How to Upgrade a Video Card
There are more and more video games coming on the market that require video cards that can handle the most advanced graphics and video. Many computer users are finding themselves in a situation where they need to change or upgrade their video cards. This process is not as complicated as some may think. It just requires the purchase of a new video card and the replacing of your old video card in the computer system.
Before You Buy a New Video Card
The first thing to do when thinking of upgrading a video card is to check to see if your system can handle the upgrade. Look inside your system’s hardware to see what type of video card you currently have, either an AGP or PCI card. The PCI Cards are on all of the newer PC models and the AGP card is present on the older model systems. If you have the PCI card, upgrades will be a bit smoother, but if you have the AGP card than the choices for upgrades may be limited. If this is the case you may want to upgrade your motherboard.
The next step is to see how much space you have for the video card slot. This will determine the type and size of the card you need. The next step is to find out what your system’s power rating is, to determine how much of an upgrade it can withstand. The minimum power needed for most video cards is 350 watts. The more power your system can sustain, the better.
Installation
Once you have learned what your system can tolerate and you have purchased the correct video card, you need to install the card. Unplug your system and open up the back of the computer by unscrewing it. Take out the old video card, either by pulling it out or unscrewing it from the metal holding, then slide in the new card. If there are any wires attached, gently unplug them and plug them into the new video card. On a desktop PC you will have to unscrew the card from the metal holding. On a laptop you just open up the back and depress the metal pieces on the side to remove the card. This can all be done with a regular Phillips head screwdriver. Check your owner’s manual to see the schematics or drawings that show what your specific video card looks like. The next thing that needs to be done is to take the driver disc that usually comes with new video cards and install the drivers according to the installation directions. The place to look on your system for the new hardware is: My Computers>properties>hardware>device manager. The information you need should be there.
Conclusion
Installing and upgrading a video card can be as easy as 1-2-3:
1.Research what you need for your particular system, 2. Purchase the correct video card and 3. Install it. It’s that simple!
