about breaking something in the process. Just needed a little bit more wiggling and forcing and they do pop in eventually. *facepalm*
That's not typically how those are installed.
Normally there is a slot that they "hook" into and slide to lock. Then there is one or two standoffs that takes screws to secure the motherboard. The way you have it installed, once the motherboard clips over the plastic, you'll need to get some pliers or something over it to remove the board from the case (serious PITA, may damage something in the process).
I'll see if I can dig up some pics.
EDIT: OK, I've added some pictures. The red arrows show where these standoffs normally slide in (in this case, the whole motherboard slides to the right to lock in). Then the yellow arrow shows where it get secured with a screw.
These can also be used to space the motherboard away from the case, if you cut off the notch like the one on the right.
Normally there is a slot that they "hook" into and slide to lock. Then there is one or two standoffs that takes screws to secure the motherboard. The way you have it installed, once the motherboard clips over the plastic, you'll need to get some pliers or something over it to remove the board from the case (serious PITA, may damage something in the process).
Yeah unfortunately my case doesn't have those slide in slots anywhere like your pictures show, so I'm not sure what other options I had really. I actually had to use pliers to get the standoffs off the motherboard already. It arrived with 5 of them pre-inserted, but with the layout of my case I only needed two and was forced to remove the rest. Not really sure I'd call it a PITA myself (since the flat part the motherboard rests on can be removed from the case easily, giving you a lot more room to work), but still more annoying then I'd like.
Hah, was hoping I wouldn't need to do that, and thankfully I didn't. Always a last resort I suppose. 😉
I also realized I probably misread what probnot was saying was the "pain in the ass" part about removing the standoffs, and it's not removing the motherboard from the standoffs, but removing the standoffs from the case (the slide-in holes/slots that my case lacks would definitely help there). At any rate, I don't anticipate that being necessary as long as this motherboard doesn't die on me suddenly (famous last words 😜 ).
The annoying thing with AT cases is sometimes they put those sliding standoff holes in upside down. My 486 full tower did, so the motherboard is pretty much held up by the expansion cards (there's about 5 in there so it's not going to break) and it's kinda annoying
They still use a modern version of these in some ATX cases, my Antec VSK4000 case came with them (All I wanted was a retro featureless black tower with a few external bays which was surprisingly hard to find in a modern case). The back and middle rows of holes were populated with steel hex standoffs but the front row was empty which confused me until I looked at the hardware bag and saw my old nemesis lurking among the screws (I wanted retro I guess I got what I asked for)
Unlike the classic version these have a #6-32 thread on them and screw into the hole, the spring part then goes through the front row of MB holes. I guess the idea is the springs have no slop unlike a standard #6-32 mobo screw which has 0.5mm of slop in a standard 4mm MB mounting hole and will line up the whole MB with the standoffs.
You can remove them using a BIC pen with the writing part pulled out. The size of the hole is perfect for compressing the spring.