What precautions should I take when modifying/upgrading components in a computer?

Drop it off a cliff, hit it with a hammer, jam a incompatible component in the wrong slot, jam a incompatible component in the wrong slot with a hammer, etc. Not what I mean.

I am asking about commonly overlooked things to do to protect your computer when upgrading. Do I need to upgrade the BIOS? Create a backup of the hard drive/prior drivers? Uninstall something? Make sure that my laptop battery is removed and that you give some time for it to "let the power drain out"? Discharge capacitors... you get the point.

So what are all the precautions when I am changing some basic components? (RAM, WiFi, and adding Bluetooth (if there is a slot)?

Edit: Forgot to say that one other thing that would be useful is a resource that can tell if a certain part will fit physically in your computer, if that would be a problem on a laptop. Sorry, I left that out.

Anonymous Penguin

Posted 2013-08-04T16:28:28.933

Reputation: 767

This isn't very common, but I once was replacing a bad motherboard and bought one that, despite having four RAM slots (I needed three), was set up so two slots were DDR3 and two were DDR2. I guess the moral of that story is don't ignore the fine print, even when you think it's safe to. – Suchipi – 2013-08-04T16:38:42.580

@Suchipi Wow. That's some motherboard. Didn't think they would do that, but I guess it can happen. – Anonymous Penguin – 2013-08-04T16:41:53.500

Possible duplicate of: How do we assemble a computer properly? and What should a person know before assembling their first computer? – Breakthrough – 2013-08-04T16:43:37.720

Why don't you tell us what kind of upgrade you are wanting to do. Many upgrades you can do on a desktop can't be done on a laptop (for example it is VERY rare to have a laptop that lets you change the video card) – Scott Chamberlain – 2013-08-04T18:23:04.990

1First, take a backup. Second, get a good workspace where you aren't cramped and where you won't have to rush to get out of someone's way. – Daniel R Hicks – 2013-08-04T19:30:57.870

Answers

This is a very broad question and depends entirely on the hardware in question. Some common pitfalls include:

The PSU: make sure the PSU has i) enough power to run your components and ii) the right connector cables. The format of computer power cables has changed these last few years from this (source):

to this (source)::
Hard drive cables. Depending on the age of your hardware, you may have IDE or SATA (or eSATA) connected hard drives or a combination of the two. Make sure you have the right cables and make sure your new motherboard can deal with whatever combination you have.

IDE cable (source):

SATA and eSATA cables (source):
Graphics card. There have been various types of slots for graphics cards over the years, make sure that your motherboard can deal with your card. See the answer here for a nice list with images and have a look at this article for a brief explanation of the various types.
RAM type. There are various types and speeds of RAM sticks. Make sure the ones you get are compatible with your motherboard. You need to check both the type (DDR, DDR2, DDR3 etc) and the speed 133 MHz or 200 MHz or whatever. Also, some types do not play well with one another so I recommend getting only one type of RAM.

terdon

Posted 2013-08-04T16:28:28.933

Reputation: 45 216

For RAM, check if your machine supports DDR3 or DDR2.
I don't think there would be much problem with wifi and bluetooth unless you are running Windows 98 or lower! :P

user241704

Posted 2013-08-04T16:28:28.933

Reputation:

Oh darn!!! I wanted to install my Bluetooth card on a machine running DOS. Do you think that I can still install USB 3.0 and Firewire? :P – Anonymous Penguin – 2013-08-04T16:37:18.560