Video Cards

Choosing the right video card

Video cards are the key to displaying computer graphics properly. If you are a graphic designer, video editor or 3D animator, then having the right discreet video card to meet your needs will be one of your primary concerns.

Before buying a video card, consider the type of work you plan on doing. If you create high-definition video content or perform intensive 3D modeling with programs such as AutoCAD or 3D Studio Max, then chances are you will need a high-end discreet video card with enough power to get the job done.

If your work consists of mostly 2D graphics and some light video editing, then you won’t need a top-of-the-line video card, but you will benefit from having a decent mid-range video card and a quality flat-panel or LCD monitor. There are plenty of video card reviews on the Internet that you can use to help guide your decision.

Getting Down to Basics

You may have heard of integrated video graphics before, also known as onboard video. This particular type of “video card” isn’t a video card at all – instead, it is merely a graphics chipset soldered directly onto a motherboard. While they are perfectly adequate for most basic tasks, they are nowhere near acceptable for applications that demand a high graphics bandwidth.

What to Look for in a Video Card

When you start off looking for a PC video card, you may be overwhelmed by the sheer number of cards available on the market. The two biggest forces in this market segment are ATI and Nvidia, both of which have an endless array of video cards. Their offerings range from budget options to top-of-the-line cards that can be paired together to achieve incredible performance.

Some video cards come with large heat sinks in addition to cosmetic features. These heat sinks may be too large for your computer case, especially if the case is too small or does not have enough ventilation. Make sure that the video card of your choice will fit comfortably in your computer casing.

Another thing to be aware of is that most video cards will come as PCI video cards. PCI is the current connection interface standard. If you have a newer motherboard, then this won’t be much of a worry. Older motherboards were built according to the AGP standard, which is slowly being phased out as more motherboards come with PCI slots. When installing video cards built for AGP motherboards, you will also have to install the video card drivers that go with them. You can check the manufacturer’s website for new drivers as well as driver updates.