Integrated graphics is great for watching
movies, browsing the
web,
or even a bit of Farmville, but if you want to play the latest games,
you’ll need to install a discrete graphics card in your computer. By
offloading the work of rendering and displaying games and movies to a
separate chip, with its own dedicated processor and RAM, you’ll open up a
new world of performance and display power. It’s super easy too, so you
can follow along as we install a new graphics card in this computer.
Before we begin
The first step is to make sure all of the parts are present and compatible.
You’ll want to have your computer plugged in, but use the switch on
the back of the power supply to shut off power to the components. If you
press the power button, the computer should do nothing.
Also make sure that the graphics card you purchased is compatible
with your motherboard, and that you have a PCIe slot to install it in.
What kind of slot you have depends on your motherboard, so you’ll want
to check your manufacturer page or information booklet to see what speed
your PCIe slot is. Compatibility isn’t usually an issue, but if your
computer is quite old (five years or more) it
might have an
Advanced Graphics Port slot instead of PCI Express. If that’s the case,
you’re kind of out of luck; AGP cards are not longer produced.
If you’re trying to destroy components, static electricity is one of
the easiest ways to do it. Since your computer is plugged in (with the
power supply turned off) the bare metal parts of the case will be
grounded. If you have a static wristband, simply clamp the other end to
somewhere metal on the case.
If not, make sure you’re wearing rubber shoes and, if possible, are
standing on hardwood or tile floor, as carpet will generate static, and
touch the metal of the case frequently to ground yourself.
Installation
If there’s a metal guard on the back of the case, adjacent to the
slot you’re installing into, remove it by removing the screw holding it
in place, but set the screw aside, you’ll need it later. Many modern
video cards are thick enough they require
two slots.
Carefully line up the contacts at the base of the card with the slot
on the motherboard, making sure the notch in the card fits over the gap
in the slots. When you’re sure it’s in the right place, press down
firmly on top of the card until it fits firmly on the motherboard.
Be careful here, because it should require a little bit of force to
get the card to seat properly, but if it isn’t lined up correctly you
risk damaging the card or the motherboard. You’ll know the card is
properly seated when the back port panel is sitting flush with the back
of the case.
Use the screw you previously removed to secure the back plate of the
card to the rear of the case. This will keep the card in place and
prevent it from moving when you unplug or plug in a cable, or if you
move the PC.
Many graphics cards will require extra power from the motherboard to
operate correctly. If that’s the case, you’ll see an extra 6 or 8 pin
connection on the side of the card facing away from the motherboard once
it’s installed. Take a cable from the power supply that’s the correct
size, and plug it in to the edge.
Wrapping up
Once your card is installed, and you know your computer boots up with
it in there, you still need to install drivers. You may have to leave
your monitor attached to the onboard graphics, depending on the card
you’ve installed.
Once the computer is on, head to the manufacturer website. Companies
like AMD and Nvidia have tools to identify your card and operating
system, and will automatically find the correct driver for you.
Install the driver, restart your computer, and you’ll be ready to game!
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