Preparing to upgrade 5-1Chapter 5. Preparing to upgradeTo upgrade your computer's hardware, you can add or replace cards, drives, orsome system board components. If you take the time to evaluate your newhardware and plan your hardware changes, you can reduce the effort required tomake the changes.For instance, the type of hardware you plan to add or replace determines whetheryou begin with your computer turned on or off.As you prepare to add or replace hardware in your system unit, follow theinstructions in these sections:• “Evaluating your new hardware” on page 5-2• “Planning your hardware changes” on page 5-3• “Resolving resource conflicts” on page 5-4• “Opening the system unit” on page 5-5• “Looking inside the system unit for desktop model” on page 5-9• “Looking inside the system unit for microtower model” on page 5-11
