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| Guide to Initial Optimisation of a New PC |
Virtuoso
25/5/03 5:50:32 PM
Mod
SuperHero
Immortal
|
So you've purchased/assembled your new PC, Windows is installed, and you're busting to start installing apps, playing games, surfing the 'net, and generally putting your new beast under burden.
Whoa! Before you invest a lot of time installing all your apps, utilities and games, it's worth doing some initial "base level" performance tweaks and checks to get your system running sweetly from the outset.
Please note: this is not intended to be a guide to achieving the maximum possible performance from your rig ... DonutKing's guide in the Atomic Overclocking Forum is for that. This is more of a starter set of initial setup tweaks for new PCs.
1. Update your motherboard BIOS
With competitive pressures in the electronics market, components manufacturers seem compelled to get new products to market quickly, often before they get their drivers, firmware and BIOSes optimised.
There's a good chance that the BIOS which shipped on your new mobo has been superceded by a version which offers better performance or compatibility.
So, it's usually worth updating. But be careful: updating your BIOS can be risky. It's possible to completely trash your mobo if something goes wrong. Fortunately, many mobos now have jumpers which enable you to reset their original BIOS, making it less risky than it used to be.
Check your existing BIOS version as your PC boots. Then go to the mobo manufacturer's site and see if there's an updated version of it available for the exact model number of your mobo . If so, download the new BIOS version, and its installer. Print out the manufacturer's instructions, and follow them to the letter.
2. Patch Windows with the Latest Updates
Your clean install of Windows is waaaay out of date, as new bugs, security issues and fixes are a weekly feature of Microsoft OSes. So:
Start -> Programs -> Windows Update.
Install the Critical Updates first, then add the standalone patches afterwards.
3. Turn on System Restore
System Restore saves snapshots of your registry, and some key files, to disk. If you accidentally install a dodgy driver, or perform some other tweak which destablises your system, System Restore recreates your PC's state prior to where you made the bludner (sic).
Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore
When you first enable it, System Restore automatically creates a Restore Point.
4. Update the drivers for your chipset
While Windows XP comes with a large driver library, it's unlikely to have the latest drivers for your chipset. Installing up-to-date drivers may significantly improve your system's performance and stability.
The latest drivers will be available from your mobo manufacturer's website, and the chipset manufacturer's website (eg Intel or VIA).
Some believe that it's better to use the mobo manufacturer's latest version rather than the chipset manufacturer's version, because the mobo manufacturer will take account of how all the mobo's components integrate. But then, mobo manufacturers aren't that diligent in updating drivers for anything other than their latest mobos. (I prefer to take a small chance and use the up to date chipset manufacturer's drivers.)
5. Update the firmware and drivers of your peripherals
Similiar to chipset and BIOS updates, an update to the firmware of drives and other peripherals can yield better stability and performance. Again, there's something of a risk, so be careful to get the right firmware for your model, and follow instructions diligently.
Also update the drivers of peripherals which don't rely on firmware.
Note: The automated Windows Update feature of Windows is not a reliable source of the latest drivers. Windows Update only recommends Microsoft-Certified (WHQL) drivers. But most peripheral manufacturers these days baulk at paying Microsoft to certify their drivers.
6. Ensure your drives are using DMA
Direct Memory Access mode is the fastest way for your system to get and put data on your drives. To check your settings:
Control Panel -> System -> Hardware tab -> Device Manager -> IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers.
Open both Primary IDE Channel and Secondary IDE Channel, and look in Advanced Settings. The Current Transfer Mode for both devices should be set to DMA. If it's not, use the pull-down menu to change it.
7. Convert any FAT32 drives to NTFS
Unless you have any apps that need FAT32, or you're dual-booting with another OS that needs FAT32, then I recommend using NTFS as your file system. It's slightly slower than FAT32, but its stability, recovery and other features make it a worthwhile tradeoff.
To convert FAT32 drive 'D' to NTFS, simply:
Open a Command Prompt -> convert d: /fs:ntfs -> reboot
8. Make your Swap File static
When Windows runs out of physical RAM, it "swaps" memory to and from the Swap File on your hard disk. The trouble is, swapping memory to hard disk is a relatively slow process. Worse, Windows' default is to dynamically resize its swap file, which can make it even slower.
If you have more than 256Mb of RAM, and a hard disk with space to spare, optimising your system's Swap File by making it static, is a worthwhile performance tweak.
Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Performance Settings -> Advanced -> Virtual Memory -> Change -> Custom Size
Set both the Initial Size and the Maximum Size to the same value. If you have between 256Mb and 1Gb of RAM, set your Swap File to twice the amount of RAM you have. If you have more than 1Gb of RAM, set your Swap File to 1.5 times the amount of RAM you have.
For further speed, you should defragment your static Swap File. (You'll need a defragger which does its job at boot, as Windows cannot defrag its own Swap File once its running.)
9. Resize your Recycle Bin
Windows defaults to a massive 10% of your hard drive for recycling. That's huge, given the size of most modern hard drives. Right click on your Recycle Bin then:
Properties -> Global
and set a more appropriate percentage of your drive, depending on how big your drive is and how big the files are that you may want to recover from it. (I use 2% on my 80Gb drives.)
To reclaim further space, you can also limit the amount of space Windows reserves for System Restore and Internet Explorer's temporary file cache.
10. Get rid of unnecessary apps and background utilities
If you purchased a readymade PC, the manufacturer likely installed all manner of unnecessary crapware which runs in the background and uses up valuable clock cycles. Go to:
Control Panel -> Add/Remove Programs
and remove any apps that you're not going to use.
Then go looking for unnecessary background utilities.
Start Menu -> Run -> msconfig.exe
Look in the startup tab and uncheck anything which doesn't need to load everytime Windows starts.
There's a handy list of all known startup utilities here at:
http://www.pacs-portal.co.uk/startup_pages/startup_full.htm#All
For safety, reboot occasionally to make sure you haven't uninstalled something important. (If you run into problems, use msconfig and re-check utilities to load on startup again. In case of emergency, use System Restore.)
11. Turn off unnecessary background services
Windows defaults to running lots of background processes just in case you ever need to use them. These consume clock cycles and memory which could be better invested in those things you do want to run.
The best way to review and lighten the load is to:
Start -> Run -> services.msc
This will show you a list of those services which aren't necessary for Windows to boot.
There's a handly list of background services, and recommended settings, here at:
http://www.overclockersclub.com/windowsxpservices.shtml
12. Back it Up! Create an image of your main hard drive, backup your drivers, and create a System Restore Point
You just went to a fair bit of effort to get your new PC tweaked. You may as well image the hard drive now that it's pristine, in case you ever want to return to a "clean" install. Applications like Norton Ghost, or Powerquest DriveImage, will do this for you.
I suggest you also backup into one place all the drivers you downloaded, to save you searching for them in future.
Finally, create a System Restore point:
Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> System Tools -> System Restore -> Create Restore Point
13. Stress test your components
If any of your new components are going to fail, it's better for them to fail quickly ... before you invest days installing all your apps, and before your hardware warranties expire.
Download and install SiSoft Sandra from http://www.sisoftware.net/index.html?dir=dload&location=sware_dl_x86&langx=en&a=).
Run Sandra's Burn-in Wizard overnight to flush out any potential lemmings or lemons lurking in your hardware.
---
Phew! After that pruning and basic optimisation your system should be running quite sweetly, and ready for some more serious Atomic-style overclocking.
Edited by Virtuoso: 20/11/2003 10:12:56 AM -----
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Sneddo
25/5/03 5:56:51 PM
Champion
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Worthy of a 10000th post :)
Nice work Virt, keep it up! -----
Put smoked lizards down your pants!
"In the future, computers may weigh no more than 1.5 tonnes." -- Popular Mechanics, 1943
sneddo@hotmail.com
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Virul
25/5/03 6:00:22 PM
Mod
Hero
Titan
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Congratulations on your new rank Virt . A very worthy and informative thread to go along with it, not the usual announcement thread in General Chat. I think this thread will help many who don't know what to do once they have their computer setup and this would be a great gudie to help those people.
The mere fact that you go on as normal, without making any announcement indicates what a great person you are and for that, I must commend you for it.
I must also commend you for your effort on these forums, both in General Chat and occasionally in the Tech Sections, it has been great and I hope that you keep it up :)
CONGRATULATIONS!!! :)
EDIT: Maybe more people will visit the Tech Sections now :P
Now back to the purpose of this thread:
If you want to permanently delete the startup items you'll need to go to regedit, Start->Run->regedit
But first you should backup your Registry. Go to File->Export, then select whether you want to back up the whole registry or just that branch. Then choose a file name and location and click Save.
Then you'll need to make your way to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Then also here as well:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Edited by Virul: 25/5/2003 6:09:21 PM -----
Email: virul_atomic@yahoo.com.au
Video Card Pricewatch V2:
http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/forums.asp?s=2&c=7&t=153
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1shot1kill
25/5/03 6:01:32 PM
Overlord
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1st, woah, this deserves to be stickied. I haven't read it all yet (I'm short on time), but I will. What I have seen so far is pretty good.
2nd. Congrats on Immortality. -----
"Why, they couldn't hit an elephant at this dist..."
Certa Cito
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XerXes69
25/5/03 6:01:39 PM
Journeyman
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Great shit Virt, you actually typed all that out? Been keepin yourself busy I see :) -----
AMD Athlon XP 2100+ T-Bred B Core
EPOX 8K5A2+
Kingmax 512MB PC2700
LITE-ON 48x24x48 CD-RW
Leadtek Winfast Geforce3 ti-200 64mb DDR
Hitachi CM721F 19"
120GB Seagate Barracuda IV
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ghost in the shell
25/5/03 6:06:36 PM
Guru
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A very usefull guide which can stop allot of potential problems. Excellent.
Congratulations on your 10,000th post too :)
Edited by ghost in the shell: 25/5/2003 6:08:18 PM -----
http://www.fusioncore.tk
If I were a monkey I would sit on the tree of life, swing from the branches of fun and probably break my neck on the leaf covered floor of death. I would be a sad, sad monkey.
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CoKeXpdX
25/5/03 6:37:45 PM
Champion
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How many POTM can one person/extra-terrestrial have? :-)
Another great post... I'm hoping it shall never cease... In which case you shall never cease to amaze me with your intellect, prowess and skill.
Congratulations Virtuoso, may you forever be Immortal in both spirit and live on within these hallowed forums. -----
Life from Death, Creation from Destruction. Ouroboros.
MSN: WeaponXpdX@hotmail.com
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Flathead_21
25/5/03 6:43:51 PM
Champion
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nice virt and congrats on ya immortal u are offically the first person ever in the history of the world be be immortal TWICE :) -----
Gunz Don't kill people George Bush Kills people!
How about i give you the Finger, and you can cram that file... up your ARSE!
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Wilkshake
25/5/03 6:57:09 PM
Mod
SuperHero
Champion
|
Quote by Virtuoso
6. Ensure your drives are using DMA
Direct Memory Access mode is the fastest way for your system to get and put data on your drives. To check your settings:
Control Panel -> System -> Hardware tab -> Device Manager -> IDE ATA/ATAPI Controllers.
Open both Primary IDE Channel and Secondary IDE Channel, and look in Advanced Settings. The Current Transfer Mode for both devices should be set to DMA. If it's not, use the pull-down menu to change it.
I know at least with the nForce IDE drivers that the control pannels differ from the standard Windows pannel, and there is no set "Turn on DMA" style dropdown or check box"
7. Convert any FAT32 drives to NTFS
Unless you have any apps that need FAT32, or you're dual-booting with another OS that needs FAT32, then I recommend using NTFS as your file system. It's slightly slower than FAT32, but its stability, recovery and other features make it a worthwhile tradeoff.
To convert FAT32 drive 'D' to NTFS, simply:
Open a Command Prompt -> convert d: /fs:ntfs -> reboot
I guess you've made the assumption that its a new PC. However, if the person is running a pre Windows 2k machine, they simply won't have the option for NTFS
8. Make your Swap File static
Windows' Swap File is virtual RAM. That is, when Windows runs out of physical RAM, it "swaps" memory to and from the Swap File on your hard disk. The trouble is, swapping memory to hard disk is a relatively slow process. Worse, Windows' default is to dynamically resize its swap file, which can make it even slower.
If you have more than 256Mb of RAM, optimising your system's Swap File, by making it static, is a worthwhile performance tweak.
Control Panel -> System -> Advanced -> Performance Settings -> Advanced -> Virtual Memory -> Change -> Custom Size
Set both the Initial Size and the Maximum Size to the same value. If you have between 256Mb and 1Gb of RAM, set your Swap File to twice the amount of RAM you have. If you have more than 1Gb of RAM, set your Swap File to 1.5 times the amount of RAM you have.
For further speed, you should defragment your static Swap File. (You'll need a defragger which does its job at boot, as Windows cannot defrag its own Swap File once its running.)
Really not all that necessary if your running XP. The memory management is much better than in was circa Win98, and for somebody who's just bought their new computer would be a bit confusing. IMHO, if the person doesn't have a clue what they are doing to the computer, then rightly they shouldn't be doing it in the first place.
Plus, if we're talking about complete noobs here, would it really be that wise to tell them to update their bios and firmware? If there's the chance that they do the wrong thing and completely stuff things up, then I wouldn't want to be the source of their frustration and $2500 paperweight.
9. Resize your Recycle Bin
Windows defaults to a massive 10% of your hard drive for recycling. That's huge, given the size of most modern hard drives. Right click on your Recycle Bin then:
Properties -> Global
and set a more appropriate percentage of your drive, depending on how big your drive is and how big the files are that you may want to recover from it. (I use 2% on my 80Gb drives.)
To reclaim further space, you can also limit the amount of space Windows reserves for System Restore and Internet Explorer's temporary file cache.
It doesn’t really matter how big the % is set to. It doesn’t automatically free up more HDD space, or reserve a certain amount of HDD space just for the recycle bin.
You’d be better off telling people how to set it so that if the delete something (whilst retaining the delete confirmation) how to get rid of it instantly (either by settings in the Recycle Bin, or the simple Shift Delete shortcut)
Overall a good guide, but like many of our computers, just needs a bit of tweeking here and there to get it right. -----
I canna keep the tagline intact capt'n. I joost doon't have the poower!!!
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LogicprObe
25/5/03 7:26:39 PM
Banned
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It's good to have a check list.
Easy to forget some when you're in a hurry. -----
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azns_kickass
25/5/03 7:35:52 PM
Mod
Hero
Titan
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Nice work Virt. :-)
Sweet 10000, not too far away for me too...
Gonna be hard to top this though. ;-) -----
Ignorance is bliss. Just look at those fanboys...
UAOD (Unofficial at0micans overclockers database):
http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/forums.asp?s=2&c=6&t=1
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Mael
25/5/03 9:18:41 PM
Mod
SuperHero
Titan
|
YOu have been sitting on this one for a while haven't you, Virt ;)
Great place to start for anyone building up a system with the latest components.
Caio. -----
Unimpressed ?
Impressively so.
-----
Who the hell are the GODS and these people called HEROES or SUPERHEROES ?
Find out at http://www.atomicwaste.net
V2.0 arriving mid 2003.
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spyx
25/5/03 10:19:50 PM
Guru
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Fantastic thread Virt! -----
-)SPyX(-
http://www26.brinkster.com/spyx/
P4 1.4|384MB RDRAM Pc800|Intel850|GF 256|SBLive!DE|OptusNet|
CPU Pricewatch
http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/forums.asp?s=2&c=6&t=1453&m=18798
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Nich...
26/5/03 12:02:56 AM
Hero
Guru
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Virt, nice one :)
Couple of things tho' -
7. Convert any FAT32 drives to NTFS
Perhaps a bit redundant if they're off flashing their BIOS and all, but a small warning on what may happen if you conver tto NTFS with data on the drive: power goes off, you == screwed. ie, backups are a must for un-recoverables (or, Why I like partitions) :)
8. Make your Swap File static
I know it's always varying between people on whether it's 1.5, 2.0, or even 1.0 x the physical RAM, but if you have over 512mb set aside as swap space (or less, too), would it maybe be worth setting a hard lower bound, and an open upper bound? That way if you have 1gb of RAM, you could set aside 512mb as swap, and if that gets filled, then it can use some more space?
Perhaps goes along with changing how much space the recycle bin/ie cache uses :)
Another tip some may like - whenever I reinstall windows, one of the first things I do is load up TweakUI, and change the start menu wait times to 0ms. Makes for one heck of a more responsive menu :)
*eedut*
Almost forgot: to defrag the swap file, another way is to set it to turn it off, and then defrag the drive/partition it's on. Then, turn it back on, et voila! One giant chunk of file. This won't, however, put it in an optimal position on your drive.
Edited by Nich...: 26/5/2003 12:05:48 AM -----
My mouth opens, but no words come out - don't believe this is easy on me.
Ask me a question, what reply can I give?
I'm all alone. I am senseless pain.
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Kristijan
26/5/03 9:14:05 AM
Initiate
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Excelent checklist, well done Virtuoso! -----
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RaYdeX
26/5/03 11:32:49 AM
Overlord
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Definatly a keeper.
Congrats Virt, An Atomic post, by a truely Atomic member :) -----
Ewwwww *shudder* Hardcopy....
----------
My Karma... your dogma... Go Muhatma !
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grug
26/5/03 12:12:15 PM
Guru
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*sniff*
Oh poo, I was kind hoping for something a little different for a 10,000th post - something like a tribute/thanks to Virt type thing.
But, all in all, not a bad way to bring up such a milestone. -----
vlever@utas.edu.au
Long live 3dFX
R.I.P Peter 'Possum' Bourne
Total Linkage - Every link you will need!
http://www.atomicmpc.com.au/forums.asp?s=2&c=9&t=2234
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derelict_frog
26/5/03 1:46:34 PM
Journeyman
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This would of been awesome a few months a go when i built mine, oh well i can't be bothered to do a clean in stall it is running very nice at the moment! -----
Asus A7V8X AMD XP 2400+ 512MB DDR400 Corsair RAM 80G Seagate Barracuta IV X-Micro 128MB GeForce4 T4200 20" Ipex Monitor Generic case with 300W PSU 2 80mm Vantec Stealth case fans Volcano 11-Xaser Edition Logitech Z-640 <derelict_frog@h
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Max_Headroom
27/5/03 1:55:54 PM
Learner
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Good one Virt. Kinda looks like my thoughts on ny system. But virtual. -----
"You need to give a lot of head to get this far"
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TheJester
27/5/03 6:47:54 PM
Overlord
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another first class post by Virt what else can i say but well done Virt -----
Never argue with an idiot.
They drag you down to their level,
then beat you with experience...
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