Which of the following devices should be installed BEFORE installing a server's operating system locally?

Installing a hard drive is crucial before setting up a server's operating system locally because the operating system requires a physical storage medium to be installed onto. The hard drive serves as the primary storage location where the OS files, system configurations, and user data will reside. Without the hard drive properly installed and formatted, there would be no space for the installation process to proceed, making it a critical first step.

In contrast, while the chipset is an integral part of the motherboard that affects the server's overall function, it is typically pre-installed on the motherboard and does not need separate installation. The network interface card (NIC) is important for network connectivity but can be added or configured after the operating system is installed. An optical drive, while useful for installation from physical media, is not strictly necessary, especially with the availability of bootable USB drives or network installations. Therefore, the hard drive must be in place to allow for the installation of the operating system.