Installing a New Sound Card:
Windows Gaming
You've purchased a new sound card and brought it home. Now there's the little matter of installing it. Once you're familiar with the steps, installing a card quickly becomes old hat. Plenty of gamers mark the occasion by picking up the phone while they're in the middle of installing a card and announcing to their friends that their newly hot-rodded machine will soon make them the king of the realm. But digging around inside a computer can be a bit boggling the first time, so we'll outline the general steps to get you there.
Note As with any computer maintenance, check the documentation that came with your computer, and preview the sound card instructions. Take into account any special considerations they mention for changing sound cards. If you read this article and the task still seems confusing, consider getting someone to help you in person. Some computers have sound cards built in to the motherboard. If this is the case with your computer, definitely consider getting some assistance.
You'll need:
1.
Screwdriver to match the screw heads on the back of your PC. Usually 1/8" Phillips will do the job.
2.
Manuals from your old sound card (if you have one installed) as well as your new one.
3.
Drivers that came with the new sound card. It's a good idea to have them handy before you start the installation, though they'll typically go in after you've installed the sound card (some manufacturers differ on this; check your instructions). Usually drivers come on a CD-ROM. Otherwise you can download them from the manufacturer's Web site, or File Planet.
Install the New Sound Card
1.
Unplug the PC. Don't just turn off the power strip—physically unplug the PC from the wall.
2.
Locate the old sound card. Turn the PC around and note where the speakers plug in. When you open the case, you can locate the sound card by lining it up with the jacks where you see the speakers plug into the back of the computer (those jacks are part of the sound card).
The "back" of a typical sound card, where speakers plug into it.
This is the "outside" of your sound card (where the speakers plug in).
3.
Remove the case. Some cases have clasps clipped to slots in the frame of the computer, whereas some cases are screwed to the metal frame itself. Sometimes clasps cover screw heads, so open the clasps to view the screw heads and make sure you have the right screwdriver.
Some computer cases are screwed to the computer frame, some are clasped. Some are held on with both.
The case is fastened at the edges with either screws, clasps, or both.
Note When you look at the front of most PCs, the case wall on the left is the one you want to remove. When you open the case you'll usually either see a solid metal wall or an open bay full of wires and circuit boards—the bay's where you'll find access to the sound card. Also, with some computers, the whole case comes off in one piece.
4.
Locate and identify the old sound card. Unplug the speakers and anything else plugged in to the sound card from the outside. You may want to line up what you see inside the computer with the speaker jacks on the outside—sometimes other cards are much closer to the sound card than what you see in the picture.
The inside of a typical computer, with the sound card visible among other components.
A sound card in place.
Note Computer design varies; you may need to move other components out of the way before you can get to the sound card.
Note Once the case is open, keep a hand on the power supply to ground yourself and protect the new card from static. When the computer is unplugged, this is safe. The power supply is the metal casing surrounding the jack where the power cord plugs in, usually near the top of the PC.
5.
Static electricity can seriously damage the sound card and the motherboard. It may be tricky to keep a hand on the power supply during the entire procedure. Trust us, it's necessary. Place a hand on it first (and keep it there) whenever you're touching the new card or the inside of the computer.
6.
For these photos, we skipped this step, so it would be easier to see what's happening in the photos. We photographed a PC that isn't being used anymore.
7.
Disconnect the CD-ROM sound cable from the jack on the old sound card itself (there's a chance your computer may not have this cable—if it's not there, don't panic. Just skip this step.) Make sure to release any clip holding the cable in the jack. Don't yank the cable out if it doesn't easily disconnect. check for something fixing it in place.
This cable connects the CD-ROM drive to the sound card, so you can play CDs and hear game and movie sounds.
Disconnect the CD-ROM sound cable.
Note Not all cables look alike. Yours may not resemble what you see in the photo. Keep an eye on the cable when you remove it—it won't go very far, but it may resemble several other cables and picking it out again could be confusing. You may want to put a piece of colored tape on it temporarily.
8.
Unscrew the sound card from the frame of the computer.
There's usually at least one screw holding the sound card to the computer frame.
Unscrewing the sound card from the frame.
9.
Remove the card from the motherboard by lifting steadily without rocking or twisting. The card bay may have a clip on one side holding the card in place. Release the clip instead of jerking the card free.
You can pull the sound card out at a slight angle, but don't flex the card itself, or the motherboard.
Lift the sound card from its bay on the motherboard.
Note The card may need one or two gentle up-and-down nudges to come loose. Even if you're just throwing away the old card, use caution when removing it as you may damage the motherboard. If it seems stuck, it's better to spend a few extra minutes tugging gently than to rip the card out in a split second and damage the motherboard in the process.
10.
Locate the slot where the new card will seat. If you're upgrading from an ISA card to a PCI card, you'll need to put the new card in the PCI bay. Check your documentation if you have trouble identifying the PCI bay.
Note that there's a hole in the outside of the case where the sound card can be reached to plus in speakers.
The new card goes in exactly the same place.
11.
Place the sound card directly into the motherboard bay. Make sure the card is right side up—usually the screw hole where the card joins the frame is the easiest visual cue to follow.
Slide the sound card straight in to the bay on the motherboard after you line it up with the exterior hole.
Seat the sound card directly into the bay on the motherboard.
Note It's easy to mis-align the sound card. Every pin on the mounting side should line up in perfect symmetry to the bay on the motherboard. It's possible—even for experienced users—to seat the sound card out of alignment, and to spend hours (or days) trying to figure out what's wrong.
12.
Attach the cable that runs from the CD-ROM drive to the card. Note where the old cable attaches to the CD-ROM, unplug it, and attach the new cable. If you don't have a new cable and the old one fits your card, attach it. Most new sound cards use a special cable to connect to the CD-ROM drive. The manufacturer should include the special cable along with the card. If no cable is included and the card won't accommodate the old cable, contact the card manufacturer for a cable.
Plug in the cable from the CD-ROM drive. If your sound card came with a new cable, use that one instead of the old one.
Plug in the CD-ROM sound cable.
13.
Screw the sound card to the frame. Sound card screws are usually the same size, but if your new card came with its own, use them just to be safe. Don't warp anything while tightening the screw. It's better to have the screw in barely tighter than you can drive it with your fingers than to bend the frame or the card.
Tighten the screw enough to be secure, but not so tightly that anything warps under the pressure.
14.
Plug in your speakers and any other peripherals, re-attach the case, reconnect the power, and you're ready to boot the computer and install the drivers.
Installing drivers
With a large majority of computers, Windows XP will recognize a new sound card, find the drivers that run it, and have you ready to play without your even having to think about it. But you may see a New Hardware Wizard asking you to install new drivers.
The New Hardware Wizard detects new hardware and helps you prepare it for use.
If your sound card came with a CD-ROM, insert it and let Windows XP install the new driver from it. If you downloaded the driver from the Web, Windows XP should detect it on your computer, but you may need to select Install from a list or specific location on the Found New Hardware Wizard and browse to the file. Follow the instructions on the Wizard to finish installing the driver.
Good luck!!