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Russ Croysdale - Helpful Notes on Video Cards from John Landers eHow Contributing Writer

A PC's graphic card is also called a video card. It is the device that takes the binary code generated from the central processing unit (CPU) and produces images on your computer monitor. The first graphic card, introduced by IBM in 1981, was the Monocrome Display Adapter, or MDA. The card enabled white or green text to be displayed on a black screen. Video cards have some of the same features as the computer's motherboard. It is basically a printed circuit board that has a processing unit and its own memory. It also contains a basic input output system (BIOS) that has diagnostic capabilities and retains the settings.

Function
Graphic card technology works in the following way. The hardware is connected to the motherboard where its receives electrical power and data. One of the vital components of the graphic card is the graphic processing unit (GPU,) which is sometimes called a visual processing unit. The card processes data by receiving information from the CPU. The typical computer screen contains over 1 million pixels that the computer must decode to produce an image. The image pixels are converted into images by the graphic card or the internal graphics processor. The images are sent by cable to the monitor. Most graphic cards plug into a slot located on the motherboard; on older systems there are Advance Graphics Ports (AGP.) The newer model PCs have Peripheral Computer Interface Express (PCIe.) When selecting a graphics card, you must make sure that the card you purchase is supported by your system.

Graphics Processing Unit
The graphics processing unit (GPU) was introduced to the personal computer industry in August 1999. GPUs are integrated into motherboards and on video cards. As much as 90 percent of new personal computers and laptops have GPUs built into the motherboard. However, the faster/more powerful GPUs are integrated into video cards. Graphic processing units operate like computers' central processing units (CPU.) The GPU has special coding that makes it a high-performance processor. It's capable of performing complicated calculations and algorithm operations that are the requisite for producing graphics. ­

Memory
The graphic card processing unit continually produces images that must be stored. Often, the information consists of complete images that must be displayed at a particular time. The cards have their own RAM that is used for retaining data on each pixel of the image, including its location and color. The more powerful the video card, the more on board memory it carries. These cards function at a high rate of speed and operate a dual port technology. This enables the system to read from RAM and write simultaneously. Less expense cards with a lower amount of memory may use a portion of the computer's memory to process larger image files. If multimedia or games are a high priority for your computer, the more memory your system has, the better it will perform. This is especially true with shared memory. In some cases, purchasing a graphics card with its own memory may be the best option.

Connection Methods
Graphic cards are typically connected to the computer's motherboard by one of three methods: the peripheral component interconnect (PCI,) advanced graphics port (AGP) and PCI Express (PCIe.) Each piece of hardware is capable of transferring data between the card and the motherboard.The video cards also have two connections for computer monitors, one each for LCD and VGA resolutions. Many graphic cards support TV displays, digital cameras and analog video cameras.

Choosing a Card
Most computer users can obtain the level of graphic support they need from the hardware already integrated into the motherboard of their PC or laptop. Surfing the Internet, e-mail, and downloading personal and business documents do not require the power you'll receive from graphic cards. People who are casual gamers may only need to invest in middle-of-the-road video cards. Individuals using a large amount of graphics and serious gamers should consider high-quality graphic cards.

The performance of graphic cards is measured in frames per second. This measurement denotes the images displayed per second. The higher the FPS, the faster the scrolling and animation features. Gaming enthusiasts will may need a minimum of 60 FPS. In contrast, the human eye processes about 25 FPS.

Other Considerations
Some factors that determine the power and speed of a graphics cards are: the bus speed, amount of RAM and the number of pipelines it has for data processing. One of the primary considerations when purchasing a graphics card is to ensure that it produces the best resolution possible for your monitor. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitors must have the support for native resolution. Even if you have a Cathode Ray Tube, which does not have native resolution, always choose cards with support for the the highest resolution

Russ Croysdale - Explaination of Graphic (Video) cards - by Heather Marlman, eHow Contributing Writer Graphics cards control the process of rendering information from your computer into pixels that translate onto the monitor. Graphics cards are equipped with processors that handle image rendering, as well as RAM which allows the graphics card to process the information faster. Graphics cards fit into expansion slots located on the computer motherboard and can be PCI, AGP or PCIe. The type of graphics card used is dependant on the capabilities of the motherboard installed in the computer.

Function
The function of the graphics card is to handle image rendering from your computer to the monitor. By utilizing the graphics processor unit (GPU) that is built into the graphics card, the central processing unit (CPU) of the computer is free to handle other computer functions.

Types
Graphics cards are classified as being either PCI cards, AGP cards or PCIe cards. Each of these types of graphics cards respectively exhibit changes in technology which allows the graphics card to function faster, the most current type being the PCIe graphics card. In order to establish the type of graphics card needed, it is necessary to consult with the operating manual for your computer system, or inspect the motherboard of the computer for available expansion slots.

Size
Graphics cards come in a varying degree of RAM capabilities, ranging anywhere from 256MB of RAM to a gigabyte or more. The amount of RAM determines the speed in which the graphics card processes the information from the computer to the monitor. By utilizing on board RAM from the graphics card, less strain is put on the RAM of the computer system.

Considerations
Consideration should be given to the amount of graphic processing power that is needed when evaluating the need for a graphics card. While graphics cards with faster processors and high amounts of RAM are necessary for applications such as computer gaming, average users have far less demanding requirements for a graphics card. Consideration must also be given to the type of computer motherboard to determine the type of graphics card compatible with the computer system.

Benefits
The benefits of graphics cards are their ability to decrease the amount of processing that the central processing unit (CPU) of the computer is required to do. This decrease allows for the CPU to handle other system resources and run computer applications more smoothly. Graphics cards also provide the ability for higher resolutions on newer type monitors and the ability to render