Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
cardsfitPCIExpress(PCIe)slots,whilecardsdesignedformusictypicallyusetheolderPCI
slot standard.
Accessories
Apart from the major components, you need several other accessories to complete your
system.Thesearethesmallpartsthatcanmaketheassemblyprocessapleasureorachore.
Ifyouare purchasing yoursystem components frommail-order sources, youshouldmake
acompletelistofallthepartsyouneed,rightdowntothelastcableandscrew,andbesure
you have everything before you begin the assembly process. It is excruciating to have to
wait several days with a half-assembled system for the delivery of a forgotten part.
Heatsinks/Cooling Fans
Some of today's faster processors produce a lot of heat, and this heat has to be dissipated
so your system doesn't operate intermittently or even fail completely. Boxed processors
fromIntelandAMDaresoldwiththeheatsinkandfanincluded.AndalthoughOEMpro-
cessors don't include a heatsink from the processor manufacturer, most vendors who sell
them add an aftermarket heatsink and fan to the package; often, aftermarket heatsinks and
fans provide significantly better cooling than those shipped with boxed processors, mak-
ing them more suitable for overclocking.
Caution
All modern heatsinks require that a thermal interface material be applied to the base of the
heatsink before installation. A small amount may be supplied with a new heatsink (either as
an integrated phase change pad or as a separate tube of thermal paste or grease), but you
maywanttopurchasesomeseparatelybecausethegreasehastobecleanedoffandreapplied
every time you remove and reinstall the processor or heatsink.
Another consideration for cooling is with the case. The fan in the power supply and the
oneontheCPUheatsinkmaynotbeenoughforahigh-performancesystem.Irecommend
you get a case that includes at least one additional cooling fan. This is typically mounted
intherearofthechassis,directingadditionalairouttheback.Somecasesincludeanextra
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.
Cables
PC systems need many different cables to hook up everything. These can include power
cables or adapters, floppy drive cables, Parallel and Serial ATA drive cables, and many
others. Motherboards normally include a few cables, but if you are installing multiple
