Computer Hardware Tips: Video Series

When buying a first computer, visit a retail store to compare the processor speed, memory, hard drive and monitor size. Find a computer for the best price with the features appropriate for your lifestyle with help from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computers.

To buy a graphics card, look at the graphics processing unit, how much memory is on the card, how many core processors are in the card and how many textures can be processed per second. Update a computer graphics card for video gaming or video editing with advice from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on graphics cards.

Choose a graphics card by making sure the card has the right connection type and that the power supply will be able to accommodate the right kind of graphics card. Look at the graphics card recommendations on the box of a favorite video game with advice from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on graphics cards.

Change a graphics card by grounding yourself before touching the inside of the computer, locating the different colored graphics card slot, unlatching the old card and snapping the new graphics card in place. Make sure the connections line up on the graphics card and the computer doesn't beep profusely when starting back up with advice from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on graphics cards.

To choose a motherboard for a computer, spend more money on a quality product, make sure it has a new PCI graphics card slot, make sure there are are enough slots for upgrades, and determine whether it will be able to run at the right speed. Make sure a new computer motherboard has the right CPU socket with advice from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computer motherboards.

Find a motherboard's model and name by locating the brand name emblazoned in several places on the case, and then look for the model number emblazoned in a less obvious place. Use the name and model number to get support and information with advice from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computer motherboards.

Change a computer motherboard by locating the screws and screw holes outlined in metal on the motherboard, lining up the motherboard with the risers and screwing in the plates. Learn more about the basics of changing a motherboard with instructions from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computer motherboards.

Choose a backup storage device for a computer by considering the capacity, the interface type and speed and the cost of the device. Buy a more expensive product for better service and capacity when it comes to computer storage with advice from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computers.

Choosing a home computer requires deciding how the computer will be used, what type of graphics and sound cards will be needed, and how much money is worth spending. Look at low-end, mid-range and high-end computer systems to decide on a home computer with help from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computers.

To create an MS-DOS boot disk, visit Bootdisk.com, connect a USB device to the computer, and follow the steps for generating a pre-operating system environment. Learn why boot disks are not often used by the average computer user with information from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computers.

Experimenting with the Windows registry is not recommended unless the user is comfortable rebuilding the computer from scratch. Consider using software tools like HijackThis or AdAware to identify problems with a registry using advice from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computers.

To find a computer IP address, go to the "Start" menu, type "cmd" into the "Run Command," and enter "IP config" into the black box that pops up. Get information about the network connection and IP address from the computer with instructions from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on IP addresses.

Sound cards are the actual audio cards built in or connected to a computer so that the computer can reproduce sound. Purchase a high-end sound card to get better connectors and digital interfaces with advice from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computer sound cards.

Upgrade drivers for a sound card by visiting the sound card manufacturer's Web site, finding the model, and downloading updated drivers. Avoid upgrading sound card drivers unless there is a specific problem with the sound card, and consider advice from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computer sound cards.

Fix a computer that has no sound coming from the speakers by updating the drivers from the manufacturer Web site, keeping anti-virus protection up to date and checking the actual connections on the machine. Learn how sound driver problems can stem from viruses on a computer with information from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computers.

While Windows suggests at least 20 percent of the hard drive space be free when defragmenting a computer, as little as 5 percent will be sufficient. Find out why a computer needs free hard drive space for a defrag with information from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computers.

Optimize disk drive performance by defragmenting the media in some way, increasing the page file to speed up Windows or getting better hardware. Use flash memory over traditional spindles to optimize disk drive performance with advice from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computers.

A graphics processing unit is the brain of a graphics card and is measured in megahertz or gigahertz. Get a graphics card with more GPU power for better graphics processing on a computer with advice from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computer graphics cards.

Upgrade the drivers for a video card by downloading the updated drivers from the manufacturer Web site, or by going directly to the video card Web site to get the most up to date drivers. Get updates for video card drivers every two or three months with advice from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computer video cards.

Install RAM by opening the computer case, grounding yourself, finding the RAM slots and snapping the memory modules into place. Make sure the computer mother board can support the speed of the RAM with tips from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computer RAM.

To install an Intel CPU in a motherboard, be very careful when handling the CPU, find the socket on the motherboard where the CPU will go, line up the CPU pins with the pin connectors, and snap it in to place. Apply thermal grease to the CPU to prevent a buildup of heat when the computer is turned on with advice from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computers.

Recover a lost CD/DVD drive under Windows XP by restarting the computer to see if that helps, re-seating the actual drive in the computer, or buying a new drive. Determine whether a CD/DVD drive can be recovered with instructions from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computers.

Uninstalling Windows XP requires completely deleting the entire drive partition by running a boot disk and following the instructions for deleting the partition. Back up programs and data on a computer before uninstalling Windows with help from a network engineer and IT specialist in this free video on computers.