Build Your Own Cheap Computer
Guide to Configuring
Motherboard Bios

Step 14: Configure Motherboard Bios

Firstly, power up your monitor and then the computer. Observe the screen and listen for any beeps from the system. The system should automatically go through a 'Power On Self Test' (POST) which consists of checking video BIOS, RAM test and sometimes install component report.

If any fatal errors occur during the POST, you may not see anything on the screen and the system might beep several times indicating a specific problem. Check your motherboard or the BIOS documentation to determine what the beep codes mean.

If there are no fatal errors, you should see the POST display on the screen.

It is important that you follow this section of the Build Your Own Cheap Computer tutorial closely.

Depending on the type of BIOS, such as AMI, Phoenix, Award, etc., you need to press a key or series of keys to interrupt the normal boot sequence and get to the Setup screen that enables you to configure the system.

Most often, the system indicates which key to press to activate the BIOS setup during the POST but, if not, check your motherboard manual for information on which key(s) to press for entering your BIOS.

Common keys used to enter the BIOS setup are F1, F2, F10, ESC, INS and DEL.

While the Setup program is running, use the Setup program menus to enter the current date and time, your hard drive settings, floppy drive types, video cards, keyboard settings, etc.

Most newer BIOSes can auto-detect the hard drive so you should not have to manually enter any parameters for it.

Entering hard drive information is most critical when you building your own computer.

Most newer BIOSes feature an auto-detect setting for the drive. If that feature is available, I recommend you choose it. This enables the BIOS to read the settings directly from the drive which eliminates any chance for errors.

These parameters include Cylinder Head Sector (CHS), specifications and transfer speed and translation settings.

Most systems allow you to set a user-definable type which means the cylinder head and sector counts for this Drive are entered manually.

If you set a user-definable type, (not normally reommended unless you don't have 'auto' as a choice) it is important to document the exact settings you used because this information might be very difficult to recover if it got lost.

In building your own cheap computer, you most likely purchased a SATA drive. These modern SATA drives are easily set up since they do not require "master" or "slave" jumper configurations.

Another important setting in the Build Your Own Cheap Computer tutorial BIOS setup, is the Virus Protection/Warning. At startup, this will scan your hard drive boot sector for viruses and warn you if any is present. This feature should be enabled. In addition to this feature, I recommend that you purchase a proprietary anti-virus software. Check out my anti-virus software guide here.

After you Build Your Own Cheap Computer, monitoring your PC's health is very important; therefore, you should configure the PC Health setting. This feature monitors the CPU temperature, voltage levels and fan speed, etc. You can choose an automatic shutdown temperature that if the CPU goes above this temperature, the system automatically shuts down.

When you have made a final check over all the settings in the BIOS setup, follow the on-screen instructions to save the settings and exit the setup menu.

Occasionally, you will need to update your system's Bios. If and when this need arises, you will need to log on to the appropriate Website of the Bios manufacturer to download this update. You will need to follow the accompanying instructions exactly since a failed Bios update can render your system useless.

These BIOS settings should be quite sufficient at this time to get your computer up and running. You can now shut down your computer.

You have now completed this step in the Build Your Own Cheap Computer tutorial.

Browse here for all the steps in the
Build Your Own Cheap Computer tutorial

Click Here to go to Step 15: Test Run Your Computer System

Return from Build Your Own Cheap Computer to Cheap Computer Home Page