How to Buy a Graphics Board
The Big Picture
Graphics chip and board makers update their hardware every six months or so, mainly to enable the development of more-complex, more-realistic PC games. But games aren't the only reason to get a new graphics board. Such features as support for two or even three displays, DVI ports (for digital flat-panel displays), a TV and/or FM radio tuner, and video connections--such as S-Video and Component--are other compelling reasons to upgrade.
Key Features
Interface: Most of today's consumer graphics boards come with a PCI Express interface to plug into a PC's PCI Express slot. A few mainstream and value options with an AGP interface plug into the AGP slot on an older PC. You can't plug a PCI Express card into an AGP slot or vice versa. PCI Express graphics boards transfer data faster than AGP boards (theoretically 16X versus 8X), and the majority of new boards are PCI Express only.
Graphics processor: Today's graphics chips can efficiently handle sophisticated full-motion 3D video, thanks to advanced graphics processors, or GPUs. Right now, the GPUs populating most graphics boards for desktop PCs are developed by two companies: nVidia and ATI.
The faster your graphics processor, the faster graphics will render on your PC. How quickly a board can render game graphics--as measured in frames per second--gives you a good measure of its performance. Game graphics with 3D effects--such as pixel shading, transparency, or high dynamic-range lighting--will challenge a card, thus lowering frame rates. So will playing a game on a larger screen (at 1600 by 1200 resolution) and with antialiasing turned on (the feature smooths the edges of graphics).
Budget graphics cards do a fine job with older games. However, boards that can produce faster frame rates at a midrange screen resolution will typically sustain playable frame rates at higher resolutions, and they can usually handle more-complicated games. To play DirectX 9 games, you'll want a chip that supports DirectX 9 hardware acceleration.
At least one product on our power graphics board chart (as of 10/9/06) offers two graphics processors on one board. While it does save the space and cost of configuring two boards in a dual-card configuration (see below), a dual-GPU board will cost you a lot and take up space inside your PC.
Memory: When you use your PC for graphics-intensive activities, such as playing games or editing video, the information necessary to display images is buffered in graphics RAM. You'll need a lot of dedicated graphics RAM to handle today's complex, texture-rich games. The more complicated the game or image you're viewing, the more memory you'll need. Most budget graphics cards come with at least 128MB of DDR3 SDRAM, though several come with 256MB of DDR2 or DDR3 SDRAM. (By definition, DDR3 memory is faster than DDR2 memory, though other factors also affect memory speed.) You'll want this amount at a minimum, since Microsoft's initial recommendations are to have a graphics board with 128MB of memory to run Windows Vista's Aero Glass graphics-heavy interface. Mainstream and power graphics boards offer 256MB to 512MB of memory; 512MB is common on consumer-level power boards, though at least one board with two graphics processors (see below) offers 1GB of DDR3 SDRAM as of this writing (10/9/06).
For older games, 128MB is sufficient, though it's not likely to deliver high frame rates with new games or at resolutions above 1600 by 1200 pixels. For such demands, it's best to get a card with at least 256MB of video memory. Many games today don't require more than that, but you may want to opt for more memory rather than face upgrading again when new memory-intensive games arrive.
Some graphics chips that are integrated on a PC's motherboard (or in a laptop) use main system memory in lieu of dedicated graphics RAM, reducing the amount of memory available to the operating system. Less-expensive computers with lower-powered CPUs, such as Intel's Celeron, often have integrated graphics subsystems. Although PCs that use integrated chips do an acceptable job with typical business applications, they lack the extra memory necessary for sophisticated gaming, so they aren't usually suitable for playing any but the simplest games.
Two display ports: All new graphics boards offer two monitor ports. Some offer one DVI (digital) port and one VGA (analog) port. Others offer two DVI ports. DVI gives the cleanest signal to a digital LCD display; however, VGA connects to a wider range of displays, particularly older types. You can plug in a VGA monitor into a DVI port so long as you have a DVI-to-VGA adapter.
Enhanced video playback: Newer graphics boards have technologies--such as ATI's Avivo and nVidia's PureVideo--that enhance DVD playback, particularly at high-definition resolutions. Similar to what high-end DVD players do, Avivo- or PureVideo-equipped graphics boards can deinterlace images (remove artifacts) and scale them to fit your monitor.
HDCP support (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection): This is an up-and-coming feature whose wrinkles aren't completely ironed out as of this writing (10/9/06). For a graphics board to be able to play an HD DVD or a Blu-ray Disc movie, it must support HDCP to decode movie studio copyright protection. HDCP support is a complex issue. The GPU, graphics board, monitor, and DVD player must support HDCP, or else you won't get full-resolution HD. See "GeekTech: Want to View HD Content on Your PC? Upgrade Wisely" for more information on the pitfalls of playing HD content on your PC.
S-Video-out/-in: The S-Video-out port allows you to send video signals to a TV, projector, or other display or recording device. The S-Video-in port lets you bring video into your PC from a camcorder or the like. By the way, if you see the term VIVO (Video In Video Out) advertised with a graphics board, it means that the board has video in and out through one connector.
Composite-out/-in: Composite ports fulfill the same function as S-Video ports, but deliver video that is noticeably lower in quality than S-Video. However, composite ports are particularly handy for use with older devices, which may lack S-Video ports. Many graphics boards that provide S-Video ports also include an S-Video-to-composite adapter cable.
TV tuner: If you want to play and/or record live TV on your PC, you'll need a graphics board with a TV tuner. Several midrange and power boards with such tuners are available.
Overclocking: Running a graphics processor faster than the manufacturer's specified speed is popular among PC tweakers and dedicated gamers. While it carries risks such as overheating, when done within vendor-specified safety limits, it's a viable way of eking extra performance out of a midrange or power board. Some vendors--BFG Technologies is one--sell cards that have already been overclocked; others bundle overclocking software with cards; and some manufacturers, like ATI, don't officially support it. Be sure to read the manufacturer's recommendations and instructions before overclocking.
Antialiasing: Most cards offer antialiasing, which smooths and softens the jagged edges of 3D images. This feature is especially helpful at lower resolutions. Enabling it can lower frame rates, though, so gamers have to choose between smoother images and faster performance.
Dual-card support: Running two graphics boards simultaneously within one PC appeals to gamers who want the most graphics performance they can get for their graphics-heavy PC games. To run two graphics boards, make sure you have a motherboard that supports either nVidia's SLI (Scalable Link Interface) or ATI's CrossFire dual-board technologies. At the high end, a two-card configuration makes the most sense. In the mainstream range, a recommendation isn't so clear. See "Two Cards or One, That Is the Question" section of "Greater Graphics" for more information.
Quad SLI: nVidia's Quad SLI technology lets you combine four graphics chips in one PC. Initially, you couldn't build a Quad SLI configuration yourself--you had to order one from a company specializing in building high-end PCs. Now, however, nVidia has drivers so you can build your own Quad SLI setup. Quad SLI will let you play games at massive resolutions such as 1920 by 1200 and 2560 by 1600; and it really shines when you turn on high-end antialiasing and anisotropic filtering settings. For more information on what Quad SLI can do, read "GeekTech: nVidia's Powerful, Complicated Quad SLI."
Graphics chip and board makers update their hardware every six months or so, mainly to enable the development of more-complex, more-realistic PC games. But games aren't the only reason to get a new graphics board. Such features as support for two or even three displays, DVI ports (for digital flat-panel displays), a TV and/or FM radio tuner, and video connections--such as S-Video and Component--are other compelling reasons to upgrade.
Key Features
Interface: Most of today's consumer graphics boards come with a PCI Express interface to plug into a PC's PCI Express slot. A few mainstream and value options with an AGP interface plug into the AGP slot on an older PC. You can't plug a PCI Express card into an AGP slot or vice versa. PCI Express graphics boards transfer data faster than AGP boards (theoretically 16X versus 8X), and the majority of new boards are PCI Express only.
Graphics processor: Today's graphics chips can efficiently handle sophisticated full-motion 3D video, thanks to advanced graphics processors, or GPUs. Right now, the GPUs populating most graphics boards for desktop PCs are developed by two companies: nVidia and ATI.
The faster your graphics processor, the faster graphics will render on your PC. How quickly a board can render game graphics--as measured in frames per second--gives you a good measure of its performance. Game graphics with 3D effects--such as pixel shading, transparency, or high dynamic-range lighting--will challenge a card, thus lowering frame rates. So will playing a game on a larger screen (at 1600 by 1200 resolution) and with antialiasing turned on (the feature smooths the edges of graphics).
Budget graphics cards do a fine job with older games. However, boards that can produce faster frame rates at a midrange screen resolution will typically sustain playable frame rates at higher resolutions, and they can usually handle more-complicated games. To play DirectX 9 games, you'll want a chip that supports DirectX 9 hardware acceleration.
At least one product on our power graphics board chart (as of 10/9/06) offers two graphics processors on one board. While it does save the space and cost of configuring two boards in a dual-card configuration (see below), a dual-GPU board will cost you a lot and take up space inside your PC.
Memory: When you use your PC for graphics-intensive activities, such as playing games or editing video, the information necessary to display images is buffered in graphics RAM. You'll need a lot of dedicated graphics RAM to handle today's complex, texture-rich games. The more complicated the game or image you're viewing, the more memory you'll need. Most budget graphics cards come with at least 128MB of DDR3 SDRAM, though several come with 256MB of DDR2 or DDR3 SDRAM. (By definition, DDR3 memory is faster than DDR2 memory, though other factors also affect memory speed.) You'll want this amount at a minimum, since Microsoft's initial recommendations are to have a graphics board with 128MB of memory to run Windows Vista's Aero Glass graphics-heavy interface. Mainstream and power graphics boards offer 256MB to 512MB of memory; 512MB is common on consumer-level power boards, though at least one board with two graphics processors (see below) offers 1GB of DDR3 SDRAM as of this writing (10/9/06).
For older games, 128MB is sufficient, though it's not likely to deliver high frame rates with new games or at resolutions above 1600 by 1200 pixels. For such demands, it's best to get a card with at least 256MB of video memory. Many games today don't require more than that, but you may want to opt for more memory rather than face upgrading again when new memory-intensive games arrive.
Some graphics chips that are integrated on a PC's motherboard (or in a laptop) use main system memory in lieu of dedicated graphics RAM, reducing the amount of memory available to the operating system. Less-expensive computers with lower-powered CPUs, such as Intel's Celeron, often have integrated graphics subsystems. Although PCs that use integrated chips do an acceptable job with typical business applications, they lack the extra memory necessary for sophisticated gaming, so they aren't usually suitable for playing any but the simplest games.
Two display ports: All new graphics boards offer two monitor ports. Some offer one DVI (digital) port and one VGA (analog) port. Others offer two DVI ports. DVI gives the cleanest signal to a digital LCD display; however, VGA connects to a wider range of displays, particularly older types. You can plug in a VGA monitor into a DVI port so long as you have a DVI-to-VGA adapter.
Enhanced video playback: Newer graphics boards have technologies--such as ATI's Avivo and nVidia's PureVideo--that enhance DVD playback, particularly at high-definition resolutions. Similar to what high-end DVD players do, Avivo- or PureVideo-equipped graphics boards can deinterlace images (remove artifacts) and scale them to fit your monitor.
HDCP support (High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection): This is an up-and-coming feature whose wrinkles aren't completely ironed out as of this writing (10/9/06). For a graphics board to be able to play an HD DVD or a Blu-ray Disc movie, it must support HDCP to decode movie studio copyright protection. HDCP support is a complex issue. The GPU, graphics board, monitor, and DVD player must support HDCP, or else you won't get full-resolution HD. See "GeekTech: Want to View HD Content on Your PC? Upgrade Wisely" for more information on the pitfalls of playing HD content on your PC.
S-Video-out/-in: The S-Video-out port allows you to send video signals to a TV, projector, or other display or recording device. The S-Video-in port lets you bring video into your PC from a camcorder or the like. By the way, if you see the term VIVO (Video In Video Out) advertised with a graphics board, it means that the board has video in and out through one connector.
Composite-out/-in: Composite ports fulfill the same function as S-Video ports, but deliver video that is noticeably lower in quality than S-Video. However, composite ports are particularly handy for use with older devices, which may lack S-Video ports. Many graphics boards that provide S-Video ports also include an S-Video-to-composite adapter cable.
TV tuner: If you want to play and/or record live TV on your PC, you'll need a graphics board with a TV tuner. Several midrange and power boards with such tuners are available.
Overclocking: Running a graphics processor faster than the manufacturer's specified speed is popular among PC tweakers and dedicated gamers. While it carries risks such as overheating, when done within vendor-specified safety limits, it's a viable way of eking extra performance out of a midrange or power board. Some vendors--BFG Technologies is one--sell cards that have already been overclocked; others bundle overclocking software with cards; and some manufacturers, like ATI, don't officially support it. Be sure to read the manufacturer's recommendations and instructions before overclocking.
Antialiasing: Most cards offer antialiasing, which smooths and softens the jagged edges of 3D images. This feature is especially helpful at lower resolutions. Enabling it can lower frame rates, though, so gamers have to choose between smoother images and faster performance.
Dual-card support: Running two graphics boards simultaneously within one PC appeals to gamers who want the most graphics performance they can get for their graphics-heavy PC games. To run two graphics boards, make sure you have a motherboard that supports either nVidia's SLI (Scalable Link Interface) or ATI's CrossFire dual-board technologies. At the high end, a two-card configuration makes the most sense. In the mainstream range, a recommendation isn't so clear. See "Two Cards or One, That Is the Question" section of "Greater Graphics" for more information.
Quad SLI: nVidia's Quad SLI technology lets you combine four graphics chips in one PC. Initially, you couldn't build a Quad SLI configuration yourself--you had to order one from a company specializing in building high-end PCs. Now, however, nVidia has drivers so you can build your own Quad SLI setup. Quad SLI will let you play games at massive resolutions such as 1920 by 1200 and 2560 by 1600; and it really shines when you turn on high-end antialiasing and anisotropic filtering settings. For more information on what Quad SLI can do, read "GeekTech: nVidia's Powerful, Complicated Quad SLI."
The Specs Explained
You can delve as deeply as you like into graphics board specs, from RAMDAC to clock speeds, until your 3D-rendered head spins. But the specs to stay focused on involve a graphics board's interface, chip set, and memory, as well as any ports that you may need.
Important: Bus
Choose either AGP or the faster PCI Express--whichever interface your PC supports.
Important: Chip Set
After the interface, deciding on a chip set is your next major decision. Read our Top Graphics Cards charts to get an idea of how different chip sets perform.
Important: Video Memory (Installed RAM)
With more video memory, your graphics board can hold more image data, leading to faster rendering of textures and 3D graphics. These days many of the value boards appearing on our chart have at least 256MB of RAM, an amount that is standard on mainstream boards. Power boards generally have 512MB of RAM.
Important: Graphics Processor Clock Speed
While the clock speed of the graphics processor is a good overall indicator of how fast it will render 3D graphics, the high cost associated with top-of-the-line processors is no longer an absolute indicator of performance. The same holds true on the low end.
Important: Monitor Ports
All new graphics cards have two display connectors for hooking up two monitors; and most have at least one DVI port. Still, for the maximum image quality on two LCD screens, you want to make sure you have two native DVI ports, though in a pinch a DVI port can connect to a VGA display if you have a DVI-to-VGA adapter (often included with the board itself).
Important: Output Ports
If you want to edit video, use your PC as a digital video recorder, or even just connect it to your big-screen TV to play games, you'll want a graphics board with output ports that match your video devices. Most value and mainstream boards have at least S-Video and composite ports. And most mainstream and power boards have component video for connecting to newer TVs.
Important: Slots Occupied
Before you buy a huge graphics card, make sure you have the room inside your PC to fit it. Some cards take up the space of two PCI Express slots. See our Top Graphics Cards charts to find this spec on boards that we review.
Somewhat Important: RAM Type and Speed
Graphics boards come with different flavors of memory--DDR2 and DDR3 being the two most popular ones right now. While in theory DDR3 memory is faster than DDR2 memory, other factors on a board also affect performance. The same logic goes for RAM speed.
Somewhat Important: Input Ports
Unless you want to record video or audio from a TV or camcorder, you likely won't need video and audio inputs. Some graphics boards also come with a TV tuner, which is great for watching TV in a dorm room, for example. But keep in mind that a TV tuner adds to the cost of the board in all categories.
Somewhat Important: SLI/CrossFire Support
Unless you really plan on using two or more graphics boards in tandem, you don't need a product that supports dual-card technologies.
Minor Consideration: Input Ports
If you don't plan to import audio and video, or if you don't need a TV tuner, you don't need a high-end board that supports these types of input ports.
You can delve as deeply as you like into graphics board specs, from RAMDAC to clock speeds, until your 3D-rendered head spins. But the specs to stay focused on involve a graphics board's interface, chip set, and memory, as well as any ports that you may need.
Important: Bus
Choose either AGP or the faster PCI Express--whichever interface your PC supports.
Important: Chip Set
After the interface, deciding on a chip set is your next major decision. Read our Top Graphics Cards charts to get an idea of how different chip sets perform.
Important: Video Memory (Installed RAM)
With more video memory, your graphics board can hold more image data, leading to faster rendering of textures and 3D graphics. These days many of the value boards appearing on our chart have at least 256MB of RAM, an amount that is standard on mainstream boards. Power boards generally have 512MB of RAM.
Important: Graphics Processor Clock Speed
While the clock speed of the graphics processor is a good overall indicator of how fast it will render 3D graphics, the high cost associated with top-of-the-line processors is no longer an absolute indicator of performance. The same holds true on the low end.
Important: Monitor Ports
All new graphics cards have two display connectors for hooking up two monitors; and most have at least one DVI port. Still, for the maximum image quality on two LCD screens, you want to make sure you have two native DVI ports, though in a pinch a DVI port can connect to a VGA display if you have a DVI-to-VGA adapter (often included with the board itself).
Important: Output Ports
If you want to edit video, use your PC as a digital video recorder, or even just connect it to your big-screen TV to play games, you'll want a graphics board with output ports that match your video devices. Most value and mainstream boards have at least S-Video and composite ports. And most mainstream and power boards have component video for connecting to newer TVs.
Important: Slots Occupied
Before you buy a huge graphics card, make sure you have the room inside your PC to fit it. Some cards take up the space of two PCI Express slots. See our Top Graphics Cards charts to find this spec on boards that we review.
Somewhat Important: RAM Type and Speed
Graphics boards come with different flavors of memory--DDR2 and DDR3 being the two most popular ones right now. While in theory DDR3 memory is faster than DDR2 memory, other factors on a board also affect performance. The same logic goes for RAM speed.
Somewhat Important: Input Ports
Unless you want to record video or audio from a TV or camcorder, you likely won't need video and audio inputs. Some graphics boards also come with a TV tuner, which is great for watching TV in a dorm room, for example. But keep in mind that a TV tuner adds to the cost of the board in all categories.
Somewhat Important: SLI/CrossFire Support
Unless you really plan on using two or more graphics boards in tandem, you don't need a product that supports dual-card technologies.
Minor Consideration: Input Ports
If you don't plan to import audio and video, or if you don't need a TV tuner, you don't need a high-end board that supports these types of input ports.
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