15.3 Installing a Video Adapter

Physically installing most video cards is very straightforward. Simply choose an available expansion slot (PCI or AGP, as appropriate), seat the video card, and connect the monitor. Nearly all video cards are standalone devices, with the obsolete 3dfx Voodoo 1 and Voodoo 2 as notable exceptions. The Voodoo 1 and 2 are 3D-only video cards. Because they do not provide 2D functions, you must also have a standard video card installed in the system in which you install the Voodoo. The Voodoo serves as a kind of "3D coprocessor," relieving your standard video card of 3D processing duties, but using it for 2D functions.

Many video adapters now come with heatsinks on the graphics chipset. Some whose chipsets run at very high speeds go further, adding a fan to the heatsink. If your adapter has a fan, make sure to connect power to that fan before you use the adapter. We received mail from a reader who didn't realize that connecting the fan was mandatory, and so overheated and damaged his expensive new video adapter.