Graphics Card Installation

  • Thread starter Lee
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Lee

Lee

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Ok some of you may remember that I was looking for a graphics card for my PC, well I brought one, a nVidia GeForce 6200 off eBay for 30 quid. Now, it hasn't came with a installation CD but I have downloaded the correct driver (I hope), however, me and my Dad are unsure about the following problems:

1. There are two available PCI slots in my computer (One is already taken by my Modem), does it matter which slot I use for the card?

2. In the instructions, it states the following:
If you are adding your new 3D Fuzion card to a system with integrated on-the-motherboard graphics, you must disable the integrated graphics first.
Click to expand...

Now surely if I disable this first before installing the new card, I'll loose the screen picture wont I? Either way, do I just uninstall the current graphics chip?

Thanks for your help GTP!

Lee
 
Your mother board should have a dip switch to turn off the integrated graphics. Do it when you are installing your video card. Finding the dip switch may be fun - depending on your computer of course.
 
So wait, I should put my hand into the motherboard, whilst the PC is on?! :lol:
 
1. As long as both slots are PCI it won't matter which slot you put it in. However, I would put it in the slot that gave the greatest amount of space between the graphics card and the modem. While I'm not sure you'll have any heat problems with a 6200, it's become force of habit for me. :)

2. I don't have any experience with integrated graphics cards, but if you uninstall a plug-in graphics card in task manager, Windows will boot into a default 640x480 16 colours mode, which will let you install the new drivers. I have naff all experience with integrated cards though, so I don't know the correct procedure for an integrated chip. You should probably wait for someone with a bit more knowledge before doing anything. 👍
 
Cod_Father
Your mother board should have a dip switch to turn off the integrated graphics. Do it when you are installing your video card. Finding the dip switch may be fun - depending on your computer of course.
Click to expand...

Or a BIOS setting.

Your motherboard may even favor an installed video card automatically, but probably not. So: shut down Windows, boot to BIOS, find video card and disable, turn off machine, install new card, boot and hope.
 
wfooshee
So: shut down Windows, boot to BIOS, find video card and disable, turn off machine, install new card, boot and hope.
Click to expand...

If that doesn't work, will I be able to revert back to the automatic one?
 
Windows should boot into a limited graphics mode, looking almost like Safe Mode (but everything's running.) You should be able to install the drivers at that point and reboot, enjoying full magnificent colors and resolution.

If it doesn't boot after the steps in my previous post, go back to the BIOS and re-enable the system board video. The system should come up as it always has.

You should probably be able to install the new card without bothering with the BIOS disable of the built-in video, but it could be necessary to disable it.
 
First and foremost, uninstall the drivers for the old video adapter ASAP. Otherwise, and I guarantee it, you will have problems at some point in the future, if not immediately. After you get that done, you'll want to restart the computer, pop into BIOS and change the graphics priority to boot into the PCI card first, or disable the onboard GPU (you'll want to do this before installing the video card, otherwise you might run into some problems finding which card is being used for displaying information on your monitor).

After you get that done, turn the computer off and unplug it. Throw the video card it and boot into the computer. You may want to have the drivers for the new video card downloaded before installing the card to speed up the installation process (or use the CD that came with the video card). Install the drivers, restart, and you should be good to go.

It's really pretty simple. Let me know if you have problems.
 
Do this:

Go into BIOS, find where you can change the Graphics Adapter, switch it from Integrated or Onboard to PCI. Save changed. Shut computer off, install the card, hook monitor to it, boot up. Windows will use a generic driver at first. Then, you install it, or Windows might find it.

Trust me. That's exactly what I did to install my Freetech Geforce 6200.

You can disable integrated in Device Manager, but mine just dissappeared. I never installed the onboard driver so maybe that's why.
 
Is it that complicated? And what of the BIOS didn't offer the option?

Just another question here: My PC was stripped of AGP port it had when it was given to me as a replacement for insurance claim. Is it even worth buying a mid-level PCI slot graphic card, so my brother can play Halo with at least some blood and smoke?

I want a new PC in the next two-three years.

 
You can build a really good computer for under $800.

Hell, you could do it for $400. There's a bundle on Newegg. $135 for AMD 3400+ Venice 2.2ghz with Asus A8R-MX and Freetech Geforce 6200.
 

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