Upgrade your PC with a dedicated GPU: practical guide for home and small business

Do I really need a dedicated graphics card? Short answer: if you run graphics‑intensive apps, multiple monitors, or want a smoother Windows experience, a dedicated GPU is worth the investment. We see this a lot – a user comes in with a laptop that chugs when they open a web‑based video editor or a small‑business PC that freezes while generating PDFs from large design files. Integrated graphics can cope with office apps, but they struggle with anything that pushes the frame buffer. What are the realistic upgrade options? Stay with integrated graphics. No extra cost, but you’ll stay limited to basic office work, web browsing, and low‑resolution video playback. Typical power draw: 65 W total for a modern i5‑i7 CPU. No extra heat, no driver headaches. Mid‑range dedicated GPU (e.g., Nvidia GTX 1660 Super or AMD Radeon RX 6600). Costs around £180‑£250 new. Gives you 1080p gaming, smooth 2‑3‑monitor setups, and decent acceleration for video encoding tools. Power draw: ~120 W, so you’ll need a 450‑500 W PSU. High‑end GPU (e.g., Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti or RTX 4070). Prices run £350‑£550. Perfect for 1440p work, occasional 4K video rendering, and future‑proofing for AI‑enhanced features that may appear in everyday software. Power draw: 200‑250 W, requiring a 600‑650 W PSU and better cooling. How much will it really cost? GPU itself: £180‑£550 as above. Power supply upgrade (if needed): £40‑£80 for a reliable 500‑650 W unit. Installation labour (CefniTech): £50‑£80 per hour; most upgrades ta