Consider your other hardware before buying a graphics card

Installing a video card is very similar to changing a light bulb in an overhead fixture. You can do it yourself, as long as you get the right version and your computer has a place for it -- not all of them do. Contemporary graphics cards are made to fit into PCI-E slots. Older computers and motherboards used standard PCI or AGP slots for discrete graphics, but those connections are no longer actively supported.

If your computer has integrated video, its motherboard may or may not have a PCI-E upgrade slot. You must find out before you consider adding a card. Ultra-compact or HTPC cases such as slimlines or all-in-ones rarely have the physical space to accommodate a video card. They also lack sufficient interior space to dissipate the heat generated by high-end gaming.

Positives and negatives to overclocked videocards

A major point of differentiation between competing cards is "overclocking." That means running a graphics card's GPU -- and sometimes its dedicated memory, as well -- at a higher speed than rated safe by Nvidia or AMD. Since GPU clock speeds are the major driving force behind video card performance, overclocking results in better performance at no additional expense, but it comes with inherent dangers. Overclocking generates extra heat, which shortens the life of hardware and could cause system instability, failure of other components and burnout of overclocked components. The risk can be mitigated by cooling down video cards using additional PC case fans or third-party water cooling products.

If you're still interested in overclocking, you can buy a factory-overclocked card or do it yourself. Reviewers cite advantages to each option. Since doing your own overclocking often voids your warranty, factory overclocking protects your investment. On the other hand, you pay a little more for a factory-overclocked card, and experts sometimes say that a stock card can be overclocked to a higher speed than a factory overclocked card. Reviewers generally test video cards at stock and overclocked speeds.

While factory overclocked cards are generally very stable, they can still suffer from the negative effects associated with tweaking clock speeds. Long-term performance is a big concern, making user reviews at Newegg.com more valuable than expert critiques. For example, several computer pros say the Gigabyte GV-N560SO-1GI-950 (*Est. $260), a "Super overclocked" GeForce GTX 560 Ti, delivers great specifications for the price and excellent extras. HardwareHeaven.com says "almost every aspect of this product impresses," and gives the card both Performance and Gold awards. However, dozens of complaints at Newegg.com say the GV-N560SO-1GI-950 is simply pushed too far, making it unstable and prone to crashing over time. Repeated reports of buggy driver firmware and poor customer service only exacerbate the problems.

We take user reviews into account while evaluating factory overclocked cards for this report, and the Gigabyte GV-N560SO-1GI-950's issues drive home the point that users should be careful when overclocking video cards on their own. In addition, experts say to keep the following considerations in mind while hunting for a discrete graphics card:

  • Do you even need a graphics card? Advances in integrated video technology -- where a CPU and GPU are combined on the same chip -- allow many modern PCs to play high-definition video without any discrete graphics whatsoever. If you own a relatively new computer and aren't interested in gaming, there's a good chance you don't even need a video card.
  • The clock rate and RAM are key specifications. The higher the clock rate and RAM, the higher the performance and price. Cards for serious gaming should have at least 1 GB of memory, although entry-level cards often have only 512 MB. Other specifications such as the shader clock, memory clock and texture-fill-rate all affect performance. If you want to learn how to understand and compare these specifications, we link to good tutorials in the Useful Links section of this report.
  • Consider power requirements. High-end video cards require considerable power, but experts say computer power supply wattage ratings are significantly understated. If you want a GeForce GTX 580 card, for example, you need a power supply rated much higher than the minimum 600 watts specified by Nvidia. More powerful cards might also have additional cables that need to be connected into smaller PCI-E x8 or PCI-E x6 slots to help with power requirements, so make sure your motherboard has the necessary slots available.
  • Can your processor match the video card's power? While it's much less of a problem than it used to be, experts say you'll want the power of your video card to roughly correlate with the power of your computer's processor. If you don't, the slower component won't be able to handle the data as quickly as its counterpart, a problem known as "bottlenecking." For example, a low-end CPU won't be able to keep up with a high-end graphics card, slowing down performance. Today's mid- to high-end CPUs such as Intel's Core i5 and i7 chips and AMD's FX or Phenom chips are recommended for serious gaming computers.
  • Identify which software features you want. More expensive cards include extra technologies that can improve your gaming experience. Both AMD and Nvidia support 3D graphics, but only Nvidia has accelerated PhysX technology that allows for smoother action in games that support it, and experts say AMD's Eyefinity multiple screen technology is the best of its kind.
  • Consider the extra features. Although overclocked and custom-cooled video cards are different, experts say cards based on stock Nvidia GeForce or AMD Radeon HD video card designs perform identically. Reviewers say that brand reputation, warranty and extras like bundled games are the discerning factors between stock cards.
  • Look for DirectX 11 support. Although older titles might require only previous versions of the software such as DirectX 9 or DirectX 10, make sure the card you choose has DirectX 11 support since virtually all new 3D games need it. All of the cards covered in this report include DirectX 11 support.
  • Decide what output connectors you need. Video cards have a wide variety of video connections. Digital HDMI is the most commonplace, and the majority of cards offer analog VGA/D-Sub and digital DVI connection for use with older or less expensive monitors that don't support HDMI. Other common connectors include analog component video, composite video and S-video for connecting to a TV, and digital DisplayPort. If you want to link multiple screens using a card with compatible technology -- such as AMD's Eyefinity -- make sure the video card you choose has enough connectors to meet your needs.
  • Decide whether you want one or more video cards. Some high-end motherboards have several PCI-E x16 slots for video cards. They can be installed in either SLI for Nvidia or CrossFire for AMD configurations, whichever the motherboard supports. If you plan to install two or more graphics cards, make sure they're compatible with SLI or CrossFire. Since most gaming cards are large and cover two or more PCI-E slots, be sure to plan for that when planning your purchase. However, setting up and maintaining multiple graphics cards can be tricky, especially for inexperienced system builders; reviewers say one excellent video card is better than two good ones.
  • Case requirements. If you're in the market for a high-end gaming card, you need a big case. Many high-end cards are oversized and literally won't fit in all cases. And even if the card fits, make sure there's plenty of space for ventilation.
  • Active vs. passive cooling. A fan is generally more effective at dissipating heat than just heatsinks or other passive methods. However, a fan adds noise. Several manufacturers offer video cards built with custom cooling technologies that often blend copper or nickel heat pipes, one to three fans and heatsinks. These cooling technologies are a major point of differentiation between video cards from the same series of GPUs. Many enthusiasts prefer to use aftermarket cooling methods such as water cooling or additional case fans instead of using the hardware on the video card.

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