I'm not much of a computer guy, and I just bought a game for my PC. It says I need to update my video card. How and where?|||If it is asking you to update the driver for your card:
Right-click on My Computer, Manage, Device manager, click the + next to Display Adapters, double-click on the icon for the adapter, click on the Driver tab, click on Update Driver, click on "Yes, this time only" to allow the PC to look on the internet for a newer driver.
If the message is saying you need a new video card, take the specific technical details to your computer store and find a card that meets those specs. You'll need to open your computer and install the card, but the directions should be easy to follow with pictures, etc...
Hope this helps...|||What are the specs for the card;;;;;;;;;;;;;;what is the card;;;;
what are the specs for your pc;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
P.S. when the device MGR says there is no better match,,,
then go to the website of the people who make it and get the driver,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,|||yesss
video cards...where to start.
a "Graphics Processing Unit" or GPU is a computer peripheral that takes all the graphical heavywork (photos, videos, anything you SEE) and works as a bypass so that the processor doesnt have to process those things, and it can process other things like physics, music, and, well, processing code. if the processor had to do all of the video things, your computer would be so much slower. you can make less work for your processor by purchasing various cards and such, like a graphics card, sound card, and even physics cards. this can help to make your computer faster, and not put out as much heat (processors get HOT!! i actually got a 2nd degree burn on one,)
usually your average computer comes with an integrated chipset, which is basically a graphics card, except crappy, slow, doesnt render lighting effects well, and is built into the motherboard. sound cards are almost always like this, but rarely need to be upgraded. usually they contain a certain amout of memory, and you can find these details on the back of the box. most games run well on a basic 256 mb graphics card, such as Unreal Tournament 2004, age of mythology, halo, most games from late 1990s to around 2005. nowadays, newer games want more graphical power, so you should find a graphics card with at least 512 mb, which is more expensive, of course. some games that run well on 512s are halo 2, unreal tournament 3, battlefield 2142, etc.
some makers of graphics cards are Matrox, Intel, Nvidia, and ATI, the leading manufacturers being Nvidia and ATI. im not too familiar with the ATI models of graphics cards, but i know that Nvidia makes a Geforce FX series, which usually contain 256 mb, but vary in overall speed and size slightly. i use a Geforce FX 5500 and it runs halo and UT2004 fairly well, and only cost about $60. however, i cannot run FEAR, Battlefield 2142, or Halo 2.
any game also played on xbox 360 pretty much. if you're looking to play one of those, you should invest in a 512. for example, the Nvidia Geforce 8800 GTX. its big, its got lots of heat output, but its one of the best graphics cards out there that is sold to the public. one of these runs at about $500.
when you do decide to purchase your graphics card, you should arrive at the store (anywhere from Fred Meyers to Best Buy) knowing what kind of slot your computer has. when you have the time/energy, shut the computer off, and figure out how to take the case off. i have a Dell Dimension 3000, and theres an L shaped button on the back, when you slide it down, it unlocks, and the side slides off (be careful not to damage the case, some computers will not turn on if the case isnt fully on) but on my HP Pavilion, theres a funny shaped screw on the back that you unscrew, and then the opposite side comes off.
once youve got part of your case off and you have unplugged the computer from the outlet, and you can get a good look inside your computer (its so complex looking...all the wires and such) you should see a slot, and maybe you already have a card in there, most come with a built in modem, when plugged into the slot, theres a metal panel that sticks out the back with plugs and such. they come in 2 styles, PCI, and AGP. you can google image search PCI or AGP slot and it should give you a picture so you can tell the difference, as they are both similar. PCI slots are usually a shade of off white, while all AGPs ive seen are black, and a little bulkier i think. best check to make sure..
If you have a free AGP port, you can buy a graphics card for that rather than for a PCI slot. AGP (accelerated graphics port) as the name suggests, are better for graphics, im told. ive never had an AGP..if you have any doubt play it safe with a pci. when you purchase your card, (making sure it has the amount of memory you want, and will fit in the slot you have,) read the directions carefully!! usually they only tell you to carefully slip it into your free port, and screw it in (or it may wobble and come out when you plug your monitor in, i did this when my computer was on and it broke the GPU) and then plug your monitor into that gpu. thats it. sometimes you have to leave your monitor in its original port, otherwise its difficult to install it. check the directions to find out what it wants, all cards are different. some may ask that you disable your original card, or remove it, i kept mine in. that way you can plug 2 monitors into your computer, and with a little fidgeting, you can have 2 screens on the same desktop. (right click desktop, click properties, click the settings tab, and then it should show 2 screens, labeled 1 and 2, select the monitor on the more powerful card, and below check the box that says "use this as my primary dislplay/monitor". then on the other one, check "extend my windows desktop onto this monitor" then click apply. your other monitor will turn on, and show the desktop background on it. you can then drag the toolbar over there, or put useless desktop shortcuts on it, or my favorite, put your itunes on one side and your web browser on the other, to eliminate tedious app switching. im lazy like that. now, if you move your mouse towards the other monitor, it should slip over and appear on the other. if not, you should look on that settings tab, and click identify.
BLAM!
a big 1 and 2 should appear on your monitors. arrange the boxes on the settings tab to correspond with the arrangement of your monitors. you can also switch the resolution of your new graphics card, as it is usually in a really nasty resolution by default.
if none of this helped you, like, if you already have a nice graphics card, you should update your drivers. right click "my computer" and then click properties. on XP, click the Devices tab, or something like that, and click device manager. open the Display adapters drop down, and find your current gpu. right click, and click update driver software, or properties, and in the drivers tab, click the update driver button.
this should solve that problem. if not, buy a new fancy graphics card and follow my earlier directions.
feel free to message me if you have any further questions, or if you have another problem, maybe tell me what kind of graphics card you got if you buy one. i hope you find this information helpful.
also, you can find some pretty detailed specs of your current graphics card by opening "Run" and typing "dxdiag" in the box. it should pop up a window, you can click yes or no, it doesnt matter really, and then under the display tab it will tell you the name, manufacturer, chip type, DAC type, total memory, and the display mode youre in.|||Your video card is what generates the, well video, on your screen. The better the card, the better the picture. You need to see what is compatible with your system before you update.
Some systems have integrated video cards, meaning it draws from your systems memory. Others have various amounts of memory built in. I suggest looking at the game to see what type of video card is required and then check to see what is compatible with your system. Then go from there.|||Video cards are well...cards that bring the video onto your pc...if you wanna upgrade your graphics card first find out whether you have a pci, pci-e, or agp slot on your pc. if your computer is old you're mostlikely to have an AGP slot but if you're still not sure type in the name of computer on a search engine website and find its specs also make sure your power supply can support the video card you want.
if your pc is rather new then I would recommend getting a 600watt+ power supply to support that PCi- E card
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