It’s important to keep up with the latest technology to be the best at gaming, video editing, etc. The laptop has a graphics card built in that works with the help of the RAM and CPU. A laptop video card controls what is shown on the display with its RAM and CPU. Read on to learn more about how to upgrade laptop GPUs, different types of video and graphics cards, and how to upgrade laptop graphics cards.
Whether you want to upgrade your present laptop or build a PC from the ground up, this guide will show you how to upgrade the laptop graphics card. We recognize this task is challenging, so we’ve made this step-by-step guide as easy to follow as possible. You probably aren’t looking for this answer to how to upgrade a laptop graphics card. Most of the time, there are no ways to improve an Nvidia external graphics card for laptops.
If you want better gaming performance, buying a new laptop and learning how to upgrade its graphics card is the only smart thing to do. Integrated means that the graphics processing unit (GPU) is permanently connected to the motherboard and cannot be removed like in a desktop PC. This is the case with most laptops. As of late, many CPUs come with the GPU built in. This means you’d need to change the processor to improve the laptop’s USB graphics card.
Add a laptop graphics card. In the case of Intel, you’ll see that the GPU stays the same or gets better as you move up the Core i7 line. That means your graphics will only improve if you update the processor. Also, if you open up your laptop and start looking inside, you might void your guarantee.
For gaming, can you add a graphics card to a laptop? A desktop computer is better than a laptop if you want to play games on a PC. It will cost less and work faster. There are better choices than this, though. Here are the steps you need to take to update your laptop’s graphics card.
Main types To Update Laptop Graphics Card
Different kinds of graphics cards for laptops can be used for different things, like gaming or watching movies. Some graphics cards have their own VRAM to make them faster, but they still work with the system’s CPU and GPU. Integrated External Graphics Card for Laptop – HP is built into the laptop’s motherboard and is sufficient for watching YouTube videos and light gaming without 3D, like Among Us. These are more powerful and high-end than standalone graphics cards, another name for dedicated graphics cards. These cards are great for games with a lot of action.
| Company | Product | Price |
| AMD | Radeon RX 6700M | High end |
| AMD | Radeon RX 5600M | Medium range |
| NVIDIA | GeForce RTX 6000 | High end |
| NVIDIA | Quadro P5200 | Medium range |
| Intel | Intel HD series | Low end |
| Intel | Iris Xe | Low end |
Most graphics cards for laptops are made by AMD, Intel, and NVIDIA right now. NVIDIA and AMD make the best graphics cards. The AMD Radeon line and the Nvidia external laptop graphics card are the best. While Intel does make integrated graphics cards, they are not as good as those made by NVIDIA and AMD.
How to add a graphics card to a laptop
A laptop can have a graphics card added to it, but there are better ideas for gaming. Even though it sounds weird, you can plug one into a USB port. It adds another graphics port, so you can use it to drive an external monitor and the screen with your laptop. A USB graphics card lets you add a third screen instead of just two if your laptop already has a VGA, DisplayPort, or HDMI output.
Step 1: Ensure the New Graphics Card is Compatible with your Laptop
Not all laptops have the same graphics power. Make sure your laptop can be changed and what graphics cards are compatible before you buy a new chip. You can easily figure this out by looking at the page with the specs. Many graphics cards use the PCI Express expansion bus standard, so make sure your laptop has these spots. You may find a disc over the spot closest to the CPU along the PCI slots. The new card should work with HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, VGA, and other common external connections. Update your BIOS and power brick before installing a new GPU.
Step 2: Uninstall your Old Drivers
When you try to upgrade your laptop’s graphics card, you will often get errors because the drivers aren’t compatible. To run the current graphics card on the laptop, it is crucial that you first remove the drivers that the operating system is using.
Installing the Card
How to Upgrade the Graphics Card in Your Laptop: Remove the outdated drivers from your computer. One of the main reasons for errors and other problems is drivers that don’t work with each other. Before installing your new card, you should get rid of the drivers that Windows is currently using to see your USB graphics card for your laptop.
To remove your drivers, go to Device Manager and uninstall them there. To open Device Manager, look for it in the Start menu, press Win+X, and choose it from the list (only Windows 8).
When you’re in Device Manager, make the Display Adapters area bigger. Right-click on your present display adapter and select “Uninstall.” Follow the steps on the screen to pull the driver from your computer. With big buttons and fuzzy text, the brightness of your display will reset to low. Turn off your computer after removing the drivers.
Stand your ground. When working with sensitive computer components, always ensure you are properly grounded. Your parts could get hurt or killed by electrostatic discharge, which would make them useless. As long as there is visible metal in your case, it would help if you used an anti-static wrist strap. To ground yourself, if you don’t have a metal water tap, you can touch one.
When working inside the computer, stand on tile or linoleum and ensure the open computer isn’t sitting on the carpet. Make sure the computer is unplugged from the wall before you start working on the insides. You know, the old card. Your old graphics card is likely plugged into a PCI-E or AGP space on your motherboard. AGP cards are more common on older computers. It’s possible that your graphics card will be the biggest in your system. Most external graphics cards for laptops – HP are pretty big. A lot of the time, they come with fans and heatsinks.
Installing Drivers and Testing it Out
Start up your computer. Your operating system will detect the new card, which will then attempt to set your display to the highest resolution and color depth it can. Accept the changes and turn the computer back on. You’ll need to fix your setup if your computer lacks pictures. Make sure the card is added and linked properly a second time.
A picture that is shaky, choppy, or skewed could mean that you’re how to laptop graphics card isn’t working right. Ensure your laptop’s USB graphics card is set correctly before calling the maker.
How to Upgrade the Graphics Card in Your Laptop: You can use your driver disc or download the drivers. The driver disc that arrived with your graphics card can now be put in to begin the driver update. There are direct links from Nvidia or AMD to get the drivers if your card didn’t come with a disc or if you want to ensure you have the most up-to-date version.
The next question is how to switch from an Intel to an Nvidia laptop graphics card. Put in the necessary drivers. Although you might be asked to install extra graphics card control tools, the driver loading process is usually done for you. You don’t have to use this extra program, but it can help you keep your drivers up to date. Your display will probably blink and reset while the update is going on. When you buy drivers on a disc, they are almost always outdated, so you will be asked to update them after installing them.