How To Set Up Graphics Card For Gaming

Few upgrades add every bit much punch to your PC as installing a new graphics card. It can transform your PC from a system that chokes on lightweight games into a monster that churns through fifty-fifty the nigh visually punishing titles with ease.

But you need to get that new hardware upwards and running before y'all're able to bask in enhanced graphics glory. Hither's how to upgrade your existing computer with a new graphics carte, from basic buying considerations to stride-by-step installation instructions.

Graphics card buying considerations

Only deciding which graphics card you lot want is a complex and nuanced discussion, as both AMD and Nvidia offer choices for virtually every upkeep, from sub-$200 options all the way up to the ferocious $1,500 GeForce RTX 3090.

In general, you lot want the graphics carte du jour that offers the most blindside for your buck, though you'll as well desire to consider a card'south noise, heat, and power consumption. While graphics card recommendations are outside the telescopic of this commodity, PCWorld's massive graphics card buying guide can assist you make an informed determination no matter how much money you have to spend.

Adjacent make sure your reckoner has the proper hardware to back up your new card.

psu pcworld 1 of 1 — Yous're going to need a decent ability supply if you want to get your game on.

The most common problem that people encounter is an inadequate power supply: Either it tin can't supply enough wattage, or it doesn't accept enough available PCI-E power connectors. As a dominion of thumb, your ability supply should at least see the ability supply requirements recommended by its manufacturer. For example if you purchased the same GeForce GTX 3090—a video carte du jour that draws 350 watts—yous should have a power supply that meets the 750W minimum suggested by Nvidia, forth with a pair of 8-pivot ability connectors.

Further reading: How to pick the best PC power supply

To find out how much wattage your power supply pumps out, open your case and look for the standard identification sticker all power supplies have, which lists their basic info. While you lot're at that place you can also identify how many half-dozen-pin and 8-pivot PCI-E connectors are available.

6900 xt 10 — AMD'due south Radeon RX 6900 XT.

Finally, is there plenty room inside of your case to fit your new graphics card? Some high-end graphics menu can exist over a foot long, and 2 or fifty-fifty iii expansion slots wide. Yous tin can discover the physical dimensions for a graphics on its product page or on the manufacturer'southward website.

With all of those questions resolved, it's time to go downward to business organisation.

Installing a graphics bill of fare

Installing a graphics card is a straightforward process that requires three things: a new graphics card, your computer, and a Phillips-caput screw driver. Exist certain to plough off your PC and unplug it from the wall before you begin.

motherboard pcie lanes — You install a graphics card into a PCI-E x16 slot on your computer's motherboard (the long, black slots in this picture.)

Unless you lot demand to remove an existing GPU, you lot offset demand to locate the long PCI-E x16 slot closest to the rut sink of your processor. This volition either be the showtime or second expansion slot on your motherboard.

Make certain that at that place are no loose wires blocking your access to this slot. If you're replacing an existing graphics carte, unplug any cables continued to information technology, remove the spiral from its retention subclass on the rear interior of your PC case, and and so remove the card. Nearly motherboards also have a small plastic latch on the end of the PCI-East slot that locks the graphics bill of fare in place. Brand sure you toggle this latch to unlock your old graphics card and then you can remove it.

gpu install 4 of 7 — Don't forget to lock the latch at the end of the PCI-E slot afterward firmly inserting your graphics card!

Y'all tin at present install your new graphics card into the open and unobstructed PCI-E x16 slot. Firmly insert the card into the slot, then push button downward the plastic lock on the end of the PCI-E slot to hold it in place. Next, use a screw to secure the graphic carte's metal retention bracket to your PC's instance. Y'all can reuse the same spiral(southward) that held the cover bracket or your former graphics card in place.

gpu install 7 of 7 — She needs more than power, Captain! Your graphics carte won't run unless you lot've connected it to your PSU.

Near gaming-level graphics cards require boosted power connectors. If yours does, make certain yous connect those PCI-E power cables. Your graphics card will not part correctly without properly supplied ability. In fact, if yous don't connect those PCI-E power cables your PC may be unable to boot.

Wrapping up

With your graphics card secured and powered up, stop the job by sliding your case'southward side panel back into position and plugging your display cable into your new graphics card. Turn on your figurer.

Now information technology'south time to take care of the software side of upgrading your graphics card.

sapphire nitro radeon rx 6800 xt 4 — The Sapphire Nitro+ Radeon RX 6800 XT, plugged in and powered on.

If your new graphics card is the aforementioned brand as your former card, this process is simple. Just go to the manufacturer's website and download the latest driver package for you operating system. Keep in mind that graphics drivers are quite large, generally about 500MB in size, and it make take some fourth dimension for them to download depending on the speed of your Internet connectedness. Install the commuter, restart your computer, and now you're ready to relish the buttery-smooth framerates your new graphics carte will no doubt deliver.

If you're switching manufacturers (from Intel to AMD, from AMD to Nvidia, or vice-versa), uninstall your old graphics driver and restart your reckoner before installing the driver for your new graphics card. If you don't uninstall the old driver it may conflict with the new driver.

Done! That wasn't then bad, was it? Now that your new graphics card is installed, y'all're set up to hop into the latest games with your upgraded PC. Here are some bang-up gratuitous ones to accept for a test drive.