How to Buy Graphics Cards for Laptops

When you need to start shopping for a new graphics card, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the enormous amount of features available today. The best thing to do is to stick to what you need and filter out the hype of features that don’t apply to you. Stay focused and follow these simple steps to buy a graphics card that works best for your laptop.

Instructions

1. Assess your needs. What is your primary use of your laptop? If you only use it to work on text documents and read emails, you will only need the most basic of graphic cards. There’s no point in paying for something you won’t use. On the other hand, if you do a lot of 3D graphics work, you will probably need the most powerful card available. Chances are you will fall somewhere in between. Make a list of all the graphic-intensive tasks you perform on your laptop.

2. Research compatibility. Check with your laptop’s manufacturer for a list of graphics cards that are compatible with your specific make and model of laptop. Check with the graphics card manufacturers to see if they produce a card that is compatible with your laptop.

3. Get feedback. Once you’ve got your eye on a few brands, do a little research. Read reviews from impartial people online and in computer magazines. Ask your friends, family, and colleagues for their recommendations. Ask the sales reps what brands they use in their laptops, and what they like or dislike about them.

4. Compare price with features. Now that you’ve narrowed it down, don’t just buy the cheapest one. Make a list of the features, and compare how much more you’ll have to pay for the extra features. Only you can decide it’s worth it to pay more.

5. Understand the return policy before you buy. Before you slap down your hard earned cash, make sure you can return the card for a full refund if it doesn’t meet your expectations.

Tips & Warnings

• Always follow all of the manufacturer’s safety and maintenance guidelines.