How to install a graphic card while you are going to build your own computer?


Upgrading your graphics or video card can be very tricky. This article will give you useful guidelines regarding this issue.
First you need to know which type of graphics card you are already using in you computer or what kind of graphics card will be supported by your motherboard. There are two types of graphics cards available

1. AGP
2. PCI Express

Before you start any thing make sure that you know what the available type for your motherboard is? May be best available graphics card will be an AGP card while your motherboard only supports the PCI Express cards.

Once you have purchased a new graphics card for your gaming computer you just don’t remove the old one and insert the new one, by doing this you can land in deep trouble. First remove all the drivers installed for your existing graphics card. You can do this from windows control panel using “Add remove program” icon.
Another way to do this is as under

1. Right click on “My Computer” icon on your windows desktop then click “Properties”.
2. Click the “Hardware” tab on the dialog shown.
3. Click on “Device Manager” button. This will show all the devices available in your computer.
4. Now click “+” sign on left side of the “Display adapters”
5. Now you will be shown installed graphics cards
6. Right click on the graphics card and click “Uninstall”.
7. After confirmation it will remove drivers for selected Graphics Card.

Now you can shutdown your computer and swap the cards. If you have built in graphics card you don’t need to try removing any thing from the motherboard. The new card must be installed in appropriate slot on motherboard.

Adding a graphics card physically

Installing a graphics card physically can be difficult task if you don’t have the installation manual from the manufacturer. Review the manual carefully before attempting this. Once you have installed the graphics card physically make sure its installed firmly in its slot.
Please note that above method is for adding a graphics card to your Custom Built Gaming Computer for branded computers like Dell etc may have different physical structure and this method may not apply to it.

Installing the drivers

The graphics card will not perform well until its all appropriate drivers are installed. Once you start your computer windows will detect the new hardware and will prompt you to install the appropriate drivers.
If you are provided with CD or DVD of the drivers, you can just insert the disk into CD or DVD ROM. The disk will start automatically and will install the appropriate drivers. Other wise you can use windows utilities to install the drivers by specifying the location of the drivers.

Troubleshooting

You may encounter a number of problems while installing a graphics card to your custom built computer.
If your computer fails to start after adding the graphics card then make sure you have installed it in correct port. You can try removing the card to see if the card was causing the problem.
Sometimes Windows will show you an error on blue screen, this also happens because of hardware conflict. Removing the card should fix this.

Precautions

1. Open the computers case only after you have disconnected the PSU from main supply.
2. Make sure you buy an appropriate graphics card which is supported by your motherboard.
3. Uninstall the existing drivers for any other graphics card.
4. Make sure that you get drivers disk with graphics card.
5. If any thing wrong happens remove the new graphics card.

Hope the above guidelines will help you installing you new graphics card.

* We do not accept any responsibly for any damage caused.