What Is a PCI Video Card?
One of the best ways to spruce up an older model laptop or desktop computer or to trick out a new one is to add a PCI Video Card if you don’t have a dedicated Graphics Processor already installed on your machine. As you’re no doubt aware, the Video Card or Graphics Processing Unit handles the complex rendering of 2D and 3D images and outputs images and video to your computer. It’s a mighty task and it requires a lot of computing power and memory, sometimes more than the main CPU and system memory of your computer can handle smoothly.
For this reason, dedicated Video Cards specializing in the output of rich media and visual information is now commonly used in modern PCs. First introduced in 1981 by IBM, Video Cards are now the second most common upgrade to personal computers, behind RAM modules. PCI Video Cards are GPUs, or graphics processing units that connect to the motherboard of a computer via the PCI or PCIe slot, providing the video card with power and data from the main CPU. Much like motherboard of your computer, a PCI Video Card is a printed circuit board, with its own RAM, serial bus and processor as well as a digital to analog converter.
Comparing Modern PCI Video Cards
In the current consumer market, ATI and nVidia are the two major options for upgrading to a dedicated graphics card over integrated onboard graphics units. When faced with the choice of two major competing options, most would naturally ask which one is the superior product. Unfortunately, the differences between the two are so slim that there is no cut and dry answer. What you should know is that memory and clock speed are the most important variables to look at. Generally, the higher the clock speed in megahertz, the better. However, it should be pointed out that chip architecture is somewhat more important than overall clock speed, and a faster chip doesn’t always mean a superior one. When it comes to RAM, there really is no such thing as too much, so the more the better.
Buy for Your Current and Future Needs
In order to give yourself some flexibility in the future as to what sort of monitor you want to output picture to, you’ll want to select a PCI or PCI Express video card that has both VGA and DVI connectors on it. You can always buy adapters later but it saves you some time and hassle to find one that has both. If you’re worried that installing a PCI video card with cause problems with the current integrated graphics unit, you needn’t be. Your computer will detect the video card in the PCI slot and override the factory standard graphics processor already present.
As with any important purchase, it’s crucial that you do your homework and research your available options thoroughly before making any buying decisions. If the technical aspects overwhelm you make sure to consult with an expert or a knowledgeable salesperson about compatibility with your computer and any issues that may arise down the line. In any event, upgrading to a powerful, up-to-date PCI Video Card can seriously improve the graphics and media rendering ability of any computer and breathe fresh life into any machine.
