Tips installing new graphics card

This is a free and easy to use software, and it will simplify the process significantly. This is a small but significant step that can save you a lot of trouble and prevent things from going awry. Before you do this, make sure to unplug all of the cables from the back and front of your PC.

After that, turn off the power supply and discharge the static by holding down the power button for about 10 to 15 seconds , then you should be all set. The first thing to do here is to remove the power connectors. Once you have done that, unscrew the screws that are holding the GPU to the backplate. It might seem like you no longer need to be gentle, but you never know when your old graphics card might come in handy.

If not, skip to the next section. The graphics card should be pretty obvious. It may or may not have cables from the power supply plugged into it. And it may or may not have fans right on the card. First, look for a power connection on the installed card. This will be a black plug with multiple pins, plugged into either the top or rear of the card.

Unplug the cable and set it aside. Now, look at the metal piece where the graphics card touches the back of the PC.

Now, this next part can get a little tricky, depending on how crowded your case is. Your card likely has a little plastic tab that holds it securely into the slot on your motherboard. Sometimes, you push the tab down; sometimes to the side. And with bigger cards and more crowded cases, that tab can be hard to reach.

If you have trouble, just be patient and make sure not to force anything. You can also check YouTube for videos of people demonstrating this on different types of rigs. Gently grasp the card with your hand and pull up, starting with the side closest to the back of the case.

It should come free easily. If you just removed an existing card, you know where the new card goes. You may need to remove some screws to do this—set them aside.

Gently slide your card into place on the PCI-E slot. Next, use the screws you set aside to secure the graphics card to the metal piece at the back of the case. And finally, connect the power cable if your card requires one. Make sure to connect your monitor to your new graphics card, not to the video-out connection on the motherboard itself! If your display is blank after turning everything on, go back through this guide—you may not have installed the card correctly.

Some systems may not. Check your BIOS and you should find a setting that lets you set your default display. When your PC starts, everything will probably look fine.

Windows includes basic drivers for most video cards. Luckily, this is pretty simple these days. Just select whichever ones apply to your system and download them in with your web browser.

This might take a few minutes—the complete graphics suites are generally a few hundred megabytes. Use Google Fonts in Word. Some require a 4 pin, and some even require an 8 pin. If you cannot find a suitable cable from your power supply, check your graphics card box for an adapter. If you cannot find an adapter, you can search online and purchase one from places like Amazon and Ebay.

In most cases though, everything you need should be available to you already. So that summarizes how to plug in a new graphics card. It may be the case that a CD has been included with your graphics card. If that is the case, you can use that and skip the steps below. Go to the AMD support page and search for your graphics card model. After that, click Download. Once the installer has downloaded, open it and go through the step by step installation process.

Go to the GeForce Drivers download page. Use the search tools on this page to find your graphics card model. Once you have found your model, click S earch. On the following page, click the Download button. Once the driver installer has installed, open it and go through the step by step instructions provided by the installer.

Some final notes: Your display may flicker or turn on and off during the installation process. Once the installation has been completed, you should restart your PC before playing games or using your PC. Download Article Explore this Article parts. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Part 1. Open your case. In order to find your old card, identify your power supply, and install the new one, you'll need to open your computer's case. Most modern cases have thumbscrews on the back that allow you to easily remove the side panels, but you may need a Phillips-head screwdriver in order to remove the screws on older cases.

You should disconnect the power cable and all peripherals before removing the side panels. Remove the panel on the opposite side of the motherboard. If you look on the back of your computer you will see a panel on one side that contains a variety of ports, including USB, Ethernet, display ports and more. You can lay your computer on this side and remove the opposite panel so that you can easily access the motherboard.

Ensure that your power supply is up to the task. Powerful graphics cards require a power supply that can give them the juice they need. If you're running an old power supply, or you have a lot of other components drawing power, your power supply might not make the cut.

If this is the case, consider upgrading your power supply at the same time that you upgrade your graphics card. There are a variety of sites online that help you calculate power requirements by analyzing all of the hardware currently installed or that you're planning to install. Search for "power supply calculator" using your favorite search engine. This usually isn't an issue if your power supply is newer, but power supplies older than 10 years may not have the appropriate connectors.

Your power supply's maximum wattage should be printed on a sticker affixed to the power supply. You may need to remove the power supply to find it. Ensure that your motherboard supports the card.

Virtually all graphics cards are PCI-E these days, so you will need to ensure that you have at least one of these slots. They are typically located closest to the processor in the row of PCI slots. If you don't have any PCI-E slots, you may need to install a new motherboard if you want to upgrade your graphics card.

This will help you identify where the PCI-E slots are located. Installing a new motherboard will require that you reinstall your operating system. Note: Most laptops do not allow you to upgrade the graphics card. Make sure that the card will fit. Lots of modern graphics cards are quite large, and many will take the space of two PCI slots in the computer.

They can also be fairly tall and long, so you'll need to make sure that there is enough vertical and horizontal clearance. Use a tape measure to note both the vertical and horizontal clearance that you have available.

Nearly all cards will have their dimensions listed in their product descriptions, allowing you to ensure that it will fit before you purchase it. Strike a balance between price and power. Graphics cards can get expensive. Obscenely expensive. At a certain point, the average user won't be gaining any benefits from the increased cost of higher-end cards. Examine the applications you intend to use your card with and find a card that gives you the best power and reliability for your buck.

Be sure to read as many reviews as possible before deciding on a card. There are lots of resources online for finding the best performance for your budget. Sites such as Tom's Hardware will publish comparison charts ranking the current most popular cards in all price ranges, and customer reviews on sites such as Newegg can provide insight into the average person's experience with the card.

Check the system requirements for your favorite games. See what graphics card is recommended to get the best performance out of the games you love, and also keep in mind the needs of future games.

Find cards that are recommended for your interests. Different cards are best suited for different applications, though most cards excel at being jack-of-all-trades. Nvidia GTX - This is one of the best high-end cards at the moment that can handle pretty much anything you throw at it at p. If you are focused on graphic design, look for cards with more onboard memory, such as 3 or 4 GB.

These will be more expensive, but will increase your rendering and encoding speeds. Look at the display capabilities of the card. As display technology improves, so do the number of options available on graphics cards.

Check what your monitor uses to connect, and purchase your card accordingly. If you want to run multiple monitors, ensure that the graphics card can support multiple monitors with quality ports. Part 2. Uninstall your old drivers. One of the biggest potentials for errors and problems stems from driver incompatibility. Before installing your new card, it is highly recommended that you uninstall the drivers that Windows is currently using to display graphics. Once in the Device Manager, expand the Display Adapters section.

Right click on your current display adapter and click Uninstall. Follow the prompts to remove the driver from your computer. Your display will likely revert to low quality, with large icons and blurry text. Power down your computer after uninstalling the drivers.