Choosing a Video Card
Video card is also known as graphic card, graphic adapter, display adapter or video adapter. A video card is A device (loaded circuit board) that determines the screen output or video display of the computer.
The video card is either installed directly on the mother board or in an expansion slot. The intended use determines which type to use.
What to check for when choosing a video card
- Determine how the computer will be used.
Is it for computer games or just for ordinary encoding?
If you use for computer games, check the latest game requirement for video card. There are different types of video cards for different uses. - RAM is resolution required to meet the video output needed.
The memory of a video card is important for speed. Because it holds the common operands for the images. Since the video card can access its own memory faster, the images are displayed faster. - Motherboard and Video Card format compatibility
A motherboard does not support all kinds of video card. Some mother boards only have the GPUs or graphics processing units which maybe adequate for an average business or home use but not applicable where more graphics capabilities are needed.A GPU is video card’s own processing unit.- Mother boards may have the following expansion slots: AGP Slots, standard PCI slots, 1x PCI EXpress slots, 16x PCI Express slots. Make sure the video card and the slot where it will be installed are compatible.
- The 16xPCI Express slot has compatibility with the most video cards, so it is advisable to buy this card for a new computer. The next newest slot is the AGP slot which came before 16xPCI Express.
The last recommended slot is the PCI slot because there are only a few video cards compatible with it and most of them are the slow, expensive type
- TV output Capability
Not all video cards have this capability. Be sure to check this out. - Fan
The fan on the video card must be working to prevent over heating of parts which slows down its performance - Price
How much can you afford to pay?
The compatibility of components determine how the equipment functions. In the case of video cards, there is more need to check for compatibility due to the various models developed to meet various needs.
Incompatibility is expensive, for how will you install a video if it doesn’t fit in the expansion slot?
March 26th, 2008at 10:29 am
The most importance is, what for your Video Cards? Daily activity? Gamer Maniac, Video Editing, 3D Rendering?
March 27th, 2008at 10:29 am
Yes, it’s true what Jauhari said. The most important what you need to buy video card.
You should know what you are going to use your video card.
I ,myself, like gaming and multi media purpose. I would like to choose video card that has high specs.
So, You can decide which one is the best for you….