This is probably the hardest step of all. Before securing the motherboard to the case, I made sure to write down a quick diagram of the jumper pins for the case switches and LEDs as they're difficult to see once the motherboard is in place. These can be found on the bottom left, if you were looking down into the machine, and they look like t

I hope that you enjoy your new solid state drive. You’ll no doubt notice that programs load much more quickly than before. Boot times will also be quicker. Because SSDs tend to have small storage capacities it’s a good idea to manage data so that only important files and programs are on new drive. See our SSD management guide for m

If everything went well, your computer should be starting now! If not, don't worry. Just check each component to ensure that you did everything correctly. Make sure that you look at any appropriate manuals or other instruction pamphlets of each component for highly detailed instructions on installat

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) also throttle traffic from Steam and other providers. They do this to prioritize specific data types, such as online shopping and social networking over high bandwidth activities such as online gaming, downloading, and video stream

There’s nothing wrong with an older model. SSDs are great upgrade because of their low access times and almost any option on the market can provide you with that. You wouldn’t even notice a difference in data transfer speeds unless you regularly move large files on or off the dr

The benefits of SSDs are not in question. But how do you install one? Actually, installing a hard drive is one of the easiest upgrades possible. Anyone with two hands and a screwdriver can do it. Here’s

Another way to speed up Steam is to play over a VPN. The thinking behind this is straightforward: ISPs throttle traffic, but managing encrypted traffic is a different matter. If your Steam download speed is slow, connecting a via a VPN is a smart option. It can even enhance speeds with online gaming and provide access to game servers you wouldn't normally re

There are a lot of good options in the $100 to $150 range for any given processor and, if budget is your concern, it’s wise not to stray too far from them. Top brands like ASUS, Gigabyte and MSI offer plenty of choice for budget shopp

Note that the server list is updated automatically as new servers are brought online and old units are retired. As such you should check every few months that your connection has not been updated to a slower ser

While upgrading a mechanical hard disk drive (HDDs) to a faster model (say 5400rpm to 7200rpm) might help, switching to an SSD is a better option. Solid-state drives are based on the same technology as USB thumb drives; as such they're far fas

You will obviously save money if you don’t buy a solid state drive . They offer a huge performance boost, however, so I think it’d be silly for me to recommend skipping one entirely. It’s a worthwhile upgr

Don’t take this too far, however. Downgrading from one product line to another will result in a performance difference. There’s nothing wrong with a Core i3 but don’t buy it under the illusion that it’s about the same as a Core

Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 500W power supply : Cooler Master is a respected brand for power supplies and cooling, so I gravitated towards their products. With a decent CPU and GPU, I predicted that 500 watts should be more than enough to power the entire system. I could've probably gone with a 400 watt power supply without any issues, but I wanted to be completely sure. At just under $45, it's not a bad price anyways. If you're unsure about which power supply to get for your custom budget gaming rig, Matt explains everything you need to know about power supplies and how to pick o

This isn’t a how-to article though - I couldn’t possibly write about how to build a PC case recommendations|Https://pcbuildinsight.com/ from scratch in one article. Instead, I will give tips and describe the process in a whirlwind manner, but you should maybe think of it more as motivation for you to try the same. The whole process took about 2 ho

All good. Then I examine the hardware monitor to see if the system temperature or CPU is abnormal. I leave this running for a while, just to check that they’re not rising which might indicate a fan failure somewh

Installing a new cooling fan is often the best way to decrease heat. It also can be a good way to reduce noise (if the replacement fan is quieter, of course). Adding a fan is one of the easier upgrades a user can perf

To keep costs down you can aim for one of the less impressive options or an older product. The Crucial M4, which was once considered cutting-edge, is now pretty mundane. And that means you can buy a 128GB model for just

Disconnect your PC from all power and peripheral cords and move it to a flat, level surface with good lighting. Once settled, open it open. A standard tower PC will usually open on the left side (as viewed from the front). The panel will be secured by screws on the back. Not every case is like this, however. You may need to refer to your computer’s man