Setting up a new PC

[sbanks]

I know that building a PC is pretty straight forward, just get compatible components and slot them together then install the OS. However, I've got a question for those of you that do this a lot:

What else is there to do in terms of setting up and tuning the system?

Now, what I'd do with my more limited experience is to fit everything together, turn it on, hope it works ok, install the OS from the DVD, get a firewall running, get the Internet up and running, download and install the latest drivers from the manufacturers websites for the various bits of hardware and finally start loading my own software.

However, I'm sure there must be more to it to get the best out of your system. And by best I don't mean overclocking, more things like making sure BIOS settings are set up correctly.

E.g. if I bought an Intel Core 2 Duo with a decent motherboard and some DDR2 memory running at 800 MHz - would I need to do (or at least check) things to make sure they were working together at the right speeds, or do these things just work?

Also, once the system is built and appearing to work, are there any tests (e.g. on the memory, stability, speed) that you would run to verify there was no problem with the system?

So in summary - what other things do you do with a new system to

(a) Get it working correctly, and

(b) test that the system is working corectly?

[Belso]

Too be honest i dont do any of that.

For me i:

Build the system, double check everything is in place, all cables are out of the way of the fan's.

Boot up the system into the bios, make sure its set to boot from CD and if the bios has a logo i will remove it.

Boot from CD, and install the OS.

Once i'm in the OS i will install all the drivers from the Motherboard CD.

Install needed software like: AVG Suite, Adobe, Office.

Then i will do every single Windows Update.

_ _ _

Little changes i do are:

Disable automatically restart
Disable 'Highlight Newly Installed Programs'
Remove Unnessary items from the taskbar.
Set my Home Page to Google.
Store all setup files, fix's ect.. into a temp folder incase there needed at a latter date.
Done. :wink:

[whipchain]

same here, not much need to do anything else, unless you feel there is a problem and its not running as expected!

[sbanks]

Thanks - that's good to know!

I've nearly finished spec'ing the new PC and will post the full spec later to see if it gets the thumbs up or if I've missed something important, as I'm hoping to get the bits and build it this weekend! 8)