| Selecting A Graphics Card | | Print | |
The old days of computing asked us to be content with computers that uttered no
sound except the occasional “beep,” printers that made more noise than a cat using
a scratching post, and monitors that offered either an orange or a green glow.
Fortunately, these days are history, and we may now bask in the glow of our high
resolution monitors who offer us life-like images on a daily basis. We no longer
squint at some fuzzy displays, but instead enjoy almost seamless animation on many
a website. These images are simply a mass of barely visible dots, also called pixels.
At this time, monitors display more than a million pixels, and it is up to the computer
to interpret how to allocate these pixels in order to create an identifiable image. This
interpretation process takes place on the graphics card. Since these cards may be
upgraded, many a user is tempted to look for the latest and the greatest (or
costliest) cart out there, but is there a better method for choosing just the right
graphics card for the job? The answer is an emphatic “yes” and here are five how-to
solutions that will aide you in determining which would be the best graphics card for
your computer.
1. First and foremost, do you really need a graphics card? Let’s say that all you wish
to do with your computer is a bit of Internet surfing, some word processing, and
perhaps a little bit of e-mail and chat room activity. In this case, all the graphics
support you will most likely need can be found on a motherboard with integrated
graphics capabilities.
2. If you find that you will indeed need more than your average motherboard can
offer, such as those who work with graphic arts or who play a lot of computer
games, you will want to look for a card that has a lot of memory as well as a
highspeed processor.
3. Another tool a user may wish to employ is the frame rate measurement which is
often a major advertising component for the different graphics cards. Essentially,
this rate refers to the measurement of frames per second (FPS) which is nothing
more than the rate of complete images a graphics card will display in one second.
High end cards will display more than 60 FPS (which is more than twice the
amount the human eye can process per second) and thus provide the illusion of animation and animated scrolling.
4. Those who do a lot of graphic work will not be content with the FPS rating. As
anyone who has ever done any 3-D imaging on the computer will be able to tell
you, FPS will actually do very little to measure the worth of a graphics card for
them. Actually, 3-D images are nothing more than triangles, and graphic cards
catering to the graphic artist demographic offer a rating that calculates how quickly
the card can calculate the triangles and build the frame image.
5. One item that concerns everyone is speed. All graphics cards’ speed is directly
affected by their hardware. If the clock speed and bit rate are low, then the card
will operate much slower than in they were high. Additionally, the pre-existing
hardware also plays a vital role.
A high-end graphics card cannot make up for an otherwise antiquated computer
system, and a low end computer processor or motherboard with counteract the
speed of even the fasted graphics card. It is obvious that upgrading a graphics card
is not so simple a task, and bigger is not always better. If you have a somewhat
antiquated system, it may be a useless endeavor to only upgrade your graphics card,
since your system may very well negate any speed increase your card may be able
to offer you. Similarly, if your needs are very simple (in computing terms) then it
might not we worthwhile to spend a lot of money on a graphics card that you will not
use to its full potential. Thus, it is always wise to know what you will need prior to
buying, and to be fully aware of your system’s hardware and software configuration
prior to adding a new component to the mix.
Three Main things to look for in a Graphics Card
Getting a Graphics Card for your PC is a great idea. Graphics have become an
integral part of the computing experience. They were once a low key component of
computers. In the past it made sense to have graphic circuitry stored in the
motherboard. Now the amount of graphic information being used is so intense that it
makes perfect sense to have a Graphics Card.
A Graphics Card is really a small compact co-processor. It has its own memory, GPU
and processing unit. They can be used to view next-generation games and enhance
digital photos. Banks and other businesses use them to create eye catching web
pages. This multi-display technology works to make everything brighter and clearer,
no matter what you are accessing. This makes it a nice external storage unit to have
handy. Maybe you are designing a web page at work that needs to be exciting and
attractive.
You aren’t going to be able to accomplish that with text alone. You’re going to need a
Graphics Card to make things more interesting. If you are a video game consumer,
then you probably already have a Graphics Card. But since technology improves at
lightening speed, you might need to brush up on your
information. Get the right equipment the first time you buy it. There is nothing
wrong with turning the ringer off and sinking your teeth into the latest
3-D PC game. But you are going to want to get the full effect of every successful
play, which means purchasing the right Graphics Card so you can enjoy your games
to the fullest extent. Hold on! Before you get on the web and start hunting one of
these babies down, there are a few things you should know. A Graphics Card is a
highly specialized piece of equipment. This is one of the fastest growing technologies
in the computer world. This means you will want to be sure to get the best deal you
can. You’ll need to buy a new graphics card eventually if you do not start out with an
efficient one to begin with.
A little research can save you time and money. Every gamer knows that you need to
get the best Graphics Card for your system. The first thing to consider is your
operating system. If you don’t know what type it is, find out. Are you working with a
dated Pentium II processor? Or do you have a newer version in your possession? It
is important that your Graphics Card is suitable for your CPU.
If you do not have a newer computer, don’t buy a state of the art Graphics Card. You
may not be able to input it. And just because you have a top notch Graphics Card
does not mean that your graphics will be better and you will be wasting your money.
You will also be disappointed in the muted graphics. Go with an older, cheaper
Graphics Card if you need to. Your graphic experience will reach the highest level
possible based on the system you own.
Another factor to consider will be the type of games you play. Certain games may
need a more expensive graphics card, but if the games you play don’t require one,
you may be able to save yourself some money. Do your games require 2-D or 3-D
acceleration? If they are 2-D, you will be able to use just about any Graphics Card.
Your graphics will be crisp and clear without spending the extra money. However, if
most of your games are 3-D, you may want a more sophisticated Graphics Card.
You will want to be sure that the Graphics Card you buy is compatible with your
operating system. Nothing could be worse than buying your Graphics Card, eagerly
anticipating playing your game or improving photo quality, and not be able to
because of incompatibility.
What requirements must your system have to work with the Graphics
Card? Make sure the card matches with your system. Are you on a Budget? No
problem. You can find a Graphics Card under fifty bucks. It might not be the top of
the line but you will still be able to enjoy your graphics loaded game. Again, be sure
that the graphics card will not only work with your computer system, but with your
PC game.
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