post 7, graphics cards

The topic I have chosen is the separate graphics card and its place in the computer, and how it makes everything better for both the computer and the user. *First of all, a graphics card is either a part of the motherboard itself, or an integrated circuit board attached to the motherboard via PCI or similar slots. This device's function is to generate the main output of the computer, what is displayed on the monitor.

Basically, a graphics card is like its own computer that augments the capabilities of the one it is attached to. It takes in binary data from the computer to be displays it, turns the binary data into an object to be displayed, and then displays it.** They have their own special processors that use parallel computing (breaking down big problems and solving them in pieces, simultaneously), have their on on card memory, and for higher end models, need their own power source.

What this does for the computer is it takes the workload away from the computer's main processor(s), and uses its specially designed processors to do the work instead. This is important because standard issue consumer processors do not handle complicated graphics well and it takes much longer to generate images, animations, etc, due to there being so few processors working at once, the opposite of parallel computing. This graphics process of course would work on top of normal computer processes, which causes everything to be bogged down considerably. The graphics card uses many smaller processors working in tandem to produce the image. This relieves the man CPU of having to deal with the graphics and allows more complex and smooth graphics.

This all means that with a standalone video card, the computer runs cooler, smoother, and is greatly more responsive. For the common person, this means that they have a much more enjoyable experience with their computer, without having to wait for graphics to load. Not all cards are made the same, but certaintly any card is better than no card. The biggest names in video cards currently are NVIDIA and ATI. NVIDIA is the leader of video card technology, making top-end video cards and separate parallel computing processors. I prefer NVIDIA cards due to the fact that even the older ones pack plenty of power, (I have a GeForce 560 that runs everything with no noticeable lag, and the newest one is 690), and they are very high quality.

*"video card." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2012. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1388514/video-card>.

**"How Graphics Cards Work." HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Oct. 2012. <http://computer.howstuffworks.com/graphics-card.htm>.