# How To Assemble A Desktop PC/Software

Now that you've got a functioning computer, you'll need to install some
software if you're going to do anything with it. An operating system or
two must come first, then hardware drivers (so that the operating system
can access your hardware) followed by security software and utilities.
And that's as far as we're going to go with you, but you'll also want to
install some application software -- games, word processors, databases,
programming languages -- whatever floats your boat\... That's pretty
much the point of this whole computer business after all, though I hope
you've found the journey of building it yourself has been worthwhile in
its own way.

In this section we'll consider what software you'll want to install and
how you might go about doing so.

## BIOS updates

One important step that can be required as the starting point after you
have a working PC, depending on how stable your BIOS is (bugs or any
lacking specific software and hardware support), is to do an update of
it (called \"flashing\" the BIOS). This step can be overlooked if you
are sure that any later versions of your BIOS will not solve any issues
or requirements you have. The simplest way as an initial step is to,
find another computer, download the flash update and put it on a USB
thumb drive (or another a bootable support media) and boot the new
computer with it. If you do not have another computer or thumb drive,
you will need to put off this step until after you install the operating
system (you can also use a boot disk that permits you to get an OS
running out of it) to get the new computer connected to the network.

## Operating system(s)

If you have a workable machine that recognizes the basic hardware (CPU,
memory, HD, mouse and keyboard) you can now start installing an
operating system (OS). You may select from several available on the
Internet or from your local computer store.

Options can be varied, there are many operating systems to choose from,
including commercial ones like Microsoft Windows (of which the current
version is Windows 11 version 22H2) or free ones like GNU/Linux
distribution (a free software operating system) or BSD. It all depends
on the uses you will be giving to your machine (function and required
software) and the price tag you are willing to pay and the support you
require. Simply put, can you accomplish your day to day tasks with the
software that will run under the operating system in question? Do you
require some special software availability, ability to run on older
equipment? Have you considered the costs? Determine your needs before
installing an operating system.

Note that you also have the option of installing more than one operating
system in what is called a multiboot setup. Having installed an OS, you
can always install another later. The complexity of doing so may vary,
depending on how the last one automates (or not at all) the process. If
your multi-boot setup is Windows-only, install the oldest Windows
version first.

### Installing Windows

The installation of Windows is relatively easy. Push the power button on
the front of the PC, put the DVD-ROM in your optical drive or insert the
USB, and follow the on-screen instructions (you may have to configure
your BIOS to start with the DVD or USB). If you are doing a Windows-only
install, just allocate all of the hard drive to Windows.

Some people find that it\'s useful to create separate partitions for the
operating system and data. This means that if something goes wrong with
the operating system, the partition can be formatted and the operating
system can be reinstalled, possibly without losing data. If you have
already allocated the whole disk to 1 partition and you want to change
it later, you can do so and create new partition (from the existing
partition) using Disk Management in Windows Vista and later or use a
third-party tool.

If you are installing Windows on a RAID drive, or a SATA drive in some
cases, you are going to have to provide drivers to the Windows installer
so that it can access the hard drive on the raid controller. At the
prompt where you are asked to choose a partition, you can click Load
Driver and browse (or ask Windows to search) for the driver. Unlike
Windows XP, you are not limited to floppies; a USB flash drive suffices.

It\'s a good idea to save your license key for windows in a safe place
in case reinstalling becomes necessary.

### Installing Windows to dual-boot with GNU/Linux

!Dual booting allows you to select your operating system on
boot.
If you are dual-booting, some extra factors must be considered. NTFS,
which is the default file system that Windows uses, is fairly well
supported in Linux. NTFS-3g has reached a
usable stage, with users reporting no data corruption or loss during
ordinary use of the latest versions of the driver, providing GNU/Linux
users with a reliable way to read and write NTFS partitions. This system
is now in widespread use and most up-to-date Linux distros will support
the NTFS file system. Previously only read support was safe, and this
may still be the case for some distributions. However, NTFS does have
some advantages over FAT32, in that a 4GB file size limit no longer
exists. Though Linux supports NTFS, Windows does not have built-in
support for any of the standard GNU/Linux file systems. However, there
are Windows applications, such as Ext2
IFS that can be used to read/write
ext2 and ext3 systems.

When it comes to partition the hard disk(s), remember to leave space for
GNU/Linux (a good amount is on the order of a third of your total hard
disk space). You may want to have a spare FAT32 partition (of around one
third of your disk space) on which to share documents between Windows
and GNU/Linux. Though this will most likely not be necessary unless you
are using a distro which cannot read/write NTFS. You should also modify
the partition table as necessary - you may not need as much space for
Windows or you may need more in your FAT32 transfer area. But you must
ensure that you leave at least 30 GB for your Windows installation,
since the standard installation of Windows takes up about 10-15 GB of
hard drive space, and it is always wise to leave extra on, to allow for
any changes that may occur. Windows 8 in particular blocks installing on
drives less than 16GB (20GB for 64-bit) free space. If you have 16 GB or
higher RAM, you\'ll need more space.

### Installing GNU/Linux

The primary problem faced in installing GNU/Linux is choosing between
distributions. Of the many variants of GNU/Linux, Fedora, SuSE, and
Ubuntu are generally recommended, as they are updated regularly and
compatible with a broad range of hardware:

-   Ubuntu, widely regarded as one of the easiest
    to use versions of GNU/Linux. The amount of community documentation
    and support makes this a solid choice for a beginner.
-   Fedora, a distribution known for it\'s pursuit of leading edge tech
    while remaining stable.
-   openSuSE, A feature rich distribution and relative of SUSE Linux
    Enterprise.
-   Debian, not feature packed, but a very stable operating system and a
    solid base for learning more about GNU/Linux.

Some GNU/Linux variants may support hardware that these do not. If you
have obscure or old hardware, you may want to search forum sites for
various GNU/Linux variants to ensure compatibility. For example, Puppy
Linux is a small Linux distro designed to run
on older systems.

For example, let's consider Ubuntu. It\'s a variant of Debian, and is
the current standard for easy-to-use GNU/Linux distributions. One can
download the .iso image or order a DVD (containing a combined
installation and Live disk) from its website. An .iso is nothing more
than a special file format that your CD drive burning software uses to
create a copy of the software, in this case a copy of Ubuntu GNU/Linux.

The installation of most distros GNU/Linux is relatively easy. Push the
button on the front of the PC, put the disk in your optical drive, and
follow the on-screen instructions. By default, the installation version
of Ubuntu will erase all files on the hard drive and partition 1.8 GB
for the OS. If you want to customize, follow the on-screen instructions
carefully. The LiveDVD version does not erase your hard drive and is
intended solely for a user to test drive Ubuntu GNU/Linux.

When installing a GNU/Linux distro, you may be asked to choose between
alternatives -- whether to run KDE or Gnome (The desktop interfaces),
for instance, or to install vi or Emacs or nano (Text editors). If the
terms are unfamiliar a quick Google search will usually yield answers.
Most choices have comparable features, and the choice usually comes down
to preference. It can be a good idea to \"Distro hop\" or trying
multiple different distros in a short period of time, to figure out what
works best for you.

## Security

After installation, security should be your priority.

### Updates

From time to time, software companies and independent programmers
release new and improved versions to their software; these are known as
updates. Updates usually install new features or fix problems. Usually,
you should download the latest updates to improve system performance
though it\'s sometimes wise to wait a little while to be sure the update
itself does not cause problems. Many programs update themselves and this
process is known as an automatic update. If you have to manually update
your software, do so through the software developer\'s site, not through
a secondary source. This approach will reduce the chance of contracting
a virus or other piece of malicious software.

#### Windows

A newly installed computer can be attacked within moments of being
connected to the Internet. In severe cases, the attacks can render a
system unbootable or make a second reinstallation faster or easier than
manually removing the malicious programs causing the problems. To avoid
having your new computer attacked, install a firewall, or activate the
one that came with your OS. Both Windows and GNU/Linux have in-built
firewalls: in some GNU/Linux distributions, it is enabled by default.
Windows 10 includes an antivirus, but you should update to the latest
version for better protection against current threats.

As soon as you are on the Internet, run your operating system\'s update
facility to fix any security flaws that have been found since your CD
was printed. To do this before Windows 10, simply click on your Start
Menu, click on \'All Programs\', and then click on Windows
Update, and follow the instructions. On
Windows 10, open Settings and click Update and Security .

#### GNU/Linux

!The YaST (Yet another Setup Tool) Control
Center Control Center")
The method of updating your GNU/Linux system varies greatly from
distribution to distribution.

For SuSE, there are two ways:

1.  YaST (Yet another Setup Tool), the default package manager/system
    management tool for SuSE
2.  ZENworks updater, a GUI-based updating service

For Fedora, type

:   `dnf update`

as the root user inside a terminal window.

It is perhaps easiest to update the OS from Debian-based distributions
such as Debian, Ubuntu and Linspire. For Debian and Linspire you type
the following into a terminal window while running as the root user:

:   `apt update`
:   `apt-get dist-upgrade`

Ubuntu has you run sudo to switch run a program as root. Type the
following into a terminal:

:   `sudo apt update`
:   `sudo apt-get dist-upgrade`

Most distros, including Ubuntu, also have a GUI-based updater program.

#### Automatic updates

If your computer will be running overnight (or if you\'re just lazy), it
may be good to have your computer update itself.

**Debian-based (LINUX) -** Debian-based operating
systems (including Ubuntu, but Ubuntu already has a more simplified
automatic updater) will typically use a cron script
for receiving automatic updates by the console (although you can
download some GUI-based updating tools - that is, if you\'re working
with a GUI).

**Ubuntu (LINUX) -** As Ubuntu is based on Debian, you can use a cron
script, but an easier way of doing it (if you\'re using
GNOME) is to go to the \"System\" menu, then
\"Administration\", then \"Software Sources\". Then open up the
\"Updates\" tab and select \"Automatic updates\", also select \"Install
security updates without confirmation\".

**SuSE (LINUX) -** SuSE uses YaST to manage
updates, packages (applications), and system settings. YaST can be
configured to use automatic updates in the YaST control centre.

**Microsoft Windows -** Microsoft has always used the Microsoft
Update service (formerly called
\"Windows Update\") to manage updates both automatically and manually
(although by default it usually is a automatic update). Windows XP
onwards reminds you when the computer is needed to be restarted if an
update requires one via a special icon in the notification area.

Windows 10 provides an option of setting *active hours*; the computer
will not restart to complete updates during that time.

If you have Windows 10 Pro, it is possible to *defer* (postpone) updates
for up to one year or one month, depending on the type of update. It is
also possible to completely stop updates for up to 35 days (with the
caveat that all updates will then have to be installed before the
updates can be stopped again). To configure such options, go to
Settings\>Update and Security\>Advanced Options.

### Anti-malware

Anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-spam programs (which generically are
all called anti-malware programs) of commercial quality or better can be
found for free online quite easily and can protect your computer from
various nasties you might get while surfin\' on the Internet. Windows
programs are listed in the software section below. Third-party firewalls
for Windows are recommended as the built-in default one Windows provides
is not nearly powerful as, for example, ZoneAlarm, a third-party
Firewall solution that not only monitors incoming traffic, but monitors
outgoing traffic as well. The latest versions of Windows 10 include
Microsoft Defender, a antivirus and
antispyware program.

Security software is important and should be set up first. The best
procedure is not to connect to the Internet at all until your choice of
anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software is installed and
activated, then connect to the Internet and update each of these
programs, though it is usually fine to connect to the Internet for the
purpose of downloading it.

Once secured, your system should be safe for prudent Internet browsing;
however, remember to schedule regular scans and keep your security
software up to date.

## Drivers

Now that your computer is relatively secure, you will need to install
software to control your various hardware components. This type of
software is known as a driver.

Although you may find that all of your hardware works out of the box,
consider downloading the driver straight from the company\'s Internet
site. This will ensure you have the latest edition of the software.
Knowing where to download the driver is also good in case you lose the
CD that came with the device.

If you do not have a fast Internet connection (broadband), the company
usually provides an option to receive the driver CD in the mail, in
which case you\'ll want to use the CD you have now and update the driver
later. Even if something seems to be working fine, downloading new
drivers may help increase computer efficiency, though there is always a
risk that a brand new version may break something. Downloading drivers
for your motherboard\'s chipset can often help if you are having a
problem. Finally, many monitors will not go above a certain refresh rate
without the proper driver, which may be of great concerns to gamers.

If you are using Microsoft Windows, you can generally find drivers for
your selected hardware on the manufacturer\'s website. Most GNU/Linux
systems already have all of the drivers installed, with the exception of
proprietary modem and graphics drivers. If you can\'t find the driver
you need, a simple Google search will often
yield the best results. Windows Update also often can install the latest
drivers (though you may have to go to Windows Update to install it, as
they may not be considered important).

## Software

Before buying software for your new PC, remember that there is an
abundance of useful software, free for downloading, available on the
Internet. From web browsers to word processors to graphic manipulation
programs, there is plenty of software available online.

Though most of what is available is safe and useful, it's always a good
idea to do a little research and make a backup before installing
anything new. The following are some proven and reliable programs that
are available, free (or gratis), for individual use (and sometimes more;
check the license).

Broadly speaking, there are three types of licenses:

-   Proprietary - This is the type of license that comes with most
    software that is purchased. Source code is not available, and you
    cannot make copies for others.
-   Freeware - The software is zero cost (free), and you may share
    copies with others. You cannot make copies and sell them, however.
    The source code is usually not available.
-   Free software/Open Source - The source code is available. This means
    that if you know how to program, you can make and distribute
    variations of the program yourself, fix bugs you find, etc. You may
    share copies with others, and you may pay for the software on disk,
    or download it for free. (The \"free\" in \"free software\" refers
    to \"free\" as in \"free speech\", not as in \"free beer\".)

Of course, there is a lot of overlap and many exceptions to these
generalizations. Be sure to check the license that comes with your
software to be sure of what your rights are!

### Windows

-   Web Browser: Mozilla Firefox,
    Google
    Chrome/Chromium "wikilink"),
    or Microsoft Edge.
-   E-mail Client: Windows Mail "wikilink"), Mozilla
    Thunderbird
-   Office Suite: LibreOffice, Office
    365, Microsoft
    Office
-   Disc Tools: InfraRecorder, Nero
    Multimedia Suite
-   Instant Messenger: Pidgin "wikilink"),
    Trillian "wikilink"),
    Telegram "wikilink")
-   Media Player: VLC media player,
    Winamp, iTunes,
    Windows Media Player
-   Anti-malware: Malwarebytes "wikilink"),
    AVG AntiVirus, Avast
    Antivirus, ESET
    NOD32, Microsoft
    Defender
-   Security: Spybot -- Search &
    Destroy, ZoneAlarm
    Firewall
-   Utilities: 7-Zip,
    Rainmeter, Copernic Desktop
    Search
-   PDF Reader: Adobe Acrobat Reader or
    Foxit Reader
-   Photo Editing: Paint.net,
    GIMP, Microsoft
    Paint

To ease out the installation process for utilities and other basic
software, you can use Ninite. Check all the
software that you need and download the installation utility. However,
note that this utility will only install in your Windows partition and
you cannot manually specify the directories in which you want the
applications installed.

You can also get many of these programs (or alternatives) from the
Microsoft Store.

### GNU/Linux

!An example of GNOME Software, a common graphical utility for managing
software on GNU/Linux
computers
Unlike Windows, on a GNU/Linux system the majority of the software that
you will want for everyday use of your computer is usually included out
of the box, or handled by the package manager provided by your
distribution. Many distros that focus on ease of use have a graphical
interface for installing software that is similar to a mobile phone app
store.

As an example, to install the software git on Ubuntu, only a single
command is needed

``` bash
sudo apt install git
```

The *sudo* command confirms you have permission to use apt. The *apt*
command calls the apt package manager. *install* lets apt know you want
to install the following item, in this case *git*.

Some distros contain an additional package manager, typically either
Flatpak, or
Snap "wikilink"). Applications installed from
these managers run in their own *sandbox* that limit their access to the
rest of the system, increasing security.

If they aren\'t already installed by your distribution:

-   Web Browser: Mozilla Firefox, Google
    Chrome/Chromium "wikilink"),
    Konqueror or
    Opera "wikilink").
-   Email Client: Mozilla
    Thunderbird, GNOME
    Evolution, or
    Kmail
-   Office Suite: LibreOffice, or Calligra
    Suite
-   Instant Messenger: Pidgin "wikilink") or
    Kopete.
-   Media Players: Kodi "wikilink"), GNOME
    Videos,
    Rhythmbox,
    Amarok "wikilink"), or VLC Media
    Player.
-   Movie/DVD Players: Xine or
    MPlayer.
-   Disk Tools: Brasero "wikilink"),
    GParted
-   Windows Compatibility: WINE "wikilink"),
    Proton "wikilink"), or
    Lutris
-   Virtual systems: QEMU or GNOME
    Boxes.
-   Photo Editing: GIMP or
    Darktable
-   Art: Krita (2D Raster), Inkscape (2D
    Vector), Blender (3D
    Art) "wikilink")
-   Audio: Audacity, LMMS,
    Ardour "wikilink")

### Additional Software

#### Open source

For additional software some excellent sources of free and open-source
software are

-   GitHub, GitLab, and
    SourceForge - Sites featuring many Open
    Source projects.
-   Portable Apps - Provides portable
    versions of applications meant
    for running on USB keys.
-   AlternativeTo - Provides lists of
    alternatives to common software.
-   Free Software Directory

#### Proprietary

Of course, it is also possible to *buy* copies of software.

-   Microsoft Store "wikilink") - Sells
    software for Windows 10 and 11.
-   Xbox Game Pass - Microsoft\'s
    subscription game service, available for Windows 10 and 11.
-   GOG Galaxy - Sells games without
    DRM.
-   Steam "wikilink"), Humble
    Store - Large markets of games and some
    software.
-   itch.io - Indie game host
-   Epic Games Store,
    Origin "wikilink"),
    Uplay, Battle.net -
    Publisher focused game sellers.
-   Adobe Creative Cloud - Sells
    Adobe creative products through a subscription model.
-   Autodesk - Sells engineering and 3D
    Software.

## See also

-   A Neutral Look at Operating
    Systems


# How To Assemble A Desktop PC/Overclocking

Overclocking is the practice of making a
component run at a higher clock speed than the manufacturer\'s
specification. The idea is to increase performance for free or to exceed
current performance limits, but this may come at the cost of stability.

Extensive overclocking will result in the destruction of hardware so
ensure proper cooling before overclocking.

Overclocking is like souping up a car: if you just want to get where
you\'re going, there\'s no need for it. But it is fun and educational
and can get you a machine that provides performance all out of
proportion to its cost.

Think of the 4 GHz on your new 4 GHz Core i7 as a speed limit asking to
be broken. Some other components in your computer can also be
overclocked, including RAM and your video card in many cases. Over
clocking is possible because of the way electronic parts, especially
VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) chips are made and sold. All
processors in a given line, the i7 for example, are made the same way,
on a large die that is cut up into individual processors, those
processors are then tested and graded as to speed, the best chips will
be marked as 4 GHz, the second best 3.8 etc. As time goes by and
production processes and masks improve, even the lower rated chips may
be capable of faster speeds, especially if vigorous cooling is
implemented. Also many manufacturers will mark chips that test faster at
slower speeds if there is higher demand for the lower end component.

It's important to note that not every chip will be overclockable; it's
really the luck of the draw. Some companies that sell 'factory
overclocked' systems engage in a practice called "binning" where they
buy a number of processors, test them for overclocking potential and
throw the ones that don't overclock in a bin to be resold at their rated
speed. Even with processors that have a reputation for overclocking
well, some parts simply will not exceed their rating.

That said, effective cooling can give a boost to a chip\'s
overclockability. With luck you will be able to get extra performance
out of your components for free. With luck and skill you can get
performance that is not possible even when using the top of the line
components. Sometimes you can buy cheaper parts, and then OC them to the
clock speed of the higher end component, though the cost of extra
cooling can compromise any money you may be saving on the part, not to
mention warranty and part life issues.

## Things that can\'t be overclocked

Although it is possible to overclock many of the components of a
computer (such as the CPU, memory and video card), it is not possible to
overclock all components. In particular mechanical components do not use
a clock speed and can not be overclocked. For example, it is not
possible to overclock a hard disk drive, a fan, or an optical drive such
as a Blu-Ray drive. For such devices other solutions exist, i.a. use a
quicker file system and/or faster components in the first place; also in
some special cases of hard disks drives, update the driver (which
contains optimized code); remap blocks with high latencies to low
latency blocks (using a tool such as mhdd), and in event a RAID is
present, change the configuration, driver and/or software and/or
settings. However such techniques and procedures are beyond the scope of
this document.

## Components

### CPU

#### Choosing the CPU

While the CPU is usually the best component to overclock, most CPU\'s
these days are locked, which means that the multiplier cannot be changed
from its default clocks. While previously (until Sandy Bridge), users
used to work around this limitation by adjusting the base clock of the
CPU, on Sandy Bridge till Broadwell (2^nd^ to 5^th^), attempting to do
so over a few megahertz would usually cause the system to crash, even if
the CPU itself is stable. This is because increasing the base clock
would also affect other system components.

This means that, at a best case scenario of a 5 MHz increase over the
usual 100 MHz base clock, an i3-4370 (3.8 GHz) can only be overclocked
by 38\*5 = 190 MHz, which would increase the clock speed to only 3.99
GHz.

This limits your Intel CPU choice to the following, if you want to
overclock:

1.  CPU\'s labelled with a K at the end of their model number (eg:-
    i5-13600K)
2.  Extreme Edition processors (X series). An example would be the
    12-core i9-10920X.
3.  Pentium G3258 (more on that later)
4.  C (high end graphics) line.

Most (if not all) AMD Ryzen CPU are overclockable; it is *not* necessary
to buy the highest-end model (aka the X variant) solely for
overclocking, though such variants may include better coolers instead.

For Intel chips, these overclockable chips usually come at a 5-15%
premium over the non overclockable but otherwise identical CPU.

Now about the Intel Pentium G3258. This chip caused a lot of hype when
it was first released back in 2014, as it was the cheapest and
lowest-end Pentium chip released by Intel in honour of its 20th year
anniversary. However, the main steal in this is the fact that this CPU
is highly overclockable, which made all the difference. Still though, it
won\'t reach the level of a stock i5 with overclocking; its dual-core no
hyperthreading design can hurt it badly, and it\'s now over {{#expr:
 - 2014}} years old. If you really need to
build an ultra-budget PC, then a Ryzen 3 or a non-overclockable Pentium
Gold processor would be a better choice.

The integrated graphics (if present) on the chip can often be
overclocked even on otherwise non-overclockable CPU\'s.

#### How to overclock

For older computers, one changes the clock speed of the CPU in the BIOS.
This holds true for newer computers as well, but you can usually use
Intel\'s Extreme Tuning
Utility
(XTU) or AMD\'s Wattman if you want to do it in Windows itself. This
method, while probably safer, is not the best method to overclock.

Assuming that you have a multiplier-unlocked CPU, head on to the BIOS,
look for a CPU-modifying option within the BIOS (it depends between
manufacturers), and raise the All-Core multiplier by a notch(For
example, if you have a 3.5 GHz chip with a multiplier of 35x, raise it
to 36x).

Then boot back into Windows and then run a stress tool like
Prime95. It is a good idea to run it for
some time (like an hour) but not for too long as you may end up damaging
your CPU instead. Keep a watchful eye at the CPU temperatures; you
should not go over 85C. If you do, you may need a better CPU cooler. Do
NOT use the stock cooler if you are overclocking!

If it passes, go back into the BIOS and increase the multiplier again by
a notch. If it fails, return back to the BIOS and then raise the CPU
voltage slightly. Then repeat the stress test.

Continue this process till

1.  The stress test has failed and you\'ve applied enough voltage, or
2.  The CPU is running too hot.
3.  The CPU is throttling (reducing speeds)

It is important that you do not apply too much CPU voltage as you may
end up damaging the CPU. Also remember to keep any adaptive voltage
settings on, as they reduce the voltage and prolong the life of your CPU
when it is in idle.

### Video card

Two different parts of a video card may be overclocked[^1], the GPU
(Graphics Processing Unit) and the RAM. In addition, disabled pipelines
on a video card may also be enabled through third-party drivers,
third-party software, or direct hardware modifications depending on your
video card type. Overclocking a video card is usually done through
third-party or proprietary software.

Recent AMD proprietary Catalyst drivers feature an interface called
Overdrive that allows for dynamic GPU frequency scaling based on its
temperature and load. Increase the load, the clock rate increases for
performance, but it\'s balanced against the increasing temperature.
Sufficient for simple increases in overall performance, this doesn\'t
allow for the best performance increase which requires overclocking the
memory. For that you\'ll need third-party applications or drivers.

An application example is ATITool. This program has many options,
including GPU and memory overclocking, temperature monitoring, and fan
control, allowing for a much more complete solution to overclocking ATI
based video cards. There are many third party drivers, omegadrivers.net,
for example hosts ATI and nVidia drivers as well. Both of which include
integrated overclocking and many unlocked features, including enhanced
image quality for nVidia-based cards.

nVidia users can use one of the many overclocking tools like MSI
Afterburner to overclock their GPU. Many of them also include
stress-testing tools built-in to validate the stability of the
overclock.

For Intel integrated graphics, one can overclock using Intel\'s Extreme
Tuning Utility, in much the same way as one would overclock the
processor.

The most important thing to remember about overclocking a video card is
cooling. This can\'t be stressed enough. Just as a CPU can be damaged or
have a shortened lifespan by overclocking or excessive and prolonged
heat, so can a video card. In the past year many inexpensive and easy to
install options have surfaced for cooling a video card, from adhesive
ram heatsinks which attach to un-cooled ram chips, to rather expensive
water-cooling solutions. A good midpoint (both in cost and
effectiveness) solution is to purchase and install a direct exhaust,
\"sandwich\" cooling solution. Direct exhaust means all air from the
cooling fan is blown across the video card and directly out of the
computer case, usually using the open PCI slot below the AGP (or PCIe)
slot. This allows for substantially lower GPU temperatures.

A sandwich cooler is two aluminum or copper heatsinks, shape formed for
a particular video card, that \"sandwiches\" the video card in between
the two and are usually connected by some kind of copper heat pipe which
allows for the hotter side to convey heat to the cooler side for
dissipation. The GPU should never surpass 80 degrees Celsius for optimal
performance and to avoid damaging the card. Most of the latest video
cards are rated to go up to 90 C, but this is NOT recommended by anyone.
The optimal temperature for a video card is 55 - 70 C for the card
itself (the GPU\'s temperature differs depending on which you have,) but
the lower you can get it, the better.

It is also possible to use software to change the fan speed on certain
cards. Changing the fan to run at full speed can cool the card better,
dependening on your card and the speed of the fan in the first place.
Software such as Rivatuner can be used for
Nvidia based cards.

## Getting the few extra MHz out of a chip

!Some people treat overclocking as a sort of sport, and try to get
ludicrous performance out of parts. While using liquid nitrogen for
cooling is fun, it\'s not very practical for day to day
use.

### Cooling

When increasing the speed of any computer components you are making the
components work harder and by doing so they output more heat. Heat can
cause system instability so cooling is necessary to help keep your
components stable at higher speeds. Without good cooling you could harm
or shorten the life of your system. CPU temperature can usually be
checked from within the BIOS. However, these are inaccurate as your CPU
is under almost no load in the bios. SiSoftware Sandra may be used
within Windows to check temperature. This should be done when your CPU
has been under a heavy load for a while for optimum results.

There are three types of cooling that are generally accepted for
overclocking: Air, water and peltier.

With both air cooling and water cooling some type of transfer material
is needed to move the energy away from the sensitive electronics. The
device used for this purpose is a heatsink. The two most popular
heatsink materials are Aluminum and Copper. The heatsink that is stock
on factory computers by major manufacturers (Dell, HP, Acer, Etc) is
usually made of aluminum, which has satisfactory heat transfer
characteristics. However when overclocking more heat is being produced
from the increase in power consumption. In order to obtain lower
temperatures a material with better heat transfer properties is
important and copper is the material that offers the best ratio of
price/performance.

### Power

Chips at higher speeds may need more power. Raising the vcore voltage on
a CPU might enable it to go at slightly faster speeds but by doing so
you add a lot more heat output from the CPU. The V~core~ of a processor
is the voltage at which a chip is set to run at with the stock speed.
This voltage may need to be changed when the multiplier is raised
because otherwise the transistors in the chip won\'t switch fast
enough - transistors switch faster the higher the supply voltage. If
there is not enough voltage then the chip will become unstable and crash
randomly. Good cooling is needed to keep the system stable at higher
speeds. Raising the vcore too much may harm or shorten the life of your
system. Raising the vcore can also greatly affect the stability of the
system. This is where a high quality PSU will come into play. While many
cheap, no-name brand PSU\'s will crash and die with more V~core~, a good
quality one will live to serve you for a long time. For most modern
Intel and AMD processors, it is strongly recommended not to exceed 1.45V
on the vcore, however even 1.45V can significantly reduce the lifetime
of a CPU.

Note: increasing the speed via multiplier without changing the voltage
will also increase heat output, but not as much as when also increasing
voltage. Having said that, increasing the multiplier without adjusting
the voltage may make your system unstable (undervolt).

## Undervolting

![](ThrottleStop_undervolt.png "ThrottleStop_undervolt.png"){width="800"}

The above screenshot shows the process of undervolting in ThrottleStop -
click (1) and adjust (2). -50 mV to -100 mV is around the tolerance
range of most laptops.

Instead of raising V~core~ during overclocking, you could also simply
*reduce* V~core~ and stay at stock clock speed. This is possible because
modern CPU\'s are ususually set at a voltage above the voltage it really
requires so as to account for manufacturing variances. The advantage to
undervolting include

1.  Lower heat output and power consumption
2.  Potentially higher performance (since the CPU can boost for a longer
    period and will hit the TDP limit less often)
3.  It works with any CPU; an overclockable CPU is not required.

Laptops can benefit the most from undervolting; their thin chassis means
that power and temperatures play a greater role than in a desktop.

Similar to overclocking, one can undervolt the CPU using tools like
Intel Extreme Tuning Utility, ThrottleStop or in the BIOS. For Ryzen
Mobile CPUs, an open-source tool AATU (AMD APU Tuning Utility) can be
downloaded
here,
which would especially help if your laptop is throttling due to STAPM
(skin temperature) issues.

Remember that just like when overclocking, you should start slowly and
also test the stability of the CPU undervolt (eg: by running Prime95).

## References

```{=html}
<references />
```
## External links

-   Introduction to Overclocking Guide for
    Beginners
    by Vito Cassisi
-   Overclocking the NVIDIA GeForce Video
    Card
    by Olin Coles
-   PC Performance
    Tips
    Mostly Video Guides To Speeding Up And Overclocking Your PC.
-   BIOS settings
-   Book on BIOS optimization for
    PCs
-   Overclocking guide for Centrino
    notebooks
-   BlazingPC.com
-   3 methods to Overclocking Your
    Computer
-   How to Lower Temperatures, Stop Throttling, and Increase Battery
    Life: The ThrottleStop
    Guide

[^1]:


# How To Assemble A Desktop PC/Silencing

In contrast to overclocking, you may prefer to silence your computer.
Some high-performance PCs are very loud indeed, and it is possible to
reduce the noise dramatically. The main sources of noise are: Fans (CPU,
case, power supply, motherboard, Graphics card), and Hard disks. While
total silence in a PC is possible, it is far cheaper and easier to aim
for something \'virtually inaudible\'.

Note that quieter computers sometimes run slightly hotter, especially in
small form factor (SFF) systems, so you need to monitor carefully what
you do. Usually you can\'t overclock and silence at the same time
(although it is possible with the right CPU and cooling techniques).
Sometimes CPUs (and even GPUs) are *underclocked* and/or *undervolted*
to achieve greater silence at the expense of performance.

Designing a powerful and quiet machine requires careful consideration in
selecting components, but need not be much more expensive than a normal,
loud PC. If you are looking to quiet an existing PC, find the
*offending* component that produces the loudest or most irritating noise
and replace it first, then work down from there.

Another way to do this is by undervolting; see
here to find out
more about it.

## Fans

!An operating fan with red
LEDs.

In general, large diameter (120 mm), high quality fans are much quieter
than small diameter ones, because they can move the same amount of air
as smaller (80mm or 92mm) fans, but at slower speeds.
Temperature-regulated fans are also much quieter, as they will
automatically spin at a reduced speed when your computer is not in heavy
use. Wire mesh grills (or no grill at all) allow better airflow than the
drilled holes used in many cases.

CPU
:   Modern CPUs can generate *a lot* of heat in a very small area:
    sometimes as much as 100-watt lightbulb! For the vast majority of
    processors, a dedicated fan will be a necessity. There are some,
    like VIA processors, that require only a heat sink, but you will not
    find passively cooled CPUs at nearly the same speeds allowed by
    active cooling. However, for modern computers, CPUs are not the
    limiting component for speed in daily tasks, so unless you do
    demanding 3D gaming or video editing, then a passively cooled
    processor may be just for you. They would also be very attractive in
    media-center PCs, or other specialized applications where computer
    noise would be more noticeable.
:   The noisiest fan is usually the CPU fan: the Intel-supplied
    fan-heatsinks are particularly loud, although they do provide good
    cooling. Some BIOSs allow you to slow the CPU fan down automatically
    when it is not too hot - if this option is available, turn it on.
    Also, you can get 3rd party coolers, which are designed to be less
    noisy: for example, those made by
    Zalman.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```

Power Supply (PSU) : Noisy power-supplies simply have to be replaced with quieter ones. Consider selecting a power supply that intelligently throttles fan speed based on load, or an altogether fanless model, though those can be hard to find depending on the wattage you need. As a compromise, some power supplies will stay silent as long as it is under light load.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```

Case Fans : Case fans can be slowed down by using fan-speed controllers, or resistors (but beware of insufficient cooling). Also, they can be replaced with higher quality (ball bearing) or (sometimes) larger fans, both of which will make less noise.

```{=html}
<!-- -->
```

Video Card and Motherboard Chipset
:   A graphics card with active fan-cooling is very common in gamer PCs.
    Since 2004, most of these cards have a built in fan-speed
    controller, so the fan will slow down if 3D acceleration is not
    needed.`<ref>`{=html}

Casey Labine. \"How to Adjust a Graphics Card Fan
Speed\"

```{=html}
</ref>
```
As you will lose warranty coverage if you change the fan, you should
check (through reviews) if the card is a noisy one. If you insist on
exchanging the cooling device, be sure the card is compatible with the
new fan. Motherboard and lower-end video card fans can often be replaced
with a passive heatsink.

Many systems only have fan-speed controllers for the CPU and for the
graphics card. Some people make the other fans quieter by undervolting
them: running the 12 V fan on 9 V or 7 V or 5 V,[^1][^2][^3] or adding a
series resistor to the fan cable.[^4]

Dust and debris can accumulate on fan blades in a short period of time.
Dust on PC components acts as an insulator, trapping in heat and forcing
your fans to spin at higher speeds to keep everything cool. Keep your PC
clean to reduce noise and increase efficiency.

## Water cooling

!A water cooled
computer{width="250"}

An efficient, if expensive way to eliminate the need for most fans in
ones computer system is the implementation of water cooling devices.
Water cooling kits are available for beginners, and additional
components or \"water blocks\" can be added to the system, allowing
virtually any system needing cooling to be put \"on water\".

Most water cooling systems are not fanless as the radiator component
still needs to spread the heat. There are fanless solutions but they
need to be placed exterior of the PC case making the computer less
transportable. [^5] [^6]

Other cooling fluids are possible in a sealed system, although plain
water is generally preferred because it has higher heat
capacity and thermal
conductivity than oil, and
it is easier to clean up if a leak ever occurs: turn off the computer,
shake off most of the water, and use a hair dryer to evaporate the rest
of the water.

Keep in mind, however, that water and electronics don\'t mix, and that
leaks could cause components to short out, seriously damaging them. Be
sure you\'re willing to risk this and thoroughly check for leaks before
providing power to the system components. If possible, activate the
water pump(s) for 10-15 minutes and check potential trouble spots.

## Full immersion cooling

!An example of an immersion cooling
setup.
Some people are experimenting with cooling personal computers by
immersing them almost completely in non-conductive liquids such as
transformer oil and flourinert.

### Oil cooling

Transformer oil has been used to
cool electrical equipment for decades.

Some people are experimenting with oil cooling personal computers. Since
oil is non-conductive, the motherboard and graphics card and power
supply (but not the hard drives or optical drives!) will continue to run
submerged in a \"fishtank\" filled with oil. Some people prefer
colorless transparent \"mineral oil\" or cooking oil, but Frank Völkel
recommends motor
oil1.

Oil cooling is lower cost than water cooling, because it doesn\'t
require water-tight \"blocks\" or hoses. Some people leave the fans
running on the motherboard and power supply to \"stir\" the oil. Other
people remove all the fans and add a (submerged) pump to \"blow\" a
stream of oil onto the CPU hot spot. Some CPUs, if given a big enough
metal heat sink, can be adequately cooled by passive convection currents
in the oil (and the large surface area of the oil-to-case and
case-to-air), without any fans or pumps.

If any cable (the hard drive ribbon cable, the power cable, the monitor
cable, etc.) exits the case below the oil line, it must have an
oil-tight exit seal \-- consider making all cables exit the top of the
case instead.

### Low boiling point chemicals

Another point of recent experimentation has been Novec
1230 (trademarked and produced by 3M),
which has a boiling point of . This
means that as the liquid touches a part above that temperature, it
evaporates immediately. It then condenses at the top of the tank, only
to drip down and convect through the tank again. CPUs usually have no
problem running in Novec 1230 without any heatsink at all. The force of
convection is enough to drive the liquid around the tank, so it does not
need any fans
either23.

Immersion in other cooling fluids has been attempted, such as
fluorinert or liquid nitrogen,
however they are generally not used because of the costs involved in the
equipment and the liquid nitrogen [^7][^8].[^9][^10][^11]

## Storage

### Solid State Disk

Solid state disks have no moving parts, and thus don\'t make audible
noise. When trying to build a totally silent system, consider only using
SSDs for your storage.

### Hard Drive

A \'resting\' hard disk is generally quite quiet compared with any fan,
but increases dramatically when it starts \'churning\', as when you open
or save a file or perform a virus scan. There will usually be a
compromise between performance and sound, so opting for a slower RPM or
smaller capacity single-platter HDD may be necessary to reach very quiet
levels. Also, 2.5\" notebook drives can be much quieter than 3.5\"
desktop drive, but come in smaller capacities.

After selecting a quiet drive, or if you want to reduce the noise coming
from a loud drive, look into mounting options. Hard drives are usually
mounted with four screws attaching them directly to the case, providing
very stable support, some heat dissipation and a lot of direct
transmission of HDD vibrations to the case. Reducing this transmission
to almost nothing is possible, though it is not always easy.

The best noise reductions come from suspending the hard drive with
elastic, providing no direct route for sound transmission to the case.
You can make your own from elastic in a fabric store, or buy kits that
provide materials and instructions. (Rubber bands are not recommended,
as they will become weak from the HDD heat and oxidation and snap.)

Foam can be used to dampen vibrations, but may trap more heat than is
safe. Resting the hard drive on the floor of your case on a bed of foam
can be very effective at reducing noise.

Using silicone or rubber screws instead of metal mounting screws will
give you marginal sound reduction, but is easiest and cheapest to
implement. You also won\'t have to worry about shifting of the HDD if
you move your computer.

## Other

-   Steel cases are quieter than aluminum ones, because the denser
    material vibrates less easily.`<ref>`{=html}

Mike Chin. Silent PC Review: \"Case Basics &
Recommendations\"

```{=html}
</ref>
```
-   Quiet cases are available, containing noise-damping acoustic foam.
    There are 3rd-party acoustic foams you may decide to add as well.
-   Experiment with rubber or foam washers when mounting drives and
    fans. These will dampen any vibration these devices cause.
-   Keep cables tied up and neat. Not only will this keep them clear of
    fans (which could quickly cause dangerous heat build-up), but the
    reduced impedance of airflow throughout your case will make things
    cooler. Flat, ribbon-shaped cables can safely be folded up to a
    fraction of their original width.
-   Make sure your case has rubber or foam feet if it rests on a hard
    surface. Placing it on carpeting will also reduce vibrations.
-   Underclocking will reduce system performance, but you can also then
    reduce the CPU voltage, and power consumption as a whole. Noisy fans
    may then also be operated at reduced speed or eliminated altogether,
    as the computer will produce less heat. The converse of the
    diminishing-returns law for overclocking is that underclocking can
    prove surprisingly effective.
-   The really obvious, but surprisingly effective: keep the computer
    under your desk or even in a closed cupboard, rather than under or
    beside your monitor.

NOTE: No matter what technique you use to quiet the machine, be sure to
keep a steady supply of fresh air over all components. Don\'t put your
machine in a closed cupboard unless you are sure heat will not be an
issue. If you use acoustic foams, be sure they aren\'t acting as
insulators, too - and keeping components hot.

## See also

-   Noise from cooling
    fans

## Further reading

## External links

-   Silent PC review

-   Microchip AN771: Suppressing Acoustic Noise in PWM Fan Speed
    Control
    Systems

-   \"The Buzz on Quieter
    Computers\"
    article by Daniel Greenberg in The Washington Post, September 3,
    2006.

-   Technorati \"silent PC\" blog
    posts

-   \"A Plea for Silence\" by Loyd Case
    (ExtremeTech)

-   \"How to Quiet Your PC\" by Jason Cross
    (ExtremeTech)

-   \"a diskless, fanless, completely silent
    PC\"

-
-   Koolu: a fanless PC that runs Linux; Koolu
    wiki

-   \"Building a Silent PC: My Quest for Quiet\" by Terry
    Gray

-   the oil-cooled computer
    wiki (in German) and
    oil-cooled computer discussion
    forum (in
    English)

-   \"Quiet PCs... shhh\" by Thomas Ricker (oil-cooled
    computer)

-   \"Aquarium Full of Oil For PC Cooling\" on
    slashdot

-   \"Want a Cool and Quiet PC? Dunk it in Oil\" on
    slashdot

-   \"Xoxide Resource Center: Building a Quiet
    Computer

-   fit-PC, a tiny quiet PC

-   \"Project:
    Passive\"
    by Ville \'Willek\' Kyrö, a PC that uses no fans, only completely
    passive cooling.

-   \"Tiny, sub-\$100 PC runs Puppy
    Linux\":
    a PC with no moving parts.

-   \"0 dBA ion cooled
    computer\":
    a PC with no moving parts; blows air using \"ion wind\".

[^1]: \"How to: Silence My Fans By
    Undervolting?\"

[^2]: Silent PC Review: \"Stock Fan
    Measurements\"

[^3]: Gabriel Torres. \"How to Create a Three-Speed Fan Control without
    Spending a
    Dime\".

[^4]: Igor Wallossek. Tom\'s Hardware: \"Case Fans: Speed
    Control\"

[^5]: \"Silent Convective Water Cooled
    PC\"

[^6]: \"Design and Performance Evaluation of a Compact
    Thermosyphon\"
    by Aniruddha Pal, Yogendra Joshi, Monem H. Beitelmal, Chandrakant D.
    Patel, Todd Wenger, 2002

[^7]: 4

[^8]: 5

[^9]: Tom\'s Hardware: 5 GHz
    project

[^10]: Server help: Liquid Nitrogen
    Project and
    Hard forum: Liquid Nitrogen
    Project

[^11]: Wikipedia: computer cooling#Liquid
    nitrogen


# How To Assemble A Desktop PC/Conclusion

If you\'re serious you've probably at least glanced over this book as
you considered building your own computer, and I hope it has inspired
you to go ahead with that project. Throughout we've tried to steer you
clear of some of the pitfalls and alert you to some of the safety issues
involved, and in so doing, we have undoubtedly overemphasized the
dangers and difficulty. In sooth, it's pretty hard to hurt yourself
building a computer and most people get through their first build
without burning up any parts. With a little planning, anyone who can use
a screwdriver can build a computer.

The computer you build will always mean a little bit more to you than
one you buy, not least because you designed it yourself and will no
doubt be upgrading it from time to time for years to come. You may find
a little smile of satisfaction creeping onto your face each time you hit
the power button, and I think you'll find that smile is an ample return
for your time and effort.

Lastly, if you go through with it and build your own PC, you're bound to
run into something we\'ve missed here; a problem we didn't anticipate,
something we forgot to mention, or something that has changed recently.
If you do, please come back here and add to or change this book. You
don't have to know everything to contribute, just one thing that's true.
If this guide has helped you at all, think of it as payback.