For the initial video card test, you need only connect the monitor to the PC and power it up. Not having the extraneous cables attached just makes possible troubleshooting a much quicker process. If the PC boots with a display and the video card initializes, then the test is a success and the PC can be shut off. Then reassemble the case, fully connect the remainder of the cables, and you are finished.

If you experience troubles getting the video card to work, then a physical examination of the PC should be the first order of business. Make sure that no motherboard cables or components were dislodged during the video card install and that the card itself is properly seated in the AGP or PCI slot. When in doubt, installing the card for a second time is the best course of action. If you are using a Voodoo5 card, consult the manual and ensure that any additional power requirements have been addressed. Again, when dealing with an integrated motherboard, double check the documentation for any needed adjustments when moving to a dedicated video card. Try attaching the monitor cable to the on-board VGA-out to see if it is still active, or to make any necessary BIOS adjustments.

If the above tips do not help, then as a last-ditch effort try adding your previous video card to see if the PC will respond. If the old video card works and the new one continues to display a blank screen, then it may be a case of a faulty product, which may have to be returned. Also keep in mind that some older motherboards may not supply the necessary AGP voltage for power-hungry cards such as the NVIDIA GeForce 256. Contacting your motherboard company should be the first step to finding out if voltage is the culprit.

Once the PC has been fully reassembled, it is time to boot up and load the video drivers. Once Windows loads, it will detect the new hardware and attempt to load the appropriate drivers. With CD auto-play functionality, you simply insert the driver CD and follow the on-screen instructions. Those with auto-play disabled will need to navigate to the root of the CD and run the setup.exe program manually.

For most current video cards, the driver installation will be a seamless process, and when upgrading from within the same product line (such as NVIDIA, Matrox, etc.) the unified reference drivers may not need to be reloaded at all. This is a similar scenario for cards that require the drivers be preloaded and Windows should automatically load the correct drivers without any manual intervention.

This is also the time to load the various applications included with your new video card. Again, video card utilities are usually part of an integrated process performed through the driver CD install screen. Simply choose the additional programs you require and the installation software will do the rest.

If a new driver revision is available, we recommend you upgrade to the newer drivers. Video card companies are constantly improving game compatibility and speed, and it is better to upgrade now rather than wait for problems to crop up. It is also a good idea to run the Direct X installation routine so that it can find and update any required files. Just to be safe, reinstalling the monitor INF file is also recommended.