Quantcast
PCWorld.com is upgrading some back-end systems. Some site features, such as user registration, may be temporarily unavailable.

Upgrade Guide

Install a new graphics card, step by step.

  • 0 Yes
  • 0 No

1. Get the Latest Driver

The driver that controls your new graphics card performs a crucial function in getting maximum performance and reliability from the card. Fortunately, graphics card companies upgrade their drivers regularly. Before you install your new card, go to the vendor's Web site and check the file date on the latest driver. If the driver on the Web site is newer than the one on the floppy disk or CD-ROM that came with your card, download it, and note the folder on your hard disk where you store it. (In most cases, you'll need either to extract the needed files from a compressed ZIP folder or to run an .exe file that will automatically extract the files.) And before you begin, check for a readme file that may contain critical information about installation.

It's also a good idea to back up all your data in case something goes wrong.

  • Recommend this story?
  • 0 Yes
    0 No
Learn more about the Windows Phone PCWorld Gift Guide

Focus on Personal Productivitysponsored by Microsoft

  • Personal Finance 2.0 These free and fee-based Web services not only aggregate data from your online bank accounts, they give you tools for managing your money.
  • High-Tech Travel Tips Plenty of stories provide advice for elite mobile professionals. But what about you, the unproductive traveler?

People who read this also read:

Sponsored Links