.: Graphic Cards: How To Choose The Best
By:GarryA
Category:Home / Computers / Hardware
Do you remember the old computing days when there were no sounds except for maybe a beep occasionally and printers making more noise than a cat on a scratching post or how about monitors that offered nothing more than a green or orange glow?
Well, I do! Thank goodness those days are nothing more than history and now we can enjoy the glow of our high resolution monitors that offers us life-like images on a daily basis. We no longer have to squint at some fuzzy displays but can enjoy almost picture perfect animation on the majority of websites.
Now, these images are nothing more than a mass of barely visible dots, known as pixels, and monitors today can display more than a million pixels but it’s up to the computer to interpret how to allocate these pixels in order to create an actual image.
This interpretation process happens on the graphics card and these cards can be upgraded. In fact, many users are tempted to look for the latest and greatest (or should I say expensive) card out there, but there is a better way for choosing just the right graphics card for the job? Here are a few helpful solutions that will help you to determine which the best graphics card for your computer is.
First, before you go out and buy the latest graphic card because you think you need it consider what you will be doing with your computer. If you don’t expect to do much more than some internet surfing, some word processing, maybe using your email or doing some chat room or forum activities. Then you most likely won’t need any additional graphics support than what will most likely be found on the motherboard with integrated graphic capabilities.
But, if you do plan to work with graphic arts or plan to play a lot of games on your computer you will definitely need to get a graphics card that has a lot of memory as well as a high-speed processor.
A tool you may wish to use is the frame rate measurement which is often a major advertising component for the different graphic cards that are available. Basically this rate refers to the measurement of frames per second or FPS which is nothing more than the rate of complete images a graphic card will display in one second. Now, High end cards will display more than 60 FPS (which by the way is more than twice the amount the human eye can process per second) and therefore provides the illusion of animation and animated scrolling.
If you are going to be doing a lot of graphic work then you will not be contented with the FPS rating. As anyone that does any 3-D imaging on the computer will tell you, FPS will actually do very little to measure the worth of a graphics card for them. In actuality 3-D images are nothing more than triangles, and graphic cards catering to the graphic artist demographic offer a rating that calculates how quickly the card can calculate the triangles and build the frame image.
One thing that really is a concern of everyone is speed. All graphic cards speed is directly influenced by their hardware. If the clock speed and bit rate are low on your computer, then the card will operate much slower than if it were high. In addition the pre-existing hardware also plays a critical role. A high- end graphics card cannot make up for an otherwise outmoded computer system, and a low end computer processor or motherboard will counteract the speed of even the fastest graphics card.
It is apparent that upgrading a graphics card is not so simple a task, and remember bigger is not always better. If you have a somewhat out of date system, it may be a useless attempt to only upgrade your graphics card, since your system most likely will work against any speed increase your card may be able to offer you. In the same way if your needs are very simple (in computing terms) then it might not be worthwhile to spend a lot of money on a graphics card that you will not use to its fullest potential. Hence it is always wise to know what you will require prior to buying, and to be fully aware of your systems hardware and software configurations prior to adding a new component to the mix.
Article keywords: graphic cards, best graphic card, graphic card review
Article Source: http://www.articles32.com
Garry Allen is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Best-Rated-Laptops-and-Computers.info. Providing you with more information on computer technology and answering the question what's the best rated laptop that you can research in your bathrobe on his website.
.: New Hardware Articles
1). Computer Recycling: What You Need To Know
Overall disposing of computers correctly by recycling parts and components could result in a better cleaner less toxic environment. Cleaner environment means less global warming, habitat destruction and deforestation. Also reducing the amount of raw materials needed in order to produce these machines.
2). How To Keep A Cleaner, Longer Running Computer
One of the more neglected aspects of owning a PC is following some simple preventative maintenance procedures. Preventative maintenance procedures are commonly recommended for most all mechanical and technological gadgets.
3). What is the WEEE Directive?
The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) 2006 directive concerns the responsible disposal of electrical and computer equipment by companies and individuals, and is now enshrined in European Law.
4). Edgeline Printer Technology Will Change Office Printing Forever
Imagine print speeds as fast as 70 pages per minute. Imagine color output as good as the best inkjet technology. Now combine that with the best operating costs available today. Sound too futuristic to be possible? Find out why this technology could be in your office by mid-year.
5). Ink Cartridges: How to Buy the Best Value Printer For Them
Printers, ink cartridges and other computer peripheral hardware are any everyday part of life at home and work today
6). HP Ink Cartridge Refill Kits Are Smart Buys
For those who need HP ink cartridge refill kits, the news is good. There are many companies that make these tools.
7). Find The Best Computer Printer Ink Price Ranges
However you can not find much difference in computer printer ink price ranges in the stores. Even you may not found the exact price to the same products in different stores. That is why the ultimate solution to get the exact price may in some cases you will get discount price.
.: Top Hardware Articles
1). Acer Aspire 3004WLCi - A Quick Review
I recently found myself in need of a new laptop. With a tight budget and moderate needs, I knew it wasn't going to be easy to find a product that would do what I wanted and still be in my price range.
As a Network Technician and a Web Designer, I needed a machine that would have enough storage to store all my software, projects for my clients, and still be able to handle an occasional temporary operating system backup from a client's machine.
2). IBM Computer Diagnostics: Error and Beep Codes
The following table includes some of the more common printed error codes that might be displayed when your vintage or non vintage IBM computer is performing the power-on self test (POST).
- record error codes that are displayed. If you need to call for help it will be best to be able to provide the error codes.
- if you get multiple error codes , always work to solve problems in the order in which the error codes are displayed.
3). Find your laptop drivers easily!
Many people, especially beginners, struggle in finding drivers for their laptops. In this article, I will illustrate two ways to help you find your laptop drivers quickly, and easily.
The first method we will consider is to visit a company's website, and attempt to find a 'Drivers' or 'downloads' link. If a similar link is not immediately apparent, look for a search box.
4). Canon Pixma inside out – the iP4200 Photo Printer
So you might have already heard about the new Canon Pixma iP4200 that’s doing the rounds in the computer hardware industry nowadays. Everybody is reviewing it, including us.
Canon has been keeping mum over the longest-lasting-photo-prints debate for sometime now. Possible explanations include the newly released Pixma iP4200, with built-in duplex printing; individual cartridges; two paper-input trays; easy operation; inexpensive; great-looking photos; and 100-year print life.
5). How To Properly Install A New Motherboard
The motherboard is the most expensive computer component so be sure to treat and handle it with great care.There are a few things you should do to ensure no motherboard damage occur as you prepare for the installation.
Be sure you have a clean,well lit,and level work place.Relax your mind and make this task both fun and educational.You will need such tools as a phillips screwdriver,maybe some needle nose pliers and the manual that came with the board.
6). Why do we defrag the Hard Disk?
What is Defragging?
Defragging is process done to a hard disk in order to improve performance and recover some lost disk space. Defragging is an essential part of a PC's upkeep as it keeps all the data on your hard disk in an easily readable order. If a hard disk is left without defragging, then over time the disk will begin to lose performance and also slowly reduce the available capacity to data.
7). USB Memory - Tips on Booting Your USB Device
The arrival of this miniature hard disk was a great timing just as computing is in need for memory drives that can solve the problem of the aging floppy disk.