jonno 357 Posted October 9, 2006 Report Share Posted October 9, 2006 I want to install a pci card to my desktop. Is it difficult and what make do you recommend ? Thanks Jonno Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Geordie Posted October 9, 2006 Report Share Posted October 9, 2006 PCI cards don't work if inserted into wood Sorry couldn't resist!! Powerdown your PC and remove the cover. Find an Empty PCI slot. Touch the case chassis to earth yourself before handling the PCI card as they are static sensitive. I tend to keep the Card wrapped in the anti static plastic while installing. Once installed put the case side back on and power up your PC Then install your software when prompted Dead easy LG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markio Posted October 9, 2006 Report Share Posted October 9, 2006 A PCI card to do what? More USB slots? Not with you i'm afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted October 9, 2006 Report Share Posted October 9, 2006 PCI cards don't work if inserted into wood Sorry couldn't resist!! Powerdown your PC and remove the cover. Find an Empty PCI slot. Touch the case chassis to earth yourself before handling the PCI card as they are static sensitive. I tend to keep the Card wrapped in the anti static plastic while installing. Once installed put the case side back on and power up your PC Then install your software when prompted Dead easy LG I would agree with all this apart from the red bit, if the card isn't plug and play and needs specific drivers always install the software first, and let the card find the drivers when you have installed it, don't be tempted to click on the windows that pop up inviting you to search for the drivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markio Posted October 9, 2006 Report Share Posted October 9, 2006 ...and what make do you recommend ? This is what confuse me, it's as if you want to buy a PCI card? But anyway, install as the guys have already said. Although personal i have found some cards are plug and play and you can let windows isntall the drivers, whereas others, like a graphics card for instance, would be best suited to ignoring the Windows 'found new hardware' option and install the drivers supplied with the card and as per their instructions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted October 9, 2006 Report Share Posted October 9, 2006 There is generally a right way and a wrong way to do this, the manufacturer has gone to considerable trouble to print out some instructions which will show the right way round to do things. Problem with computers is a lot of folk think they know what they are talking about, but really they don't. Not digging at anyone in this thread, just a general comment. I have been on the other end of this exact problem today elsewhere on here and learned a lesson. Where computers are concerned though I do know what I am talking about. PCI stands for "peripheral component interconnect" and is a specification for the attachment of optional or additional devices within an AT computer system which supports said specification. Unless you know specifically why not to, follow the instructions. I have sorted out countless problems for people who think they know what they are doing and don't follow instructions. With some devices it can be very tricky to make them work if someone hasn't followed the instructions. LG is bang on with his advice regarding ESD (electrostatic discharge) precautions. Another myth which the enthusiastic amateur will happily spread around is "oh don't bother, I don't and I have never had a problem". Well, in the middle of the 80's IBM commissioned an incredibly expensive study into ESD and the problems it can cause. They subjected various devices to commonly produced levels of ESD then had the components analysed under scanning electron microscope. The findings shocked many people, and to this day not many people even know about this work. The minute tracks which connect these miniature devices within microchips were seen to be "struck" as if by lightning bolts, some broken in two by the 10's of thousands of volts present during an ESD "strike". A broken track is likely to produce an instant failure of the component or the device affected. The most revealing thing discovered was that these tracks can be "wounded", that is partially broken. During normal use of the device this "wounding" could lead to a complete break of the track which would not have happened if there were no ESD strike (caused by something known as signal path degradation) Back in the 80's the scale of electronic integration was nothing like it is today, the gaps between individual tracks would be incomprehensibly small to integration engineers of that era, so the problem is in fact way worse now than it was back then. Never let anyone tell you to not observe ESD precautions Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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