Graphics Cards

Hello Friends,

Today's topic is Graphics Card. One of the most important part of any processor and motherboard is the graphics. I will elaborate on various aspects of Graphics Card and help you choose one and if need be overclock graphics card to get the best out of it.

There are two types of Graphics Card: On-Board Graphics and Stand Alone Graphics.

On-Board Graphics are the ones which are integrated with the processor and share memory with RAM.
Stand Alone Graphics are card which comes as a seperate units that have dedicated memory that is not shared with RAM.

What is GPU ?????

A Graphics Processing Unit or GPU (also occasionally called visual processing unit or VPU) is a dedicated graphics rendering device for a pc, workstation or gaming console. Modern GPUs are very efficient at manipulating and displaying computer graphics, and their highly parallel structure makes them more effective than general-purpose CPUs for a range of complex algorithms. A GPU can sit on top of a video card, or it can be integrated directly into the motherboard.


Graphics boards aren't just for gamers. They help you work with large graphics, play high-definition video, and upgrade the monitor ports on an aging PC. Some models even give you the kind of video inputs and outputs required to hook up your camcorder or cable TV to the PC.

The million dollar question is HOW TO BUY A GRAPHICS BOARD? that is suitable for your computing needs and doesn't break your bank balance.
Read along for details.

THE BIG PICTURE
Graphics chip and board makers update their hardware every six months or so, mainly to enable the development of more-complex, more-realistic PC games. But games aren't the only reason to get a new graphics board. Such features as support for two or even three displays, DVI ports, a TV and/or FM radio tuner, and video connections--such as S-Video, Component, and, looking forward, HDMI--are other compelling reasons to upgrade.

KEY FEATURES
Interface: Today's consumer graphics boards come with a PCI Express interface to plug into a PC's PCI Express slot. A few mainstream and value options with an AGP interface plug into the AGP slot on an older PC. You can't plug a PCI Express card into an AGP slot or vice versa. PCI Express graphics boards transfer data faster than AGP boards.

Graphics processor: Today's graphics chips can efficiently handle sophisticated full-motion 3D video, thanks to advanced graphics processors, or GPUs. Right now, the GPUs populating most graphics boards for desktop PCs are developed by two companies: nVidia and ATI.

Memory: These days, you'll easily find budget graphics cards with at least 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM. You'll want this amount at a minimum, since, for Windows Vista, Microsoft's initial recommendations are to have a graphics board with 128MB of memory to run Vista's Aero Glass graphics-heavy interface. For older games, 128MB is sufficient, though it's best to get a card with at least 256MB of video memory. Many games today don't require more than that, but you may want to opt for more memory rather than face upgrading again when new memory-intensive games arrive.

Some graphics chips that are integrated on a motherboard use main system memory in lieu of dedicated graphics RAM, reducing the amount of memory available to the operating system. They lack the extra memory necessary for sophisticated gaming, so they aren't usually suitable for playing any but the simplest games.
TV tuner: If you want to play and/or record live TV on your PC, you'll need a graphics board with a TV tuner. Several midrange and power boards with such tuners are available.

Overclocking: Running a graphics processor faster than the manufacturer's specified speed is popular among PC tweakers and dedicated gamers. While it carries risks such as overheating, when done within vendor-specified safety limits, it's a viable way of eking extra performance out of a midrange or power board.Be sure to read the manufacturer's recommendations and instructions before overclocking.
Quad SLI: nVidia's Quad SLI technology lets you combine four graphics chips in one PC. Quad SLI will let you play games at massive resolutions such as 1920 by 1200 and 2560 by 1600; and it really shines when you turn on high-end antialiasing and anisotropic filtering settings.

SHOPPING TIPS
If you stick to what you need and follow these tips, you should be able to get a board at a price you can smile about.

Go for midrange boards: Unless you need the ultimate gaming board (and have a brand-new, high-end PC that can use it to maximum advantage), aim below the top. You can usually save at least $100, and you won't sacrifice much in terms of performance.

Gamers need more power: If you're planning to play new games, you'll want a powerful board that supports the DirectX 10 API and has 512MB of DDR SDRAM.

Check the connection: PCI Express cards can't fit in AGP slots and vice versa, so check what your PC can accommodate before you buy. Similarly, make sure there is room inside your PC for a board that takes up two slots.

Consider your needs: Don't throw away money on features you won't be using. Unless you're planning to capture and edit digital video, for example, get a board without video- and audio-in ports. By getting only what you need, you can save money or spend the money on features (such as more RAM) that matter more to you.

Determine your budget: Before you go for buying a graphics card, determine your budget, your requirement for graphics card as well as how will you be using it. Doing so will save you from spending more than what you required.

So while you go about buying the best graphics card I will take your leave and will post a new topic soon. Stay Tune for more.
I hope you enjoyed the post about graphics card, Any comment or views are welcome. If you have any questions about which graphics card to buy or would like to suggest few graphics card for other users, you are most welcome to do so.