One of the most important and expensive components of a computer is the dedicated graphics card, also called discrete graphics card . Even if the graphic component is present on any PC, a dedicated and specific video card is required if you want to use the PC to play video games, work with 3D video programs or to watch videos in HD (high definition).
However, choosing a video card for a PC is not an easy task.
If you buy a video card that is not fast enough for your needs, you will be dissatisfied with the performance of the computer, but if you buy a video card too fast, you risk spending more money without properly exploiting the graphics power obtained.
After speaking, in general, of the things to know before buying a new computer, let's see in this guide what a video card is, how they stand out in general terms and which video card to buy for your computer or for a new PC .
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1) Manufacturers and types of video cards
There are two manufacturers of graphics processors or GPUs (the heart of all dedicated video cards): AMD and NVIDIA while the manufacturers of video cards as a whole are different: Gigabyte, Asus, Sapphire, MSI, EVGA, ZOTAC and many others.
This means that you can have video cards from different manufacturers but with the same graphics processor and the only differences will be in the components chosen by the manufacturer (amount of video memory, type of video memory, bus speed, GPU clock frequency and frequency of memory clock, number of video outputs and cooling system).
Video cards produced directly by AMD and NVIDIA (therefore without customization) are known as Reference, while custom video cards are usually known as Retail.
Below we can see an NVIDIA Reference video card based on the GTX 1080Ti GPU.
While now we can see below a Retail video card of the MSI of the same GPU, namely the GTX 1080Ti.
The two video cards are profoundly different also in appearance, even if they have the same GPU: the cooling systems, the optimizations applied and the power adjustments change to make the custom card go even faster (in this case from MSI).
In general, Retail is always the best choice if we have to focus on a video card to play, while the Reference are mostly for collectors or for those who want to try out the new GPUs first as soon as they come out on the market.
As mentioned above, buying a high-level and therefore also very expensive video card satisfies the need of those who want to watch HD videos on the computer, those who work with 3D video programs and those who want to use the PC as if it were a console. video games.
2) Features to be observed in a video card
- If the computer is used to play video games or to work with video animations, then the video card becomes the most important piece of the computer and some features must be considered before choosing one video card over another.
- Resolution : all video cards released in the last 2-3 years are able to withstand FullHD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels) without problems, with the possibility of playing in 2K or 4K or at a resolution that reaches twice the Full HD with the most powerful and expensive video cards.
- Type of monitor : the size of your monitor is decisive in choosing the video card you want to buy.
With a 20-inch Full HD monitor we can also buy a video card under € 300, sure that we will have the maximum resolution supported without problems with games.
If, on the other hand, we use a huge 30 "4K monitor or we want to play the PC using a 4K TV as a screen, we will also have to spend a lot of money to have a graphics card capable of withstanding the high resolution.
- Video memory : the other important parameter for choosing a video card is the amount of built-in video memory.
The video memory issue is not as simple as one might think, because more memory does not always correspond to a better video card.
You can imagine the memory of the graphics card as a kind of RAM memory (works in a completely similar way, but at much higher frequencies and speeds) in which all the video and 3D data generated by the GPU are stored, waiting to be processed and sent to video output.
As a general rule, the consideration is that the higher the resolution of an image, the higher the amount of memory it consumes .
So playing 1080p with a video card with 2 or 4 GB of video memory we shouldn't have any particular problems, while with 4K it will be necessary to focus on 6 GB of video memory or higher values.
In all this we must not forget the game: the more the game is "vast" from the graphic point of view, the more space it will occupy in the video memory.
- Performance : the video processor (or GPU) exactly like the main processor (or CPU) works at a certain clock speed; speed determines GPU performance but isn't the only parameter to consider.
As the technology of the video cards changes according to the models, also the GPU cannot be a unique parameter to determine if one graphics processor is better or worse than another.
Also consider the number of processing units (CUDA in the case of NVIDIA and GCN in the case of AMD) integrated within the graphics processor: they can make the difference between two apparently similar GPUs in terms of clock speed.
- Cooling system and consumption : in all this we must also consider that a powerful video card may require more energy and therefore a power supply and an adequate cooling system.
Before buying any video card, let's make sure that the power supply provides enough power for all the components of the system and that the cooling system placed on the case is adequate to circulate the air inside, so as to avoid overheating.
- Type of video ports : HDMI and DisplayPort are the most used ports to connect a monitor or TV to the video card, make sure to use only these two technologies in order to obtain the highest quality and highest resolutions without too many problems.
3) Conclusions
If you want a video card that supports HD movies and videos, you don't need to buy an expensive graphics card.
High definition videos can be mkv files but, above all, DVD and Blueray.
All computers, from the software side, can play videos smoothly but, to support HD quality, the important thing to consider is that a good video card will make you see videos more smoothly and without slowing down even at high resolutions.
To know the GPU performance on your computer you can use the GPU-Z program, available for download from the link here -> GPU-Z .
In this way we will be able to obtain a lot of useful information on the video card already present on the PC or on the newly purchased video card.
Choosing the best graphics card is a difficult operation only if you want to use your PC to play the latest generation of games or if you work with 3D graphics programs.
You can buy a new video card on Amazon where there is also the ranking of the best-selling cards and look for the one compatible with your PC; the link to the page dedicated to video cards can be opened here -> Video cards on Amazon .
Before buying any video card it is better to look at the rankings on the best video processors, so you always know which is the latest model and which video card is suitable for us.
A very reliable ranking is available here on Navigaweb at the following link -> Best video cards to buy .
All we have to do is consult it regularly to always find the best video cards currently available on the market.
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