Upgrading, Adding or Removing a Video Card, Sound Card, or Other AGP/PCI Card

For Video cards - Most PC video cards these days are AGP. But you COULD be working with PCI, or PCI express. If you're not sure which you have (more then 75% of the time it will be AGP) consult your motherboard manual. If your video card is AGP, you should see a slot smaller then the other slots on your board, and it will be a different color. You can likely also tell your video card if it has a GPU (a processor with a fan on top of it) or a video card company printed on it like Nvidia or Geforce.

To take out your video card in order to switch it for a newer one, or if it simply is not working, remove the screw first that holds it to the case. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE CARD UNTIL YOU HAVE UNSCREWED IT. You will damage, maybe even destroy your card, and you may damage your AGP, PCI or PCI express slot as well. Your board may then have a simple switch that holds the socket down. Flick this switch up. After the scrue is removed, and the switch is flicked up, pull the card away from the board. Pull it on one side first so when it comes out it comes out on a slant, kind of like a car reversing. It should come out quite easily. To put in a new card, make sure the card you're putting in is properly lined up in the slot, then press the card into the slot. If it dosen't seem to be going in, you may be putting it in the wrong way. The pathways on the one side of the card should be the side that goes into the motherboard slot (these pathways looking like small lines going up one side of the card). Once the card sinks in with almost a click (like RAM), flick the switch down and scrue the card into the place you unscrued it. Start up your PC, make sure the card is working, then put your case back on.

Sound card - Sound cards are pretty easy, and the method for these can be used for any other card, such as network cards and the like (assuming they are all PCI. PCI are the black slots on your board). For installing/removing a PCI card, just unscrue it from the board, pull it out, then put the new one in, and scrue it in. Pretty easy. If you are having troubles, make sure the lines running up one side of the card is the side going into the slot. If you still have troubles, try turning the card around (but still make sure the pathways are facing the slot).

I am a young, aspiring computer engineer into Internet Marketing, hardware, software, web design, SEO and just about anything related to computers. Please come check out my growing PC forum at http://www.markspcforum.com

---

Generation Laptop

In May 2005 U.S hardware history was made.This was the... Read More

Wireless Networking, Part 2: Setup and Security

The first installment in this two-part series of Tech Tips... Read More

Buying a Refurbished Dell Laptop

Dell offers a full line of refurbished laptops on their... Read More

Emergency Response VSAT Internet Communications

As 2005 begins, there are a number of products on... Read More

The Newest Thing in Lighting - LED Lighting and What It Can Do

The other day my son said to me, what else... Read More

How to Purchase a Flat Panel TV

When purchasing a flat panel TV, there are a few... Read More

Portable MP3 Player Based Education

A revolution in learning technology has taken place. Actually, it... Read More

Computer Parts Online

In today's age, building computers on yourself is often chosen... Read More

Used Laptop Computer: Your Quick Purchase Inspection Guide ? Part 1

Used laptop computers are everywhere these days. How can you... Read More

Toner Cartridges - How They Work

In the past computers and their accompanying printers were huge.... Read More

Video Encryption

What is Video Encryption?Video Encryption is an extremely useful method... Read More

TiVo: An Introduction for the Few Who Dont Know Yet

TiVo will change your life... for the better. Plain and... Read More

DVD ROMs

DVD CD ROMs have become predominantly the most used CD... Read More

Flash Your ATI Video Cards BIOS

Flash your ATI video card BIOS.You will need the following:1.... Read More

LCD Vs. CRT

When buying a new computer, or upgrading your monitor, you... Read More

Ceramic Disc Capacitor-How to Accurately Test It

The last article I mentioned about electrolytic capacitor breakdown when... Read More

How to Choose The Right Laptop Accessories?

The notebook computer is coming of age. For the first... Read More

Digital Cameras, Media, and Card Readers

With the dropping prices on digital cameras and digital media... Read More

A Technical Introduction to Audio Cables

What is so important about cables anyway?One of the most... Read More

How to Change, Upgade or Remove an IDE Hard Drive

Hard drives - Hard drives are a little more complicated.... Read More

The Importance of Ergonomic Products

Interestingly, ergonomics though sounds to be a modern and trendy... Read More

Hard Drive Selection

Perhaps the biggest mistake people make when building their computer(s)... Read More

When Good Color Goes Bad...

Even with the popularity of digital technology, and the availability... Read More

USB Key Drives - Useful Tool

There are many different names for these drives, just so... Read More

Basics of RAID

A couple of the recent Tech Tips from www.geeks.com have... Read More

The Constantly Changing World of Inkjet Technology

We have finally advanced to a time when technology can... Read More

Do You Feel Used by Computers?

Do You Feel Used by Computers?A look at second-user computer... Read More

How To Choose a Computer Mouse

Computer MiceEvery computer user can hopefully identify their mouse and... Read More

Review: Implementing the Google Search Appliance in an Intranet environment

Our corporate intranet is a non-framed environment with both Lotus... Read More

Nvidia Geforce 7800 GTX Review

Nvidia has done it again, with it's newest video card,... Read More

Discover Everything About Wholesale Bar Code Reader And Software!

It is a given fact that buying wholesale would make... Read More

An Inexpensive Solution to Securing Public Access Computers

Offering secure public Internet access is not as easy as... Read More

Ten Things Everyone Should Know about Ordering an Inkjet Cartridge Online

It is true. You can save a lot of time... Read More