Computer Repair: Replace Computer Memory

There are lots of computer repair jobs you can do yourself to save money. One DIY computer repair is to upgrade your computer's memory (or RAM). More computer memory allows more space for your operating system and software to use. This in turn enhances the speed at which your computer operates. It is easy to do this yourself and will save you lots of money.





Step1
The first step in this computer repair is to disconnect the power from your computer. Safety first!
Step2
Remove the cover from the case.
Step3
Look for where your RAM memory is located on your motherboard.
Step4
Once you find where your memory is located, check to see if there are any available empty memory slots.
Step5
If there are no slots available, then remove the old memory by unlocking the levers that are located at each end of the memory slot. The memory should release itself from the slot.
Step6
Place your new chip in the empty slot. The chip only can go in one direction. There is a notch in the chip. It should line up with the socket. Levers should lock in place automatically.
Step7
Apply slight pressure to make sure the chip is firmly seated in the slot.
Step8
Put cover back on your computer.
Step9
Turn on the computer and give yourself a pat on the back for doing your own computer repair and saving money!

Choose and Install a Graphics Card

If you can't play Crysis, read this. You obviously have a bad graphics card and you need a new one.

Step1

Before you buy, you should know what purposes are you going to use your graphics card for. The main reason people buy graphics cards is that their old card sucks and they want to play certain games (Crysis). Anyways, you need to choose a card based on your budget, power supply output, space in your compueter case, and what you are going to use the card for. I'm assuming you're going to play Crysis, so you should pick a card that has at least 512 MB of VRAM. Once you've picked a card and made sure you've got enough space in your case for it, you need to check if your power supply is good enough. Open up your case and look at the side of your power supply. Somewhere on the side there will be a sticker telling you the combined output of that power supply in watts. A Crysis compatible card should need about 450 to 600 watts. If you have to install a new power supply, read another guide.

Step2

When you are done choosing the card, buy it and wait for it to arrive in the mail. Once it comes, carefully lift the card out of its box and set it on a flat surface. Using the screwdriver to open your case, set the side of the case away and proceed to take the graphics card out of its antistatic bag. Make sure you are wearing an antistatic wristband to avoid damaging the parts. If you do not have an antistatic wristband, handle the card using latex gloves.

Step3

Locate the PCI Express (2.0) slot on your motherboard, make sure the area around the slot is not full of cables. Making sure that the side of the card with the metal bar on it is facing towards the back of the case and proceed to insert the card in the slot. Do not apply large amounts of pressure on the card or you risk breaking it or your motherboard. Carefully nudge it inwards until it will not go any further. Find the latch at the end of the slot and push it down, this will ensure your card does not displace itself.

Step4

Plug your monitor into the DVI or VGA outputs on your card. Turn your computer on and you should see the image on the monitor in a low resolution. Log in to Windows and insert the disc that came with your card. Install all the necessary drivers and restart your computer. It's all good now.

Choose a Wireless Adapter for Your Computer

You want to connect to a wireless network, but you need an adapter. Learn how to choose a wireless network adapter for your computer.

Step1

Interface: The two most common interfaces are PCI and USB. The network adapters that use the PCI interface tend to be both cheaper and more reliable, though maybe not as convenient to install. To install a PCI network adapter you'll need a free PCI slot, and need to know how to install a PCI card in your computer To install the USB version, you just plug it in an available USB port.

Step2

Security: Get a network adapter that supports the highest level of security your router supports. To find out what level your router supports, find its manufacturer and model, and look up the specs online.

Step3

Antenna or no Antenna: A network adapter with an antenna is usually able to broadcast a further distance than an adapter without an antenna. If the computer you're using will be far away from the router, consider getting a network adapter with an antenna or even a hi-gain antenna for the strongest signal.

Step4

Wireless Lan Version: Check the specs of your router, and get the highest version adapter it supports. The latest version is 802.11 "n," followed by "g," and "b."

Choose a Sound Card for Your Pc

While integrated sound has come a long way since the early days, nothing beats a sound card to increase not only sound quality, but PC performance as well. Learn what you need to know to choose a sound card.

Step1

Number of Channels: What you should get depends on how many speakers you have. The most common are 7.1 channel cards followed by 5.1 channel.

Step2

Sample Rate: The most common is 96KHz, though there's some above and below. The higher the sample rate, the better the sound quality.

Step3

Ports: These can include Line In, Line Out, SPDIF In, SPDIF Out, Mic In, MIDI/Joystick, just to name a few. If you need it, there are sound cards that have it.

Step4

SNR: This is the signal to noise ratio. Cards fall in the range of 86dB to 120dB, with most falling in the range of 103dB and 110dB. The higher, the better.

Step5

Bit Depth: Most sound cards are 24-bit, though there are a few at 16-bit. The higher the bit depth, the better the audio will likely be.

Step6

Interface: Most cards connect via plain old PCI though there are a few that connect via PCI Express. Make sure you have the right kind of slot available for your card.

Buy a Graphics Card with the Correct Frame Rate

Frame rate is an overall test of the efficiency of a graphics card as regards speed. It depicts how many complete images can be displayed by a graphics card in one second. It is measured in frames per second (FPS). Frame rate has two components, called triangles or vertices per second (how many vertices of a polygon can be measured in a second) and pixel frame rate (how many pixels it can convert in a second). The higher the frame rate, the smoother the onscreen movement. A high frame rate is a must for 3-D games. The following steps will help you to buy a graphics card with the correct frame rate you need.

Step1

Decide on the type of games you would like to play on your computer. If the output is in the range exceeding 25FPS, the human eye will not be able to distinguish individual frames. High- paced games, such as first person shooters, will need an FPS of 60 or more to provide smooth scrolling and fluid movements.

Step2

Check the type of monitor you have. In the classical CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors, resolutions can be set until it exceeds the maximum physical resolution that the screen can support. In the case of TST (Thin Film Transistor) monitors, the physical resolution can’t be set as they have fixed resolutions. In this case, it is better to choose a graphics card that supports the resolution setting of your TST monitor.

Step3

Decide on the screen resolution you would like to set. If you want a high resolution to be fixed, you'll need a higher frame rate. A higher screen resolution allows more pixels to be displayed on the screen, which makes the output more detailed. The most widely used resolutions are 1280 x 1024 and 1600 x 1200.

Step4

Assess the ability of the graphics card to provide a high frame rate. Check the pixel fill rate. Determine how many megapixels it can process per second. If you want to play advanced 3-D games, a higher frame rate is what you need. Currently, 1024 x 768 pixels is regarded as an acceptable gaming resolution.

Step5

Check the memory bandwidth of the card. This will measure the speed with which the processor will read and write data from memory. More memory bandwidth will ensure a better performance.

Step6

Check the prices of available graphics card with your required frame rate. Generally, a card with higher frame rate will be more expensive than one with a lower frame rate. Use search engines to look online for the prices of different cards and compare them.

Step7

Decide whether you want to purchase online or from stores. Generally, online shops will provide you with more discounts than local stores. If ordering online, don’t forget to check the cost of shipping and handling. Browse through popular online stores such as CompUSA, Best Buy and Circuit City (see links below).

Add Memory to Your Computer

A lot of people think they are ready for a new computer when their current one begins showing signs of old age. If you have already performed other steps to speed your pc performance to no avail, you may want to consider adding memory (RAM).
This is a very effective way to save money by prolonging the life of your pc by a few years.

Step1

Computers are made with memory upgrades in mind. For instance, one of my previous computers, a DEll Desktop came with only 256MB (megabytes) of memory (RAM), but could be expanded all the way to 2GB. That means the computer could take 8 times the memory it came with when I bought it!
The first thing you need to do is look up what kind of RAM your computer uses and what the limit is. The best way is to peruse the website for your pc manufacturer and performing a search by model name or serial number.

Step2

PC Memory, or RAM After you've acquired your memory sticks, which are shown in the photo, you will need to unplug your pc and pop it open.

Step3

Memory slots You'll see slots, like the ones in the photo, where the RAM will be placed. Depending on how much you purchase, and how many total slots you have available, you may have to remove all the current memory sticks. Just pop them out, line up the teeth of the new ones with the slot, and firmly press down until you hear them pop into place.
Enjoy the money you saved!

Let Visitors Email Your Blogger Post to Friends

Blogs are basically Internet diaries. A blog may contain articles, pictures, news or links to other Web sites. One way to make it simple for your blog visitors to share your blog posts with their friends is to add an email button to your blogger post. The steps below only take a minute to do.

Step1

First you need to log in to your Blogger Dashboard.

Step2

Scroll down to the section titled "Blogs." This is a list of the blogs you have created.

Step3

Click on "Change Settings" next to the blog you want to add the email option to.

Step4

On the new page scroll down to "Show Email Post links."

Step5

From the drop down list click on "Yes."

Step6

Make sure you click on "Save Settings."

Step7

You will need to "Republish" your blog to see the changes on your blog.

Step8

Now when you view your blog at the bottom of each blogger post you will see posted by 'name', the time posted, number of comments and an icon (envelope) that visitors can click to email your blogger post to friends.