Your games don't play as well as they do on your friends' computers? You see amazing screenshots and think, "I wish my computer could do that." In most cases, to get these results you should start with a good video card. Upgrading your video card can be a daunting task, especially since there are hundreds of different options, but with a budget in mind and a screwdriver in hand, you'll have a great video card installed before you even know it. See step 1 below to learn how.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Choosing a Video Card
Step 1. Open your computer case
In order to find the old card and identify the power supply, you must first open your computer case. Most modern cabinets have screws on the back that make it easy to remove the side panels, but you may need a Phillips screwdriver to remove the screws on older cabinets.
- Before removing the side panels, you must unplug the power cord and all peripherals.
- Remove the panel on the opposite side of the motherboard. If you look at the back of your computer you will see a panel that contains different ports, including USB, Ethernet, display ports, and more. This is the input and output panel of the motherboard and will help you to know which side the motherboard is located on. You can place your computer on that side and remove the opposite panel to allow easy access to the motherboard.
Step 2. Make sure your power supply has enough power
High-end video cards require a power supply that can give them the necessary power. If you have a very old power supply or have many components that use the supply, it will not be able to provide the necessary power. If this is the case, consider upgrading your power supply at the same time you upgrade your video card.
- There are many sites on the internet that help you calculate power requirements by analyzing all the hardware you have installed or plan to install. Using your favorite search engine, search for the words "calculate power supply".
- Your power supply will also need PCI-E connectors. This is not a problem if your power supply is new, but those that are more than 10 years old may not have the corresponding connectors.
- The maximum wattage of your power supply should be printed on a label affixed to the power supply itself. You may need to remove the power supply to find this label.
Step 3. Make sure your motherboard is compatible with the video card
Virtually all current video cards use PCI-E connectors, so make sure you have at least one such slot. Typically, these slots are located near the processor in the row of PCI slots. If you don't have a PCI-E slot, you will likely need to install a new motherboard in order to upgrade your video card.
- Check your motherboard manual for the layout diagram. This will help you identify the location of the PCI-E slots.
- If you are installing a new motherboard, you will need to reinstall the operating system.
- Note: most laptops do not allow updating the video card.
Step 4. Make sure the card fits
Most modern video cards are very large and in many cases require the space of two PCI slots. They can also be very long and wide, so make sure you have enough vertical and horizontal space.
Use a tape measure to measure the vertical and horizontal space you have available. Almost all cards have their dimensions noted in the product description, allowing you to make sure it fits before you make your purchase
Step 5. Strike a balance between price and power
Video cards can be very expensive. Excessively expensive. There comes a time when the average user doesn't get any benefit from the excessive cost of a high-end card. Take into account the applications in which you are going to use your video card and look for a card that gives you maximum power and reliability taking into account your investment.
- The more expensive video cards are intended for users who are overclocking or want to use dual or quad card configurations.
- Before deciding on a card, be sure to read as many reviews and opinions as possible. There are many resources on the internet where you can find the best benefits taking into account your budget. Sites like Tom's Hardware publish comparative tables where the most popular cards are classified for all price ranges and on sites like Newegg you will be able to see customer opinions that will allow you to get an idea of the experience that users had with a certain card.
- Check the system requirements for your favorite games. See which video card is recommended to get the best performance in the games you like the most and also take into account the requirements of the games that will be released in the future.
Step 6. Find the recommended cards for your interests
Each card model works best depending on the applications in which it is used; however, most cards stand out for serving different uses. Some of the most popular video cards of 2014 are listed below:
- Nvidia GTX 670: This is a good card for any type of use and it can run most games in Ultra definition without any inconvenience. It is highly recommended for graphic designers and also for those who use Photoshop. They can generally be purchased for a price around $ 400. For a similar price, the Radeon R9 290 is also a good choice.
- AMD Radeon HD 6670: This is a low-end card that can run most games in medium or high definition. You can get this card for less than $ 70.
- Nvidia GTX 780 Ti: This is one of today's best high-end cards and it can handle pretty much anything you ask of it. It also comes at a very high price, costing around $ 700.
- If you are into graphic design, look for cards that have a good amount of built-in memory, that is, between 3 or 4 GB. These models are more expensive, but will increase your encoding and rendering speed.
Step 7. Take a look at the card's display capabilities
As display technologies improve, so do the options available on video cards. Your new card could be compatible with HDMI, DVI, DisplayPort, VGA, or any combination of these ports. Check what type of connection your monitor has and buy a card based on this.
- To get the highest possible quality, you will need to connect the card via HDMI or DisplayPort.
- If you want to use multiple monitors, make sure the video card supports multiple monitors with quality ports. You do not want to have one monitor in HDMI and the other in VGA, since the VGA monitor will have a lower definition and will look very bad next to the one that uses HDMI.
Part 2 of 3: Install the video card
Step 1. Uninstall your old drivers
One of the biggest causes of errors and problems is related to the incompatibility of the drivers. Before installing your new card, it is highly recommended that you uninstall the video drivers that you currently have in Windows.
- The quickest way to uninstall your drivers is to open the "Device Manager" and uninstall them from here. To open "Device Manager", search for it in the start menu or press Win + X and select it from the drop-down menu (this only works on Windows 8).
- Once inside the "Device Manager" window, open the "Display adapters" section. Right click on the display adapter you have installed and click on the "Uninstall" option. Follow the prompts to remove the drivers from your computer. Your screen will probably go back to a lower resolution, with large icons and blurred text. After uninstalling the drivers, shut down your computer.
Step 2. Make grounding
Whenever you work with sensitive electronic components, you must ensure that it is properly grounded. Electrostatic discharge can damage or destroy your computer components, rendering them unusable. Preferably, you should use an antistatic wrist strap attached to exposed metal in your cabinet. If you don't have one, you can ground yourself by touching a metal water tap.
- Whenever working with the internal components of the computer, make sure you are standing on a tile or linoleum floor and not placing the open computer on a carpet.
- Make sure your computer is unplugged from the wall before you begin working inside it.
Step 3. Identify the location of the old card
You can find your old video card in the PCI-E or AGP slots inside your motherboard (AGP cards are common in older computers). Most video cards are quite large and it will surely be the largest card installed in your system. They often have fans and heat sinks attached to the top.
If your computer used integrated graphics (your monitor was connected directly to the motherboard), then there will be no card to remove
Step 4. Remove the existing card
If you are upgrading a video card, you'd better remove the old card before installing the new one. Loosen the screw that connects the card to the chassis. Most newer cards have a latch just below the PCI slot that you must press in order to remove the video card.
- When you remove the card, please pull up to avoid damaging the PCI slot.
- Make sure to disconnect all connections on the old card before removing it.
Step 5. Clean the dust
With the old card out, it's a good time to clean up any accumulated dust. Use a small vacuum or compressed air to clean the dust from the indentations around the PCI slot. Dust can build up and cause motherboard components to overheat, so a good cleaning will help your computer run much longer.
Step 6. Put in the new card
Carefully remove the card from its antistatic packaging, avoiding touching the contacts and circuits. Place it straight into the empty PCI-e slot and apply even pressure to the top until it is securely seated. If your PCI-E slot has a latch, you will hear the noise it makes when it clicks into place.
- You may need to remove the adjacent panel if your video card is two panels wide.
- Before you finish inserting the card, make sure there are no loose cables or other components.
Step 7. Secure the card
Use the cabinet screws to secure the video card to the chassis. If your video card is two panels wide, you'd better secure it with two screws, one for each bay. Make sure the card is fully seated before tightening the screws.
Step 8. Connect the power supply
Most modern cards have power ports built into the top of the back of the card. You will need to connect one or two PCI-E connectors from the power supply, both of which typically have 6-pin cables. If you don't connect the power supply, these cards will not work properly.
Many video cards come with included adapters to swap your existing connectors for ones that fit the video card
Step 9. Close the cabinet
After verifying that the card is properly seated, secured, and connected to the power source, you can close the enclosure. Make sure to connect your display to the new video card. If you were using an integrated video card, the monitor was probably connected to the motherboard. To take advantage of your new card, you will need to connect it to the screen.
For best results, use HDMI or DisplayPort to connect your display to your video card. If your display or card doesn't support HDMI or DisplayPort, the next quality-level convenience ports are DVI followed by VGA
Part 3 of 3: Install Drivers and Test Your Card
Step 1. Start your computer
Your operating system will surely detect the new card and try to adjust your screen to use the best possible resolution and color depth. Accept the changes and enter the operating system.
- If your monitor doesn't show any image, you'll need to troubleshoot your installation. Check that your card is installed and connected correctly.
- An uneven or distorted image could indicate a problem with your video card. Before contacting the manufacturer make sure your card is installed correctly.
Step 2. Put the disk with the drivers or download them from the internet
If your video card came with a driver disk, you can put it in to begin the driver setup process. If the card did not come with a disk or you want to make sure you have the latest version of the drivers, you can download them directly from the Nvidia or AMD website (depending on the card you purchased).
Step 3. Install the drivers
Although the driver installation process is mostly automatic, you may need to indicate whether you want to install any additional programs for the video card management software. These additional programs are optional, but they can help you know if your drivers are up to date. During the installation process your screen will likely flicker and restart.
In most cases, the drivers included on the disc are out of date at the time one purchases the card, so you will probably be asked to update them before proceeding with their installation
Step 4. Run a game
Let's be honest: the reason you bought this card is to be able to play the latest and greatest games. So what better way to test the card than by playing it in a game? Before you start playing, take a look at the game's video settings menu. Raise all the settings as high as you can and give your game a twist. If the game runs smoothly, then you made a good purchase!
- When adjusting the resolution, you should always try to keep it at the same resolution as your monitor. For most flat panel monitors, this resolution is 1920x1080; however, newer monitors have an even higher native resolution.
- If the game is choppy or not working well, start reducing the settings one by one. Don't worry too much if your card can't handle Ultra definition; Sometimes games are released that don't work well with any card!
- Game performance is not affected solely by the video card. Your processor, RAM, and even your hard drive play an important role in the performance of a game.
Advice
- Whenever you do something inside the cabinet, do it slowly and with caution. For maximum precision (like when you want to remove the video card), keep your arms close to your body and perform the task in such a way that they can be moved laterally in front of your body. This will allow you to use your abdominal and pectoral muscles as well as your arms to make fine adjustments.
- Be aware that changing your computer's video card could void your warranty. For most computers, especially those that you build on your own, you shouldn't have to worry about this. You may not even be able to change the video card on other computers you often use, such as your work or school computer.