Guide: Upgrade PC

In desktop computer have several hardware we can upgrade. But before that, you need to know how to upgrade. Read this guide before you do so.


A ) Upgrade CD-ROM Drive
- In desktop normally casing have 4 tray for cd-rom drive. If your HDD using SATA, You have no problem to use 4 CD-ROM drive. Just set which one CD-ROM number 1, 2, 3 & 4. CD-ROM number 1 & 3 set the jumper as master and CD-ROM drive number 2 & 4 set the jumper as slave.

casing with 4 tray cdrom drive

jumper setting behind cdrom drive

IDE cable

B ) Upgrade HDD
- We will upgrade HDD if your capacity is not enough. However the old HDD still can use. You need to know what type and RPM speed your old HDD. Example, your old HDD IDE type and 7200 RPM. Please buy the new one with same type & RPM speed. Now days many HDD have 7200RPM and using SATA type. If your old HDD 5400RPM and you buy new HDD 7200 RPM, your computer will follow the lowest speed. One more thing, if you plan connect your new hdd with the same IDE cable with old HDD, you need set jumper. Old HDD (operating system inside) as a master & new HDD as a slave. It will different way to set jumper depend on how you want connect your HDD (related link). To set jumper, please refer top op hdd diagram.

jumper setting behind HDD


jumper diagram

C ) Upgrade RAM
- Before upgrade, there have several things you need to know. First, what type & frequency of memory you used now. Second, how many RAM slot you have & lastly how many megabyte max you can put. For example, now you using 1gb DDR2 PC5300 RAM. So buy same exactly the old one. Some of motherboard support more than 1 frequency example PC5300 & PC6400. Yes you can buy PC6400 too but your computer will follow the lowest RAM. Your lowest RAM is PC5300.

Computer memory DDR2

Location where RAM place

D ) Upgrade Processor
- Let say you using Intel and motherboard soket 775 & CPU Dual Core. You can change your processor with same soket 775 example from Dual Core change to Core 2 Duo or Core 2 Quad. What important is, you motherboard support the type of the processor. Everythings in manual book. So before you buy motherboard or change/upgrade processor, please read the manual book of motherboard.