Even if your computer is a few years old, updating the video memory in the system can help speed up graphic processes. Tasks such as rendering graphics for video editing, watching online videos, video conferencing and other such tasks can become sluggish as the demands on your video card increase.

You'll find that it's time to find video memory upgrades if there is a noticeable slow down in your graphics performance or if the performance of your current graphics card isn't up to par with industry standards. There are a number of reasons to consider an upgrade:

1. Rendering graphics in programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, Aperture or other graphics intensive software is taking too long

2. You want to increase the speed at which your computer operates, taking rendering tasks away from the CPU and allowing it to focus on other computations

3. As broadband speeds increase, you've found your video conferencing to be choppy and inconsistent

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Purchase new video memory

If you have determined that your system requires more video memory, then it's time to start looking at where to make the purchase of the replacement video card. Many online sites will offer the hardware along with customer reviews on how well the card worked for them.

I recommend: New Egg is one of the best places to find computer hardware. Serving the technology industry for years, the folks at New Egg can help you select the perfect piece of equipment for your machine. For another great video memory provider, go over to PCMall and check out their selection.

Compare video memory cards side by side

If you've visited the above sites and now find yourself stuck between two different video cards, you may want to consider comparing them side by side to see how they stack up against each other. This is a great way to get video memory information.

I recommend: The first stop for such a service is over at GPUReview.com. Select a video card from each drop down menu and it will load up specs on each card, highlighting the better specs. Panther Products offers a number of comparisons that you may find helpful as you make your decision on the best card for your business.

Find a video memory list of used or refurbished cards for sale

There are some expensive cards out on the market today. Some video memory cards go for over $10,000. If you want a higher end card, but don't desire the high price tag that comes with it, you may want to consider finding a used or refurbished card.

I recommend: Start by checking out the deals over at BizRate. They have some great prices on video cards that you might not find anywhere else. Perhaps one of the best places to find a video memory directory of discounts is at Pricewatch.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Buy more video memory than you need if you can afford it. The demands on the graphics cards are growing every year, and the more you have now, the longer it will last.