Installing a new graphics card

It's to power your computer.

ATX - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Oh okay, so with a graphics card, you need to look at whether it is PCI-Express, the dimensions will fit and whether the power supply has the right amount of watts for it. With a power supply, you look for the dimensions, the positions of the screws and what else?

Well, to be geeky and specific, it's not the watts that count; it's amperage on the +12 volt rail. This information will be listed under the power supply's specs. If it's not, move on, you're not interested in a psu that won't tell you what its ratings are. You should try and find a psu that has ~ 30 amps on the +12 volt rail. If you can afford one that has more amperage, get it.

Yes, make sure the graphics card is pci-e (pci express). What you'll want to do is measure from the rear of the case, along the pci-e slot (showed earlier in the pic), to see how much room you have before you run into the drive bay(s). Again, under the specs of the card, they'll list the physical dimensions. If you can't find the dimensions at your online store, you can always find them at the card makers site.

That's about it. Good luck. :)

Thank you, really helpful :)

Just another question is the amps written down on the power supply?

Take a look at this psu: Newegg.com - CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-850HX 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Click the specifications tab, scroll down to "output". Notice "+12V@70A". This means this psu has 70 amps on the +12 volt rail.

Next, click on the picture of the psu itself. Click on the pic in the second column, second row. Look for DC output. To the right you'll see +12V. Go down a row and you'll see 70A.

This isn't the format you'll always see, but you now have an idea of what to look for.

Oh great thanks, but why should I find one with 30A or above?

Ok, the first 5 1/2 pages were free. This next question is going to cost you a cookie, preferably Macadamia Nut. ... with chocolate chips, can't forget the chocolate chips man!

On modern computers the +12 volt rail powers just about everything... including your graphics card, which can place a high demand on the +12. The stronger the card, the greater the draw on the +12. If you do not have enough amperage on the +12 many things can happen, none of them considered good. Nothing will explode, but things won't work as they should.

If your cpu doesn't have enough, it will shut down. If your graphics card doesn't have enough, which usually happens while gaming, it will give you an error saying that it's scaling back, in short, making it useless for the task you're asking it to do.

haha, give you half okay then, so yeah ill buy a power supply with amount of amps like that.

Just one more question, promise I noticed these cables on the pictures of the power supply. Where do they connect to & and do all the latest power supplies come with those same cables?

The only possible difference between the psu you currently have and the one in the picture is that you may not have pci-e 6 pin connectors (for graphics cards), or sata power connectors (for sata hdd's). Other than those two things, everything else is the same.

Not another word until I get my other half of the cookie.

haha just ate it sorry

Just opened up my computer and by looking at where the PCI-E x16 port is, there is only a gap of 0.8cm between the port and the intel thing. what am i going to do now