Please read our guide to troubleshooting a computer that turns on but doesn't display video. Generally, laptop graphics cards are soldered onto the motherboard and aren't designed to be removed and upgraded. So, the best way to upgrade is to either buy a completely new laptop with a better card or buy an external graphics card that connects to the laptop via a cable.
It will give an overview of your computer's specs, including the GPU. A good "budget" pick is the Sapphire RX The easiest way to update your graphics card drivers is via the manufacturer's software.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile.
Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Matthew S. Smith has been writing about consumer tech since Twitter LinkedIn. Updated on September 10, Tweet Share Email. In This Article. Troubleshooting Graphics Card Issues. Fasten the brackets where needed. Then, if the card requires a power connection to the PSU, go ahead and make it.
Consult the supplied manual to figure out whether the additional power connection is necessary, and to see a few more pointers on installation. Close up your PC again, reconnect your monitor to the new graphics card, and hook up your peripherals again. Connect the PSU to a power socket as before, switch the computer back on, and boot up the operating system.
Finally, make sure to download the latest graphics card drivers for your new component. These are available on the Nvidia and AMD websites—just choose your card and your operating system from the list to find the right ones.
These drives will make sure your card works to its full potential. David Nield is a tech journalist from the UK who has been writing about gadgets and apps since way before the iPhone and Twitter were invented.
When he's not busy doing that, he usually takes breaks from all things tech with long walks in the countryside. Although the final decision is usually yours, getting their buy-in is important.
There are more ways to tweak and customize Chrome than you might have realized. Sign up to receive Popular Science's emails and get the highlights. Graphics upgrades don't have to be confusing. Review the graphics basics. The more thorny issue is card length. While low-end and mid-tier cards are generally short enough to fit most cases, more powerful cards tend to be much longer.
And in some cases your available space might be further limited by where hard drives are installed, where cables are plugged into your motherboard, and how power cables are run. The easiest way to handle all this is to pop open your case and measure the space you have available. The plug for this cable is either on the top of the card, or on the end of it the side opposite the monitor connections. Specifications for graphics cards list their estimated power draw or consumption in watts.
Make sure your power supply has at least that much available with a w safety margin before making your final choice. The other thing you need to check is whether you have an available power cable of the right type. Some low-power cards can run from the electricity supplied by the motherboard alone, but most cards need a separate input straight from the power supply. If the card needs a separate input, it will require either a 6-pin or 8-pin plug. Some more powerful cards even require multiple connections.
Make sure your power supply has the right cables and plug types for the card you want. On many modern power supplies, those plugs are even labeled PCI-E.
There are also splitters like these that can split a single 8-pin plug into two 6- or 8-pin plugs. These are basically external boxes into which you can plug a PCI-E graphics card.
Some come equipped with a graphics card already; some are empty enclosures for plugging in whatever card you want. They do require an extra power outlet and a high-speed connection to your PC. At that point, you have to start considering whether upgrading your PC or just building a low-cost gaming desktop is a better route to take. The first thing to take into account is your budget, and then you can narrow down from there.
The graphics card market is fairly competitive, and as a general rule, the more money you spend, the more powerful the graphics card. Choose the best card that fits your budget. Note: Due to the continuing influence of the cryptocurrency mining market, prices for graphics cards are somewhat inflated at the moment.
To put it bluntly, it sucks. You may need to lower the resolution setting or the graphical effects for newer games, but anything designed with a lower hardware tier in mind like Rocket League or Overwatch will still look great.
And of course, older games and indie 2D titles will run just fine. You can also search for benchmarks to see how different cards compare, and sometimes how well those cards run particular games. And after the headache of sorting through reviews, choosing a new card, and parting with your money, this part is easy.
And some manufacturers make this harder than others. When in doubt, check your manual or just search the web for how to take the case off your computer model. If not, skip to the next section. The graphics card should be pretty obvious. It may or may not have cables from the power supply plugged into it. And it may or may not have fans right on the card. First, look for a power connection on the installed card. This will be a black plug with multiple pins, plugged into either the top or rear of the card.
Unplug the cable and set it aside. Now, look at the metal piece where the graphics card touches the back of the PC. Now, this next part can get a little tricky, depending on how crowded your case is. Your card likely has a little plastic tab that holds it securely into the slot on your motherboard. Sometimes, you push the tab down; sometimes to the side.
And with bigger cards and more crowded cases, that tab can be hard to reach. If you have trouble, just be patient and make sure not to force anything. You can also check YouTube for videos of people demonstrating this on different types of rigs. Gently grasp the card with your hand and pull up, starting with the side closest to the back of the case.
0コメント