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Power Guide to
Upgrading Your PC
Copyright © 2002, PC World Communications, Inc. All rights reserved. The trademark PC World is owned by International Data Group and used under license by PC World
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C OV E R S T O RY
ALL THE KING’S HORSES
and all the king’s men
couldn’t put the PC together
again. (But you’ll be able to
when we’re done.)
DO-IT-YOURSELF
DREAM
Machines
A step-by-step guide to the smartest upgrades, plus
the ultimate PC project: building your own system.
in the past, a PC that reached its
second or third birthday was destined for the parts shelf, the flea
market, or the kid’s room. But PC
components aren’t what they used to
be; they’re faster and more capable of pushing back obsolescence. So before you rush off to the computer store, take a good
look at your old PC. Maybe all you need is an upgrade. ◆ Adding
a hard disk, a sound card, extra RAM, or a home network isn’t
hard, and it helps you create the PC you want. (Of course, the
only way to get exactly the system you want is to buy the parts
and build it yourself. See “Build Your Own PC” on page 88.)
BY KIRK STEERS
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARC SIMON
SEPTEMBER 2001
W W W. P C W O R L D.C O M
75
C OV E R S T O RY
A PAIR of SIMMs,
An office user may want more speed
while multitasking; a gamer, faster graphics; and an audiophile, better sound and
huge vaults of storage. All of these can be
yours via simple upgrades for a fraction of
the cost of a new PC. Whatever your inclination, we’ll show you how.
We’ll cover four types of upgrade: CPU
and RAM, graphics and sound, hard disk
and CD-RW, and home networking. Each
section suggests what to buy, discusses
problems to look for, and provides instructions for performing the installation.
Trying to decide how far to go? The
chart “Which Upgrades Are for You?”
below lists some of the more effective
upgrades for different PC activities.
One of the most effective upgrades you
can make is also among the least expensive: Beefing up your system’s RAM costs
around just 25 cents a megabyte. If you
currently have 64MB or less of RAM,
upgrading will almost certainly boost your
system’s performance significantly and
may result in fewer application crashes.
Graphics cards are a good deal too. You
don’t need to spend $400 for a top-of-theline gaming card—though many gamers
wouldn’t balk at doing so. But a little over
$100 fetches a capable 3D graphics card
and (perhaps) one with high-end features
like multimonitor support.
On the other hand, the competitive
environment also makes it a good time to
buy a new PC. And face it: An upgrade
isn’t always the best choice.
If you’re looking for a big performance
boost, a new PC—thanks especially to its
up-to-date CPU and motherboard—may
be the most economical solution. PCs
more than a few years old may lack support for desirable technologies such as
AGP (for the fastest graphics board interface), and they may have no USB ports.
If an upgrade sounds right for you, read
on. If you’re ready for a new PC, consider
building it yourself: To learn how, start
reading on page 88.
Kirk Steers is a PC World contributing editor
and writes the Hardware Tips column.
DECISION GUIDE
WHICH UPGRADES ARE FOR YOU?
OBJECTIVE
Improve general
computing
performance
Connect your
PCs and share
an Internet
connection
Create a
capable
multimedia
system
Current system spec
Our recommendation
Less than 128MB of system RAM
Upgrade to 128MB or more of system RAM.
Less than 500MB of free disk space
Add a bigger hard disk; a constricted swap file can slow overall performance.
An early Pentium II or older CPU
Upgrade to a low-cost Pentium III, Celeron, or Duron system.
One PC and one laptop located near each
other; USB ports available
Install a peer-to-peer USB network.
Multiple PCs located in different rooms, each
room shares a common phone line
Install a phone-line, wireless, or ethernet home network.
A Pentium II or older CPU
Buy a new system with the fastest CPU you can afford.
Less than 128MB of RAM
Install a new graphics card with a built-in MPEG decoder or a separate decoder card.
A CD-ROM drive
Obtain both a DVD-ROM drive for loading video clips and a CD-RW or DVD-R drive for
long-term storage.
Integrated graphics, or an old graphics card
with less than 16MB of RAM
Less than 64MB of system RAM
A Pentium II-233 or less-powerful CPU
An old, cheap sound card with a pair of
mediocre speakers
Any 56-kbps modem, including a V.90 model
76
W W W. P C W O R L D.C O M
let’s start with the basics. Your processor and RAM are so integral to PC performance that they always make likely upgrade targets. Which is best for you?
CPU: LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP
you want a faster PC, so you immediately think: Get a faster CPU. Think
again. Though your CPU is important,
PC performance depends on all your PC’s
components, so upgrading to a CPU that
runs at twice the speed of your current
processor won’t come close to doubling
your system’s performance. A 10 to 20
percent boost is more realistic.
And you can’t drop just any CPU into
your motherboard; to do the job right,
you’ll probably have to buy an upgrade kit
from Intel, Evergreen, or PowerLeap. Kits
range in price from under $100 to over
$400. So carefully weigh the expense versus the probable increase in speed.
Our recommendation: Don’t buy a kit
unless it at least doubles your current
clock speed or bumps you up an entire
CPU class (from Pentium II to Pentium
III, say). If you’re budgeting more than
$250 for a new CPU, you may get a better
deal by upgrading other components, or
even putting the money toward the purchase of a new system.
BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK
A hard disk with less than 20GB of free space
Improve
gaming
performance
CPU & RAM
Upgrade to more than 128MB of RAM—as much more as you can afford.
A software MPEG decoder
SEPTEMBER 2001
Purchase the fastest, biggest drive you can afford.
If possible, upgrade to a new AGP graphics card with 16MB or more of memory and a
good 3D processor.
Upgrade to 128MB or more of system RAM.
Try a CPU upgrade or buy a new system; even the lowliest Celeron- or Duron-based
PC will provide stellar improvements.
Add a new sound card that supports Dolby 5.1 surround sound and good pair of fourchannel speakers; even an inexpensive subwoofer will add tremendous presence.
Upgrade to DSL or cable modem service; this can vastly improve online games.
a DDR DIMM, a PC133
historically, adding memory to
your PC has been the most cost-effective
way to increase its performance. And with
256MB PC133 DIMMs now available for
around $50, that’s never been more true.
If you’re running Windows 98 or later,
you’ll see noticeable performance gains—
especially while running several apps at
once—if you upgrade to 128MB or more.
Fortunately, adding RAM is a fairly easy
process. In fact, the hardest part of the
upgrade consists of finding modules of
the right type and size for your PC. For
the correct RAM specifications, check the
user manual or motherboard manual that
came with your computer.
DIMM, and a RIMM.
Most systems that people have purchased in the
past several years use
SDRAM, which comes in
various flavors (PC66,
PC100, PC133, and—on
newer, often AMD, systems—DDR SDRAM).
Older machines may use
FPM or EDO DRAM; and some newer,
pricier models use relatively expensive
Rambus DRAM (RDRAM, or RIMMs).
This is usually not a mix-and-match situation; you should use the same type and
speed of RAM already in your PC. Memory vendors like Crucial (www.crucial.
com) and Kingston (www.kingston.com)
offer excellent tools for matching RAM to
specific PC models or motherboards.
You must also determine whether your
motherboard uses SIMM or DIMM RAM
modules. Most systems made in the past
three years use DIMM modules, while
many older PCs use SIMM modules
(which are shorter and must be installed
in pairs). A few PCs can take both—but
often they run on only one type at a time.
Before you buy, make sure that you
have the requisite open RAM slots on
your motherboard and that the motherboard will accept the upgrade module
you’re considering. Sometimes RAM
slots must be filled in a certain order or
with a module of a certain capacity.
And finally, don’t buy generic, budget
memory. Paying a few extra dollars for
DIMMs or SIMMs from a company like
Kingston or Crucial can save you hours of
frustration and troubleshooting.
H O W -T O
Beef Up Your RAM
1. Open the case.
should snap into place. If they don’t, the
2. Get grounded. Use an antistatic wrist
module isn’t properly seated.
strap—available at any local electronics or
For SIMMs, orient the module to match
computer store—or at the very least,
the others in the system, insert the mod-
touch the frame of your PC
while it’s still plugged in.
A
ule at a 45-degree angle,
and rotate to the vertical
Then unplug it.
(B). If you do it right, you
3. Pick up the module.
should feel the snap of the
Always hold RAM modules
two supporting clips clos-
by their side edges. Avoid
ing into place.
touching the flat surfaces
5. Power up. Turn on your
or the contacts along the
system. Watch the screen
bottom edge.
for the RAM test, and con-
4. Insert it. For DIMMs,
B
firm that your PC recog-
lower the module into the
nizes the additional RAM.
slot and press carefully
If you see any error mes-
(A). The module should
sages, or if your system
seat itself, and the clips on
locks up, remove and re-
both sides of the module
install the new modules.
SEPTEMBER 2001
W W W. P C W O R L D.C O M
77
C OV E R S T O RY
GRAPHICS & SOUND
your pc isn’t just a toy for your brain;
it’s a toy for your eyes and ears as well. If
you’re interested in games, graphics,
music, or digital video, adding a new
graphics card or sound card can vastly
improve your PC experience.
The latest graphics cards offer a plethora of pixel-processing pluses: not only
more-sophisticated processors, but also
specialized features, such as gobs of dedicated RAM, TV tuners, and MPEG-2
decoder hardware (great for watching
DVD movies). But many of these cards
are also prohibitively pricey. Expect to pay
about $400 for a card sporting NVidia’s
hot new GeForce3 chip and 64MB of
DDR RAM—more RAM than you’ll find
on some budget PCs. But if you’re not a
die-hard gamer whose virtual life hangs
on the clarity of every pixel, relax; plenty
of lower-cost alternatives exist (see this
month’s Top 10 Graphics Boards, as
well as our Top 10 gaming cards at
find.pcworld.com/11020).
Before you buy, however, check
your PC. Some older or budget
systems lack the AGP slot used by
most of today’s cards. If yours
doesn’t have one, you’ll have to
use a PCI board and settle for a
relatively modest performance boost.
The graphics subsystems of many budget systems sold in the past few years—
including many based on Intel’s 810e
chip set—aren’t upgradable. These systems come with both graphics and audio
support built into the motherboard. They
also usurp a portion of the system RAM
for graphics duties. Check the back of
your PC: If the monitor connector is
grouped with the keyboard, mouse, and
USB connectors and isn’t in an expansion
ATI RADEON 64MB DDR.
card slot, you probably have integrated
sound and graphics. If you don’t have an
AGP slot, you won’t be able to upgrade.
FINE-TUNING
in many of today’s fast-moving games,
winning depends on hearing your competitors as well as seeing them. If you’re
just making do with the garden-variety
sound card that accompanied your PC,
consider moving up to a card that supports the latest Dolby 5.1 processing. H O W -T O
Change a Card
1. Get the most recent version of your card’s drivers from the
Manufacturers, select (Standard display types); then under Models,
vendor’s Web site. It’s not uncommon for vendors to update their
select Standard Display Adapter (VGA) (A).
drivers shortly after putting the final product on the market.
4. Shut down your PC and open the case. Make sure you’re elec-
2. Read the installation
trically grounded (see “Beef Up Your RAM,” step 2, on page 77).
instructions that come
5. For sound cards, you’ll need to remove any internal audio-in
with the card or with
connectors—such as those from your CD-ROM or CD-RW drive.
any driver you download
6. Gently remove the old card. Don’t lose the screw that fastens
from the vendor’s site.
the card to the chassis. Be sure to retrieve any screw or other
3. If you’re replacing an
metal part that falls on your motherboard—such items could cause
existing card, remove
a short when you power your system back up.
the current card’s driver
7. Remove the new card from its packaging. Don’t touch the flat
in Windows. First go to
Add/Remove Software
B
A
connecting edge with the expansion
in Control Panel, and
slot, and push evenly across the top of
remove any software. Then go to Device Manager, select the
the card, increasing pressure until the
device, and click the Remove button.
If you’re swapping graphics cards, you can’t remove the driver.
But you can replace it with Windows’ standard VGA driver.
Open Device Manager, double-click Display Adapters, and then
78
surfaces or bottom edge. Align the
card is seated fully in the slot (B). Fasten the card to the chassis with the
screw you removed in step 6.
8. Reattach any internal connectors (sound cards) or pass-
double-click the card’s entry. Click Driver•Update driver•Next when
through cables (graphics cards).
the Update Device Driver Wizard comes up. Select Display a list of
9. When you restart your PC, Windows should automatically rec-
all the drivers, click Next, and then select Show all hardware. Under
ognize the new card and guide you through installing the driver.
W W W. P C W O R L D.C O M
SEPTEMBER 2001
C OV E R S T O RY
A top-of-the-line card like Creative’s
Sound Blaster Live Platinum 5.1 offers
stunning 3D sound—thanks to its support for five speakers and a subwoofer—
plus special effects. The Live Platinum 5.1
sells for around $200, but other Dolby 5.1
cards are available for less than $100.
Don’t forget: A great sound card is only
as good the speakers attached to it. A firstclass rig, such as Klipsch’s ProMedia 4.1
system, will make your ears swell and
your wallet shrivel—to the tune of $300.
Budget-minded audiophiles should consider Creative Labs’ FPS2000 system; it
offers excellent sound at half that price.
HARD DISK & REMOVABLE STORAGE
RW drives can be had
if you work with
for $150 to $250 (see
an older PC equipped
August’s Top 10 CDwith a modest 10GB
RW Drives for details).
or smaller drive, you
may already be experiPICK A PORT
encing an acute need
for additional space; if
installing a hard
not, you will feel the
disk or CD-RW drive
squeeze soon enough.
is much easier than it
Gluttonous software
used to be. Most hard
programs like Windrives come with indows XP (which alone
stallation software to
MAXTOR DiamondMax Plus 60.
gobbles at least a gigasimplify the process
byte of space) and MPEG, JPEG, or MP3
of partitioning and formatting your drive.
files devour your hard disk’s real estate.
Discount versions of some hard drives—
A reliable 30GB or 40GB drive from a
so-called bare drives—come packaged in
manufacturer like IBM, Maxtor, Seagate,
an antistatic bag with no box and may lack
or Western Digital costs less than $150 if
such software. Ask before you buy.
you shop around. An additional $50 to
H O W -T O
$150 buys a 60GB to 80GB drive that runs
at 7200 rpm and supports the ATA/100
(or Ultra DMA/100) interface.
To reap the full benefits of an ATA/100
drive, your PC must also support ATA/
1. Read the installation instructions, and
100. Check your PC’s user manual. If
run any installation software that must be
yours doesn’t, you can add an updated
launched before you begin installing the
interface via an ATA/100 expansion card
hard drive in your system.
A
like the Ultra100 TX2 adapter card from
2. Shut down your PC and
Promise Technology. But unless you conopen the case. Make sure
stantly move extremely large amounts
you’re electrically groundyou probably won’t see much of a perfored (see “Beef Up Your
mance difference from using an ATA/100
RAM,” step 2, page 77).
B
drive on an ATA/66-capable PC.
3. Set the jumpers (A) on
Speed zealots may want to consider a
your drive to the desired
faster, more expensive SCSI hard drive,
master or slave setting.
which requires purchasing and installing
4. Attach the hard drive
a SCSI bus card in addition to the drive.
to the case, and connect
Alternatively, you can buy a DVD-R or
the power and EIDE cables
CD-RW drive and use it to store your
to the drive (B). Take care
space-gobbling music, video, or other data
to attach pin 1 on the motherboard to pin
files on discs. Such a drive provides a nice
1 on the drive. One edge of the cable
backup option, and you’ll be able to burn
should be colored to help you keep track.
audio CDs to your heart’s content. CD-
Physically installing the drive is a bit
more challenging. You need an unused
5-volt power connector and an open EIDE
port. Almost all recent PCs come with primary and secondary EIDE channels built
into the motherboard. Each channel supports up to two drives on a single cable.
Jumper settings define each drive as
“master” or “slave.” The hard disk holding your operating system should always
be set as the master drive on the primary
channel. Typically the primary channel is
used for up to two hard drives, and the
secondary channel for CD-ROM, CD-RW,
or other removable-media drives. If you
need more than four drives, you’ll have to
install an add-in card such as the Promise
Ultra100 TX2 previously mentioned. Add a Hard Disk
(Often—but not always—the manufacturer
includes a notch and key on the plastic
connectors to prevent misalignment.)
5. Restart your PC and
enter the CMOS setup
program. This usually involves hitting <Del> or <F1>
at the start of the boot
process. Find the autodetect menu and confirm
that the system recognizes your new drive. Save
your settings and reboot.
6. Follow any directions
from your installation
software to partition, format, and copy data to your drive. If you
don’t have installation software, you must
perform these tasks manually.
SEPTEMBER 2001
W W W. P C W O R L D.C O M
83
C OV E R S T O RY
HOME NETWORKING
consider a USB adapter network like Bela house of connected PCs means no
kin’s $80 USB Direct Connect. It’s slower
more fighting for an open phone line to
than an ethernet network, but it’s cheaper
check your e-mail: Two or three people
and simpler to install.
can share a lowly 56If you need ethernet
kbps connection withspeed and sophisticaout much discomfort.
tion, you can choose
And if you opt for a
from several products.
broadband Internet
All involve adding a
connection like DSL
card or USB adapter
or cable modem serto each PC and then
vice, everyone on the
connecting them by
network will enjoy the
LINKSYS EtherFast Wireless AP+.
different methods.
faster downloads. You
Proven phone-line networking kits like
can also get by with one network printer.
Intel’s AnyPoint phone-line products and
And nothing reduces family counseling
3Com’s HomeConnect products are fast,
bills like a furious free-for-all during a
easy to set up, and affordable (about $50
game of networked Doom or Quake.
per PC). Their biggest drawback: You
GETTING BETTER
need to have a phone jack near each PC on
the network (see “Home Wired Home,”
installing a home network has gotJune 2000, find.pcworld.com/10881).
ten easier. That’s easier, not easy. Unless
If you’re short on phone-line connecyou’re already a network guru, you should
tions or you move around the house a lot
try to keep things as simple as possible.
with a laptop, a wireless network may be
If you have just two PCs sitting near
your best bet. The latest wireless kits
each other, or if you’re looking for a simbased on the 802.11b standard can broadple way to connect a desktop and a laptop,
H O W -T O
Install a Network
1. Install the network cards in each sys-
STARTING POINTS
CPU UPGRADE KITS
Intel www.intel.com
Evergreen Technologies
www.evergreennow.com
PowerLeap www.powerleap.com
RAM
Crucial www.crucial.com
Kingston www.kingston.com
GRAPHICS CARD
ELSA Gladiac 920, $399, www.elsa.com
ATI Radeon 64MB DDR, $199, www.ati.com
software, which should be on a floppy disk
SOUND CARD
Sound Blaster Live Platinum 5.1, $200,
Creative, www.creative.com
tem. Follow the procedure on page 78.
or CD-ROM that came with the adapters.
2. Make your network connections. For
4. Follow all the instructions that came
Santa Cruz, $80, Turtle Beach,
phone-line networks, plug the cable into
with your hardware to install and config-
www.turtlebeach.com
both the back of
ure your networking software. Setting up
the PC (A) and the
a network can be tough; if you have prob-
phone jack. If you
lems, call tech support.
already use the
5. Set up the Internet sharing software.
phone jack for a
Most kits come with software that lets
phone or fax ma-
multiple systems share a single connec-
chine, you’ll need
tion. If yours doesn’t, you can use built-in
HARD DISK
Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 60, $230,
to insert a line splitter for sharing the jack.
connection-sharing software in Windows
www.maxtor.com
Wireless adapters may require attach-
98 SE, Me, and 2000: Go to Start•Pro-
Seagate Barracuda ATA III, $150,
ing or adjusting an antenna.
grams•Accessories•Internet Tools. (You
www.seagate.com
A
84
cast through walls and outside as far away
as 500 feet (though speed diminishes
with distance). On top of the $199 to $399
base price, expect to pay $129 per desktop
and $129 per laptop for network adapters.
In PC World tests, the Linksys BEFW11S4 EtherFast Wireless AP was easiest
to set up (see “Wireless Comes Home,”
July 2001, find.pcworld.com/10882).
Finally, if you have a number of PCs in
one room, you might consider a network
using traditional twisted-pair ethernet
cable. As with wireless, setup is not for
novices; and the cost of running the
cables through walls can restrict how far
apart you can place the PCs.
3. Turn the system back on. Windows
may have to install the software from the
should recognize the new hardware and
Windows CD, using Add/Remove Pro-
prompt you for the appropriate driver
grams in Control Panel.)
W W W. P C W O R L D.C O M
SEPTEMBER 2001
SPEAKERS
ProMedia 4.1, $300, Klipsch, www.klipsch.com
FPS2000, $150, Creative, www.creative.com
HOME NETWORKING
Linksys BEFW11S4 EtherFast Wireless
AP+, $299, www.linksys.com
C OV E R S T O RY
B Y S TA N M I A S T K O W S K I
Get ready for construction
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARC SIMON
BUILD YOUR OWN PC
S T E P - B Y - S T E P
you don’t need a hammer, a saw, and a shelf full of This Old House
tapes to qualify as a bona fide do-it-yourselfer. For computer aficionados, building your own PC is the ultimate do-it-yourself project—and
you don’t even need to be a pocket-protector type to get the job done.
Why build your own PC? The best reason is to craft a system that exact-
ly matches your needs. The next best reason is to save money: With careful shopping, you can build a custom PC for $100
to $200 less than an off-the-shelf system
costs. As a bonus, you’ll learn a lot about
how PCs work by building your own.
But building a complete PC isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. One of the biggest advantages of buying an off-the-shelf, name-
brand system is having access to one-stop
technical support. If you run into trouble
with your home-built system, you’ll have
to figure out how to isolate the problem
yourself. You’ll also need to spend time
researching and buying the components
for your system. PCWorld.com’s Product
Finder (www.pcworld.com/productfinder)
is a good place to start looking.
But if you’re ready for the whole enchilada, here’s a step-by-step guide to building your own custom PC.
2
Clear a good-size workspace with plen-
Gather all your components and unpack
ty of light. It’s best to avoid carpeted
them to confirm that everything is included.
areas, which can quickly
accumulate component-
Remove the computer case
A
cover and lay it flat on your
destroying static electri-
work surface. Inside, you
city. You’ll need a Phillips-
should find the AC power
head screwdriver, a pair of
cable, mounting brackets,
needle-nosed pliers, plenty
and a bag of screws.
of time, and an antistatic
It’s also a good idea to
wrist strap (available at electronics stores)
collect the latest driver updates for your
to wear when handling electronic parts (A).
hardware on a CD-R or a Zip disk.
Prepare the motherboard
Stan Miastkowski is a contributing editor for
PC World.
3
Gather the parts and pieces
Most of today’s moth-
ly seated. If you purchased
A
erboards have only a
multiple modules, install the
few jumpers, and you sel-
1
rest of them now.
To figure out the exact components for
A. ATX case and power supply ($50 to
C. Monitor ($150 and up).
if you have a limited budget. If your CPU
dom need to deal with the
Work very carefully when
your custom PC, check out manufac-
$300): The most popular case is a basic mid-
D. Motherboard ($100 to $200): Purchase a
doesn’t ship with a cooling fan, you’ll need to
ones that are there. Usual-
installing the CPU. Lift the
turers’ Web sites, study reviews, and look
tower. Most come with a power supply pre-
motherboard that’s matched to your proces-
purchase one for about $25.
ly, the default settings will
lever located on the side of
over PC World’s Top 100 listings. Hardware
installed, but make sure that it meets your
sor, with room to grow. Avoid models with
F. Memory ($50 to $200 for 256MB): Make
work fine. But read the
Web sites such as Tom’s Hardware (www.
system’s needs. (For details, see the August
built-in video; they’re compromises, at best.
sure to match the RAM type and speed to the
manual for your mother-
tomshardware.com) and Anandtech (www.
Upgrade Guide, find.pcworld.com/10883.)
E. Processor ($100 to $600): A 1-GHz or
motherboard. See “CPU & RAM,” page 77.
board carefully to see if any
do so, make sure that pin 1
anandtech.com) are good places to find
B. Keyboard and mouse ($15 to $75 for key-
faster processor can cost less than $200.
G. Floppy disk drive ($15 to $20).
need to be changed.
on the processor matches
motherboard recommendations.
board; $10 to $75 for mouse).
Lower-end (600- to 800-MHz) CPUs are fine
H. Hard drive(s) ($90 to $250 each).
FOR MORE TIPS on buying components for your custom-built
system, see the expanded version of this step presented at
find.pcworld.com/10930.
A
I–L
the socket and carefully
insert the processor. As you
B
If you purchased your
pin 1 on the socket. The CPU
I. CD-RW drive (optional; $150 to $250).
motherboard along with a
will fit correctly only one
J. CD-ROM drive (optional; $35 to $75).
CPU and RAM, these com-
K. DVD-ROM drive (optional, $75 to $150).
ponents may already be installed. Otherwise,
L. Removable-media drive (optional; $50 to
you’ll need to do it. Lay the motherboard on
Install the cooling fan/heat sink on the
$500): Your choices range from 250MB Zip
a flat surface and install the RAM into the
CPU (procedures vary, so read the instruc-
drives to 2GB Jaz drives, as well as tape-
RAM sockets, beginning with the socket
tions carefully), and attach the fan power
backup drives. Some devices require a sepa-
marked “Bank 0.” Slide the module firmly
connector to the connector on the mother-
rate SCSI add-in controller ($50 to $100).
into the socket. A bracket on each side will
board (B). (See the motherboard manual for
M. AGP graphics card ($75 to $400): Plan
snap into place when the module is correct-
the correct location.)
way. Hold the processor
firmly in place and lock the lever down (A).
to spend more if you work with high-end 3D
C
Install the motherboard in the case
graphics or are a dedicated gamer; but inexpensive cards are fine for more-mundane
computing tasks.
O–P
N. Sound card ($30 to $200): If you choose
A
E
F
D
B
M
H
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N
SEPTEMBER 2001
G
Q
4
Screw in the metal
Next, hook up the small
A
standoffs (packed with
connectors for the case’s
an add-in card, you’ll need to disable the
the case hardware) that will
on/off switch, the reset but-
motherboard’s built-in sound (if any); this
hold the motherboard in
ton, speakers, and the indi-
usually involves working through the setup
the case (A). Carefully slide
cator lights (power and hard
program or using a jumper.
the board into place (B).
disk activity) to the mother-
O. Network card (optional; $50 to $100).
You’ll know it’s correctly
P. Modem ($40 to $75): A necessity if you
seated when the mounting
don’t have broadband Internet access.
holes line up. Using the
Q. Operating system and software (free to
screws that came with the
Finally, connect the large
$220 and up): You’ll need to obtain a copy of
case, mount the mother-
power connector from the
your OS of choice, as well as copies of any
board. Be careful not to
PC’s power supply to the
major applications you use. Of course, you
overtighten the screws, or
motherboard. The connec-
can opt for free alternatives, such as Linux.
you may damage the board.
tor will fit only one way. B
board. See your motherboard manual for details,
and work carefully.
SEPTEMBER 2001
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89
C OV E R S T O RY
Perform initial testing
5
Now’s the time to do a quick test of the
the wall, and turn on your PC. If your PC
don’t see anything on the screen, double-
motherboard, CPU, and RAM. Insert
beeps once and you see BIOS information on
check all connections (especially for the
the graphics card into the motherboard’s
the screen, the core components of your PC
power-switch cable running from the case
AGP slot, secure it with a screw, and hook up
are working fine. Unplug the PC from the wall
switch to the motherboard) and try again. If
the monitor, keyboard, and mouse. Connect
and continue with the steps below.
that still doesn’t work, see “Hunt Down PC
the AC power cord from the rear of the PC to
Building Problems,” on page 92.
But if your PC doesn’t power up or you
Install drives
6
Using the screws that came with the
middle of the case near the motherboard. If
the case, you may have to attach mounting
case, install the floppy disk drive. (If you
you have two hard drives, install the second
brackets that came with the case. Some
aren’t sure where it goes, look for the cutout
one next to the primary drive to make hook-
cases don’t require them. When you install
in the front panel of the case.)
ing up the cables easy.
the drives, make sure that their fronts line
Next, make sure the jumpers on your EIDE
For components, such as CD-RW drives,
hard drive (A),
that you’ll need to access from the front of
A
C D - RW d r i v e,
and other drives
up with the front of the case (B).
Install add-in cards
B
7
are set correctly. For more on
Press firmly
how to prepare
each add-in card un-
your drives for installation, see “Hard Disk &
til the card is seated
Removable Storage” on page 83.
properly in its slot;
Make sure the data and power connectors
A
and evenly on
then screw the card
on all drives are facing inside the case.
down using the set
Mount your hard drive (or drives) in the
of screws that came
appropriate location, usually in bays in the
with your case (A).
Connect the cables
8
It’s time to wire everything up. When making connections, make sure that
pin 1 of the wide data cables (usually the red wire) connects to pin 1 of the
E
C
drive and motherboard connectors. (If you’re lucky, you’ll have keyed connectors
on the cables that fit in only one way.) Note the beveled edge on the power connectors and their sockets, but be careful: You can force them in the wrong way.
A. Attach the floppy disk data cable from the drive to the floppy connector on
the motherboard.
B. Plug the wide data cable into the primary EIDE channel connector on the
motherboard and into the first hard drive on the other end. If you have a second
drive on that channel, attach the second connector on the cable to it. (It doesn’t
A
E
matter which connector you use on which drive.)
C. Connect a wide data cable from the secondary EIDE connector on the motherboard to your CD-RW drive. Attach the second connector to the second EIDE
C
drive on that channel (if any).
D. Run the thin audio cable (not pictured) from the rear of your CD-ROM or
DVD-ROM drive to the appropriate connector on the sound card—or to the motherboard, if you’re using its built-in sound support.
E. Plug power connectors into your floppy drive; your hard drive(s); your CDROM, CD-RW, or DVD-ROM drives; and any other removable-media drives.
Other drives (such as a DVD-ROM) may have additional cables. Follow the directions that came with the drive to connect these cables correctly. If you run out
of power leads, purchase a “Y” connector to add a lead.
90
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SEPTEMBER 2001
A
B
B
E
C OV E R S T O RY
TROUBLESHOOTING
Connect external peripherals
9
Plug the keyboard and mouse into the
ers, printer, and other devices (such as net-
appropriate connectors on the back of
work or modem cables). Finally, plug the AC
the case. Also hook up your monitor, speak-
cord from the power supply into the wall.
Install the operating system
10
Hunt Down
PC Building
Problems
Before you can set up your operating
might, however, need to tell your PC’s setup
IF NOTHING HAPPENS the first time
system, you must give your PC ac-
program to do that. Reset your PC and enter
you turn on your PC, it’s time to trou-
cess to your CD-ROM drive. All Windows
setup. (Procedures vary, but often you press
bleshoot. First, confirm that the PC
setup CD-ROMs are bootable, and most
the <Del> key at start-up.) The procedure for
power cable is firmly attached and
motherboards can boot from a CD-ROM. You
allowing CD-ROM booting also varies, though
that you’ve plugged it into a live AC
most commonly you enter the
outlet. If you have a voltmeter, you can
BIOS Features Setup menu and
easily check whether the power sup-
then cycle through the Boot Se-
ply is creating voltage. If that doesn’t
quence menu until you see an
solve the problem, unplug the PC from
entry that includes the CD-ROM
the wall and start checking connec-
drive. Save the setting and reboot
tions. Make sure the motherboard
your PC. Windows setup should
power connector is firmly attached,
start (A). Follow the directions on
and that the CPU, RAM, add-in cards,
screen to install. Keep the instal-
and all connectors are firmly seated.
lation CD-ROMs for your new
Hint: Double-check the connector
hardware handy.
from the case switch to the mother-
A
board. It’s easy to misconnect it.
Check Windows and install drivers
If the preceding steps don’t solve
the problem, start pulling out add-in
11
If you’re lucky, Windows setup will
you have them). In many cases, Windows rec-
cards (except the graphics card), one
recognize and install the correct driv-
ognizes these components and installs the
by one (with the power turned off and
required drivers and software.
the system unplugged, of course).
ers for all the hardware in your new PC. To
check, go to Start•Settings•Control Panel,
choose the System icon, and click the Device
After you pull out a card, try starting
A
the PC again. If your PC starts up, the
Manager tab (A). If all your peripherals are
last card you pulled out is the problem.
listed and you don’t see any yellow exclama-
Pulling out the graphics card is a no-
tion points, Windows recognizes all your
no because most motherboards won’t
hardware. If you do see exclamation points,
work without one.
right-click on the offending entry, choose
Tracking down problems with your
Properties, and follow the directions to use
RAM, CPU, or motherboard is more
the Windows hardware troubleshooter.
difficult. Ideally, you would swap out
When the Device Manager shows all clear,
each of those components one at a
install the software for your graphics card
time, but most of us don’t have extras
and sound card. Follow the manufacturer’s
sitting around.
directions. You may need to install extra soft-
If your PC starts but you have trou-
ware for your modem and network card (if
ble installing the operating system,
the problem could stem from a num-
Finish up
ber of sources. The Microsoft Knowledge Base (www.windows.com) has
12
Once you’re sure that the hardware
CDs, in case you don’t have a large-capacity
extensive reference material on com-
and operating system are functioning
removable-media drive or tape backup.)
mon setup issues. If you’re installing
correctly, make a basic backup disk that you
Finally, install all your applications, make
Windows Me, you’ll find a helpful trou-
can use to restore the system if you run into
sure everything’s okay, and create another
bleshooting section at www.microsoft.
future problems. (Most CD-RW drives come
backup; then put the cover on your new cus
tom PC, and enjoy yourself.
com/windowsme/support.
with software for creating system backup
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