installing a graphics card?

[ichbinspikeface]

hello there! i've just bought a gtx580 and i was being a responsible pseudo-nerd and attempting to look up in advance how to install said card... but no matter how hard i search, the only thing i can't find out about the gtx 580 is how to put it in a computer! paranoia has gotten the better of me, so i have to ask: is installing a graphics card so mindbogglingly easy that no-one on the internet needs instructions? or do the people who need to ask just send their pc to a shop to get it done? ... i'd really rather do it myself... but WHAT IF I SCREW IT UP AND EVERYTHING EXPLODES????

[amandachen]

Open your case up and then put the graphics card in the slot.

[sinomatic]

Seems like there's a number of gtx580 installation videos on youtube so you might find it helpful to look at a few of those to get some pointers.

[ColOfNature]

As long as you're careful it's really not that difficult. This is a pretty good guide. Try not to touch anything inside the case any more than necessary and don't force it if it doesn't want to go. Basically it's a piece of cake. And if everything does explode don't forget to post pics.

[ichbinspikeface]

great, thanks Col, that was the kind of guide i had trouble finding. cheers everyone!

[Kablooie]

Uh . .

You may also have to undo a clip depending on the design of your motherboard

- well, I've never seen a mobo that didn't have the board retaining clip and it's often a PITA to get at and hold ( I would consign the engineer who developed it to one of the lower circles of Hell). My computers are towers, too, so it's not cramped in there (at least, not so much). Just be aware of it if indeed your mobo has them.

[Quetzal]

The only precaution -if any- you need to take is wearing a grounding strap (connected to a radiator, water line or powerplug's grounding pin ofc).

1. Prepare a surface to lay your case side ways on with newspapers or any other soft padding material

2. Disconnect the power from the computer and wait a few minutes so us to make sure any capacitors lost their charge, this is a point that is fairly frequently forgotten and could lead to damage to your machine.

3. Don the grounding strap, lay the machine in the suface and open the left side of the case, this side's door usually have bigger nuts for easy removal.

4. You'll see the old card in a slot that's slightly different to the left, disconnect any power cabling to it's right side and carefully unscrew the any screw that secures the card's bracket (right side) to the case,,the case also might have a retainer clip like previously mentioned refer to your manual for instructions on how to release them.

5. Holding the card by it's sides and avoiding to touch the PCB slowly lift the card from it's cradle, this should go almost effortlessly.

From here on out the process is just the reverse of what you did but with the new one, do not forget to reattach the powercabling on the card again and securing the card well.

[amandachen]

No idea why Canadians love to start sentences "As well, ..."

[President Weasel]

Quetzal is correct, although many people don't bother with the grounding strap and it is usually fine.

[ColOfNature]

You can get away with not using a grounding strap, just be sure to touch the bare metal of the case occasionally to equalise any static charge.

[Kamikaze-X]

Uh...

you forgot the whole "REMOVE ALL OLD VIDEO DRIVERS FIRST" thing.

[ColOfNature]

Not really necessary with current drivers unless he's moving from AMD to NVIDIA. The recent NVIDIA installers are smart enough to purge older versions as they update.

[ichbinspikeface]

just to wrap this up, i took a shot, came close to doing it right, screwed up the power supply connection, got a large bearded man named steve to fix it, and now i'm looking at computer games that have never looked so sexy. witcher 2, in particular, looks delicious. thank you one and all. here's to community!

[ColOfNature]

Congratulations, and enjoy your new shininess. May it bring you many sleepless nights!

[dzemomona12]

You can't blow anything, there is only one slot (PCI-express) to fit the card into it.