When to Upgrade your Graphics Card?

Answer 1

That depends. The good graphics cards can cost hundreds. It really depends on what your doing. If all you do on a computer is type and e-mail, then it's probably not worth it. But if you do high speed gaming or something of the like, then it is probably in your best interest to buy a new one. E BAY and Craigslist can have some good ones for less.

Answer 2

Every two - three years we tend to see a large upscale in GPU requirements for newer games. If you're mainly talking about GPU upgrades for high-end rendering applications, even longer generally as the cards are so niche and specialized.

Answer 3

Computers are very complex machines that require all of their internal components to function properly in order for the machine to operate without errors. Most of the time the internal components of a computer are of no concern to users, however, when you buy a new monitor or graphics begin to lag, you may want to consider purchasing a new video card.

A video card, which can also be referred to as a graphics card, is responsible for processing graphics and delivering them to your monitor. A video card is connected to the computer’s motherboard through a connection called an expansion slot. Each video card requires a specific type of expansion slot to be present on the motherboard in order for the card to be compatible with your system.

If you have an older computer and you purchase a new flat-panel monitor as a display, you may find that you are unable to connect the monitor to your system. This is probably because your computer only supports an output type called VGA, while your monitor requires a DVI, S-Video or HDMI connection. To remedy this, you can either purchase converter cables, which may distort your display, or purchase a new graphics card. The best option would be to purchase a new graphics card.

Most modern computers have either onboard graphics and no graphic card is needed, or a very basic card included with the system. If your system falls into this category, you may find that graphics aren’t what you might expect them to be. In this case, you should consider upgrading your graphics card.

There are a few things to be concerned with when upgrading your card. You should make a note of the types of expansion slots that reside on your motherboard along with the connection that your monitor requires. Also, consider what your computer is used for. If you will be gaming and watching Blu-Rays, for example, it would be smart to invest in a high end card with maximum video memory and an HDMI connection. If you will use your machine for every day tasks, you could probably choose a low to mid range card.

Answer 4

You will only notice on certain graphic intensive games such as age of Conan Star Trek online, far cry ect.