PC Tidbits

[A Nerd]

Is there anyway of easily telling what components your motherboard can support? Like processors, graphics cards and sound cards for example? My computer is getting old and I was just curious about what new components it could support and such. At this point, I just want to price them out and see what it would cost vs. a new computer. Just for kicks I guess. Most components are easy to istall just involving it to be plugged into a slot or such I assume. I have never had a sound card in my PC before, just integrated. Sitting here at this moment I become curious about such things! :D

edit: How do I find out what my motherboard is? I am not sure where or how it is listed.

[caravel]

You need to discover the motherboard model and download the manual for your board. It's usually printed on the board itself or you can often read it on the initial BIOS screen.

[A Nerd]

Where is the initial BIOS screen? Is this in device manager?

edit: I now know what BIOS screen is. I don't want to take apart my PC at this point. I just thought it would be listed somewhere. I guess I could always call the guys that built it and ask them. Probably the path of least resistance. Have them upgrade it, but it is a 35 mile drive to get there! :P

[caravel]

The BIOS screen appears when you boot up the machine, before the OS boots up.

If you're a afraid to open the case - then you should probably not be considering upgrading hardware.

[A Nerd]

Oh, it was just for fun! I wanted to see how expensive components were. I hadn't planned on upgrading immediatley. In time, if I bought something, then I would open it.

edit:OK, I have found that my graphics card and sound card are PCI express. Still don't know about the processor. I don't know the difference anyway about processors and graphics cards. What is better that a Core 2 Duo? How about a ATI HD 3600?

PS: Grumpy ol' Caravel!!!! :P :)

[LeftEyeNine]

What your motherboard can support can be basically determined from

• the socket it has
• the FSB it can support

The most pain-free way to get at such info could be by following the steps:

Click Start > Run.. (or just press and hold Windows button on the keyboard and tap "R") > type "dxdiag" without quotation marks and hit Enter. Preferable click "no" in the dialog box that pops up next but clicking yes won't change much, it just may take more time to get where we want. You'll eventually see some panel like this:



System manufacturer is your mobo brand where as system model is the mobo model.

Then you go to your manufacturers website and find your mobo, you'll see the specifications of your mobo there, which leads us to what you can upgrade with that PC without having to change the mobo (if possible, that is).

[A Nerd]

Thank you very much! :)

[Togakure]

I use Belarc advisor and find it very useful for identifying many, many things about your computer and hardware components, OS and updates, software, security status, et. al.

It's free and available here: http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html

[LeftEyeNine]

Nice tool that one, Toga-sama.

[A Nerd]

Will this tool tell me the wattage of my power supply or would I have to open the case to find that out?

[LeftEyeNine]

Your energy comsumption, may be, but I don't think PSU's capacity is possible to be looked at for that thing is only a hardware, not a single chip that could identify itself.

Opening the case can take 3 mins. at max. ^^

[A Nerd]

Yeah I know. I am just afraid to get something in it, I can be such a wimp at times! I looked up some graphics cards and the motherboard spec said there is one better than the one I have that will work. More than affordable too! Just that some require 300 or 400 watts. My motherboard has 250 I think. Though my graphics card was updated by the guys that build it, so I don't know if the power supply was updated too. Will have to check.

What would happen if I put a card in that required 300 watts and I only have 250?

[drone]

Bad things. System will generally get unstable if they don't have enough peak power, poor power supplies are the weak link in a lot of systems. You need to take everything into account, motherboard, hard/DVD drives, video cards, etc. to come up with a max power figure. Then get something even bigger. I haven't been keeping up with desktop hardware lately, so I can't recommend manufacturers, but some are notoriously "positive" about their peak outputs.

[A Nerd]

Ah, I see. I was just curious. My graphics card doesn't need an upgrade, it is just once I get an idea in my mind, it is hard to get it out! :/ I would like a sound card though. I have yet to research those well though.

[LeftEyeNine]

Oh and, btw, there is no such requirement as in your saying "What would happen if I put a card in that required 300 watts and I only have 250?"

Components consume different amounts of energy (no such component as "requires 500W PSU") and the cumulative amount is what should preferably be under the capacity of your PSU.

FYI.

[A Nerd]

Sound cards...once the case is open, do I just plug it into the slot and I am ready to go, or is there more to it? I don't have one in at the moment so I guess I don't have to worry about drivers and such. Need I concern myself with power supply and stuff? I know I have a PCI slot, so that is OK. They are quite affordable and way better than integrated sound I assume.

[Tellos Athenaios]

You do have onboard sound which to Windows functions much the same way as a dedicated sound card. So now you'll have two. It's simply a matter of choosing which one you want to be the default device from the Windows sound preferences.

Physically installing sound cards is usually pretty easy (some come with additional front bays and what not, though which means a few more cables to connect). Plug it in the right slot, then unplug the front panel audio from the motherboard and connect it to your sound card instead.

As for the sound quality that depends. Onboard sound really isn't that bad at all. For casual use, you probably will not notice the difference. But good sound cards typically do feature better quality amps, so if you want to record things you will find a decent sound card can dramatically improve clarity of the recording simply through better volume and less noise from the amp.

[A Nerd]

Great, thanks for the info! :)

[A Nerd]

OK, so I bought a graphics card and sound card for my PC. When they arrive and I install them, is there anything I need to do regarding the old video card? Do I have to uninstall drivers or the card or anything like that? Or do I just pop in the new card and am ready to go?

[LeftEyeNine]

Sure, uninstalling the previous drivers -actually making a clean sweep is even more recommended- is a must for the IRQ addresses would change with new installments.

[A Nerd]

Thanks. As is well with my PC as of now. :)