IBM Aptiva, Handbook

Page: 66 / 202

52 Chapter 5: Preparing to upgrade
Understanding the differences
between the desktop and minitower
systems
You can easily distinguish between a desktop system
and a minitower system by outside appearance. The
desktop system sits flat on your desk, perhaps with your
monitor placed on top of it. The desktop system looks
like this:
The minitower system stands upright either on your
desk or on the floor. The minitower system looks like
this:
So that you can recognize the smaller hardware
components in your Aptiva computer, you need to know
the location of the following major hardware
components inside your system unit:
•
The system board. The system board has a socket
for the processor, also known as the central
processing unit (CPU). It also has sockets for drive
cable connectors, memory modules, the system
battery, and the riser card.
•
The riser card. The riser card has connectors for
adapter cards.
Inside the desktop system
In the desktop system, the system board is positioned
flat on the bottom of the system unit. The riser card
stands in a vertical position, perpendicular to the system
board.
After you remove the system unit cover, the system unit
looks like this:
System Board
Riser Card