Graphics Cards

[Heppy112]

I have recently bought a new computer that is fitted with an Intel(R) E7221 Integrated Graphics Card. I attempted to play a game on it but a pop up message came up saying that it required a "Hardware Graphics Accelerator"

I took the graphics card out of my old computer (Which worked with this game) but when i opened my new computer up, to my horror, i found there was no slot on the motherboard for the card. :(

I searched everywhere for an accelerating driver but i had no luck.


I then began to wonder whether there may be an adaptor to hold a graphics card, that plugs into a computer via USB connection or anything, but once again i failed in my quest to find one.

Can anyone help, either with finding a driver or finding an adaptor?

[breckinloggins]

Hi, I'll be happy to help you.

Playing modern PC games often requires dedicated graphics hardware (think of it as almost another computer in your system, complete with memory and CPU, entirely devoted to pushing out pixels). Unfortunately, this means there is no driver software that will turn your Intel Integrated Graphics chip into a hardware graphics accelerator.

Now, onto the other options:
1) USB: generally, USB doesn't have enough bandwidth (speed) that graphics cards require. There ARE USB graphics adapters, but they will be no better horsepower-wise than your Intel chip that came with your computer
2) Your existing graphics card: it probably won't work if you can't find the appropriate slot.

Now, onto getting a new card. First, the good news: you can get a pretty decent graphics card that will play MOST modern games for $100 to $150. Top of the line cards can cost up to $800, but you almost certainly don't need it. Just go with an entry level gamer's card from nVidia or ATI (I prefer nVidia) and you should be fine.

Now the bad news: there is now a plethora of different "bus types" that graphics cards use. The type of bus dictates which type of slot the card can fit into. The current most common types are:

PCI (currently almost completely obsolete for gaming graphics)
AGP
PCI-Express (not to be confused with plain ol' PCI. These cards won't fit into an "old fashioned" PCI slot)

To get the correct card, you must figure out which type of graphics expansion slot your computer has. A quick check on your manufacturer's web site for the model purchased should give you this information.

The other possibility is that the computer you purchased can not be expanded. If this is the case, you will most likely have to purchase a different machine.

I hope this helps!

[Heppy112]

Thanks a lot for that information, it was really useful, :)

But now could you tell me where to go to find a holder for a graphics card via USB connection as i cannot find one anyhwere. Is there a specific website you would recommend?

Thanks a lot