- For most desktop video cards, the drivers are provided by the chipset maker for the card. For example, if your computer has a video card with an ATI chipset that is manufactured by Sapphire, you would visit ATI's website to download updated drivers. Video drivers for laptop computers, however, are generally provided by the computer manufacturer.
- To determine the type of video card installed in a computer, click "Start," then "Control Panel." Double click "Device Manager." Look for the plus sign next to "Display Adapters," and click it. The name and model of your video card will be displayed on the list.
- Once updated video card drivers have been downloaded from the video chipset maker or laptop manufacturer, installing the drivers is as simple as double clicking on the downloaded file. The software will launch, and you will be walked through the rest of the installation process. Once the installation is complete, your computer will need to be restarted to load the new drivers.
- The greatest benefit of installing the most recent drivers for your video card is the increased performance that new drivers can bring to recent computer games. Video drivers often contain tweaks for specific games, which lead to smoother 3D animation, and more stable operation. It is not uncommon for a driver update from ATI or Nvidia to result in performance increases of 20 percent or more in some games.
- When many people purchase a new video card, the first thing that they do after installing it is insert the CD included with it into the disc drive. Video chipset manufacturers often release driver updates on a monthly schedule, which means that by the time a new video card reaches your hands, the driver CD is already out of date. For best performance, leave the CD in the box and download updated drivers from the chipset manufacturer's website before installing a new video card.
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