Compatible graphics cards for my pc: PC Custom Builder — Compatible Graphics Cards & GPUs List

Just because a graphics card has 2. 5 slots does not mean it is the same thickness as all other 2.5 slot graphics cards.

For example, the reference AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card is 49.75 mm wide. ASUS RX 6600 Dual slims down to 47mm, and yet they both belong to the 2.5-slot graphics card category.

This subtle difference is of paramount importance and can certainly make a difference if you have a small ITX case with many physical limitations.

It only takes one moment of carelessness to end up with a graphics card that you can’t fit in your case.

These graphics cards are the most common, and although they all «eat» the same amount of space in your PC case, their nuances are not to mention their slightly different shrouds and heatsinks can make a huge difference in a build.

What’s more, some 2.7 and 2.75 models can take up a whopping three slots even if their nomenclature says otherwise, so just keep that in mind.

How to deal with all this? The answer, fortunately, is very simple.

How to Check the Video Card Gap in My PC Case

Doing a quick web search should be the first step on your list, and it should be long before you pull out your wallet and splurge on a new GPU.

Find the official datasheet for your case and then scroll down to the part related to graphics card authorization.

There you will find all the necessary information in writing — «black and white» and the most official .

To better illustrate this point, here is the official compatibility with the popular Cooler Master NR200P graphics cards. It supports graphics cards up to 330mm long, 156mm high and 60mm wide (up to three slot design) .

Now all you need is a graphics card that meets these limits and you’re done.

You can repeat this process as many times as you like and for as many ingredients as your heart desires.

Once completed, you’ll have all the information you need to make an informed buying decision, and you’ll have a graphics card that fits seamlessly into your PC case.

Most people really don’t care if it’s a two or three slot GPU (or something in between) as long as it fits easily into a PC case .

This simple process will eliminate any risk of using incompatible hardware.

Graphics card clearance and airflow are extremely important things

There are few really tiny PC cases out there these days, and it appears that the entire consumer market is moving towards smaller, compact cases whose tiny nature does not entail any or specific performance losses.

In other words: is the best of both worlds . You save a little space on your desk without sacrificing the all-important frame rate (or render time).

However, this «trend» brings with it many different limitations and problems for those building their own PCs.

Hardware compatibility is often an issue, and even if isn’t , you still need to set things up to give your components as much «air» as possible.

You don’t want your CPU or GPU to overheat and have their fans/coolers noisy like jet engines.

So just because you can fit, say, a 2.5-slot graphics card inside a case, doesn’t mean you should do that — unless there’s enough room for its axial fans to do their job .

On the other hand, blow-cooled graphics cards can be used in almost any ITX configurations without fear that they will overheat.

Frequently Asked Questions About Graphics Card Dimensions

Let’s look at a few questions you might have when it comes to graphics card dimensions:

What does graphics card clearance mean?

Graphics card gap is basically the amount of space your graphics card needs to fit inside your case.

Modern video cards vary greatly in length and width, so always be sure to read (if not literally measure) before you take out your wallet and make an investment!

Do all graphics cards fit all PC cases?

No, they may not be compatible at all . It is extremely important to understand the physical limits and limitations of your PC case before you go out and buy any graphics card.

If you have an ITX — or even mATX — case, it would be wise to roll up your sleeves and do some research on the Internet. Fortunately, the process itself is as simple and easy as it gets!

Are three fans required on a graphics card?

The answer to this question varies from one model to another.

It all depends on the graphics card you choose and, of course, on the chassis you plan to use.

«Regular» ITX cases — not too big and not too small (13-20 liters) — can handle even the most power-hungry GPUs, so there’s nothing to worry about.

How to find out which video card is installed in a computer or laptop

laptop.

Learn more about how to find out which graphics card in Windows 10, 8, and Windows 7, and when your computer won’t boot (plus a related video at the end of the guide) in this guide. Not all users know how to do this, and when faced with the fact that the Windows Device Manager says Video Controller (VGA-compatible) or Standard VGA graphics adapter, they don’t know where to download drivers for it and what exactly needs to be installed. And games and programs that use graphics do not work without the right drivers. See also: How to find out the motherboard or processor socket.

How to find out the model of a video card using the Windows Device Manager

The first thing to try to see which video card is on your computer is to go to the device manager and check the information there.

The fastest way to do this in Windows 10, 8, Windows 7 and Windows XP is to press the Win + R keys (where Win is the OS logo key) and enter the command devmgmt.msc . Another option is to right-click on «My Computer», select «Properties» and launch Device Manager from the «Hardware» tab.

In Windows 10, Device Manager is also available in the context menu of the Start button.

Most likely, in the list of devices you will see the section «Display adapters», and opening it — the model of your video card. As I already wrote, even if the video adapter was determined correctly after reinstalling Windows, for its full operation, you should still install official drivers instead of those provided by Microsoft.

However, another option is also possible: the display adapters tab will display «Standard VGA graphics adapter», or, in the case of Windows XP, «Video controller (VGA-compatible)» in the «Other devices» list. This means that the video card has not been detected and Windows does not know which drivers to use for it. You’ll have to find out for yourself.

Find out which video card using Device ID (hardware identifier) ​​

The first method, which most often works, is to determine the installed video card using the hardware ID.

In Device Manager, right-click on the unknown VGA video adapter and select «Properties». After that, go to the «Details» tab, and in the «Property» field, select «Hardware ID».

After that, copy any of the values ​​​​to the clipboard (right-click and select the appropriate menu item), the key values ​​for us are the values ​​of the two parameters in the first part of the identifier — VEN and DEV, which indicate, respectively, the manufacturer and the device itself.

After that, the easiest way to determine what kind of video card model it is is to go to the website http://devid.info/ru and enter VEN and DEV from the device ID in the top field.

As a result, you will receive information about the video adapter itself, as well as the ability to download drivers for it. However, I recommend downloading drivers from the official website of NVIDIA, AMD or Intel, especially since now you know what video card you have.

How to find out the model of the video card if the computer or laptop does not turn on

One of the possible options is the need to determine which video card is on a computer or laptop that does not show signs of life. In this situation, all that can be done (except for the option of installing a video card in another computer) is to study the markings or, in the case of an integrated video adapter, study the processor specifications.

Desktop graphics cards usually have sticker labels on the «flat» side to identify which chip is used on the card. If there is no clear marking, as in the photo below, then the manufacturer’s model identifier may also be present there, which can be entered in an Internet search and, most likely, the first results will contain information about what kind of video card it is.

The easiest way to find out what video card is installed in your laptop, provided that it does not turn on, is to search the specifications of your laptop model on the Internet, they should contain such information.

If we are talking about identifying a laptop video card by marking, it is more difficult: it can only be viewed on a graphics chip, and to get to it, you will need to remove the cooling system and remove the thermal paste (which I do not recommend for anyone who is not sure about that can do it). On the chip you will see markings like in the photo.

If you search the Internet for the ID that is marked in the photos, the first results will tell you what kind of video chip it is, as in the following screenshot.

Note: the same markings are on the chips of desktop video cards, and you will also have to “get to them” by removing the cooling system.

For integrated graphics (integrated video card) everything is simpler — just find the specifications of your processor model of your computer or laptop on the Internet, the information, among other things, will include information about the integrated graphics used (see screenshot below).

Video device detection using AIDA64 program

Note: this is far from the only program that allows you to see which video card is installed, there are others, including free ones: Better programs to find out the characteristics of a computer or laptop.

Another good way to get complete information about your computer hardware is to use the AIDA64 program (which replaced the previously popular Everest). With this program, you can not only learn about your video card, but also about many other hardware characteristics of your computer and laptop. Despite the fact that AIDA64 deserves a separate review, here we will talk about it only in the context of this manual. You can download AIDA64 for free on the developer’s website http://www.aida64.com.

The program, in general, is paid, but 30 days (though with some restrictions) works fine and in order to determine the video card, the trial version is quite enough.

After starting, open the «Computer» section, then «Summary Information», and find the «Display» item in the list. There you can see the model of your video card.

Additional ways to find out which video card using Windows

In addition to the methods already described, Windows 10, 8, and Windows 7 have additional system tools that allow you to get information about the model and manufacturer of the video card, which may be useful in some cases (for example, if access to device manager has been blocked by the administrator).

Viewing graphics card information in the DirectX Diagnostic Tool (dxdiag)

All modern versions of Windows have some version of the DirectX components that are designed to work with graphics and sound in programs and games.

These components include a diagnostic tool (dxdiag.exe) that allows you to find out which video card is installed on your computer or laptop. To use the tool, follow these simple steps:

1. Press the Win+R keys on your keyboard and type dxdiag into the Run box.
2. After downloading the diagnostic tool, click the Display tab.

The specified tab will show the model of the video card (or, more precisely, the graphics chip used on it), information about drivers and video memory (in my case, for some reason it is displayed incorrectly). Note: This tool also allows you to find out which version of DirectX you are using. Read more in the DirectX 12 for Windows 10 article (relevant for other OS versions as well).

Using the System Information tool

Another Windows utility that allows you to get information about your video card is System Information. It starts in a similar way: press the Win + R keys and type msinfo32.

In the system information window, navigate to Components — Display, where the Name field will display which video adapter is used in your system.

Note: msinfo32 does not display graphics card memory correctly if it is over 2 GB. This is a Microsoft confirmed issue.

How to find out which video card is installed — video

And finally — a video instruction that shows all the main ways to find out the model of a video card or an integrated graphics adapter.

There are other ways to detect your video adapter: for example, when automatically installing drivers using Driver Pack Solution, the video card is also detected, although I do not recommend this method.