If you are planning to run some of the newer PC games or even high-end software, it may be necessary to upgrade your computer's video card before you purchase the additional software. You will see a greatly changed resolution settings and screen color on your computer, after the upgrade, especially if the only video card in your computer was the original built in card.

In computer systems that have already installed low profile graphics cards, such as a low profile agp video card, a part of the system RAM must be allocated to display the computer graphics. However, in the computer that has the dedicated video card, the computer will then have access to both the system RAM and access to the video RAM. This extra RAM will greatly affect the gamer's gaming experience. You will notice a greater increase in the speed of the computer after the dedicated video card replaces the computer's already installed low profile card.

You must first find out the kind of card already in your computer before you can purchase the new video card. The card will be connected to the computer in one of two ways: by means of a AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) slot or by means of a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) express slot. All the slots are positioned on the motherboard.

You will have to check your computer's manual to determine which type of card in installed in your computer. You can check the manufacturer's website and download one, if you wish.

Although the AGP slots are the old technology, the AGP cards continue to be quite popular since computer users hang onto their old computers. You can use PCI express cards that are more advanced to obtain a better rendering of graphics and a faster performing computer. For the older computer, you will have to change out the old motherboard, since it will not be PCI compatible.

A good point with the PCI express cards, you will be able to use as many as four of them simultaneously in one computer. This will produce amazing graphical abilities and a very powerful computer.