Section 12.2. Installing Cards in Expansion Slots

12.2. Installing Cards in Expansion Slots

Modems and adapter cards for video, TV, sound, network cabling, disk drives, and tape drives generally take the form of circuit boards , or cards , that you install inside your PC's case. These slots are connected to your PC's bus , an electrical conduit that connects all the components of the machine to the brains of the outfit: the processor and memory.

The two common (and mutually incompatible) kinds of slots are called ISA and PCI . Knowing the difference isn't especially important. What is important is knowing what type of slots your computer has free, so you can purchase the correct type of expansion card.

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Note: There's also a third type of slot in many of today's computers, called AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port). This slot is almost always occupied by a graphics card.

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Installing a card usually involves removing a narrow plate (the slot cover ) from the back panel of your PC, which allows the card's connector to peek through to the outside world. After unplugging the PC and touching something metal to discharge static, unwrap the card, and then carefully push it into its slot until it's fully seated.

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Note: Depending on the type of card, you may have to insert one end first, and then press the other end down with considerable force to get it into the slot. A friendly suggestion, however: don't press so hard that you flex and crack the motherboard.

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