How to identify the integrated video port on a Dell desktop PC

This is a quick and simple guide to help you identify which ports on your desktop PC use the integrated GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) and which ports use added hardware such as dedicated graphics cards with their GPU and memory. Read through the following information for methods that will help you correctly identify these graphics/video ports.

Note: If your system has both integrated video and an added, dedicated video card fitted when it ships from Dell - we recommend connecting your display/video cable to one of the dedicated video card ports as your primary video. In most cases connecting a dedicated card will tell your systems BIOS (Basic Input Output System) to automatically disable the integrated video for as long as the card is fitted.

If a card has been fitted since the system shipped from Dell or you are considering fitting a dedicated card, please ensure the card is:

• Higher rated than the integrated GPU it's replacing
• Has a selection of ports for setting up multiple displays
• Fits in your chassis correctly for proper cooling
• Does not draw too much power from your PSU

(The only valid reason for adding a dedicated video card to a system is to improve the performance of the system from when it was shipped. This means the dedicated card has a better GPU than the one integrated into the motherboard or you are looking for multiple ports to set up multiple displays from the system. If you fit a card that is not as good as the integrated GPU, draws too much power, or doesn't allow proper cooling you are effectively making your system perform worse than it's designed to.)

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How to identify the integrated video port on your desktop system

Every type of port/connector is identifiable by both it's colour and it's shape. It's useful to be able to visually identify the various ports and connectors you will see on your PC. The following link shows a guide with pictures of every port and connector on your Dell PC. (The guide has a section that deals specifically with video/graphics ports. i.e. everything from legacy ports, through VGA, DVI, DPort, HDMI to the latest Thunderbolt ports.) Use this guide as a reference when identifying what the different ports/connectors are:

• A Guide to the External Ports and Connectors on a Dell Computer

The next step is to identify which ports are physically part of your system's motherboard. (This will include the integrated video port.) The motherboard gathers all the input and output ports directly connected to it into a rectangular strip on the back of your PC. (See Figure.1 & .2 below.)

(Figure.1: Integrated HDMI port without EMC shield)

(Figure.2: Integrated VGA port with EMC Shield)

Look at the rectangle that is the back view of your PC. Whether the system stands upright/vertically or flat/horizontally on the desk, the motherboard will run along the long axis of your PC's rectangular back, as will the strip of ports that project out from the motherboard and are accessible from the rear of the PC.

Dell also provides a Quick Start Guide for all Dell systems. This guide shows a diagram with all of the ports and important features on your system. The diagram is marked with legends and numbers that relate to a list that shows what each marked part is. You can download this guide from the following link. (Remember to either enter the service tag or select the model type of the system you want the guide to.)

• Dell/Support Site/Manuals

By understanding that whether your system is standing upright as a tower or on its side like a desktop the motherboard is orientated along the long axis of your PC and by employing the visual guide provided, you will be able to identify the graphics ports and which port is integrated to the motherboard.

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How to identify the video ports on a dedicated graphics card fitted in your system

A dedicated graphics card with its powerful GPU and dedicated Video memory is a common upgrade to many desktop systems. Newer cards connect using the PCIe (Peripheral Component Interface express) port while older cards use the AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) port.

While dedicated video cards can upgrade your PC to the best possible graphics output, it can be confusing to determine which ports/connectors are going to be the best ones for you to use. (The common rule is to use the most recent type of port that your display and card both support. This is because as newer ports and standards are developed they add features and functions that older ports can't support. Graphics technology is in a state of constant advancement/improvement as new standards come out.)

You can identify the different ports by checking what they look like and matching them to known port types. The following link shows a visual guide to every port and connector on a Dell PC. Use this guide as a reference when identifying what the different ports are:

• A Guide to the External Ports and Connectors on a Dell Computer

You can use the following links to find out more about the benefits and limitations of the various graphic/video ports currently available:

• What Are the Differences Between the White Digital DVI and Blue Analog VGA Ports on My Dell Graphics Adapter?
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the DisplayPort on a Dell PC
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the HDMI port on a Dell PC
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Thunderbolt ports on a Dell PC

Note:

There is a difference between Dedicated Video and a Dedicated Video Card.

Dedicated Video is a video GPU chip on a motherboard, in addition to the integrated GPU. (Mostly seen in Desktop All-in-One systems. It's a permanent part of the motherboard.)

A Dedicated Video Card is an external card with a video GPU and video memory installed on the card. The card itself can be added into a system using the motherboard expansion slots. (The card may take up more than one of the expansion slots available and it's removable if you want to upgrade to a better card at a later date. See pictures Figure 3, 4 & 5.)

(Figure.3: No cards fitted)

(Figure.4: A card fitted)

(Figure.5: A typical dedicated graphics card)

Look at the rectangle that is the back view of your PC. The expansion slots will run along the short axis of the rectangular back of your system, as will any card fitted to an expansion slot. No matter whether the system is upright as a tower or on its side as a desktop, follow the short axis to identify added on dedicated cards.

Note:

Be aware that depending on the chassis type of your system, some expansion slots come in a smaller size than regular slots.

These two types of slot are usually termed full height and half height. (They both run along the short axis of the chassis.)

This can affect the type of card that can be fitted and it is important to check your card will fit your chassis before purchase.

The Dell Quickstart guide linked in the first section will also help you identify where the expansion slots on your particular PC are located.

In particular, remember that if the port is on a card, then it can be removed from the system. The integrated GPU is part of the motherboard and cannot be removed, but it can be disabled in the BIOS. (Please remember our recommended best practices when removing or fitting any parts to one of your systems.)

• Safety precautions when working with electrical equipment

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