How to Update My Graphic Card
Upgrading your computer's graphics card can help you play the latest video games at a higher resolution. It also allows you to perform various tasks faster, such as encoding and decoding video. As of March 2011, there were two main types of graphics cards -- cards using the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) and cards using the faster Peripheral Component Interconnect Express (PCI-E) port. Both types use a different interface, making identifying the ports available in your computer a crucial step of the upgrading process.
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Instructions
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Refer to your motherboard's user manual to identify the type of graphics port available in your computer. Recent motherboards always include either an AGP or a PCI-E port, but rarely both. If you don't have your motherboard's user manual, you can also open your computer case and look at the motherboard. AGP slots are small and usually brown or dark red while PCI-E slots are longer and white.
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Turn off your computer, remove the power cable from the power supply at the back of the machine and the monitor cable from your old graphics card and open the computer case.
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Locate your existing graphics card and gently pull it out of its slot. The graphics card is usually the largest card in your machine. You might have to unscrew the screw which secures the metallic plate to the slot.
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Insert your new graphics card firmly into the slot. Screw the metallic plate to the back slot of the computer case to secure the card in position.
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Close the computer case, plug the power cable into the power supply and the monitor cable into the graphics card and reboot your computer. Your computer should recognize your new card automatically.
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Tips & Warnings
Be gentle when manipulating graphics card. You can easily damage some of the components on the circuit board.
Always unplug your computer from the power source to avoid receiving an electric shock.
