IT STARTED!!!!!
That's right, i just turned on my awesome new computer for the first time, and it found all of the devices in it, all the cards... everything! Plus, my spiffy case lights up pretty cool, too. Ah, the advantages of build-it-yourself. Tomorrow's task: load the operating system and drivers and everything else software-ish! But right now, i'm basking in the accomplishment of having put it all together. My baby's growing up so fast!