Computer Graphics Card

If your in the market for a computer graphics card here are a few things to consider.

What types of programs and applications you plan to use. 

You should know this prior to choosing a graphics card in order to avoid the hassle later. While choosing a graphics card consider what you would be using it for.

For 2D applications such as word-processing, spreadsheet etc, a basic graphics card with around 8MB or 16MB graphics memory will be sufficient for your needs. Choosing a graphics card (or "video card" as it is sometimes called, without meaning "motion video") can be a complex and confusing issue. For one thing, the choice is often made for you these days by the hardware supplier on the basis of assumptions not known to you and possibly inconsistent with your own real needs.

Another factor to take in to consideration when choosing a graphics card is MPEG capability. Although MPEG video is still not widely used in CBL it is rapidly becoming more common, and is now the only extant standard for high quality hardware-assisted video.

A dedicated graphics is always better than a shared graphics card because it will keep the load away from the computer's core processing power. TV playback, for instance, has modest requirements (although naturally you'll be looking for a graphics card that can take an input from your aerial or satellite box, for instance), while processing the likes of forthcoming HDTV images needs more power.

Often, it's also more visually appealing than anything else that's intended to go inside a computer's case. Lots of high-performance video cards are illustrated or have decorative fans or heat sinks. I'm looking to upgrade my computer with a new graphics card, a GeForce 8800GT, and I will need a new power supply to power it. I understand wattage (I currently have a 450w PSU and I'm probably looking to get a 750w PSU), but I'm really baffled by all the talk of pins and rails .

Try to find the best performing card for your money. Don't fall for the advertising hype, and remember that when buying a graphic card Memory is Not Everything!