What to Do Before You Start
Before you address the new video card, here are a few other things you should keep in mind and take care of when upgrading:
PC off: Power down your PC and unplug it before touching the internal hardware. Power supply wattage: Make sure the PC’s power supply can handle the power-hungry graphics card. The general rule to follow is the power supply is graded at twice as much power as the graphics card consumes. If a GPU says it runs at 200 watts, the power supply should be able to handle at least 400 watts.
Helpful tools: You should probably invest in an anti-static bracelet, and you’ll need a Phillips-head screwdriver.GPU drivers: Uninstall the old GPU drivers on your computer. How you do this varies depending on the make of the GPU. Most GPUs (including Nvidia and AMD) have programs you can run to take care of this.
Remove the old GPU: You may also need to remove the old graphics card if there is one. It’s hooked into a slot on the motherboard, and you may need to unscrew it from the retention bracket, keeping it anchored to the PC before removing it from the motherboard. This screw is outside of the case, where you usually plug the monitor into the graphics card.
How to Install a Graphics Card
After you remove the old GPU (if necessary), it’s time to install the new one. Put on your anti-static bracelet, and unplug your PC.
