Upgrading your graphics card

Before swapping graphics cards, you should uninstall your old graphics driver. This will prevent any possible conflicts after you’ve fitted the new card. To do this, click the Windows Start button and click Control Panel. In the Control Panel window click Hardware and Sound then, under Devices and Printers, select Device Manager. Scroll down the list of devices until you see Display Adapters – click on that and you will see your graphics card listed beneath. Double-click to open the graphics card’s Properties window. Select the Driver tab then click Uninstall and follow the prompts.

Switch off, disconnect all the cables, including the power cable then open the PC case. Locate your existing graphics card – the one the monitor cable connects to – installed in the one of the expansion slots on the motherboard. At the rear of the PC, the connector plate will be secured to the case either by a single screw or (as in this case) by a clamping mechanism. Remove the screw or clamp. Here there’s also a hinged plastic column that supports the free edge of the card, as well as a sprung catch that holds the card’s connector secure in the expansion slot. Release both of these then, holding the card at each end, carefully pull it out of the expansion slot.

The new card – in this case an Nvidia Geforce GTX 520 Ti – is double the thickness of the one it’s replacing, so it’s necessary to remove an additional blanking plate on the rear panel. Carefully guide the new card into the expansion slot, at the same time aligning the video ports with the PC’s rear-panel cut-outs. Push the card firmly but carefully into the slot – you’ll hear the plastic clip click once it’s in place. At the other end of the card, connect a PCI-Express power cable from your PC’s power supply. If your PC doesn’t have this you can use the supplied adapter to connect to two standard four-pin Molex power connectors. Clip the plastic support back across the top of the card.

Close the case and reconnect all the cables including the monitor cable. This card has two digital DVI ports and one HDMI port. If your monitor doesn’t have a digital input you can use a DVI-to-VGA adapter (supplied with this card). Switch on your PC. If you have Windows 7 it will detect the card then download and install the latest drivers and management software automatically. Alternatively, you can install them manually using the disc that comes with the card. All that remains is to reboot your PC.