Expansion card slots on your Mac

While Macs aren't as customizable as PCs, they do come with open PCI Express slots that you can use to install or

swap out expansion cards

. You can swap out the video card or even add USB ports or something else that can be plugged into the PCI Express slots.

To get to the expansion card slots on a Macintosh running a G5, you'll need to first open the side panel. Now, at the back near the top, you'll notice a series of PCI Express slots. To get at these, you'll need to first unscrew the bracket that's parallel with that slot before inserting a card into the PCI Express slot. Notice that each slot has details stenciled below indicating that particular slot's speed.

On a newer Intel-based Mac, the process is similar. You'll still need to remove the side panel but inside you'll find a single clamp covering the entire set of slots. This is held in place by two screws. Remove the screws to gain access to the ports, then replace the clamp and tighten the screws to secure your expansion cards.