Those who have the Graphics cards installed on their computers are lucky people as they can easily play graphics-intensive games. But those who are going to change and upgrade their graphics card are luckier than anyone else. With the shortage of graphics cards in the market, the people upgrading their system should be considered luckier. But have you ever heard from someone that you might have to uninstall your graphics driver before installing a new video card?
Well, people say a lot of things about computers that you should not take seriously. Although some people give genuine advice, double-checking the advice is highly recommended before accepting the same. If you are confused and don’t know if you have to uninstall your graphics card drivers before installing a new video card, then you are at the right place. In this post, we will share detailed information about the need to uninstall the old graphics drivers before installing a new one.
Table of Contents
Do you have to uninstall your graphics card driver before installing a new video card?
What is a Graphics Driver?
Every device has a specific file that helps it to run properly on the operating system. The file is the main thing that helps the device communicate with the operating system with ease and function properly. That file is known as a driver, which will help the system identify the device and recognize the inputs and outputs. The drivers made for the graphics or video cards are known as the graphics driver. Every device has different versions of the graphics drivers, which are not interchangeable. So, you have to install separate graphics drivers for each device. Fortunately, most of the devices come with the proper drivers, but the graphics cards have special CDs or the installation media to install the same. Alternatively, the graphics card control software will help the users to install the essential drivers and features.
Should You Uninstall Old Graphics Drivers Before Installing a New Graphics Card?
#1 – Upgrading to Same Brand Graphics Card
When you are willing to change your graphics card to the same brand, the process will be easier for you. You don’t have to uninstall old graphics drivers from your PC with the same brand of the graphics card. As you are using the proprietary control software for the graphics driver, the software will automatically do the job for you. You don’t have to worry about manually removing the old graphics driver, as the control software like NVIDIA’s GeForce Experience or AMD’s Radeon Drivers installer. With such software programs, it becomes easier to replace the old graphics card with the new ones.
#2 – Upgrading to Different Brand Video Card
When you are willing to change your graphics card to the card from a different manufacturer, the process will be different. In this case, you have to uninstall the old drivers and replace the card. Although the old drivers for the different cards won’t interact with the new graphics cards, it’s essential to remove them to avoid further conflicts and the blue screen of death in Windows 10. Before installing the new video card, you should visit the Device Manager by pressing the “Windows + X” key combination on your keyboard and selecting the “Device Manager” option.
After that, right-click on the video drivers and click “Uninstall Drivers”, and you’re done. Once done, you are ready to roll and install the new graphics driver.
Final Words
Without the appropriate drivers, no hardware can run properly on the computer. You need to have the right drivers for the graphics card to run properly. When you are willing to upgrade the graphics card, you have to uninstall the old drivers in case of the different brand video card, but you don’t have to do the same if you upgrade to the same brand video card. In this post, we tried our best to share detailed information and help you resolve your doubts. If you still have some questions in your mind, make sure to use the comment box below.
