Asked By
Luz M Terry
35 points
N/A
Posted on - 09/25/2014
What are the detailed steps involved in replacing or installing a graphics card on my desktop? I wish to upgrade the graphics card on the motherboard of my machine. I have never made an attempt to open my Central Processing Unit before and that is why I will be glad if I get a professional advice of how to go about it even though I was introduced to computer at the age of 12 Thank you.
Detailed steps to follow to install or replace your Graphics Card
If you already bought a new graphics adapter for your computer, replacing the old video card is quite easy though it requires a little labor. Before installing the new video card, make sure its driver is compatible with your operating system. To begin, shut down your computer and unplug it from the AC outlet.
Open the CPU case by unscrewing the screws at the back. Once all screws are removed, remove the case. The old video card is still fixed on the slot by a screw on the side of the CPU so it will not move when connecting the video cable. Unscrew it and then remove it from the slot.
Before removing the video card, make sure the video cable is already disconnected from the video port. Get your new video card then place it in the slot where the old video card is installed. Make sure the bottom part of the adapter is aligned properly with the slot and then press it in slightly.
Once it is inserted, align it with the screw hole on the side of the CPU and then fix it with a screw. Connect the video cable to the video port and then plug your CPU to the AC outlet. Power on the CPU and let your operating system detect the new device. When you are prompted to install the driver for the new graphics adapter, insert the setup CD of the video card in the optical drive and then install the driver.
You don’t need to actually uninstall the driver of the old video card when replacing it. When the computer starts and the original video card is missing, it will use the default or generic video driver that came with the operating system when it is installed so it can use the new graphics adapter even if its driver is not yet installed.
