by Andrew Gemmell

Created on: August 16, 2009

There are a few risks that you should think about and things you should fully consider before you try to upgrade a computer yourself. The first of these being, do you have the knowledge or skill to be able to do it yourself? If you do not have the proper skill set with computers to be able to upgrade the hardware yourself then you could find that even in a matter of seconds, you could have a completely dead computer! Before you do anything with the hardware on the inside though you want to make sure you have backed up all of the important files that you have on your computer incase of some sort of hardware problem that would prevent you from accessing these files again.

First, like mentioned before, do you have the required skill set to upgrade the computer that you are about to open the case on? The answer to this question could vary greatly depending on the type of computer you are working on. Whether you are opening a PC or a Mac, or even a desktop or note book, they all have a different layout. If you do not have the proper skills and knowledge you could risk breaking something that you had no idea was something that actually ran your computer. So just make sure you have the correct knowledge, because it is never fun when you break your own things on accident. One of the most dangerous things when upgrading a computer could be you yourself.

The next thing that could be very dangerous in upgrading a computer is static electricity. The smallest amount of static electricity from your body could short out your RAM, processor, hard drive, or even your motherboard. Really it could render any part of a computer completely useless. You might want to get your hands on a static strap of either the wrist or heel variety. This investment could save you hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

Another factor that could be dangerous is trying to install hardware that is correct for your computer. If the hardware does not match the specifications of your computer you already have, not only will it not work in the system it will also delay you in upgrading your computer. It will depend on what you are upgrading. For instance if you are upgrading you RAM is it DDR, DDR2, or DDR3? Chances are it is DDR2 because DDR is almost obsolete, and DDR3 is just now becoming a new standard. If you are looking at putting in a new video card is it AGP or PCI? Once again chances are your video card is PCI because it has become the new standard. When you are going to upgrade your processor is it an Intel or is it an AMD? Once you figure out which brand it is then you need to know the correct socket type that your motherboard requires.

A third thing, but definitely not the final thing you should consider is if the hardware you are about to install is compatible with the operating system you have installed. Check the manufacturer's website and see if they have drivers for the hardware that you want to use. Otherwise you could find yourself no better off than you were before you installed the new hardware.

These are just a few main things that you should think about and consider as dangers when considering upgrading your computers. I would recommend taking it to a professional if you don't have any real knowledge about the way that computers work. If you do have a working knowledge than have at it, but remember that if there is any doubt in what you are doing, look it up or ask someone who knows what they are doing.

Learn more about this author, Andrew Gemmell.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.