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Upgrade Guide

PC performance boost: Here's how to swap out your old graphics card for a hot new one.

  

2. Uninstall the Old Software

While most graphics card makers say you can simply swap a new board for the old, we've found that uninstalling the old card's driver can help prevent problems. You can skip this step and take your chances, but it's particularly dangerous to do so if your new board is the same brand as the old one. Some vendors make uninstalling easy. For example, Matrox (whose Millennium G400 Max is shown at left) provides an uninstall option for all its utilities and complete uninstall directions on its Web site. To clear out the drivers for your old card, go to Start, Settings, Control Panel, double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon, and remove any software that's specific to your old graphics card. (If you're not sure about an item, don't remove it!)

Check your manual or the support section of your old board maker's Web site for additional instructions. If you don't find anything, and nothing is evident in Add/Remove Programs, just forge onward.

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