Upgradind Computer Parts
Upgradind Computer Parts
UPGRADING DIFFERENT
COMPUTER COMPONENTS
COMPONENTS COMMONLY REPLACED IN A
COMPUTER
MEMORY
- Technically is a form of electronic storage; it is used often to identify fast,
temprorary forms of storage. It is commonly called RAM(Random Access
Memory).
STEPS IN INSTALLING MEMORY IN
COMPUTER
Step 1 - Gathering Supplies
Clear off your installation space and make sure you’re working in a static-safe
environment. Remove any plastic bags or papers from your workspace. Then,
you’ll need the following items:
Your desktop computer
desktop memory
Screwdriver
Owner’s manual
STEPS IN INSTALLING MEMORY IN
COMPUTER
VIDEO CARDS
- Is also referred to as a graphic accelerator, is an item of personal computer
hardware whose function is to generate and output images to display.
STEPS IN INSTALLING VIDEO CARDS IN
COMPUTER
1.Turn off your PC, unplug it, and remove your computer case.
Your computer should have either a PCI-Express 16x or AGP slot for your card. The
card won’t fit into the wrong slot, so you can’t go wrong. But don’t confuse your
computer’s thin memory slots for its video card slot.
STEPS IN INSTALLING VIDEO CARDS IN
COMPUTER
2.With a small screwdriver, remove the screw holding in the old card or the
metal cover.
Don’t lose that screw! You need it to secure the new card in place.
STEPS IN INSTALLING VIDEO CARDS IN
COMPUTER
3.If you’re placing an old card, pull it up and out of the slot(left).
If you’re not replacing an old card, remove the metal cover from the back of
your computer(right).
STEPS IN INSTALLING VIDEO CARDS IN
COMPUTER
4. Hold the card by its edges and position it over the correct slot.
The edge with the shiny metal bracket should face toward the back of your computer. (That shiny bracket
replaces the cover, if you removed one.
5. Line up the tabs and notches on the card’s bottom with the notches in the slot. Push the card slowly into the
slot.
You may need to rock the card back and forth gently. When the card pops in, you can feel it come to rest. Don’t
force it!
6.If the video slot has it, bend out the flexible plastic retaining clip that fits over a tab on the end of the video
card.
When the card fits into the slot, release the clip, letting it hold the card in place.
STEPS IN INSTALLING VIDEO CARDS IN
COMPUTER
7.Secure the card in the slot with the screw you removed in Step 3, then plug the computer
back in, turn it on, and see whether Windows recognizes and installs the card.
Windows usually recognizes newly installed cards and sets them up to work correctly.
STEPS IN INSTALLING VIDEO CARDS IN
COMPUTER
9.Visit the manufacturer’s Web site to download and install the latest drivers.
Card manufacturers, especially video card manufacturers, constantly update their drivers to
fix bugs.
COMPONENTS COMMONLY REPLACED IN A
COMPUTER
NETWORK INTERFACE CARD
- Is also known as Local Area Network Card or LAN card. A Personal Computer (PC)
interface to network cabling. It is a piece of computer hardware designed to allow
computers to communicate over a computer network.
STEPS IN INSTALLING NETWORK INTERFACE
CARD IN COMPUTER
2.Shut down Windows, turn off the computer and unplug it.
Never work in your computer’s insides with the power on or the power cord
plugged in!
STEPS IN INSTALLING NETWORK INTERFACE
CARD TO PC
3. Remove the cover from your computer.
You must typically remove a number of screws to open the cover. Put the screws someplace
where they won’t wander off.
If you have a name-brand computer such as a Dell or a Compaq, opening the cover may be
trickier than just removing a few screws. You may need to consult the owner’s manual that
came with the computer to find out how to open the case
STEPS IN INSTALLING NETWORK INTERFACE
CARD TO PC
4.Find an unused expansion slot inside the computer.
The expansion slots are lined up in a neat row near the back of the computer; you can’t
miss them. Any computer less than five years old should have at least two or three slots
known as PCI slots.
5.Remove the metal slot protector from the back of the computer’s chassis.
If a small retaining screw holds the slot protector in place, remove the screw and keep
it in a safe place because you will need it later. Then pull the slot protector out and
discard.
STEPS IN INSTALLING NETWORK INTERFACE
CARD TO PC
6.Insert the network interface card into the slot.
Line up the connectors on the bottom of the card with the connectors in the
expansion slot and then press the card straight down. Sometimes you have to
press uncomfortably hard to get the card to slide into the slot.
In the BIOS, go to the standard System Settings menu or the Integrated Peripherals >
SATA menu to see all of the drives installed in the system. If all of your drive
controllers are enabled and the drive is properly connected (and functional), it should
be listed in the BIOS.
If the drive isn’t listed, shut down your PC. Double-check all of the connections,
boot into the BIOS and check again. If the drive still isn’t showing up and all the
connections are secure, try plugging the SATA data cable into a different port on the
motherboard.
COMPONENTS COMMONLY REPLACED IN A
COMPUTER
MOTHER BOARD
- Is also known as the mainboard. It contains circuits that perform various
functions.
STEPS IN INSTALLING MOTHERBOARD TO
PC
Before getting started:
-Prepare your workspace.
-Gather your tools.
-Consider safety.
1. Unpack the board
Open your motherboard’s box. You’ll see lots of cables, a driver CD, a metal blanking plate with holes
cut out and a manual. Take these components out and put them to one side, as you’ll need them later on.
The motherboard will be inside an anti-static bag and resting on top of anti-static foam. Slide the
motherboard out of the bag, but leave it attached to the foam for now. Place the motherboard and foam
on top of the anti-static bag, and take out the metal blanking plate.
STEPS IN INSTALLING MOTHERBOARD TO
PC
2. Measure blanking plate
The blanking plate fits into the case and gives you access only to the ports that your motherboard has. However, some
motherboard manufacturers use generic blanking plates that fit their entire range of boards. With these, you may need to
remove some metal covers to give access to your motherboard’s ports.
The easiest way to see is to hold the blanking plate up to the motherboard until the cutouts match the ports on your
board. The blanking plate should be pushed against the motherboard with the ridge pointing out, so any text is readable.
It will only fit one way, so maneuver it until it’s the right way. Make a note of any ports that are covered.
STEPS IN INSTALLING MOTHERBOARD TO
PC
Remove unnecessary bits
If you need to remove any parts of the blanking plate, you should do that now. You’ll have two options for
doing this. First, you may have to remove a bit of metal, in a similar way to the metal blanking plates on your
case. These should be rocked gently out until the metal snaps.
Second, some ports may be covered by a flap. In this case, the flap should be bent inwards (towards where the
motherboard will be). Make sure that you bend it far enough for the motherboard’s port to be given enough
clearance to pass underneath.
STEPS IN INSTALLING MOTHERBOARD TO
PC
4. Install the blanking From the inside of the case, you need to take the blanking plate and
push it into the gap at the rear of the case. Remember to align it so that it’s the same way up
as when you measured it against your motherboard.
The ridge around the outside of the plate should clip into the hole. Be warned that this can be
really fiddly and the blanking plates don’t always fit perfectly. It should, however, clip into
place and remain stable without any support.plate.
STEPS IN INSTALLING MOTHERBOARD TO
PC
5. Measure where the motherboard goes.
Next, you need to see where the screw holes for the motherboard will go. Lie the case flat
on the desk and make sure that all the internal cables are out of the way. When you’ve got
a clear case, take the motherboard off its foam backing and slide it gently into the case.
Make sure that its rear ports are pushed up against the blanking plate correctly. Take a
note of where the screw holes in the motherboard go, and remove the board. Place it back
on its foam.
STEPS IN INSTALLING MOTHERBOARD TO
PC
PROCESSOR
- Is also known as CPU or Central Processing Unit
STEPS IN INSTALLING CPU IN COMPUTER
1. Keep your CPU where it is
Sit tight. Don't take your CPU out of the box just yet.
2. Ready your motherboard
We're not going to assume you're putting your new CPU into a new motherboard, but that would be the
simplest scenario. If you have a new motherboard, there may be a plastic cover over the CPU socket. If
you're putting your new CPU onto a motherboard that already has a CPU, then obviously that and the CPU
cooler will be in the way. In both cases, you'll need to remove whatever is in the way of the CPU socket.
This is also a good opportunity for you to get familiar with the retention arm (and possibly the metal
bracket on an Intel socket) that holds the processor in place once installed. You can get a sense of how
much pressure it takes to press down.
Keep the retention arm in its open, up position. With your CPU socket open, you're ready to move on.
STEPS IN INSTALLING CPU IN COMPUTER
3. Line up your CPU
(Note: When holding your CPU, it's best practice to only touch the sides. Touching the
underside or the metal lid can get undesirable residue on them that may affect performance.)
Your CPU has to go into its socket on the motherboard facing the right direction. Fortunately,
there are almost always indicators on the CPU and socket to help you get the alignment
correct.
Look for a matching indicator on the corner of your CPU and the socket. It will likely appear
as a small triangle. If you don't see any indicator, you should consult the manuals for your
motherboard and CPU.
STEPS IN INSTALLING CPU IN COMPUTER
4. Set the CPU into its socket
Assuming you correctly lined up your CPU with the socket, it should drop
right into place. You may need to gently, and we mean gently, shift it around if
it feels like it's not quite in place. AMD CPU pins, for instance, can be a little
trickier to line up with the holes in the socket.
STEPS IN INSTALLING CPU IN
COMPUTER
5. Close the retention arm
With your CPU properly seated in the socket, you should be able to push
down the retention arm with ease (if it's an Intel CPU, lower the bracket first).
If it feels like the retention arm is resisting you, double-check the seating of
the CPU in the socket. We find a gentle push with your pinky finger can be
enough force to close the retention arm, so don't try to force it or you may
end up damaging your CPU (We've bent CPU pins that way, and it is NOT
fun trying to bend them back).
Once your CPU is seated and the retention arm is down, you're all set. (Note:
if you're also setting up the rest of your computer, check to make sure that the
CPU power socket on your motherboard is connected to your power supply.
It is separate from the larger power connector for the rest of the
motherboard).
COMPONENTS COMMONLY REPLACED IN A
COMPUTER
CMOS Battery
- Refers to a small meory on PC motherbaoardsthat is used to restore BIOS
settings
COMPONENTS COMMONLY REPLACED IN A
COMPUTER
Remove and install the CMOS battery
1.Locate the thumbscrews on the back of the case, and loosen them. The
thumb screws are spring loaded, so they won’t come out all the way.
CS400’s and CS450’s will have one thumbscrew, while the CS250 will
have two.
2.Remove the small Phillips head screws located on each side of the
panel. Once they’re removed, slide the panel off.
COMPONENTS COMMONLY REPLACED IN A
COMPUTER
3.Find the CMOS battery, which is located on the right side of the motherboard. It will look like a quarter.
Take note of the orientation of the battery facing up (+ or -). On Creation Stations, the direction of the
battery has the + (positive) side facing up.
4.Use something small like a pencil, pen, or paperclip and carefully push the retainer clip to free the
battery.
5.Wait approximately five minutes, then install the new battery in the same orientation that the previous
battery was facing.
COMPONENTS COMMONLY REPLACED IN A
COMPUTER
CD/DVD DRIVE
- A DVD is an optical disc storage media format,invented and developed by
Philips,Sony,Toshiba and Panasonic in 1995.
STEPS IN INSTALLING CD/DVD DRIVE IN
COMPUTER
1. Power down the PC completely. After the computer has safely shut down, turn off
the internal power by flipping the switch on the back of the power supply and removing
the AC power cord.
2.Open the computer to install the CD or DVD drive. The method for opening the case
varies depending upon your computer model. Most use a panel or door on the side of
the computer. Older computers may require you to remove the entire cover. Remove
and set aside any screws that fasten the cover or panel to the computer case and then
remove the cover.
STEPS IN INSTALLING CD/DVD DRIVE IN
COMPUTER
3. Remove the drive slot cover. Most computer cases have several slots for external drives but only use a
few. Any unused drive slot has a cover that prevents dust from entering the computer. Remove the 5.25-inch
drive slot cover by pushing tabs either on the inside or outside of the case. Sometimes a cover might be
screwed into the case.
4. Set the IDE drive mode. Most CD and DVD drives for desktop computers use the IDE interface, which
allows for two devices on a single cable. Place each device on the cable into the appropriate mode. One
drive is the primary, and the other drive is the secondary. One or more jumpers on the back of the drive
usually handle this setting. Consult the documentation or diagrams on the drive for the location and settings.
If you plan to install the CD/DVD drive on an existing cable, set the drive to the Secondary mode. If the
drive will reside on an IDE cable alone, set it to the Primary mode.
STEPS IN INSTALLING CD/DVD DRIVE IN
COMPUTER
5. Place the CD/DVD drive into the computer. The method for installing the drive varies
depending on the case. The two common methods for installing a drive are either through drive
rails or directly into the drive cage.
Drive Rails: Position the drive rails on the side of the drive and fasten the rails with screws.
Once you place the drive rails on both sides of the drive, slide the drive and rails into the
appropriate slot. Affix the drive rails, so the drive is flush with the case when you fully insert
it.
Drive Cage: Slide the drive into the slot in the case, so the drive bezel is flush with the
computer case. Fasten the drive to the computer case by placing screws into the appropriate
slots or holes.
STEPS IN INSTALLING CD/DVD DRIVE IN
COMPUTER
6. Attach the internal audio cable. To use CD/DVD drives to listen to music, the audio signal
from the CD drive must route to the computer audio solution. Typically, a small two-wire
cable with a standard connector handles this. Plug this cable into the back of the CD/DVD
drive. Then, plug the other end into either a PC audio card or motherboard depending upon the
computer's audio setup. Lastly, plug the cable into the connector labeled as CD Audio.
7. Attach the CD/DVD drive to the computer using an IDE cable. Usually, the drive resides
secondary to the hard drive. If so, locate the free connector on the IDE ribbon cable between
the computer and the hard drive, then plug it into the drive. If the drive will be on its own
cable, connect the IDE cable to the motherboard and one of the other connectors of the cable
into the CD/DVD drive.
STEPS IN INSTALLING CD/DVD DRIVE IN
COMPUTER
8. Plug the drive into the power supply. Locate one of the 4-pin Molex
connectors from the power supply and insert it into the power connector on the
CD/DVD drive.
9.After you install the drive, close the computer. Replace the panel or cover to
the computer case. Fasten the cover or panel to the case using the screws you
set aside when you removed the cover.
STEPS IN INSTALLING CD/DVD DRIVE IN
COMPUTER
10. Plug the AC cord into the power supply and flip the switch to the On position.
11.The computer system should automatically detect and use the new drive. Since
CD and DVD drives are standardized, you shouldn't have to install any specific
drivers. Consult the instruction manual that came with the drive for instructions for
your particular operating system.
COMPONENTS COMMONLY REPLACED IN A
COMPUTER
SOUND CARD
-is an internal computer expansion card that facilitates the input and output of
audio signal.
STEPS IN INSTALLING SOUND CARD IN
COMPUTER
1.Ensure that you need a sound card. Nearly all modern computers have the sound card built-in
to the motherboard. You can double-check that you have a sound card built-in by looking for
speaker jacks on the back of the computer. Sound cards are really only necessary for
audiophiles and recording studio computers, or for very old computers that don't have built-in
sound.
STEPS IN INSTALLING SOUND CARD IN
COMPUTER
2.Power down your computer and remove all the cables. This will allow you to move your computer to
a place that allows you to easily access it. Place the computer on its side on a table, with the ports on the
back closest to the table. The ports are connected to the motherboard, so having them closest to the table
will ensure that you can get to the motherboard when the case is open.
Avoid laying the computer on carpet.
STEPS IN INSTALLING SOUND CARD IN
COMPUTER
3.Remove the side panel on your computer. Most newer cases have
thumbscrews, but you may need a Phillips-head screwdriver. The screws run
down the back of the computer. Remove the panel on the opposite side of the
motherboard and set it aside.
STEPS IN INSTALLING SOUND CARD IN
COMPUTER
4.Ground yourself. You should always ground yourself when working inside
your computer. You can use an electrostatic wrist strap or touch a metal water
tap to discharge any electrostatic buildup. If you don't ground yourself, you run
the risk of damaging your components with electrostatic discharge.
STEPS IN INSTALLING SOUND CARD IN
COMPUTER
5.Clean out any dust. Since your computer is open, you should take this opportunity
to clean out the dust that has built up inside the case. Too much dust can lead to
overheating, which can lead to your components failing.
Use compressed air to remove as much dust and debris as possible. Make sure to get
in all of the nooks and crannies.
STEPS IN INSTALLING SOUND CARD IN
COMPUTER
Locate the PCI slots. These are the slots that you can install expansion cards into. PCI slots are
typically white, and you may have 1-5 of them. The slots line up with the removable panels on
the back of the case.
If you're having difficulty identifying the PCI slots, check your motherboard's documentation.
You can look this up online if you have the motherboard's model number.
STEPS IN INSTALLING SOUND CARD IN
COMPUTER
Remove the existing sound card (if necessary). If you are replacing an old card, remove the old
card first. Having two cards installed will lead to hardware conflicts. Remove the screw
securing the card to your case and pull the card directly out of the slot.
You may need to disconnect the sound card from your CD/DVD drive.
Make sure that any speakers connected to the old sound card are disconnected before you
remove the old card.
STEPS IN INSTALLING SOUND CARD IN
COMPUTER
Insert the new card. Remove the corresponding dust guard panel from the back
if you are installing the new card. Make sure that the notches in the slot line up
with the card, and press the card straight down firmly. Don't force the card into
the slot, and ensure that the ports on the back line up with the with the bay
opening.
STEPS IN INSTALLING SOUND CARD IN
COMPUTER
Secure the card with a screw. Screw a single screw into the metal tab that
secures the card to the computer chassis. Don't overtighten, but ensure the card
is snugly fastened to the case.
STEPS IN INSTALLING SOUND CARD IN
COMPUTER
Connect the sound card to the CD/DVD drive (optional). Some older sound
cards may connect to the CD/DVD drive with a small cable. This is optional on
virtually all newer computers, as this connection is now handled by the
hardware.
STEPS IN INSTALLING SOUND CARD IN
COMPUTER
Close the case. Return the side panel to the computer and secure it. Place the
computer back at your desk and plug the cables back in.
COMMONLY UPGRADED COMPUTER PARTS
MONITOR
- Replace ols CRT monitors to new LCD or LED monitors.
COMMONLY UPGRADED COMPUTER PARTS
Step 1: Replace the Old, Install New. As the first step, you need to get rid of
the old monitor. ...
Step 2: Unboxing the New. Next, you need to unbox the new monitor. ...
Step 3: Time to Connect. ...
Step 4: Switch it On. ...
Step 5: Control Panel Settings.
COMMONLY UPGRADED COMPUTER PARTS
CD ROM
-Old CD ROM drives are commonly replaced with DVD ROM and DVD writers
Step 1: Order the Caddy. The drive caddy replaces the DVD
drive. ...
Step 2: Choose an SSD or HDD to Replace the Optical Drive.
Step 3: Remove the DVD Drive From Your Laptop.
Step 4: Insert the HDD or SSD Into the Caddy.
Step 5: Insert the Caddy Into Your Laptop.
COMMONLY UPGRADED COMPUTER PARTS
HARD DRIVE
- Small capacity hard drives are replaced with faster and high capacity hard
drives.
Determine if the existing drive uses IDE or SATA connections.
Purchase the new drive.
Install the new drive.
COMMONLY UPGRADED COMPUTER PARTS