I get the idea that to get the most out of many modern PC games a powerful graphics card may be required. I suppose one would also be required for doing some fancy computer presentation. Do they have any other purposes? Are they associated in any way with the function of a TV card and picture quality? What about video editing and photos? Sorry for the lameness of the question, I'm just trying to learn before taking the plunge into the world of building my own PC. Cheers.
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The purpose of graphics cards
- Thread starter judder
- Start date
Large expensive displays require powerful expensive graphics cards. If you, for instance, run at 800x600 on a 15" CRT monitor you can max out modern games with an extremely modest card. Not that I am seriously suggesting you do that. I just want to point out that modern games PLUS large display resolutions require awesome graphics cards. You need to be aware of this and strike a personal balance.
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Basically if all you're going to do is run windows xp, most graphics cards will run fine. If you want to run VISTA Aero, then 128MB of graphics RAM on the card, and directx 9 compatibility, are required.
The difference between a £45 card, and a £450 card, is 3d games and the resolution you run those games at. A typical setup might be at 1280 x 1024 (Native 17"/19" TFT res) max settings on a new game would need an x1950 Pro/7900 GS, and a more powerful card if you want 16xAF 16xAA. It varies a lot between games though, and settings such as AA affect the frame rates a great deal. Have a look at my guide for help:-
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17686356
The difference between a £45 card, and a £450 card, is 3d games and the resolution you run those games at. A typical setup might be at 1280 x 1024 (Native 17"/19" TFT res) max settings on a new game would need an x1950 Pro/7900 GS, and a more powerful card if you want 16xAF 16xAA. It varies a lot between games though, and settings such as AA affect the frame rates a great deal. Have a look at my guide for help:-
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17686356
