nVidia

nVidia was founded in 1993 by two Sun Microsystems engineers along with microprocessor designer Jen-Hsun Huang. As their success in the computer graphics industry grew, they began to absorb many smaller graphics card companies, until ATI was practically the only competitor left. In addition to graphics processors, nVidia produces PC chipsets, digital media playing software and processors for wireless communication. nVidia cards are used in popular video game consoles Xbox and PlayStation3. Unlike ATI, which sells its graphics cards directly to consumers, nVidia graphics boards are sold to other manufacturers who produce nVidia video cards.

When it comes to nVidia graphics cards, the make to know is GeForce for gaming. If you need your best video output for games and you’re working with nVidia, you want a GeForce card. If design or digital content creation is your thing, you may need a Quadro card.

ATI

ATI Technologies, which began as Array Technologies Incorporated, has been pioneering graphics cards since 1985. They are particularly renowned for their groundbreaking work in 3D accelerator technology. In 2006, ATI was acquired by Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) and renamed AMD Graphics Product Group. However, due to brand recognition, the video cards still retain the name ATI. ATI’s counterpart to the nVidia GeForce is the Radeon video card.

nVidia vs. ATI

So which is better? Ask ten computer graphics experts and you will get ten different answers. On some level, this is a matter of personal preference. However, many experts agree that nVidia cards tend to have more memory, while ATI cards tend to be faster, and this usually means that nVidia cards are preferable for gaming while ATI cards are better for other video functions. That being said, many ATI Radeon cards are still ideal for gaming purposes, and many people feel that ATI cards provide a better cost-to-value ratio. If you get a video card with a sufficient GPU and enough memory for your needs, you very likely will not even notice a difference between an ATI Radeon card and an nVIdia GeForce card.

Also, ATI cards are red and nVidia cards are green.

Identifying Your Video Card – Brute Force Approach

You COULD tear open your computer and look right at the video card, but this kind of brute force approach should probably only be used as a last resort. You want to expose your computer’s innards to the elements as infrequently as possible. Frankly, even once you get your computer open you might not be able to tell exactly which video card you have. Fortunately, there’s a much easier way for PC users to identify their video cards.

Identifying Your Video Card—Easy Approach

What you will want to do is look in the Device Manager provided by Windows. The way to do this is to click System in the Control Panel. Under the hardware tab, there will be a button labeled “Device Manager.” Click this button. This will give you a display of the various devices that are connected to your computer, that enable it to do all the wonderful things it does. One of the icons should be “Display Adapters.” Click the symbol to open this icon and you should see a list of your video cards. Now you know what video card or cards you have in your computer.

To learn even more, you can right click on the icon for the video card itself. You’ll see a box of options, the bottom one being “Properties.” Click this option. This will tell you not only the manufacturer and status of the card, but will even tell you what bus slot the card is using. You can get more detailed information from here as well, but this is probably more than enough for your basic computer user.

Identifying Your Video Card—Using the Information

Now that you know what kind of video card you have, you can compare it to other video cards that are on the market today. If there are certain aspects of your computer video experience that you are not happy with, you can see how your card compares on that dimension to other cards, and find the video card that is just right for your needs. Once you have installed a new video card, you can, of course, remind yourself about that video card’s specifications the same way.

Video Card Installation – First Steps

Before you start, touch something metal to discharge any residual static electricity on your fingertips. Static electricity can destroy the delicate mechanisms inside your computer. You should also try to avoid touching chips or other components while your computer is open.

Unscrew the computer case. A Phillips Head screwdriver should be sufficient for this job. Simply identify all the screws holding the case in place and remove them all, then pull the case from the base, revealing the computer components. If you encounter resistance, it is almost certainly because you missed a screw, so do a thorough re-check to find the problem.

Video Card Installation – Installing the Card

Locate the expansion slot you wish to use. Remember that certain video cards are designed for certain slots, so if you have a PCI express card look for the PCI express slot, if you have an AGP card look for the AGP slot, etc. Try to locate a slot that is away from the other components for easier installation.

Remove the insert. There should be a metal insert screwed into the expansion slot. Unscrew it and remove the insert carefully. Some computers may have an insert that you can simply punch out of the slot.

Line up the pins on the video card with the connectors on the motherboard. Make sure the first pins are correctly aligned with the first connectors. If you screw this up now and close you computer, your card won’t work and it will be tough to figure out why. Applying gentle pressure, push the video card into the slot. You may have to work it in a bit, but don’t apply too much force. If a gentle working in of the card is not effective, you may not have the pins lined up correctly, or you may have the card upside down.

Video Card Installation – Finishing Up

Make sure the video card is fully and correctly inserted. Screw the card into place using the screw that held the insert in place. Restore the case and screw it back on. Enjoy your new video card!

Video Card Terms – Frame Rate

The way any animation works is through a quick succession of images, each altered slightly from the last, so that the result is the smooth appearance of motion. The more images you get in a shorter time, the smoother that appearance. Your video card frame rate is a reflection of this. The higher the frame rate, the smoother the motion.

Video Card Terms- 3D Accelerator

You may have heard of video cards with respect to their 3D accelerators. This is just a fancy way of saying your video card is smart. Drawing 3D images takes a lot of computing power, and a 3D accelerator allows your video card itself to take on the bulk of this computing burden, rather than depending on your CPU.

Video Card Terms – Chipset

The chipset is the nerve center of your video card, sort of like the nucleus of a cell. It basically runs things. Your motherboard has a chipset too, which controls its logic functions, but remember, today’s video cards are smart, so they need their own, powerful chipsets to operate.

Video Card Terms –Frame Buffer

It used to be that the computer would figure out what image needed to be displayed and then the video card would read the computer data and display it. This is not only a slow process, but today’s computers may not even have the resources to hold all the image information that modern graphics require. The frame buffer on the video card allows the card to store the image information and read it directly, saving time and computer memory.

These are far from the only terms that are important related to video cards, but they are some useful terms to get you started talking about video cards. Now, the next time you go into your computer supply store looking at video cards, and the employee starts rattling off information about chipsets and frame rates, you’ll know just what he or she is referring to.

GPU Beats Memory

When it comes to computers, we’ve all been trained to look at memory. How many MBs are we talking, that’s what everyone wants to know, whether you’re talking about a CPU or a peripheral. Memory is definitely important when it comes to video cards, but more important is the GPU, the graphics processing unit. Think about your eyesight. Your brain has millions of receptors allowing you to differentiate even infinitesimal differences in texture, color, shape and size in the world around you. Now close your eyes. How much good are all those receptors doing you?  Having a ton of memory with a poor GPU on your video card is like being an eagle-eye with cataracts.

Did We Mention the Importance of GPU?

Remember, if you’re looking for high 3D performance in a video card, you’re looking at GPU. If you’re not a video card industry insider, you’ll definitely want to choose from one of the “big two,” nVidia or ATI, but not all nVidia GeForce or ATI Radeon cards are high performance GPU models. You can probably guess that the more expensive cards tend to have the most powerful GPUs

GPU Modifiers

You’ll also want to keep an eye on the pixel pipelines. The more pixel pipelines, the more powerful the GPU. The basic cards tend to have 4, while the more powerful ones have 8 or 12, and the real monsters have 16 or more. Also keep an eye on clock speeds. The more mHZ, the better, although if you’re choosing between pixel pipelines and clock speeds, look at pixel pipelines first.

Direct 3D11

Direct 3D11 is the latest evolution in Microsoft’s Direct X API (application programming interface) collection. To optimize your computer’s graphics capability, you should keep an eye out for video cards that are designed to support Direct 3D11.

Again, keep in mind that not all computer users will need top of the line video cards, and the most advanced graphics cards can get fairly expensive. Have a good idea of what your computing needs are regarding graphics and how well the various video cards meet those needs before going out and making a big investment.

PCI

It’s important to note that those slots in your computer are not necessarily just for graphics cards. The PCI stands for Peripheral Component Interconnect and it can be used for modems, network cards, sound cards, just about any peripheral hardware device you want to add to your computer. In fact, in modern computers, PCI slots are not even used for video. The bandwidth requirements for modern video have become so great that conventional PCI slots cannot support most modern video cards. However, you can still find PCI video cards if PCI slots are all you have.

AGP

AGP, or Advanced Graphics Port, was the next evolution in video card/video card bus technology. It was created in response to a need for greater bandwidth for quality graphics. The way it gets this is by providing a dedicated resource to the video card, as opposed to the PCI slot which would share bandwidth with other applications. Also, the AGP has additional data buses to keep data flowing. Also, the AGP is able to use the Graphics Address Remapping Table (GART) to read textures directly, rather than having to copy it onto the card’s framebuffer from the system’s RAM and then reading it from there, as PCI video cards had to do. You can only use an AGP card if your computer has an AGP slot. If not, you are stuck with PCI (in today’s computers you will be using PCI express, see below). In addition, your computer probably doesn’t have more than one AGP slot, so if you want to use two video cards, you will need to use something other than AGP for one.

PCI Express

PCI Express, or PCI-E or PCIe, is the current standard in video card bus technology. New computers will use PCIe slots exclusively for graphics cards, although you can still find and use PCI and AGP video cards for your computer if your computer supports them. They are based on a point-to-point serial concept rather than a parallel bus concept, which allows for more efficient data streaming. PCIe slots are defined as x1, x2, x4, x8, x16 and x32. These represent the number of lanes through which data can stream. You will most likely be looking for x16, which is the most common large size for the typical user.

Basic User

Your average computer user doesn’t need any high-end graphics capabilities. Word processing, e-mail and basic web graphics require only the most rudimentary video cards, and you won’t notice any decline in performance using these cards for these tasks, even if you like to watch movies or TV shows on your computer. The integrated graphics hardware that comes with your system should be just fine if you are this kind of user, although if you want to watch hi-def video on your computer, you’ll need a computer that’s integrated with video designed for HD.

Designer

If you use your computer for graphic design, your video card needs are greater. Specifically, you’ll want a video card with a high resolution capability, since you’ll want clearer images for your fine design work. Resolution support of 1900×1200 or better is ideal. You may also want to make sure your graphics card can support multiple monitors, so you will have more space to work on and analyze your designs. Designers that use Photoshop or do video editing will also want a more advanced video card, and a high memory card may also be a consideration for these users.

Casual Gamer

If all you play are Flash games or solitaire, you don’t have to worry about graphics at all, since even the most basic graphic computer capabilities can handle these types of games. However, if you enjoy some of the more advanced, 3D modeling games that are on the market today, you’ll want to make sure to get a card that supports at least DirectX 10 and have a minimum of 512MB of video. Unless you are a completely hardcore gamer, this type of card will give you a very satisfactory gaming experience.

Hardcore Gamer

This kind of gamer needs the state-of-the-art, top-of-the-line video card. He or she has the highest resolution monitor and the most realistic games, and needs a video card to match. If you’re this type of gamer, you want to look for high frame rates, at least 1 gigabyte of memory and Direct X 11 support.

Of course, as long as your computer’s video card slot is compatible, you can buy any card you want. The highest performance cards will still work for you if all you do is word processing and e-mail, but you will be incurring a reasonably high expense without benefiting from the full value the card provides.

Who Needs to Upgrade their Video Card?

Hardcore computer gamers are always on the lookout for the latest and greatest technologies to take their experience to the next level. Many serious gamers opt to purchase multiple graphics cards in order to ensure maximum performance.

High tech graphics cards also play an important function when it comes to business. CAD programs used by engineers rely heavily on special graphics accelerators. Almost all of the engineered tangible goods today made in the developed world rely on design programs that utilize one or more graphics cards.

How to Choose the Right Card

Whether the user intends on purchasing a new graphics card for business or pleasure, he or she must determine exactly what solution is compatible with the existing system. Specialized programs available over the Internet can help the user figure out what type of graphics card they can use if the documentation for their computer is not readily available.

For desktop computers, the motherboard should have one or more expansion slots specifically for graphics cards. For modern desktop computers today, PCI express expansion slots are the most common type available. These slots are designed to operate at a much higher level of speed than a typical PCI slot. The most widely known manufacturers of high performance graphics cards are ATI and nVIDIA.

Duel video card configurations as well as triple or quad setups can yield significantly higher performance than a single card setup. ATI refers to their multiple card configuration as Crossfire while nVidia based graphics cards call their SLI.

Video Graphics Card Upgrade Installation

No matter what brand or type of graphics card is purchased by the user, the installation of the proper hardware drivers is needed in order for the new hardware to operate correctly and at peak performance. Almost all new graphics cards will come with the needed installation software. However the user should periodically check with the manufacturer’s website to see if new, better software drivers are available for download and installation.

With a new graphics card, the computer will be able to run faster and more efficiently because almost all the graphics calculations will be handled by the new graphics card instead of the computer’s CPU.

PCMCIA Card History

PCMCIA is short for Personal Computer Memory Card International Association. Before its dissolution in 2009, the company was an industry standard for PC  Card production and sales. They manufactured the sound cards for audio programs used in computers, particularly laptops. The cards are small,  similar to the size of a credit card and easily fit into the side of a laptop. The PCMCIA was founded in 1989 to create reliable and interchangeable memory cards for computers of all kinds and allow consumers to purchase the cards without fear of getting the wrong one. These cards have multiple ports in order to connect to speakers or amplifiers in various audio devices.

Types of PCMCIA Cards

There are several kinds of PCMCIA sound cards available to consumers. They are the 2.1 PCMCIA, the 5.1 PCMCIA and the 7.1 PCMCIA sound cards. The 2.1 PCMCIA sound card sustains the maximum capacity of two speakers as well as a two way center speaker and is generally used for music or audio purposes. The 5.1 PCMCIA sound card come equipped with the capacity to withstand the power of four two-way speakers, one two-way center speaker as well as one subwoofer. The 5.1 sound cards are generally used when operating mid-range entertainment systems. The 7.1 PCMCIA sound card is larger and able to withstand the capacity of six two-way speakers, one two-way center speaker as well as one subwoofer. The 7.1 PCMCIA sound cards are used in an extremely professional atmosphere and are designed for usage in high-end gaming systems as well as home entertainment cinemas.

The prices for PCMCIA cards range from $24.99 and up. You may purchase sound video cards on sites that support computer and technology merchandise.

PCI Video Cards

The PCI video card is the most common on the market. In addition, it tends to be the least expensive. A PCI video card will plug into the PCI slot on your motherboard and give you the most basic outputs. These outputs are usually VGA or DVI depending on the model. If you’re looking for a great cost-effective way to upgrade your video card, a PCI card is probably the best means of doing that.

AGP Video Cards

AGP is an excellent way to get quality video for your computer. Although they are a little more expensive than PCI video cards, AGP video cards are still a good deal. If you’re going to be doing any video editing or multimedia work on your computer, an AGP video card will work very well for you. These will usually come with different outputs, so be sure that you have a way to connect your monitor to the video card before you buy it.

PCI Express Video Cards

PCI express or PCIe video cards are currently the most advanced and the most expensive video cards on the market. A PCI express video card will come in handy for online gaming and high definition video editing. With these video cards, you will have a multitude of outputs, such as standard video component, VGA, DVI and even HDMI. Make sure that you have a monitor that is going to support the resolutions that a PCIe card produces and also be sure that you have a monitor that will support the highest output connectivity these cards utilize.

If you’re thinking about upgrading your video card, think about what you are going to be using your computer for. If you’re a student and you’re just looking for a quick replacement, you might want to go with a simple PCI video card. If you have a hobby of video editing or recording, you might want to think about upgrading to an AGP card or even a PCIe video card. Always check out user forums and online reviews before you buy anything.