Can you replace integrated graphics?

[Legion Kreinak]

Okay, my cousin has a DeLL he's looking to throw a video card in. She's got "
Intel® Graphics Media Accelerator 950" which came with her DeLL. She never got a card with it. Can she just go ahead and buy herself something like a 6600 or 6800 card and pop it in there, or will the integrated graphics cause problems?

 

[MarxSoccer]

Nope, just got to set it to run off of the card though

 

[Legion Kreinak]

Oh, so how would you do that? Get to the system BIOS (i.e., tap F8 after turning on the comp) and select which one to use?

 

[HRHunteRHR]

You never have to do that with any new systems anymore. Everything is so plug and play I guarentee that it will automaticly recoginze it and use it. Just make sure she doesn't have PCI instead of PCI-E or AGP, otherwise her options are pretty limited.

 

[Legion Kreinak]

She has a DeLL from the E510 series: http://configure.us.dell.com/dellstore/config.aspx?c=us&cs=19&l=en&oc=DE510SAP&s=dhs

I believe it's a PCI-E setup.

 

[Legion Kreinak]

So that'll work? I don't want to screw up her system.

 

[mammikoura]

Just plug the card in, connect the monitor to the card and boot up.
If nothing shows up then connect the monitor to the integrated card and go to the bios and from there u can disable the onboard video card.

Just make sure that the psu has enough wattage to run the new card.

 

[jac006]

Yeah, pci ex. Good... so yeha, make sure your case can fit a card in, which I think it can, make sure your psu (power supply unit) is capable of supporting a high-end card, and yeah, the newer comps are automatic. Turn the comp off, remove any static electricity you might have, unplug the psu connector, put the vid. card in the proper slot, and close the case and turn it on and you're set to go!

 

[Legion Kreinak]

Would a DeLL PSU have enough wattage? How would I figure out if there'd be enough?

If the card doesn't show anything, then I have to go back to the inte. card and disable it from the BIOS in order to get the new card to work?

 

[jac006]

Open the case and check the psu label. It should say. If not, contact dell and have them look up the specs of your comp and tell you what your psu wattage is. Yeah, if the vid. card doesn't show any visuals on the screen, go into BIOS and find the place where your graphics are, disable integrated graphics (or video, whatever), and the new card should work.