The History of Computer Video Cards
Most of us take what we see on our computer screens for granted. However, 25 years ago, a computer monitor showed little more than basic text or collections of graphics bits in one to four “colors.” Today, we have a rich array of graphic experiences that we can enjoy on our computer screens, thanks to video cards.
What Are Computer Video Cards?
Computer video cards are cards that are connected to your computer motherboards that allow the display of advanced graphic images, everything from basic icons to 3D scenes. Without a video card, your computer would only be slightly more useful than an old school typewriter.
History of Computer Video Cards
It all started back in 1981, when IBM released their first PC, with a video card integrated. This MDA (Monochrome Display Adapter) only featured text and a single color. It allowed users to operate the PC, but provided little else in the way of graphic capability.
The next big step in computer video card development was what is called the VGA, or Video Graphics Array, back in 1987. This card significantly expanded the amount of color, memory and resolution available for PC computer graphics. This included 256 KB of video RAM, 16 color and 256 color modes, and up to 800 horizontal pixels and 600 lines.
1998 brought even more video card advancement, including video cards that had 3D functionality. One of the most significant of the early 3D video card developments was the Voodoo graphics chip. The company known as NVIDIA used this technology to create video cards that had extremely powerful graphics capabilities. The quality of these cards was so great that they tested the capabilities of most computers, until Intel designed what is known as the Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) to allow the computer’s microprocessor to work more effectively with the video card.
Computer Video Cards Today
Today, most of the video cards used today are developed by NVIDIA with their GeForce line or ATI with their Radeon line. These video cards have graphic capabilities that put early computer graphics to shame, and allow for designs and viewing experience that are beyond anything that early computer pioneers could even dream of. What video cards may make possible for the future can only be a matter of speculation, but if the development of video cards up until now is any indication, whatever comes next is sure to be mind-blowing.
