4.2. Installing more memory (RAM)
Installing more RAM isn't exactly like installing
other devices, because you're not likely to get any feedback at all on
the Windows desktop when you're done. RAM is such an integral part of
the computer that it doesn't really get "installed." The processor just
detects it as soon as you turn on the power. One of the few places you'd
even see that you have more RAM is on the General tab of the System
Properties dialog box.
The key consideration to adding more RAM is finding
the right type of memory. You need to match the type and speed of your
existing RAM chip, and you need an available DIMM slot on the
motherboard. Also, every motherboard has a limit as to the maximum speed
and type of memory it can handle. When you build a PC, you know exactly
what's involved. But when you buy a prebuilt PC, it's not always easy
to find out what you need to know.
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Every motherboard has a certain maximum CPU speed it
can handle. You won't know what that is unless you can get the specs on
your exact motherboard. Rather than try to upgrade just the CPU, you'd
probably be better off upgrading the motherboard, CPU, and RAM while
you're at it. That way you can speed up everything, but still use your
existing hard drive, CD/DVD drive, mouse, keyboard, monitor, and
everything else. Or, for a little extra, you can probably purchase a new
PC almost as inexpensively as upgrading your old one.
A barebones kit might be the best way to go. With a
barebones kit you can get a motherboard, CPU, RAM, and power supply
already assembled in a new case. You then transfer your existing hard
drive, CD drive, mouse, keyboard, monitor, and everything else to that
new case. You get the benefits of a newer, faster computer without the
expense of buying an entirely new PC.
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Your best bet is to go to the computer manufacturer's
Web site and find the main Web page for your exact model of computer.
You can often find out exactly what type and speed of RAM chip is
currently installed using that method. PNY (a company that sells RAM
chips) has a Memory Configurator link on its home page (www.pny.com).
When you click that link, it asks some basic questions about your
system and then tells you which RAM chips will work with that system.
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The PNY site also has installation guides, which
might help you get the feel for what you'll be doing when you purchase
more RAM. Remember, you have to look inside the computer and see if you
even have an available slot for adding more RAM first.
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Even so, installing more RAM isn't really something
for the technologically timid to undertake. Even the slightest mistake
could prevent the computer from starting at all. If the speed of the new
chip doesn't exactly match the speed of the existing chip, the computer
will start but you're likely to end up with endless error messages when
you try to do just about anything.
4.3. Installing a second hard drive
If you need more hard disk space, installing a second
hard drive is a good option. Hard disk space is cheap, and it's a lot
easier to just add another drive than it is to try to pinch a few more
megabytes out of a single drive by compressing files and moving things
out to removable disks.
Most internal drives are relatively easy to install.
What's more, with today's computers, the computer will automatically
detect the drive type on boot. If you don't feel up to the task of
installing a new internal drive, however, consider an external drive.
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If the computer doesn't recognize the new disk, enter
the computer's BIOS Setup program and make sure the BIOS is configured
to auto-detect drives on the new drive's interface.
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External hard drives are relatively simple to
install. Basically you just connect the drive to a USB or FireWire port.
If you already bought an internal hard drive but haven't connected it
yet, you can convert it to an external drive just by putting it in an
external drive enclosure. Just make sure you get an enclosure that has
the right internal connectors (IDE or SATA) for your drive.
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To see examples of hard drive enclosures, search an online retailer such as www.newegg.com, www.tigerdirect.com, or even froogle.google.com for external drive enclosure.
Drives that connect via USB 2.0 can move data at 480 Mbps, which is
plenty fast for a hard drive and won't be a performance bottleneck.
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Hard drives for most non-server PCs fall into two
main categories, SATA (Serial ATA) and PATA (Parallel ATA), more
commonly referred to as IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) drives. (The
ATA stands for Advanced Technology Attachment.) SATA is the newer,
faster, and easier technology.
NOTE
Servers and some workstations use SCSI (Small
Computer System Interface) drives. However, SATA drives provide faster
data rates than SCSI drives.
The original SATA drives moved data at a good 150
Mbps (150 million bits per second). The newer SATA II drives move data
at 300 Mbps, and third-generation SATA drives support 600 Mbps. Before
adding a second SATA drive, you'll need to make sure your motherboard
has SATA connectors, and whether they are the appropriate connectors for
the type of SATA device you want to install.
IDE drives come in multiple speeds too, ranging from
33 Mbps to 133 Mbps. The maximum speed your PC can use depends on the
speed of the IDE connectors on the motherboard.
IDE drives have an unusual configuration where you
can connect two drives to a single IDE port. One drive is called the
master drive, the other the slave drive. You have to physically set a
jumper on the drive to make the drive either master or slave. Then you
have to connect the drive to the right place on the cable. The master
goes at the end of the cable. The slave goes on the plug in the center
of the cable, as illustrated in Figure 12.
Again, your best bet before installing any
hardware device is to follow the instructions that came with the device —
to a tee — before you even turn the computer back on and use Windows to
configure the device. If in doubt, have a pro install the hardware for
you. But, assuming you've installed the drive, either internally or
externally, you can then use Windows 7 to partition and format the
drive.
