Install Video Card

Pre install video card steps:

1. Install your CPU
2. Applying thermal grease/paste on CPU, OEMs will not come with thermal grease or you might prefer a brand over the stock grade
3. Install heat sink fan (CPU Cooler) on your CPU
4. Install your RAM / Memory
5. Install your power supply (PSU)
6. Install your motherboard into case
7. Connect Front Panel

Video Card Install:

1. Look at the video card, how many slots does it cover? You need to remove corresponding number of expansion slot covers

   

2. Line it up to see which precisely which expansion slot cover(s) you need to remove

   

3. Set the video card back on its anti-static bag

   

4. Remove expansion slot covers off the case

   

   • Put the covers in your IT tool box, if you don't have one, a small tool box will work
   • You never know when you'll need this part again
   • In this example the covers are held in place with a latch, lifting the latch up frees the cover
     • To remove the cover, let it tilt backwards towards the motherboard then lift it up and out
   • Your cover might be held in place with a screw, unscrew it and hold on to the screw you will re-use it to secure the video card in place
5. Take your video card line it up with the expansion slot now cover-less holes, at the same time line up your card with the expansion slot itself

   

6. Push straight down on the card
   • Sometimes it takes very little pressure
   • Sometimes it takes significant pressure
     • If you find you are having to use brute force, that is too much pressure

       

       • Verify the card is lined up properly
       • Verify you do not have a freakin' cable draped across the card slot
         • I know, I know, but amazingly enough, it can happen
7. If the video card needs additional power, connect the power cable(s) now

Next Steps:

1. Install drives
   • Hard drives / SSD
   • Optical drives
     • Blu-Ray
     • DVD
     • CD (usually theses have been upgrade to a BR or DVD)
2. Connect all cables
   • Make cables neat, air flows better when unobstructed
3. Connect peripherals
   • Monitor
   • Mouse
   • Keyboard

Tips:

I prefer to install video cards, after I've installed the motherboard and connected the case front panel connectors to the motherboard's header pins.

• For the simplistic reason that the header pins are south of the video card, and I like having room to see them
• Also, since I have to remove expansion slot covers to complete the install, I'd rather have the motherboard in my case first then seat the video card second

Side Note:

I was pleasantly surprised at how quiet this card was. I really wasn't expecting that.

Return from Install Video Card to Installing the Parts

Choosing Your Video Card - What to be aware of when choosing your video card.

Video Card Brand Suggestions - Brand suggestions, price points, video card basics.