12th May 2008

Graphics Card - Video Card

A Graphics Card also known as a Video Card is an internal device which controls and produces the display on your screen.

Graphic cards come with various specifications, and unless they are built-in to the motherboard (mainboard) they have their own RAM onboard. Some models boast a TV OUT feature which allows you to connect the Graphics card to your TV/VCR, this can be useful if your PC has a DVD player and you want to watch a DVD on your domestic TV.

Graphic cards also come with different slot types, although the most common now is the AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port) type you can still get PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) graphic cards for older motherboards.

The built-in (motherboard) graphic cards use the system's main RAM as their own, the amount of RAM assigned can be adjusted within your computer's BIOS setup.

Back to Computer Dictionary