 Welcome to another episode of how to here on Linus Tech Tips. Today we're going to be doing our first how to basics video where we show you how to install a graphics card into your computer. A lot of newer system builders and computer novices can get a little bit nervous when installing a GPU since it can be one of the more expensive parts of your PC. But don't worry, the process is actually quite straightforward as long as you keep a few points in mind. The GTX 980 Ti VR edition from EVGA provides an industry-leading graphics experience as well as a 500 quarter inch bay with easy access inputs for your VR device. Learn more at the link in the video description. Before you do anything, it is vital to make sure that your parts are compatible in terms of both size and power. Make sure that your case is large enough to accommodate your graphics card, particularly if you're going with a higher-end model, and that you have a power supply that has both the right connections and can put out enough watts. Virtually all graphics cards these days use a six pin or six plus two pin PCI Express power connector, which looks like this. Some cards might only have one connector while others will have two or even more. So verify that your PSU has the right cables before you pull the trigger. As far as wattage goes, most 500 to 600 watt power supplies from repeatable companies can handle one graphics card with no issues. But if you'll be running more graphics cards like two or three, you might need to look into something more. Check out reviews to see how much your card actually needs. Sometimes power requirements on spec sheets are vastly overestimated. So don't be too disheartened if you only have something like a 450 watt power supply, as it may end up working just fine as long as it's a good one. There's a great thread on the LinusTechTips forum that covers which makes and models are considered good. You can check that out in the link in the description down below. So let's get right to it, and remember to be careful when handling computer components. Either use an anti-static wristband or the easier method of just touching a metal part of your case from time to time, especially after moving your feet to avoid damaging stuff with static electricity. First, decide where on your motherboard your card is going to go. Modern graphics cards can go on a PCI Express X16 slot, which are the longest ones on your motherboard in the expansion slot area. Generally, it's a good idea to install the card in the topmost slot, that is closest to the CPU, to ensure you're running it at full speed, but check your motherboard manual to confirm. It's best to use whatever slot your manual shows as being 16x, but using an 8x slot will work fine as well. You may not be able to avoid this if you're using multiple cards like SLI or Crossfire, and that's okay. Most cases will have bracket covers for unused expansion slots. Unscrew and remove the covers that correspond with where your card needs to go, and then line up the bottom of the card with the slot. I recommend holding it by the cooler and avoiding touching the sensitive contacts on the bottom or the traces on the back. The slot is keyed, so it's impossible to insert the card backwards, so don't worry about that. Push down with a firm but steady pressure on each end of the card until you hear an audible click. Also notice that once the card is in, the retention clip at the end of the slot will help hold it in place. Some motherboards have clips that you have to squeeze or push sideways on to release the card. With others, you can just push the clip down. Be sure to release the clip if you ever need to remove the card, otherwise you could really damage both the card and the board if you try to rip it out. Once you've got your card in the slot, screw it into the case, being sure to lift the card a bit as you screw it in, so it won't droop later on. Then find the PCI Express cables attached to your power supply and plug them into the card. Usually the connectors will be around the card's right hand corner and are keyed to keep you from installing them upside down. Route your cable up to the card preferably using the cable management holes of your case that is hopefully there, and just push the cable in until it clips into place. So that's it for the hardware install. Now it's time to install drivers. Even if you were not using a standalone graphics card before, I strongly recommend using the free display driver uninstaller, also known as DDU, a favorite program of ours here at the office, to completely remove any remnants of old drivers from your system first, as they can cause issues later if not properly removed. Just run the program, which will automatically boot into safe mode. Select whether you want to remove Nvidia, AMD, or Intel drivers and reboot. This is a good idea even if you just built a new system, as Windows will often install display drivers that are out of date. Once you get back into Windows, head to either Nvidia or AMD's website, enter in your GPU model and operating system, and snag the latest drivers. Don't bother using either the driver disk that came with your card or any drivers from Windows Update, as these tend to be out of date by the time you actually install your card. Run the installation program and select custom installation to tell the system whether you want drivers only, or if you want any additional software from Nvidia or AMD. Wait for it to finish and you're all done. Open up your games, crank up the settings, and do your thing. Rackspace is a top-tier managed cloud computing company. They have dedicated storage options to meet your performance, security, network capacity, and compliance needs. They're backed by fanatical support 24-7, 365 days a year. Rackspace is inviting all of you to their interactive deep dive sessions. They take an hour every week or two to discuss the benefits of dedicated solutions and their place in a cloud world. They have upcoming events and recorded Google Hangouts available on topics from security to compliance to performance and even cost. They typically do three sessions per month, and they will also provide you with downloads to reference architectures, ebooks, and white papers on the session's landing pages. It's live and active participation. Go ask your questions and interact with them. Some of the next sessions are on moving to the cloud and leaving your VMware deployment behind, and stuff like performance requirements, improving operational efficiency. See details in the video description down below. Thanks for watching, guys. If this video sucked, you know what to do. But if it was awesome, get subscribed, hit the like button, or even consider supporting us directly by using our affiliate code to shop on Amazon, buying a cool t-shirt like this one, or with a digital direct monthly contribution to the forum. Now that we're done doing all of that kind of stuff, you're probably wondering what to watch next. So if this little video movie thing was too simple for you and you're like, dude, I know how to install a graphics card. We'll do this video up here where we do some more advanced things.