Instructions for installing video card 2020

The video card is considered the most important piece of hardware for gamers because it takes on the responsibility of making the game look good. Upgrading the GPU can breathe new life into your computer to play the latest PC games in 2020. Luckily, we don’t have to be technical experts to really know how to install a video card. Installing a video card is one of the simplest and safest things you can do when installing a computer.

Unless you’re installing the entire machine yourself, the first step to knowing is when to upgrade. Because new video cards are never cheap and not always game lag is due to the fault of the graphics card. The best way to know for sure is to use MSI Afterburner to display GPU and CPU power. If you see your processor (CPU) jumping to 90 to 100% of its running capacity while the GPU has not reached 80%, you should upgrade the CPU rather than the GPU.

However, if you believe that the latest Nvidia or AMD video card is what you need, there are a few things you need to know to find the best video card for you.

1. COMPATIBLE TEST

First, let’s talk about the PCI Express slot. You need to insert your main video card into the x16 slot, which is usually the slot closest to the CPU. However, some motherboards may have more x16 slots. There are four types of PCIe slots available, but thanks to backwards compatibility you can use the GPU without any problems. However, using a PCIe 4.0 graphics card in a PCIe 3.0 slot means you will sacrifice some performance of the card.

The main compatibility issue lies in the size of your video card and whether your power supply (PSU) can handle it. For example, Nvidia’s RTX 3090 is very large and is recommended to use as much as 750W.

Turn off the monitor, unplug the power and prepare the tape measure, and then remove the case cover. You want to measure the width of the inside of the machine: from the PCIe slot to the front of the case. Sometimes the hard drive slot can block, requiring you to remove it to get more space. If you can’t remove the hard drive slot, that’s the maximum space you can fit.

Video cards often use more power in a computer, you also need to know if your PSU has enough capacity or not. This information is usually shown in the source name, as well as the sticker on the PSU.

Once you have the size and power metrics, you can compare them to the size of the video card you want and the amount of GPU power required. If the card is too large or consumes too much power, you can choose to buy another video card or upgrade the case and power. Gameworld also has a guide to choosing to buy a source and how to install it.

2. DELETE THE SCREEN DRVIER CARD

This step isn’t necessary if you’re installing a brand new machine as well as upgrading your card from the same manufacturer, but if you’re switching from AMD to Nvidia or vice versa, you’ll need to clean up any GPU drivers you currently have.

However, deleting the driver is not as simple as deleting the software because the driver can leave traces after deletion. Windows files and the operating system’s registry often conflict with rival software.

Instead of digging into the operating system’s registry (which can have unintended consequences if you’re not familiar with it), the article recommends using Display Driver Uninstaller to automate the removal process. It is simple software but saves you a lot of effort to completely remove AMD, Nvidia and Intel drivers.

Install Display Driver Uninstaller, run it, and then follow the on-screen instructions. It will ask to start the machine to enter Safe Mode, then give you a few options after the boot is complete. Select the drivers you want to remove and click “clean and shutdown” when ready. It’s done!

3. INSTALL THE VIDEO CARD

You need a screwdriver. Installing a video card is actually very safe, but there are a few things you need to be careful not to damage the components.

First, turn off the computer and unplug any cables from the back of the case. Then, press the power button to discharge any remaining electricity. Make sure the case is on an insulating surface, like wood, and you should wear rubber sandals/shoes.

Open the lid of the box. If you’re upgrading, you’ll need to remove the old video card before inserting the new one. Remove the screw on the card holder and remember to place the screw in an easy-to-find location so you don’t lose it. Don’t remove the card immediately, you need to pop/unplug the card holder. Carefully remove the old video card.

Now is the perfect time to give the motherboard a thorough cleaning before inserting a new video card into an empty PCIe slot. Mounting does not take too much effort to install. Don’t panic if you hear a click when the card is inserted – it’s just the sound of the card being fastened. Tighten the screws so that the card does not wobble. We’re almost done.

Your new video card may also need to be connected to a power cord. Some low-cost mainstream GPUs can draw power straight from the mainboard, but most GPUs require their own power supply. It can be 6-in, 8-pin, or 12-pin. As above, attaching the PSU power cord to the video card doesn’t take too much effort.

Drill the lid back on the case. We need to make sure everything runs smoothly first, but you can attach a mouse, keyboard, and monitor and power on the machine to get it running.

4. PLAY GAMES WITH THE NEW SCREEN CARD

If everything goes well, pressing the power button to turn on the machine for the first time with the video card will be extremely satisfying. When the Windows screen pops up, it’s a signal that everything is running properly.

Don’t worry if the GPU fan automatically starts and stops on startup or crashes, as many modern GPUs use a 0dB heatsink to reduce noise and power consumption. The fan usually runs continuously when you start the game and the temperature heats up.

To fix the wrong resolution when you first turn on the computer, you need to download the driver of the video card. If it’s Nvidia, the GeForce Experience software can update automatically if you don’t want to download it directly from the Website. And AMD Radeon uses Adrenalin software.

During the driver installation process, do not worry if the screen flickers and the resolution changes. This is completely normal. Your computer may ask you to restart your computer after completing the installation of the new driver. Finally, we can run the game.

If you want to learn more about CPU and GPU overclocking, you can refer to the Safe CPU and video card overclocking guide.

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