In order to choose the best graphics card, it's important to look at how you use your computer. If your computer is dedicated to word processing and Web browsing, you don't need an expensive, high-end graphics card. If you're a serious gamer looking for a high-performance graphics card, you should seek a card that measures in the top of its class in specifications and includes the built-in memory needed to keep everything running smoothly.
Know the Competition
The two most popular graphics card chipsets are nVidia's GeForce and ATI's Radeon. When you shop for a graphics card, you aren't looking at nVidia and ATI as manufacturers, but rather as the type of chipset inside the graphics card. You'll find that a single manufacturer may offer both types of chipset, as each is better in certain types of applications. For example, graphics-card maker ASUS offers both nVidia graphics cards and ATI graphics cards. Other manufacturers, such as Sapphire, offer one chipset exclusively.
The two most popular graphics card chipsets are nVidia's GeForce and ATI's Radeon. When you shop for a graphics card, you aren't looking at nVidia and ATI as manufacturers, but rather as the type of chipset inside the graphics card. You'll find that a single manufacturer may offer both types of chipset, as each is better in certain types of applications. For example, graphics-card maker ASUS offers both nVidia graphics cards and ATI graphics cards. Other manufacturers, such as Sapphire, offer one chipset exclusively.
Which one is better? It comes down to a number of factors. Some graphics cards work better with certain computer processors, while others perform better in certain video modes. For example, video game enthusiasts believe that ATI video cards work better in computers with AMD processors, since AMD owns ATI.
Choosing a chipset is largely a matter of subjective preference. If you're looking for a graphics card to play your favorite video games, check those video games' Web sites. Game developers test their products with multiple graphics cards before releasing them and can usually give players an idea of which graphics cards work best with their games and which ones are likely to have problems. If you can't figure out which card is best from a specific game site, run a Web search for graphics cards and the game you want to play. Game-review sites and avid gamers on online forums all have an opinion, and chances are good that you can find some feedback for the performance of particular graphics cards with your favorite game.
AGP, PCI, PCI Express x 16-What's it all Mean?
AGP, PCI and PCI Express in all their variations are ways to label the type of graphics card that your computer's motherboard accepts. Every motherboard is built with a slot to accept a specific type of graphics card, so your first step in shopping is to determine what slot type your motherboard uses. You'll often find this information in your computer's owner's manual, under Technical Specifications.
AGP, PCI and PCI Express in all their variations are ways to label the type of graphics card that your computer's motherboard accepts. Every motherboard is built with a slot to accept a specific type of graphics card, so your first step in shopping is to determine what slot type your motherboard uses. You'll often find this information in your computer's owner's manual, under Technical Specifications.
Most computers made in the past few years have some variation of AGP or PCI Express, usually followed by a number designating speed. PCI Express is the fastest, followed by AGP and then PCI.
Some computers support two graphics cards slots for ATI CrossFire setups. The benefit of CrossFire is that a pair of graphics cards renders images more quickly than a single card, allowing the computer to handle more complex and graphics-intensive applications without slowing down. If you're looking for a graphics card for a high-end gaming system, look for a PCI Express 2.0 x 16 graphics card or two ATI cards in CrossFire configuration, if your system supports it. If you're not into gaming or video editing, these high-end graphics cards are probably overkill.
Get Enough Graphic Memory
Dedicated graphics cards come with built-in video RAM. Dedicated video RAM makes it possible for your computer to perform faster in general, because the graphics card uses video RAM instead of your computer's RAM to render graphics. This process frees up RAM for other operations and allows your computer to run more efficiently.
Dedicated graphics cards come with built-in video RAM. Dedicated video RAM makes it possible for your computer to perform faster in general, because the graphics card uses video RAM instead of your computer's RAM to render graphics. This process frees up RAM for other operations and allows your computer to run more efficiently.
If you're just looking for a budget graphics card in a computer dedicated to word processing and browsing the Web, a graphics card with 128MB of video RAM is perfectly acceptable. If you're looking for a high-end graphics card for gaming or video editing, more memory is better. At the very least, those applications require a graphics card with 256MB of RAM. If you can afford more, a graphics card with 512MB of RAM runs almost every game currently available and delivers a noticeable performance increase when you're editing video.
DirectX and OpenGL
If you're a gamer, you know those terms. Even if you're just a normal computer user, you've probably heard of DirectX. This collection of small programs provides a library of tools that developers can use to improve the appearance and processing of graphics on Windows-based computers.
If you're a gamer, you know those terms. Even if you're just a normal computer user, you've probably heard of DirectX. This collection of small programs provides a library of tools that developers can use to improve the appearance and processing of graphics on Windows-based computers.
Many basic software programs require a minimum version of DirectX to function. Newer software requires a minimum of DirectX 9.0, so regardless of whether you're an avid gamer or just a regular computer user, look for a graphics card that supports DirectX 9.0 or higher.
OpenGL is a system for rendering 3D images. Therefore, OpenGL is important to gamers and people who use 3D intensive applications, such as engineers and architects who use AutoCAD. The newest version of OpenGL is version 2.1, and many graphics cards include this version. If your game requires OpenGL or OpenGL 2.0, make sure your graphics card includes this functionality.
Clock Speed, Pixel Pipelines and Stream Processors
These specifications get into the realms of minute technical data for ultimate computer geeks. Clock speed may refer either to the chipset's clock speed or the memory clock speed. Pixel pipelines are an aspect of 3D image rendering. Stream processors help the graphics card to transfer data faster.
These specifications get into the realms of minute technical data for ultimate computer geeks. Clock speed may refer either to the chipset's clock speed or the memory clock speed. Pixel pipelines are an aspect of 3D image rendering. Stream processors help the graphics card to transfer data faster.
With all these specifications, more is better. If you're looking at two video cards that seem identical (for example, two AGP ATI Radeon video cards with 256MB of RAM) and these cards have significant price differences, chances are good that one of them has better technical specifications than the other.
In general, only gamers and advanced 3D modelers will need to pay attention to these specifications. More pixel pipelines provide more channels for graphics data, which speeds 3D rendering specifically. Stream processors affect the flow of data from the graphics card to your computer and can increase the display speed of any type of image. The core clock and memory clock measure the processing speeds of the graphics chip itself and the built-in memory, respectively. Faster speeds will provide faster real-time rendering for the most demanding applications, such as graphically intensive games and high-definition video.
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