How do I upgrade my computer's video card?

In my Technology class today my teacher briefly explained something along the lines of upgrading a video card for "addicted gamers" who need an extra kick out of their computer's graphics. While I am most definitely an "addicted gamer", I play on consoles and never game on my computer. However, I want the most out of my laptop and I do watch a lot of YouTube videos and various other videos on my computer, so it would be nice if they didn't say "buffering" as often. So would upgrading my computer's video card improve the annoying "buffering" issue? And if so, how would I go about upgrading it and about how much would it cost? (My laptop is a year and a half old)



P.S. I am only 13 and don't know a ton about computers, so try not to get too technical with the answers. THANKS!!!!!|||In one word: No!



What you are experiencing is a bandwidth issue, not a video card performance issue.

Technically: The typical bit rate of a YouTube video stream is extremely low compared to the bit rate of for example a DVD film played from a DVD disc in your laptops optical drive. Most laptops since 2004 and on can pull off showing a DVD film without problems even if you run a few minor apps in the background, like an email client, a web browser showing a passive page (with no active ads or active content) or Windows Messenger or something like a spreadsheet or word processing program. And your computer can do that while showing a video on YouTube, only the connection you have to the YouTube server may be too slow to provide enough data to play the video from start to finish without interruptions.



You can do something about it.

1. Pause the video and wait for the video to finish buffering and finish loading, then press to play. Often use a few tabs or 3-4 tabs t load videos while paused, then play them in a sequence. Unless I:

2. use a browser add-on program to grab the video off YouTube and place it it on your hard drive, you can download several videos of the same theme, and when they are done downloading just play them back to back. In the mean time you can do something else, like pee, get something cool from the fridge or text someone, clean up your room or some other parent friendly activity.

3. Ask your parents about upgrading the household internet connection. Note that some services like combined tv and internet WILL lower your internet bandwidth while a TV is in use for cable TV. This is how it works, have your parents read the fine print, nothing is free and most cheap stuff is just that, cheap for a reason.

4. View the videos in periods with lower activity, such as during the Super Bowl games, American Idol, American Top Model and so on. Assuming you do not want to watch those events live. At 13 I did not have more than 3 tv channels available. That was 1983, and times sure have changed since then.



You don't have to know a ton about computers you just have to get a usable grasp on how they work, to determine what makes it not work like it usually does and work around the obstacle. There is nothing as frustrating as getting older and being scared to use technology which your boss expect you to be able to at least use well enough to turn in something useful work, by deadline. Or being at the mercy of others in order to accomplish get even most mundane task.

I should know - I do help desk for 500 people all 20-65 yo in a small location of a very large company.

Some I never help, they either have no major problems at any time and are always able to fix any by themselves before turning to me. They learn fast and adapt and deduct when a similar problem arises to them it is natural to do their work with a computer as a tool and their know when their tools needs work :)

Some I have to help when they exhausted all other options of fixing it themselves. Those are the ones that have a clue in most cases and usually fix their problems based on their own and others peoples experience. They learn to use the computer as tool to do work.

Some I always help. Those are the ones who cannot remember the tiniest bit of information if it is not directly related to their work. These never learn to use a computer as a tool.|||Youtube videos won't load any faster with a better video card. It is your internet that is slow, I don't know how things works in your country about this, but there is probably no way you can improve it much.



Note that some Internet Service Providers reduce on purpose loading speeds of videos so you don't use too much of what is called "Bandwidth".|||on a laptop chances are you can't. the graphics card is integrated on a laptop.. and it doesn't have expansion slots. you need a desktop for that.|||The real intention of a good graphic card is for better gaming experience. The buffering issue that you have has to do with you internet speed.