Owning a desktop PC can be a rewarding and long-lasting experience. Many PC users don't know how to perform hardware upgrades and repairs. Users can increase the lifespan and performance of their desktop PC with simple hardware upgrades. It requires a small amount of knowledge to be able to upgrade many of the key components within a computer. Most users are afraid of opening a PC to perform a repair or update. Computer upgrades are usually very simple and there is very little to be afraid of. Research and knowledge are the keys to any PC upgrade or repair. There are some security measures you need to follow, but most PC upgrades are little more complex than plugging an appliance into the wall. Hardware documentation and the Internet are the best ways to gather information about a particular computer and will determine what hardware can be used. The basics in this guide can be used to install or replace video cards, sound cards, modems, and RAM. The guide will describe the process for installing additional RAM in a desktop computer. RAM stands for random access memory and is also called volatile memory. Volatile memory loses data when power is turned off. An example of non-volatile memory is the computer hard drive. Since the hard drive retains data even after a shutdown, it is considered non-volatile. Every program and application that runs on a computer is loaded into and out of RAM. Windows runs many processes that consume a significant amount of RAM. The more RAM there is inside a computer, the faster it will download files, run software, install applications, start up, shut down, and more. Many outdated computers become young again by adding additional RAM to the system. Modern RAM is usually… middle of the paper… you may see a “new hardware found” message in the bottom right corner of the screen on the initial reboot. In summary, first gather information from outside your computer and get an ESD wrist strap. Second, gather information from inside the computer about its current configuration and purchase hardware upgrades accordingly. Finally, run the update and verify the installation. This guide can be applied to installing a video card, a sound card, and many other types of PC expansions. These other updates require you to install hardware drivers. All it takes is a simple Internet search for drivers. Having the ability to upgrade and repair a computer can save time, money and reduce stress. Most updates are very simple to complete with a little product research. Most users should have no fear in performing these updates.