Specifications

bold, big-mouthed,
and sassy as hell
DO IT YOURSELF
(APRIL 2004)
HARD DRIVE
HANDBOOK
(OCTOBER 2003)
NEXT-GEN GAME
ENGINES
(OCTOBER 2002)
THE LAST DAYS OF
3DFX (JUNE 2002)
BEYOND THE X-RATING
(SEPTEMBER 2001)
CLEAN START
(JUNE 2000)
BUILD IT
(SEPTEMBER 1999)
LINUX MANIFESTO
(JULY 1998)
THE CARMACK
INTERVIEW
(DECEMBER 1997)
DREAM MACHINE
(SEPTEMBER 1997)
The editors pick 10 of our
favorite feature stories
UPDATE YOUR CHIPSET DRIVERS
Chipset manufacturers update these all
the time to solve incompatibilities and
crash problems. Get them from your mobo
manufacturer now!
DEFRAGMENT YOUR DRIVE
Defragging your drive regularly can give
your older machine a surprisingly hefty
performance boost.
USE A FIREWALL
Firewall software will protect your machine
from many of the nastiest self-spreading
viruses and worms on the Internet.
DON’T BE CAUGHT WITHOUT
ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE
No one who uses their machine on the net
should ever be without antivirus software.
Like, duh.
GET RID OF SPYWARE
Sometimes the only way to get rid of
spyware is to uninstall and reinstall
Windows. But before you go to those
lengths, download Spybot: Search and
Destroy and Ad-Aware and do full system
scans.
BURN AUDIO DISCS SLOWER
Some audio CD players have problems
playing audio discs burned at high speed.
We recommend using speeds no higher than
16x for Redbook audio.
DON’T USE AN ANEMIC POWER
SUPPLY
A PSU that doesn’t provide enough juice can
make your machine unstable and wonky.
350W is the minimum we’d use for even a
non-gaming rig these days.
BACK UP YOUR DATA
Without regular backups, you live at the
mercy of your hard drives. Back up your
important data at least once a week.
FIX YOUR 802.11 WOES WITH
SERVICE PACK 2
Service Pack 1 borked Windows built-in Wi-Fi
confi g utility. SP2 fi xes it. If you have
trouble staying connected to your Wi-Fi
network, you know what to do.
INCREASE THE REFRESH RATE OF
YOUR MONITOR
Get headaches after using your computer?
Up the refresh rate to at least 75Hz.
the doctor’s top ten prescriptions
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of swear words
BURN AUDIO DISCS SLOWER
Some audio CD players have problems
the doctor’s top ten prescriptions
the doctor’s top ten prescriptions
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of swear words
DON’T SAY WE NEVER
GIVE YOU ANYTHING
No purchase is necessary to win. Entries must be received no
later than February 28, 2005. The winner will be chosen on or
about March 4, 2005, and will be notifi ed by e-mail (or regular
mail). The odds of winning depend upon the number of entries
received. Future Network USA, Inc. (“Future USA”) cannot be
responsible for lost, late, misdirected, or incomplete entries.
The prize is nontransferable and no substitutions will be
allowed. Winners will be determined by a single random
drawing of all valid entries and the decision of Future USA
shall be fi nal. You may obtain the name of the winner by
sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the address
above. This contest is open to residents of the United States
only. Return of any prize or prize notifi cation as undeliverable
will result in disqualifi cation and an alternate winner will be
selected. The winner may be required to sign an affi davit of
eligibility/release of liability/prize acceptance within seven
days of receipt; failure to do so upon request will result in
forfeiture of the prize. By acceptance of the prize, the winner
agrees to the use of their name and/or likeness for purposes of
advertising, trade, or promotion without further compensation,
unless prohibited by law. Future USA is not responsible for
any damages or expenses that winners might incur as a
result of this contest or the receipt of any prize. Winners are
responsible for paying any income taxes on the value of the
prize received. Void in Rhode Island, Puerto Rico and where
prohibited by law.
One of 10 100GB portable drives from Seagate!
So your USB key can hold a gig of data—big whoop. These svelte,
pocket-size puppies hold 100 times more than that (100 issues:
100GB—get it?!), and one can be yours by simply e-mailing us at
[e-mail] by February 28, 2005!
WIN
JANUARY 2005 MAXIMUMPC 67