Integrated graphics card in PCI-Express slot

[Torchwood]

Hello My first post
Anyway i really need to upgrade my computers graphics card ( Nvidia 7600 GS 512mb intergrated version) as its flagging in this day and age and its stopping me playing most games now (i can just scrape skyrim but it falls under its min requirments) I will get a top of the range laptop soon when i go to uni but will keep my desktop for now so i need to add a better graphics card (Rest seem to be fine for the mo) .The problem is the integrated cards is already in the PCI express slot (opened up comp and i can see it in the slot) will be safe to remove the board and would a new card function in it Thanks for the help.

 

[Technochicken]

If the 7600 is in the PCI e slot, by definition it is not integrated. You should be able to pull it out and swap in a newer card without any issues, so long as your power supply can handle it. Be sure to remove your old graphics drivers before performing the upgrade.

 

[Torchwood]

Thanks for your reply .
Well i originally thought it wasn't integrated (only found out cause magika couldn't run) but according to windows (DXdiag) it says its DACS an Integrated RAMDAC but it definitely in the only express port.And for the other point it does have enough juice to run it :0 thankfully.

 

[mike1959]

Changing graphics card.

Hi Torchwood, A couple of things that might help.
There is a very good free program that will give you info about your graphic card if you are not sure, Just search for GPUZ in your search engine of choice.
Also there is a really useful guide to graphic cards on this site, to give you an idea of what to look out for, or what to avoid.
https://www.techspot.com/review/392-budget-gpu-comparison/

The normal set up in PC's is that if you don't have a graphic card in the PCI-E slot, then the PC will use the integrated graphics chip.
But if you fit a graphic card, the PC will switch over to that. But note that some motherboards will only switch over if you change the setting in the BIOS. It will have an option such as "Integrated graphics ON/OFF". So you change it to suit the situation, save and exit.
If you have only a 250W or 300W power supply (look on the label on the side) then you may need to upgrade it to say 500W, a fairly easy mod.
When you have changed the card, be sure to plug your monitor into the correct output socket, you would not be the first to get no picture on first boot.

 

[Darth Shiv]

Thanks for your reply .
Well i originally thought it wasn't integrated (only found out cause magika couldn't run) but according to windows (DXdiag) it says its DACS an Integrated RAMDAC but it definitely in the only express port.And for the other point it does have enough juice to run it :0 thankfully.

"Integrated RAMDAC" doesn't mean what you think it does I don't think
An integrated RAMDAC would be a RAMDAC build into the graphics chip. Commonly RAMDACs are in separate chips to the main GFX chip. So that is something separate to an integrated graphics solution.

A RAMDAC is just the part that converts the digital display output data to analog. E.g. for a VGA plug.

So a DVI or HDMI plug doesn't need a RAMDAC because they both output digital data not analog.

Integrated graphics means the graphics processor (so we're not talking about the RAMDAC) is "integrated" by being on the motherboard.

Rule of thumb is: if you plug your monitor into a plug on the back of your motherboard rather than the back of a PCIe slot card, it's integrated.