Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
Another consideration for cooling is with the case. The fan in the power supply and the one on the
CPU heatsink may not be enough for a high-performance system. I recommend you get a case that
includes at least one additional cooling fan. This is typically mounted in the rear of the chassis,
directing additional air out the back. Some cases include an extra fan in the front, which is
recommended if you are installing more than three hard drives. Most motherboards provide
connectors for a CPU fan plus at least two chassis fans.
Tip
If you are planning to overclock your PC's components, consider using liquid cooling for
maximum performance. Instead of heatsinks, liquid cooling uses devices known as water
blocks (waterblocks) to cool hardware. Waterblocks are connected with flexible pipes that
move coolant between components and an external heat exchanger. Most heat-producing
components in a PC can be liquid-cooled, including the processor, RAM, chipsets, GPUs, and
hard disks. FrozenCPU.com's Liquid Cooking page is an excellent resource for those new to
liquid cooling,
Cables
PC systems need many different cables to hook up everything. These can include power cables or
adapters, Serial ATA (and Parallel ATA) drive cables, and many others. Motherboards normally
include a few cables, but if you are installing multiple drives, you might need to purchase extras.
Chassis normally include cables for front panel connections, and power cables are normally included
with or are part of the power supply.
Hardware
You might need screws, standoffs, mounting brackets or rails (if your case requires them), and other
miscellaneous hardware to assemble your system. An assortment of hardware is normally included
with the chassis, but in some cases it helps to have extras on hand.
Hardware and Software Resources
When you are planning to build a system, it is important to consider how all your selected
components will work together and how the software you run must support them. It is not enough to be
sure that you have sufficient slots on the motherboard for all your expansion cards and enough bays in
the case for all your drives. You must also consider the resources required for all the components.
For example, if the chassis you have selected has front panel I/O ports, are there available
connections for all of them on the motherboard? Essentially, you should completely configure the
system before you begin ordering parts. Planning a system to this level of detail can be a lot of work,
which is one reason—besides cost—that the majority of PCs are prebuilt.
Tip
In most cases, you can download or view online the manuals for the motherboard, processor,
and other major components before you purchase them. Check the component vendors'
websites for these manuals and technical notes and read them carefully.
