EXTERNAL GRAPHICS CARD FOR DESKTOP PC
EXTERNAL GRAPHICS CARD FOR DESKTOP FREE

If youвЂ™ve already got another type of card plugged in next to the slot youвЂ™ll use for your graphics card, youвЂ™ll need to take that space limitation into account.

There are two primary issues here: card width and card length.ДЄ lot of the higher powered graphics cards are wide enough that they take up the space of two slots. If you have a smaller case (like a mid-tower or compact), youвЂ™ll have fewer choices. Most full-sized tower cases can accommodate even the biggest graphics cards. The other thing to keep in mind is that a lot of the higher powered graphics cards are wide enough that they take up the space of two slots. If you only have an x8-speed slot, thatвЂ™ll work too, though performance on the most intense games might be a little limited.В The important part is that you need a full-sized slot and not one thatвЂ™s designed for smaller x1, x2, or x4 cards.

RELATED: Why Are the PCI Express Ports on My Motherboard Different Sizes? x16, x8, x4, and x1 ExplainedДЄlmost all modern graphics cards require a PCI-E x16 slot, and almost all motherboards that feature any full-sized PCI-E slots at all will have one. This standardized slot gives high-speed access to your PCвЂ™s processor and RAM, and its position on the board allows easy access to the rear of the case, letting you plug one or more monitors directly into the card itself. TodayвЂ™s graphics cards all use the PCI-E standard for plugging into your computerвЂ™s motherboard. Make Sure Your Motherboard Has the Right Kind of Slot

EXTERNAL GRAPHICS CARD FOR DESKTOP FREE

If your computer has a free PCI-Express (PCI-E) slot and a decent power supply, it can probably run the lionвЂ™s share of modern graphics cards. This isnвЂ™t as big a deal as you might think. Step One: Check for Basic CompatibilityД«efore you go shopping for a new graphics card, you need to limit the parameters of your search to the cards that your system can actually run.

EXTERNAL GRAPHICS CARD FOR DESKTOP PC

In other words, you can run an NVIDIA card just fine on a PC with an AMD CPU. Note: Even though AMD makes both CPUs and graphics cards, you can use graphics cards based on either of the major chipsets on whatever CPU youвЂ™re running. Join us as we walk you through figuring those things out, narrowing down your card choices, and then physically installing your new card. Does your motherboard have the right kind of slot for a modern graphics card? Will the card you want fit in your case? Can your power supply handle a card with higher power demands?

YouвЂ™ll also need check for some basic compatibility issues with your PC. In the end, there are hundreds of customized models available on the market. After narrowing that down, youвЂ™ll find that there are lots of card manufacturers making different cards based on either of those chipsets. Your primary choice in graphics cards is between the two major makers of graphics chipsets-Nvidia and AMD. In fact, the hardest part is choosing the right card right card in the first place. Upgrading your desktop PCвЂ™s graphics card can give your gaming a pretty big boost.

External graphics card for desktop