I'm building my first home built computer. My components are :
1. Biostar Tforce TA790GX 128M Motherboard
2.AMD Phenom 9950BE cpu
3.NZXT Tempest Enthusiast case
4. 8 gigabytes Corsair TWIN2X4096-8500C7 XMS ramt
5.Corsair TX750W psu
6.Zalman CNPS9700LED cpu fan/heatsink
7.VisionTek Tadeon HD4670 1 gb. video card
8.Zalman ZM-MFC1 6-Channel Fan controller
9.Hitachi Deskstar P7K500 500 gb. SATA hard drive
10.Western Digital Caviar Blue 500 gb. SATA hard drive
11.Sony 22x DVD RW SATA
12.Sony 20x DVD RW SATA

I need to know if I need to use the washers that came wirh my case for this Biostar motherboard .

Washers?? Are you talking about the little, red, felt washers?

If so, the answer is, NO. I haven't seen any use for those in years. But, it actually shouldn't hurt one way or the other if you do use them.

Yes, that's the washers I meant. I heard you needed them if the holes in the motherboard for mounting it in the case doesn't have dots aroung the outer edge of the holes. I just want to make sure I don't fry any components by not using them.

Yes, you are right. The screw holes that have metal solder pads around them are a clear indicator it is made to have a connection between the screw and the motherboard for ground.

I should have been more clear in my post. With your motherboard, it appears it does not have those pads, but, it does have clear white indicators around them to show that you are to secure the motherboard in that location.

A long time ago when motherboards used plastic standoffs a lot more than they do today, if you tightened a screw in where a plastic standoff was meant to go, you could short something out. I haven't seen a motherboard like that in a long time. I'm not saying they don't exist, so I should not say this is true all the time. Because I don't know. However, in my experience, if the hole on the motherboard is not made to have a metal screw tightened down on it, the hole will not line up with a mounting hole in the case, and therefore your only option will be to use a plastic standoff if anything at all. I hope that makes sense. Kind of an indirect way of preventing you from making a mistake, I would say.

The final say can be determined by looking at the immediate area around the hole on both the top and the bottom of the board. If you can see any electrical "traces" (the fine wires on the motherboard that connect components) in that immediate area that may contact the screw if it is tightened down to hard, then you need an insulator like a felt washer.

Hope that helps.

This post has been edited by appleoddity: Jul 5 2009, 02:25 PM

Yes, I looked around the holes on the bottom side of the motherboard and it shows what I was looking for. The motherboard mounting screws don't need the washer. Biostar should've made the area around the holes look the same on both sides. The bottom side shows the dots inside the solid gold circle where the screws go. So, I'd assume it doesn't need the felt washers. Correct?

Thank you for your help. My new build and I thank you very much.

This post has been edited by BRKKAB: Jul 5 2009, 03:21 PM

Again, I don't want to throw any definites out there because I can't see the details of the board. But, I think, as I stated earlier, you are pretty safe to assume you do not need those washers. I haven't seen a motherboard in quite some time that did. I think they finally figured out it was not very wise to put sensitive motherboard traces around screw holes in the motherboard.

The motherboard should be properly grounded in multiple places. When it comes to grounds you want the shortest path possible to ground. Which is what the screws and metal standoffs do. So, to use a washer when it is not required interrupts the connectivity between the screw/standoff and the motherboard. If it would actually cause any problems is unknown to me.

This post has been edited by appleoddity: Jul 5 2009, 05:45 PM

Yeah , I don't think I need them. I previously checked Toms Hardware (I think the sites called), MaximPC , PC Magazine/Extreme Tech and Computer Shoppers web sites when I got the Motherboard. I think it was Tom's site that showed the markings on the board's that don't need them and thats what I saw on the backside of the board. I don't know why Biostar didn't mark both sides like that. But, I also came across some gripes about there manuals for there motherboards. I also, came across a site last night through google on my board. There was someone at that site that said he can't understand why Biostar doesn't use Heatsinks on the Mosfets. It sounded like that had something to do with water cooling. I'm not sure though. But, with my NZXT Tempest Enthusiast's 6 case fans, My Zalman 6 channel controller thats arriving Wedsnesday and the Zalman CNPS9700LED cpu cooler/heatsink. I don't think I'll need to worry about this computer getting too hot at all. The cpu fan also has a fanmate that caame with it, too.

Good point appleoddity, in the past way back in the early 80's when insulators were not that great they gave you plastic or them red washers, but now these days the mother boards are made with better materials and now when I install them I don't bother with them any more. Guess some MFGs just has a habit of shipping them with their screws. But if any doubts always consult the manufacture instruction manual, or call their Tech Support Dept, this way you can never go wrong.

Sadly this is not true, there are people who can go wrong no matter who they call or what reading materials they consult!