How much to spend This is a tricky one and depends on how fast your computer is, what you use it for, and what you hope to gain from the upgrade. If you have a very fast computer, which you use to play 3D games like F.E.A.R. or Quake 4, then a high-end card (up to £500) may be worth considering. If you have a mid-spec machine that you want to use for some 3D games or video editing, a mid-range card for around £70-£130 will prove a more appropriate purchase. What features to look for A DVI (digital visual interface) or HDMI (high-definition multimedia interface) port is a must-have – perfect if you want to connect your PC to your Hi-def telly. RAM is another important consideration – high-end cards tend to have 512Mb these days and unless you're on a seriously tight budget, it's wise to go for a card with at least 256Mb. With the arrival of Vista and DirectX10 – the latest Microsoft interface to help your PC handle video, 3d graphics, rich sound etc – buying a card with DX10 support is also a shrewd move, though the lower budget ones may not be able to cope with the increasingly lavish graphics of future DX10 games. How to upgrade Installing a graphics card is easy. Turn off your PC and unplug it. Earth yourself by touching an object such as a metal radiator. Open the case and locate the graphics card inside (the monitor cable plugs into it). Unscrew the card and gently prise it out of the socket. Then put your new card in the vacant slot, pressing it gently, but firmly until it clicks into position. Screw the card in, put the case back on, re-connect the monitor and turn on your PC. Although you will see a picture when Windows loads (presuming the card is seated properly), you will need to install the supplied drivers to get the most from it. Latest drivers It is important to keep your graphics card drivers – the software that drives the hardware – up to date as new versions are frequently released. These may improve performance, stability, and/or enable new features. You can download the current drivers for your card from the ATI or nVidia websites (see step 3). Jargon explained Modern graphics cards can do lots of clever tricks, but what does it all mean? Alpha blending – Used to create transparent or translucent visual effects such as water, glass or smoke. Anisotropic filtering – A method to enhance the quality of textures used on 3D objects. Anti-aliasing – Reduces jaggies, the ‘stair-step’ effect you see on the edges of bitmapped graphics. Fill rate – The speed (in megapixels per second) at which your graphics card can get pixels on the screen. Frames per second(FPS) – The higher a card’s frame rate, the smoother and more fluid a 3D game will appear. Polygon – All 3D objects are made of these (usually triangles or rectangles). Back to page one.

Published on 22 June 2007