Choosing A Graphics Card

by: Kadence Buchanan

To the uninformed consumer, buying a new graphics card can be a daunting task. There are literally hundreds of different aspects to consider when buying a new card, and we've composed this article to help you find the graphics card that best suits your needs and your budget.

- The first major thing to consider when purchasing a card is the type of chip that you want. The main two companies that market graphics card chips are Nvidia and ATI, and pretty much every graphics card available features a chip from one of these two manufacturers. The chip of the card is of utmost importance; different graphic cards with the same type of chip often feature similar performance levels.

- Next, you're going to want to consider the amount of memory that your future video card will have. The more RAM that is in a graphics card, the more it can process, giving it more speed and smoother transitioning.

- You're also going to want to consider the possible multimedia applications of your future card. TV-out is one type of feature incorporated into graphics card that is commonly sought-after. TV-out compatible graphics cards allow you to hook your computer up to your television, allowing for the viewing of movies and other general purpose features shown on your TV screen. Another feature that is gaining popularity in the graphics card world is dual-head support. Dual-head support allows for you to use two separate monitors side-by-side with your windows toolbar stretching across the two screens.

- When it comes to spending money, you can get a sub-par graphics card for less than $70. However, those who are looking for a decent graphics card that can hold its own for a few years to come, you're probably going to want to spend around $200. Top-of-the-line graphics cards are available and are priced upwards of $600. While the chips are cutting edge, they're usually not too much more noticeably efficient than those priced slightly lower. Performance will increase, without a doubt, but you won't see the same kind of effects as opposed to buying a $300 chip over a $150 one.

Now that you know more about graphic cards, you can more easily find one to suit your needs while sticking to your budget. Only buy the features that you find necessary; you can spend a lot of extra money unnecessarily by being coaxed in by bells and whistles.