How to install a graphics card into a motherboard

We have prepared a simple and quick introduction to how to install a video card correctly! Learn how to do it in just 5 steps.

The video card is perhaps the most expensive component of the desktop computer, so we are afraid to damage it, especially during the assembly process. With peace of mind, by following these steps, you will definitely do it quickly and without any problems.

How to install a graphics card?

We recommend that you follow all of the recommendations below, in order, because they follow a logical progression. It’s possible that nothing happens when you skip one, but let’s leave the fears for another day.

1. Uninstall the drivers for the old video card

Rushing is not a good thing, and we’ve all felt the “anxiety” of wanting to install the graphics card as quickly as possible, but you need to prepare the computer first. We must uninstall the drivers for the old video card.

From the Settings app, go to “Apps”. If your old graphics card is AMD, look for Adrenalin or AMD; As for NVIDIA, remove anything whose name starts with NVIDIA.

2. Turn off the computer, open the case and check the connections

After removing everything related to your old graphics card, we will turn off the computer and unplug the power cord from the power source. We proceed to open the PC case from the left side cover (if we look at the box from the front), where the glass or methacrylate panel is usually located. Once opened we must do the following:

If you already have a GPU installed, we remove the HDMI/DisplayPort cables connected to it from the outside, unscrew it and remove it. To remove this, use the button usually found as the “secure” button on PCI-Express slots. Never use force, pull towards us slowly and from side to side; Otherwise, we may damage the slot and motherboard.

Check the PCIe connections you have because we definitely need to power the graphics card specifically. This is more of a power supply issue than a graphics card issue, so keep that in mind when purchasing.

3. Insert the graphics card into the PCI-Express slot (x16) on the motherboard

When asked how to install a graphics card, the real answer is: You need to install the graphics card into the PCI-Express x16 slot. We’re talking about the first slot after the “socket”, which is a reinforced slot on most motherboards because it’s usually used for the GPU.

Why this and not the others? Because on most the place it should be installed will be x16, regardless of whether it’s PCIe 3.0 or 4.0. There is no performance difference in graphics cards when using PCI-Express 4.0 or 3.0, on the contrary, there is a problem when using less than 16 lanes.

When it comes to installing the graphics card, place it into the main slot using the locking button and then screw it down securely and won’t come loose. All that remains is to connect the PCIe cables from the power supply.

4. Plug the HDMI or DisplayPort cable into the graphics card

Since DVI lost its meaning after the emergence of DP, we will complete the installation of the video card with video outputs, which are usually HDMI or DisplayPort. All that remains is to turn on the computer and let the monitor display the image.

If you find that the monitor is not outputting, try another connection or connect the HDMI/DisplayPort cable from the monitor to the motherboard. The priority is for the monitor to output an image and we can do the last step of everything.

5. Install video card drivers

Assuming that the video card is working correctly, we need to know this last step on how to install the drivers for this component. Starting with Windows, Windows Update is usually responsible for finding drivers for our model in case we have not installed anything.

Likewise, I recommend going to the NVIDIA or AMD support page and installing the drivers manually. We must choose the right parameters (our model, series, etc.) both on one website and on the other.

After downloading the drivers, I always recommend taking a look at what you’re going to install because AMD and NVIDIA often include their optional software in their packages. For example, I don’t think most of you will be using NVIDIA Broadcast, so you can uncheck things you don’t think are necessary.