How to Install a PC Graphics Card Step by Step

Graphics cards are one of the most critical components of a contemporary computer. Whether you’re a gamer, a video editor, or use other complicated visual applications on your PC, you’re probably running a strong GPU.

Every year, new graphics cards reach the market, with firms like Nvidia and AMD developing cutting-edge technology that make their current GPUs significantly more powerful than their predecessors.

But, do you really need to update your PC to gain the advantages of these annual upgrades? Absolutely not! This step-by-step instruction will teach you how to install a new graphics card.

What Is a Graphics Card?

It’s a good idea to grasp what a graphics card is before diving into the installation procedure. Although the card itself is sometimes referred to as a GPU, an aGPU (graphics processing unit) is the CPU within the graphics card.

A GPU, as the name implies, is in charge of processing graphical input and delivering a display output for displays. But why can’t a regular CPU in a PC accomplish this?

In actuality, a CPU can do graphics processing, but they are not meant to do so exclusively. This implies that they are constrained by the fact that they must also handle other forms of data.

A GPU, on the other hand, is highly specialized, enabling it to excel at processing the information necessary to perform its function.

A graphics card, in addition to the GPU, has RAM and even its own cooling, prompting some to consider it a mini PC inside your PC. These characteristics make graphics cards useful for jobs such as bitcoin mining.

Choosing a New Graphics Card

Choosing a new graphics card might be difficult. There are several possibilities on the market, and determining what would truly function as an update might be difficult.

Websites such as UserBenchmark may help you discover how your graphics card compares against other GPUs on the market. This makes it simple to choose a new card that will deliver a true performance gain while remaining within your budget.

Of course, there are a few more factors to consider when purchasing a new graphics card. It’s critical to keep all of these factors in mind to ensure that your graphics card installation goes well.

• Case Space: PC cases have limited interior space, and some do not accommodate extended graphics cards. In certain circumstances, there may not even be place for one at all. It makes sense to check the length of your new graphics card to ensure that it will fit in the available space. Most cards need two expansion slots, however some require up to four. Power Supply Requirements:
• Varying graphics cards take different amounts of electricity. Power connections are often located on the opposite side of the PCIe connector, with some having one six-pin connector, one eight-pin connector, or a mix of the two. They will also feature a power rating that you must certain your power supply can handle.
• Expansion Slots: Most recent motherboards feature PCIe slots, but you’ll need to check to see whether you have one before installing a graphics card. This slot is often longer than other expansion slots and has a clip on one end.
• Case Cooling: While this area isn’t as critical as the others on our list, it’s still essential ensuring that your case has appropriate cooling for the graphics card you pick.

With that out of the way, let’s look at how to install a new graphics card in your computer.

Why Power Supply Unit Efficiency Is Important in PC Gaming

How to Install a New Graphics Card

Installing a new graphics card is a simple operation that most computer users can do on their own.

Safety is critical when taking on a task like this, therefore it’s worth investigating the safety requirements that should be followed while working inside a computer. Let’s get started with the actions you’ll need to take.

Related:How to Overclock Your Graphics Card (GPU)

Step 1: Preparing Your PC

Your PC must be prepped before you can install a new graphics card. Begin by disconnecting your power supply from the wall, removing your side panels, and turning your case on its side to examine the components within.

If you already have a graphics card installed, you will need to remove it, which you may do by reversing the procedures below.

When completing a work like this, you should either ground yourself or wear an anti-static wristband to reduce static energy.

Step 2: Remove Expansion Slot Plates

Most PC cases have tiny metal plates that cover the holes used by expansion cards, such as GPUs, to provide access to their I/O. You can typically remove them by twisting their thumbscrews, however you may need to use a screwdriver for this.

Step 3: Open Your PCIe Slot

To communicate with your motherboard, all contemporary mainstream graphics cards utilize PCIe slots. These connections, like RAM/DIMM slots, have a clip on the end that you push to open to insert your graphics card. In the picture above, you can see what an open PCIe slot looks like.

Step 4: Install the Graphics Card

It is now time to install your graphics card, which must be done carefully. A PCIe slot will only enable you to install a GPU if the card is properly orientated. The metal plate that contains your display connections should be towards the rear of the case, while the fans on your graphics card should be facing down.

Begin by aligning the main connection of your graphics card with the PCIe slot, taking extra care to verify that the grooves in the connector match those within the PCIe slot. This may be difficult since the graphic card’s I/O plate must fit into a limited area alongside the motherboard.

Once the connections are properly aligned, the graphics card will simply slide into position. At this stage, you’ll need to press down on the card until you hear the clip on your PCIe slot shut, which should be accompanied by a little click.

You should now reattach the screws that held the expansion slot plates in place. They will be utilized to hold the graphics card this time.

Step 5: Attach Your PSU Connectors

Some graphics cards do not need extra power, however this is becoming more unusual. When installing a new GPU, you will normally have one or two ports to connect. Because these connections aren’t available anyplace else in your PC, they’re simple to see coming from your power supply.

Plug in each connection in the right orientation, being sure to feel or hear a click when they do so. Many power supplies offer 6+2 connectors that may also function as a six- or eight-pin connection. Attaching connections like this may be difficult, but you can make it easy on yourself by inserting the two-pin section into the graphics card before the six-pin.

Step 6: Connect Your Monitors and Boot the PC

Once everything is in place, connect your displays to the graphics card and run the PC to ensure that you did everything right. It is critical that you connect your displays to the graphics card rather than the motherboard, otherwise you will receive a blank screen.

In most circumstances, your PC will start up and you will be ready to go. If not, you’ll need to restart the procedure and reinstall your new graphics card to ensure you didn’t miss anything along the way. Your local computer repair shop can help you with persistent GPU issues.

Step 7: Install or Update Drivers

Your new GPU will work without specific drivers, but you should install drivers as soon as possible to get the greatest performance out of your new graphics card.

On their respective websites, AMD and Nvidia each provide driver downloads. It’s typically a waste of time to utilize the drivers that came with your new GPU; they’ll be out of date.

How To Install a New Graphics Card: Success

As you can see, the GPU installation procedure is straightforward. Most individuals are capable of doing this task, and the improved performance that a new graphics card may provide will be well worth it.

Whether you’re a gamer or a professional computer user, your new graphics card will make a big difference. To get the greatest outcomes, just ensure that you properly follow these procedures.

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