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Subject: Computer opening help
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Ok, most of you know that I'm getting a Nvidia GeForce FX5500 in the next month (or even earlier if I do my chores like I mean it). But there's one thing I'm afraid of: opening the computer case to install it. Does anyone here know any good links/websites that contains useful tutorial videos about how to open your computer, install the hardware, know where to install each specific hardware, and close it without any problems? That, or can anyone here make a short video on how to? I'd really appreciate it, I'm excited that I'm finally going to get awesome graphics, but I'm scared for my computer's sake, because I might do something stupid and kill the whole computer.

Also, how can I check which slot my motherboard has (PCI, AGP, PCI-E)? yes, I probably have a PCI slot, but JUST IN CASE, how do I find out what it is, without opening up my computer? And how do I find out what type of RAM I have (DDR, DDR2), and from which company, without opening up my computer?

Thank you guys for any help.

  • 10.04.2006 5:51 PM PDT

you may know me as X[IGN]

Posted by: Iggwilv

*hands Kim a crowbar*
Here you will need this to help you get your foot out of the back of your throat, looks llike its in there pretty deep. And what is that on your face? Egg?! *hands Kim a washcloth*

Just open the thing, you wont hurt it JUST by opening it.

  • 10.04.2006 5:56 PM PDT
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Posted by: staticx576
Just open the thing, you wont hurt it JUST by opening it.


Yeah but I don't know how to.

I mean I know how to unscrew bolts and all, but I don't know which ones to unscrew, and after I've done that, how do I open the case...

  • 10.04.2006 6:00 PM PDT
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These things depend on the case and the motherboard. You can find info on your motherboard online.

Most cases have a few screws, once you unscrew them, you can "slide" half the case off for looking inside. Just use common sense when unscrewing, you won't hurt anything if you unscrew a screw that holds you moniter cord in ;)

  • 10.04.2006 6:06 PM PDT

*I sense a disturbance in the forum*
Jaws on Zanzibar?
Sniper 's Ed 101
my myspace
teh explosion
purchase a leaf blower at any Sears store
After kim saying pc gamers are more mature:
Posted by:ImSpartacus
we r?

The Most Important Step

Ground yourself by touching the metal case on the outside so you don't cause static elecricity inside, or touch something metal away from the computer, failure to do so can cause irreversible damage

  • 10.04.2006 6:06 PM PDT

you may know me as X[IGN]

Posted by: Iggwilv

*hands Kim a crowbar*
Here you will need this to help you get your foot out of the back of your throat, looks llike its in there pretty deep. And what is that on your face? Egg?! *hands Kim a washcloth*

Posted by: lpjuunin
Posted by: staticx576
Just open the thing, you wont hurt it JUST by opening it.


Yeah but I don't know how to.

I mean I know how to unscrew bolts and all, but I don't know which ones to unscrew, and after I've done that, how do I open the case...


Becuase all computer cases are the same right? Look in your manual.

  • 10.04.2006 6:16 PM PDT
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Posted by: staticx576
Posted by: lpjuunin
Posted by: staticx576
Just open the thing, you wont hurt it JUST by opening it.


Yeah but I don't know how to.

I mean I know how to unscrew bolts and all, but I don't know which ones to unscrew, and after I've done that, how do I open the case...


Becuase all computer cases are the same right? Look in your manual.


There's a problem. My computer is custom made, and my uncle just bought it for me, I don't think I have a manual of some sort (unless it's INSIDE the darn case, which will be ridiculous).

  • 10.04.2006 6:23 PM PDT
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take a couple pics of your case and post the links and then we could help you. make sure you take them from multiple angles.

  • 10.04.2006 6:25 PM PDT
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Posted by: MikeM709
take a couple pics of your case and post the links and then we could help you. make sure you take them from multiple angles.


I would do that, but my parents still haven't given me a digital camera...=/

Anyways, I found a really good video on google video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6131425738272048550& amp;q=installing+a+graphics+card&hl=en
For those of you who knows about installing internal hardware, is this video accurate?

[Edited on 10/4/2006]

  • 10.04.2006 6:26 PM PDT
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yes thats actually pretty accurate. i believe he put in an AGP card. how old is ur computer btw?

  • 10.04.2006 6:39 PM PDT

you may know me as X[IGN]

Posted by: Iggwilv

*hands Kim a crowbar*
Here you will need this to help you get your foot out of the back of your throat, looks llike its in there pretty deep. And what is that on your face? Egg?! *hands Kim a washcloth*

It's really straight forward. Find an empty slot(since you are buying pci you most likely only have pci) and put it in. just stick it right in the slot. It only goes one way.

  • 10.04.2006 6:45 PM PDT
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Yes, for all I know that sounds pretty accurate........It looks pretty simple to do. I asked my parents recently for a new Graphics Card. They said they'd get me one soon. I hope they do.

  • 10.04.2006 7:12 PM PDT
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Posted by: fastmatt
The Most Important Step

Ground yourself by touching the metal case on the outside so you don't cause static elecricity inside, or touch something metal away from the computer, failure to do so can cause irreversible damage


...even if you have to ground THAT part of your body.

Yes. THAT part.

  • 10.04.2006 7:28 PM PDT
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I remember the first piece of hardware I ever installed: a 12 meg Voodoo2 PCI graphics card. In Quake2, going from 320x240 software to 800x600 hardware was a huge difference and easily the most impressive upgrade I ever made. And really the birth of my semi-competitive online gaming. But I digress... the point of this post is that physical installation is really quite simple to do, and anyone can do it with very basic knowledge and a little common sense. I think you'll find it's surprisingly painless. HOWEVER...

Be sure to remove your old video card drivers prior to installing the new card. After you've removed them, power down remove the old card and physically insert your new hardware. Boot up into Safe Mode (vga enabled). Windows will detect your new graphics card and probably look for the drivers. At this point I would close all the 'found new hardware' pop-ups and install the drivers directly from the included CD. If you do have problems or require more technical assistance (though I don't think you will), I highly recommend techsupportforums.com. I recently registered there and they have a plethora of very knowledgeable techies who will generally help within a few hours.

It is not critical that you follow these driver removal/installation instructions exactly or even remove your old drivers at all, but it can eliminate some potential conflicts and will leave your computer clean and running as efficiently as possible.

[Edited on 10/4/2006]

  • 10.04.2006 7:49 PM PDT

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Typically your standard cusome case will have one side that obviously is screwed onto the rest of the case, just look for seams and use your best judement, the screws holding it on should be around the edges of the removable plate.

But before you do all this, unplug everything, starting with the power supply cable. Bring your PC to a large flat table where you have some room to work, then touch the metal part at the back of the computer to neutralize any static electricity that may have built up on you or the metal components in the machine. Find the screws that keep the removable side plate attached, and remove them, most sideplates have tabs or grooves that you must slid it out of after removing the screws.

Now I reccomend you clean your computer, my method is crude, but it's a surefire way to get it done quickly. You will need a vacume cleaner that has a flexible hose and a reverse feature. If you don't have one then your going to have to buy yourself a few cans of compressed air. In either case, you may also want to get a micro-thread cloth, electronics or hardware stores should have them.

Take your computer outside, and with the case open, have at it with the vacume cleaner on reverse (so that it is blowing air) or the compressed air cans. Make sure you stand back at first if your using the vacume cleaner. Blow air into every part of your case, no exceptions. If you got youself the micro-thread cloth then gently (and I mean GENTLY) use it to remove any dust that you see on the motherboard, fans, and PCI cards, you will want to remove the PCI cards at this point, but if you don't feel comfortable doing that thats ok, if you do remove them just make sure to put them back in the exact same slot that they came out of. Clean off the contacts on the cards with air or the cloth, and maybe blow air into the plugs themselves as well.

Replace everything but your graphics card (assuming you have one), and bring the computer back inside. Now, you saw that video, so I can tell you that an AGP slot was the one he was pointing to all along, it looks like a smaller PCI slot that is out of line with the rest, and is always above them as well. I strongly reccomend you go either AGP or PCIe, as generic PCI cards never perform as well on machines that have AGP or PCIe slots available. Just some advice.

Now, when handeling these cards, never touch the circuits or components, always hold by the plastic edges. To install your new card, simply remove the small plate that covers the place on the rear of the machine that lines up with the slot you want to put the card. Line the card up, and gently push it in until the card has secured in the AGP retainer clip, or the contacts are not visible outside of the plug on the motherboard. It may take a bit of force to get it in all the way, so once you have it lined up and partly in, don't worry about pushing too hard.

You can leave the sideplate off the machine if you want, it's up to you. Plug it all back up, and turn on your machine. It will likely default to a really low resolution and colour scheme, but don't worry, this is ok. The "Found New Hardware" wizard may start up, if it does, you can either follow the directions, or exit it and put in the driver CD that came with the card and install it through it's own installer. Restart your computer, it should go to whatever your existing resolution setting was, if it doesn't just change them back yourself, if you can't, for example if you go to the settings and there is only one screen resolution, that means the drivers didn't install right or load right, so try restarting your machine again, if it still doesn't work, then there may be an issue between the drivers of the new card, and your motherboard/operating system.

I reccomend that if you have an existing card, made by the same people who made your new card (either ATI or nVidia) then turn off your comp, put that old card back in, and download the latest drivers they have for your operating system, and also older drivers, just in case. Also download the latest DirectX drivers and an older DirectX driver version.

Install the new drivers on your old card, if you get the same issue that you had with your new card, it's the drivers compatibility with your operating system/motherboard that is the problem. Reinstall the old drivers. Your going to have to get a new motherboard or a new computer all together if this is the case.

If you have no problems, then awsome, and happy playing! If you have an old card then please tell me what it is, I am looking for a grizzled replacement for my supposed "new" one, that just so happens to run worse than my old one due to the fact my motherboard can't handle the new card's speed. Unless your old card is fried of course, I have one of those already, heh heh heh...

  • 10.04.2006 7:51 PM PDT
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hahahahahaha

  • 10.04.2006 7:52 PM PDT
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Oh, by the by, by "ground," I mean keep at least ONE part of your body on something metal AT ALL TIMES when taking your computer apart. Even if it has to be that part.

(Yes, I personally find my humor hilarious. Though I doubt anyone else does. ¬_¬)

Anyways, as for the suggestion with using the vacuum cleaner...if you've got a tiny, specialized handheld vac with a special attachment head, or that isn't too powerful, by all means go for it. But if you're planning to use a fscking Hoover-on-reverse, I would strongly advise against it. Your purpose here is to gently clean the computer of all dirt, not blow a hole through the thing. Given the power of most vacuums, I would say you're probably going to do more harm than good, and the dust trapped in the cracks and crevices will remain mostly untouched.

Think about it this way: if you have to wonder if it's too powerful or not, then it's too powerful. Go with the compressed air.

If you're really a hardcore Maw-goer, though, I suggest a leafblower, FTW.

[Edited on 10/4/2006]

  • 10.04.2006 8:24 PM PDT

Posted by: fastmatt
The Most Important Step

Ground yourself by touching the metal case on the outside so you don't cause static elecricity inside, or touch something metal away from the computer, failure to do so can cause irreversible damage

Quoted because it's very important.

And just to add to it, don't ever touch any exposed metal in your computer (besides the case or chasis). Static is bad. You might not even see it or feel it, but it's there. And when replacing a video card or something, a good rule of thumb is to handle it by the edges to make sure you don't douch anything. Only bad thing about that is it might make it akward to slide the card in or out. Don't put too much force on it, don't want it to crack.

  • 10.04.2006 10:38 PM PDT
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dont ever touch the gold bits, always make sure you have no static in yourself when handling it.

  • 10.05.2006 7:10 AM PDT
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Sweet thanks guys! =D All your help was extremely helpful.

But I'm still worried about the static thingy.

So I should "touch" the metal back case while installing my graphics card? If I ever do get a static shock, do I, like, I don't know...die???

=/

  • 10.05.2006 4:18 PM PDT
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No you won't die.

  • 10.05.2006 4:29 PM PDT
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Don't worry, unless you've been building up a charge in your body for some odd reason. Also make sure to unplug the power cable, and hold down the power switch to drain remaining power in the comp. Your case has no inscriptions of it at all? Take a pic(yes i know why you can't, but try), and many of us can likely identify it.

  • 10.05.2006 5:07 PM PDT
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Dont get too worried about the static. Sure it will hurt your computer, just make sure that you touch something big and metallic before you go inside. Dont wear wool socks or take it apart on a wool carpet. Ive built both my computers by touching my heater once before building it. Just be careful.

  • 10.05.2006 5:13 PM PDT
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Oh ok...phew, I was worried about my life there for a moment...xD

Anyways, I have a metal watch (pretty expensive too, sorry for bragging, lol), and I always wear it on my left wrist. Would that help? Oh which "panel" of my PC should I open? On the google tutorial video, it shows the guy opening the right side (right as in the frontal part of the PC facing the audience's direction).

  • 10.06.2006 2:52 PM PDT

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