DIY Hardware modding?

[JoeBlo]

Ok so im getting sick of low end gaming, I run games through

http://canyourunit.com/

And my computer meets the games I want to play in all departments except graphics card.

It doesnt take an expert to figure out this is due to the fact I have no Graphics card :P Only the onboard graphics chipset.

Now I was going to take this to a computer store empty my wallet and walk out poor with a new graphics card, but I found then dirt cheap and brand new on eBay.. the catch.. I have to DIY install.

Now I am pretty sure I know how to do it but I need to know from some guru's.. Does the on-board stuff cause problems? I mean like.. if I was just upgrading my card, you uninstall the driver, pull the card out, stick the new one in, install the driver and your good to go..

How do you do it with onboard? do you need to remove anything or if there a free sport asking for something to be plugged in..

[Serge]

Usually, just connecting your monitor to the new graphics card should do the trick.

If you want to do it 'properly', or the first way doesn't work, remove your graphics drivers for the onboard GPU, reboot your computer and in the BIOS settings set your 'gfx preference' (name may vary depending on the manufacturer of your motherboard) to PCIe/AGP/whatever.

[123savethewhales]

From personal experience, this is highly dependent on what machine you have.

First, check to make sure your existing computer can even fit a graphic card physically.  You see my crappy Gateway right here?  It got the slot, it just doesn't have the physical space to fit a huge video card in.  If you are buying a new one, make sure you check the picture of a mother board to see that it can physically fit a huge graphic card.

Next, check the power source to see if you have at least 500 watt, or at least a 450 if you have a really good brand like corsair.  Don't try to plug in a video card on a 300 watt power source, which is what usually comes with most computers.

Next, check your monitor to see what kind of plug you have.  If it is using the really old VGA format, new video cards will not work.

Next, check the kind of fans the video card you buy is using.  Check the reviews to see how noisy it is.  This is a common oversight that people make, until they get stuck with a vacuum cleaner.

So once you get all the physical stuff sorted out, you can deal with the software part.  Which is pretty much what Serge said, again unless you got a crappy Gateway or E-machine where the bio doesn't have a function of disabling integrated video card.  Cheap brands are cheap for a reason after all.  They are made to barely work out of the box, and not intended for customization.  Stay away from Acer in general if you want a gaming machine.

[Serge]

Next, check your monitor to see what kind of plug you have.  If it is using the really old VGA format, new video cards will not work.

Usually, all cards are shipped with DVI->VGA adaptors, and if not, you can acquire one for ~$3.

[123savethewhales]

Yes, you have the adapter, but the resolution still might not look right, especially if you somehow got a VGA widescreen monitor trying to play a non wide screen game.

Isn't it amazing that somehow I acquire a VGA wide screen monitor from Acer?

[Serge]

Yes, you have the adapter, but the resolution still might not look right, especially if you somehow got a VGA widescreen monitor trying to play a non wide screen game.

Eh? I've been using those forever, never had any problem with resolution. Your problems may arise from the screen not reporting its supported display modes to the computer correctly - probably the same would have happened with a 'VGA version' of the same card. (FYI, the DVI->VGA adaptors are completely passive - they just expose the analog lines of the DVI socket in the card)

[123savethewhales]

Oh the VGA mode doesn't even have the "maintain aspect ratio" function, so it will just be stretch out.

Not that I have problem with extra fat siege tanks or dragoons or anything.

This monitor pretty much only supports 1440x900.  Anything else is just stretch out to fit that size.

[JoeBlo]

Cheap brands are cheap for a reason after all.  They are made to barely work out of the box, and not intended for customization. 

Which brings me to the next point?

Any manufacture recommendations? By dirt cheap I mean cutting out the install costs the price is a significant smaller amount I want to maintain quality of anything I stick in my computer..

[Serge]

Eh, any AMD/ATI Radeon or NVidia Gefore based card will be okay.

[JoeBlo]

Thats cool, it was a GeForce that I was going to buy..

[JoeBlo]

I had a poke through my motherboard manual.. it says it has

a PCI slot and PCIE slot

Its says it will automatically disable the onboard VGA unless I manually enable it..

Still new stuff to me so I have to roll with an adapter?

[123savethewhales]

Look at a picture of the GeForce you are getting (I assume 9800), then open up your computer and look at where that PCI Express slot is.  Having a PCI Express slot and having enough space to fit a GeForce 9800 are two different things.

Also, you did make sure your power source is 500+ right?  Or your computer might simply stop working after you plug a gaming card in.  Pretty much all computers will only come with 300 out of a box unless you specifically ordered more, so if you are not sure that's probably what you have.

So yes, you most likely will need one of these.  Don't go cheap with power source or you can easily end up with a vacuum cleaner.  While Seasonic is the better of the 2, Corsair is typically good enough.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139027

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094