The Motherboard, Processor, and Memory - BIOS Tweaking and Overclocking
(Page 13 of 18 )
You can directly affect the performance of your PC, regardless of the specifications of the various parts, through tweaking, which is resetting values for the highest performance possible, and overclocking, which is forcing a processor or bus to run faster than its native clock frequency. A number of tweaks can be implemented in the computer’s BIOS setup program. You’ll need a video card before you can enter the BIOS setup program.
You invoke the BIOS setup program by powering up or restarting the computer, and during the POST screen (that’s the screen with the white letters on a black background that counts up your memory and detects your IDE devices), pressing the appropriate key. Usually, it’s DELETE, but some motherboards have you press F1, F2, or a combination of keys. Watch the POST screen for instructions to enter setup (Figure 2-17).
Figure 2-17
A post screen with instructions to enter the setup menu
BIOS Tweaking When you’ve invoked the setup program, you will be faced with either a menu of areas in which you can make changes or a page style display of various screens in which you can perform similar tweaks. Familiarize yourself with the locations of various settings by surfing around the BIOS setup program. The bottom of the screen usually contains instructions of how to navigate the setup program and how to alter values. Try out the following tweaks. Note that it’s best to wait until your computer is completely built up so that after each tweak you can boot up the operating system and test your computer for stability.
Cutting Down on Startup Time Find a value with a name like “Quick POST” or “Quick Power On Self Test.” Enable it if it’s not already enabled. This will cut down on the time that the POST screen is displayed before the BIOS starts the operating system. See Figure 2-18.
Then find the area with boot options. You can define the order in which devices are tapped by the BIOS when it looks for an operating system. The options might include the CD-ROM drive, a SCSI device, removable media such as a floppy drive, and various hard drives. Make the first hard drive, often referred to as something like “HDD 0,” the first boot device. That’ll cut down the amount of time the computer looks for your Windows installation.
Figure 2-18
Enable the Quick Power On Self Test
 This chapter is from Build Your Own High Performance Gamers' Mod PC, by Chen and Durham (McGraw-Hill/Osborne, 2004, ISBN: 0072229012). Check it out at your favorite bookstore today. Buy this book now. |
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