A graphics card (graphics adapter) is a device that is responsible for delivering processed data to the monitor screen as a graphic image.
A graphics card consists of a board with chips, coolers, and connectors. It is installed in the computer case.
Types of graphics cards
- Discrete Graphics Card
This is a board that is installed in an available PCI or PCIe slot on the motherboard.
- Integrated Graphics Card
CPUs can be equipped with a graphics core. The built-in graphics core is suitable for daily office work, surfing the Internet, and watching movies. But for visually complex applications, it will not be sufficient.
- External Graphics Card
It is connected via Thunderbolt or USB connector to your computer or laptop.
Graphics card performance
- The computer's CPU streams data to the graphics card.
- The graphics card runs the necessary calculations and processing.
- The graphics card outputs a pixel-by-pixel graphic image to the monitor screen.
Powerful graphics cards and high-resolution monitors display better, smoother, and more detailed graphics.
Component parts
Parts of the graphics card:
- 6-pin and 8-pin auxiliary power connectors.
- The GPU power system and VRAM (Video Random Access Memory).
VRAM is a dedicated memory that the graphics processor uses to store and access pixels and other graphics data.
- VRAM chips.
- The graphics processing unit (GPU).
- An interface connector for connecting to a PCIe slot.
- SLI connector. This connector allows combining graphics cards in SLI or Crossfire mode (optional).
- Connectors for image output to the monitor.
- Connectors for the graphics card cooling system.
- The video card cooling system consists of a heatsink and fan.
Connector for graphics cards to connect to the motherboard
All modern graphics cards use a PCI-Express x16 connector. The graphics card receives 16 interface data delivery lines from the processor. In addition to data transfer, the PCIe connector also supplies power to the graphics card.
Auxiliary power connectors will be used if the PCIe connector cannot provide full capacity to the graphics card. For this purpose, the graphics card takes extra power directly from the power supply. Modern graphics cards contain from one to several connectors with six or eight pins to connect the wire from the power supply.
Video Memory
Graphics cards come with a specific amount of VRAM, which varies depending on the model of GPU used.
GDDR (Graphics Double Data Rate) is a type of volatile random access memory (DRAM) with a double data rate (DDR). GDDR differs from DDR SDRAM (e.g., DDR3 SDRAM) by its higher-rated frequencies. GDDR has lower power consumption.
The GDDR generations used in modern graphics cards are GDDR5, GDDR6, and GDDR6X.
Video memory is used during image processing. Therefore, the higher the image's resolution, the more video memory is required. The recommended video memory capacity for modern computers is 6 GB.
Cooling System
The cooling system of modern graphics cards consists of several fans and a heatsink.
The heatsink is a device to absorb and dissipate heat from the graphics processor, memory chips, and power elements of the power supply system. The heatsink is made of several sections and plates, combined with several heat pipes.
Fans are used to dissipate heat from the heatsink. The fans can turn off when the temperature of the graphics chip is low.
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