How do I Pick a New Video Card for my Gaming Computer? Gaming, Pick, Card, Computer, Video

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Sometimes you don't need to build an entirely new computer, you just need to upgrade certain parts of your system, and the most often upgraded part is the video card.

Picking a new video card can be complicated, but once you know what features your motherboard supports, then I find that it's just a matter of how much money you're willing to spend in order to find the right video card for you.

What Does Your Motherboard Support?

You'll either need the motherboard manual that came with the computer, or you'll need to look up the specs online. In either case you'll need to find out the type of expansion slots your motherboard supports.

Common varieties include:

AGP & PCI - Both are considered legacy technology. If your motherboard only supports these then you will need to buy a new computer, as upgrades are difficult/impossible to come by.
PCI-e 1.0 - While fairly rare to come across, PCI-e 1.0 video cards do exist, though they're somewhat rare.
PCI-e 2.0 - The current gold standard, you'll need to make sure your computer has at least one "x16" slot.
Once you know which type of video card you need - that is, the type of connector it has - your job should now be to determine how much you're willing to spend on the card.

Why cost, rather than specs?

I point out that you should consider how much you're willing to spend - rather than what the card is capable of - because it makes the video card purchasing process much easier. Generally, cards in the same price range have a similar set of features and support. When you buy a video card based on your budget, you'll be able to buy at the higher end of that budget. This generally gives you more features and a longer life span. which, in turn, gives you more bang for your buck.

ATI or nVidia?

If you see two cards that are practically the same price, compare reviews of each card online - if they're similar in performance, then I recommend getting the cheaper card, or the one that comes with a free game.

Some people swear by ATI, while other swear by nVidia. Unless your motherboard online specifically supports nVidia or ATI hardware - which is rare, but possible - then it doesn't matter. Both companies offer practically the same features and performance, so pick the one that's the best choice - based on performance tests and features - for you.