Do-It-Yourself Dream Machines
A step-by-step guide to the smartest upgrades, plus the ultimate PC project: building your own system.Kirk Steers
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.")
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?" 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-the-line 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 "Build Your Own PC."
Kirk Steers is a PC World contributing editor and writes the Hardware Tips column.
CPU & RAM
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
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.
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 and Kingston 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.
How to: Beef Up Your RAM
1. Open the case.
2. Get grounded. Use an antistatic wrist strap--available at any local electronics or computer store--or at the very least, touch the frame of your PC while it's still plugged in. Then unplug it.
3. Pick up the module. Always hold RAM modules by their side edges. Avoid touching the flat surfaces or the contacts along the bottom edge.
4. Insert it. For DIMMs, lower the module into the slot and press carefully (A). The module should seat itself, and the clips on both sides of the module should snap into place. If they don't, the module isn't properly seated.
For SIMMs, orient the module to match the others in the system, insert the module at a 45-degree angle, and rotate to the vertical (B). If you do it right, you should feel the snap of the two supporting clips closing into place.
5. Power up. Turn on your system. Watch the screen for the RAM test, and confirm that your PC recognizes the additional RAM. If you see any error messages, or if your system locks up, remove and reinstall the new modules.
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.)
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 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.
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 first-class 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.
How to: Change a Card
1. Get the most recent version of your card's drivers from the vendor's Web site. It's not uncommon for vendors to update their drivers shortly after putting the final product on the market.
2. Read the installation instructions that come with the card or with any driver you download from the vendor's site.
3. If you're replacing an existing card, remove the current card's driver in Windows. First go to Add/Remove Software in Control Panel, and remove any software. Then go to Device Manager, select 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 double-click the card's entry. Click Driver, Update driver, Next when the Update Device Driver Wizard comes up. Select Display a list of all the drivers, click Next, and then select Show all hardware. Under Manufacturers, select (Standard display types); then under Models, select Standard Display Adapter (VGA) (A).
4. Shut down your PC and open the case. Make sure you're electrically grounded (see "Beef Up Your RAM," step 2).
5. For sound cards, you'll need to remove any internal audio-in connectors--such as those from your CD-ROM or CD-RW drive.
6. Gently remove the old card. Don't lose the screw that fastens the card to the chassis. Be sure to retrieve any screw or other metal part that falls on your motherboard--such items could cause a short when you power your system back up.
7. Remove the new card from its packaging. Don't touch the flat surfaces or bottom edge. Align the connecting edge with the expansion slot, and push evenly across the top of the card, increasing pressure until 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-through cables (graphics cards).
9. When you restart your PC, Windows should automatically recognize the new card and guide you through installing the driver.
Hard Disk & Removable Storage
If you work with an older PC equipped with a modest 10GB or smaller drive, you may already be experiencing an acute need for additional space; if not, you will feel the squeeze soon enough. Gluttonous software programs like Windows XP (which alone gobbles at least a gigabyte of space) and MPEG, JPEG, or MP3 files devour your hard disk's real estate.
A reliable 30GB or 40GB drive from a manufacturer like IBM, Maxtor, Seagate, or Western Digital costs less than $150 if you shop around. An additional $50 to $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/100. Check your PC's user manual. If yours doesn't, you can add an updated interface via an ATA/100 expansion card like the Ultra100 TX2 adapter card from Promise Technology. But unless you constantly move extremely large amounts you probably won't see much of a performance difference from using an ATA/100 drive on an ATA/66-capable PC.
Speed zealots may want to consider a faster, more expensive SCSI hard drive, which requires purchasing and installing a SCSI bus card in addition to the drive.
Alternatively, you can buy a DVD-R or CD-RW drive and use it to store your space-gobbling music, video, or other data files on discs. Such a drive provides a nice backup option, and you'll be able to burn audio CDs to your heart's content. CD-RW drives can be had for $150 to $250 (see August's Top 10 CD-RW Drives for details).
Pick a Port
Installing a hard disk or CD-RW drive is much easier than it used to be. Most hard drives come with installation software to simplify the process of partitioning and formatting your drive. Discount versions of some hard drives--so-called bare drives--come packaged in an antistatic bag with no box and may lack such software. Ask before you buy.
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.
How to: Add a Hard Disk
1. Read the installation instructions, and run any installation software that must be launched before you begin installing the hard drive in your system.
2. Shut down your PC and open the case. Make sure you're electrically grounded (see "Beef Up Your RAM," step 2).
3. Set the jumpers (A) on your drive to the desired master or slave setting.
4. Attach the hard drive to the case, and connect the power and EIDE cables to the drive (B). Take care to attach pin 1 on the motherboard to pin 1 on the drive. One edge of the cable should be colored to help you keep track. (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 Delete or F1 at the start of the boot process. Find the auto-detect 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.
Home Networking
A house of connected PCs means no more fighting for an open phone line to check your e-mail: Two or three people can share a lowly 56-kbps connection without much discomfort.
And if you opt for a broadband Internet connection like DSL or cable modem service, everyone on the network will enjoy the faster downloads. You can also get by with one network printer.
And nothing reduces family counseling bills like a furious free-for-all during a game of networked Doom or Quake.
Getting Better
Installing a home network has gotten easier. That's easier, not easy. Unless you're already a network guru, you should try to keep things as simple as possible.
If you have just two PCs sitting near each other, or if you're looking for a simple way to connect a desktop and a laptop, consider a USB adapter network like Belkin's $80 USB Direct Connect. It's slower than an ethernet network, but it's cheaper and simpler to install.
If you need ethernet speed and sophistication, you can choose from several products. All involve adding a card or USB adapter to each PC and then connecting them by different methods.
Proven phone-line networking kits like Intel's AnyPoint phone-line products and 3Com's HomeConnect products are fast, easy to set up, and affordable (about $50 per PC). Their biggest drawback: You need to have a phone jack near each PC on the network (see "Home Wired Home," June 2000).
If you're short on phone-line connections or you move around the house a lot with a laptop, a wireless network may be your best bet. The latest wireless kits based on the 802.11b standard can broadcast 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).
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.
How to: Install a Network
1. Install the network cards in each system. Follow the procedure in "How to: Change a Card."
2. Make your network connections. For phone-line networks, plug the cable into both the back of the PC (A) and the phone jack. If you already use the phone jack for a phone or fax machine, you'll need to insert a line splitter for sharing the jack.
Wireless adapters may require attaching or adjusting an antenna.
3. Turn the system back on. Windows should recognize the new hardware and prompt you for the appropriate driver software, which should be on a floppy disk or CD-ROM that came with the adapters.
4. Follow all the instructions that came with your hardware to install and configure your networking software. Setting up a network can be tough; if you have problems, call tech support.
5. Set up the Internet sharing software. Most kits come with software that lets multiple systems share a single connection. If yours doesn't, you can use built-in connection-sharing software in Windows 98 SE, Me, and 2000: Go to Start, Programs, Accessories, Internet Tools. (You may have to install the software from the Windows CD, using Add/Remove Programs in Control Panel.)
Starting Points
CPU Upgrade Kits
RAM
Graphics Card
ELSA Gladiac 920, $399
ATI Radeon 64MB DDR, $199
Sound Card
Sound Blaster Live Platinum 5.1, $200, Creative
Santa Cruz, $80, Turtle Beach
Speakers
ProMedia 4.1, $300, Klipsch
FPS2000, $150, Creative
Hard Disk
Maxtor DiamondMax Plus 60, $230
Seagate Barracuda ATA III, $150
Home Networking
Linksys BEFW11S4 EtherFast Wireless AP+, $299