PC Building Best Practices: Software - bakerdreme1954
Construction a Microcomputer is a long, multistep process. First you must piece a platform and choose a example to record-breaking fit your needs. And then you possess to perform some research and acquire the individual components. Finally, once you've chosen wholly of the components, you can begin the actual assemblage. See the inaugural installment in this two-part series, "PC Edifice Best Practices: Computer hardware," for our complete guide.
The build doesn't end once you've physically assembled the arrangement, however. After putting in concert all of the components, you must install software on the organization before it'll arrange a darn thing. Unfortunately, galore inexperienced builders bu slap the parts in, burn through an OS installation, and call it quits. Although that may get a PC up and running quickly, several additional stairs are necessary to ensure that the computer runs reliably and at peak operation.
System builders should confirm that their components are equipped with the latest correct firmware operating theater BIOS revisions where applicative, besides as the best drivers. Builders should fully patch and update the operating system, too, and they should nail any tweaks needed to wring additional performance from select components.
Let's set about started, shall we?
BIOS and Microcode Updates
Few users volition debate that IT's not necessary to update a component's BIOS/UEFI or firmware unless it is to address a specific problem, spell others think up that safekeeping every part up-to-day of the month in an assay to prevent in store headaches is a good idea. I tall with the latter viewpoint, as updated microcode normally addresses compatibility and performance issues, and occasionally adds virgin features.
When you're collection a red-hot arrangement, check the component manufacturers' websites for new BIOS/UEFI files or microcode releases for motherboards, solid-state drives, optical drives, board-RAID card game, and (to a some lesser extent) graphics cards. Many computer components purchased at retail or online have been sitting on a shelf for weeks, or maybe even months. During that time, many manufacturers continue to refine and improve the firmware on their components. To benefit from those refinements, you essential install the newest firmware version.
Motherboard manufacturers frequently update their products to address incompatibilities, heighten overclocking capabilities, and impart support for new processors and memory, among many separate things. Near mod motherboards have built-in tools to gimcrack new and updated BIOS/UEFI files. You can download the files from the motherboard manufacturing business's internet site, copy them to a USB flash drive, and flash them using the intrinsical tools. If you have an older motherboard that does non offering an integrated flash utility, still, typically you will have to instant the BIOS using a bootable drive that boots to DOS or from inside Windows.
Microcode updates for solid-state drives and optical drives vary from producer to manufacturer. Some provide standstill-uncomparable executable files that you need to run in Windows, while others run over from bootable drives in DOS mode. For optical drives, firmware updates commonly address compatibility issues with new media, and often improve write performance. In contrast, because solid-state drives are a relatively new technology, SSD firmware updates can cost much more substantial. A parvenue SSD firmware can occasionally change the entire performance visibility of the drive–commonly for the best. Many SSD firmware updates, however, are devastating and will wipe out the table of contents of the drive, thus check for an update before installing anything connected the get.
Updates for add-in RAID cards and graphics cards are much less mutual, relatively speaking, merely before you put together a scheme you should handicap the manufacturer's website for updates anyway. Firmware updates for Maraud cards can improve performance or clear putridness issues, while updates for graphics card game commonly address motherboard incompatibilities or squash bugs. Much updates May have to run from DOS or within Windows; the process varies from maker to manufacturer.
OS Installation
Although you have a myriad of operating system choices, for this article I'm assuming that you're a Windows user. That aforesaid, a kosher installation and update process is important for any OS.
Installing an operating scheme doesn't stop when you've finished the initial setup and the system has booted to the desktop for the basic time. Unfortunately, this is the point when many users start to install apps and pollute the system with junk from around the Web. Instead, immediately after installing Windows, connect to the Web (which may require instalmen network-bill of fare surgery Wi-Fi drivers forward) and run Windows Update. And after completing the first round of updates, keep running Windows Update time and again until no much patches are available. Many protection holes in Windows and its included applications need patching after a fresh installation, and information technology's unsurpassed to stop up those holes right away to minimize your risk of infection. Some updates also fix compatibility problems with third-party applications or add features to the Operating system.
Fund special attention to the heel of updates being installed, however. Windows Update will also crack to instal drivers for some components. If you've already downloaded drivers for your components from the manufacturer's site, you have none need to install what are credible much older drivers from Windows Update.
Next Page: Device Drivers and Other Tweaks
Device Drivers: Go down Get 'Em
After you've completely updated your firmware and fully patched your Operating system, it's time to install the latest gimmick drivers for completely of your components. This is arguably the most crucial step to ensure optimal organization performance, compatibility, and stability. However, I recommend that you not establis drivers from Windows Update or from the CD/DVD included with your components, if you can avoid IT. As I've mentioned, Windows Update often serves up old drivers, and the animal media bundled with many devices can be yellow, too.
I recommend visiting each component producer's website to download drivers for:
- Motherboards/chipsets
- Artwork cards
- Sound card game/controllers
- Meshing controllers
- Any other add-in enlargement card game
For graphics cards, though, don't bother aim to the website of the card brand; instead, attend the GPU maker's site. That means visiting Nvidia's internet site if you own a GeForce OR AMD's place if you have a Radeon. The latest point of reference drivers available on the Nvidia and AMD sites are virtually always the best drivers to use for your GPU. This step is especially important for gamers, atomic number 3 new graphics drivers typically handle bugs or amend performance with the modish games.
Note, too, that you should install drivers in a certain decree. Although thither are no invariable rules, it's normally a good idea to instal your motherboard/chipset drivers first, because typically they'll affect the system's USB and storage controllers, PCI Express mail, and assorted other low-layer settings. Aft instalmen the chipset drivers, move on to the graphics drivers, followed by all the rest.
Else Tweaks
With all of your number one wood installations complete, you can move on to the coating touches. Countless tweaks to Windows privy heighten carrying into action operating theatre virtually any unusual aspect of the OS–there are too many to cover in a separate clause. I can provide a little of guidance, withal.
Umpteen specialised tweaks for particular components are worth doing. If you have a congealed-put forward drive, for instance, I recommend running the downloadable SSD Tweaker utility. SSD Tweaker modifies various OS settings, much as the indexing service and some legacy NTFS settings, to increase the SSD's overall performance and long-run reliability. For graphics cards, great tierce-party utilities such as MSI's Afterburner or EVGA's Preciseness pull round gradual to pluck fan speeds or to overclock your GPU.
Tweaking Windows for optimal carrying into action (and minimal chafe) is advisable as fortunate. Manually specifying a static pagefile is a good tweak to ensure that your PC ne'er runs out of virtual memory board, and to minimize any thrashing of a hard aim Oregon unnecessary writes on an SSD. Don't disable your pagefile, however; although information technology's not e'er required, some applications still need it to mathematical function properly. I also advise replacing more or less of Windows' included apps with better third-party tools. For illustration, you put up replace Windows' intrinsical defragmentation puppet with the superior Defraggler and augment the Disk Cleanup tool with CCleaner, both from Piriform.
Once you've completed totally of your installations and tweaks, run Disc Cleanup (and CCleaner) to sweep out whatsoever odd trash and temp files, and to reclaim as more than entrepot space as possible. Don't be surprised if you gain gigabytes of distance, justified on a clean organisation. And if your PC has a velar drive, once it's spic-and-span, defragment it (but never defragment a solid-state drive).
Although I couldn't possibly cover all of the tweaks and nuances of every possible hardware and software program compounding in this article, I hope I've given you decent high-level guidance to entrap and optimize your new manipulate properly. Righteous remember, your build isn't through simply because you've put in collaboration a few parts and run the Windows installer. Update the firmware, install the latest drivers, patch up and tweak the OS, and clear out the rubble before considering your build skilled.
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Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/465741/pc_building_best_practices_software.html
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