The trick lies in making sure your GPU is the primary problem in the first place.įirst, you may want to benchmark-test your GPU to quantify exactly how slow (or not!) it really is. Other common bottlenecks include the CPU, the system memory (RAM), and perhaps the storage, especially if that storage is nearly full or is a platter-based hard drive.
If the problem vanishes, you know it's a network-bandwidth issue, not your GPU. How could you have tested this? Download some content to your system and play it from your system's internal storage rather than streaming it. Modern GPUs, even the type built into CPUs (known as integrated graphics processors, or IGPs), have more than enough graphics horsepower to handle Netflix and its streaming ilk. The fault more likely lies with a lack of internet and/or local-network bandwidth, with your system not getting enough video data fast enough to generate optimally detailed, full-frame-rate playback. Both symptoms might sound like the fault of slow video and/or graphics processing, and since those tasks are typically handled by the graphics processing unit (GPU), the GPU must be the culprit, right? Let's say your full-screen Netflix playback is prone to being pixelated or commonly skips frames, delivering a jittery viewing experience. It all really begins with a much earlier question: Do I need a new graphics card? Answering this can be tricky, and it depends more on your software than your hardware.Ĭonsider why you feel you need an upgrade. It's what leads up to the upgrade that's the thornier bit. If you have ever upgraded a video card, though, you know that concentrating on the nuts-and-bolts part of the process alone misses the point. The only real wrinkle might be the power supply and cabling, which we'll get into below, and the actual card fitment, which you can plan for in advance. PCI Express slots have been standardized for ages. Anyone comfortable with a screwdriver can do it in a few minutes.Īfter all, all you have to do is uninstall your old card's driver and unplug your old card (assuming you have one installed at all), plug in a new one, wire up any power connectors, install that card's driver, connect your monitor, and enjoy. The actual physical swap-out is an anti-climax.
The process of upgrading your graphics card is really the endpoint of a larger question, and that question is the real story of a typical card upgrade.
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