Choosing A Graphics Card For Your Pc

By Author: Alduin Montagno
Total Articles: 22
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If you're trying to build a new computer, or simply looking to upgrade your current configuration, you'll eventually want to get a graphics card. Now it's pretty easy to simply forget about it and settle for an onboard video card. But this simply won't do if your software or games rely heavily upon the visual power of your desktop.You have to get a few things straight before getting to choose a graphics card. First and foremost, you'll have to think about what you'll be using your computer for.If you simply want a decent computer to surf the web, then even an onboard video card should do, but it's still recommended you use a dedicated video card since most websites have videos nowadays and most of those videos can be watched in HD resolutions.Now for a gamer, it is imperative they use a dedicated graphics card. An integrated GPU simply cannot face modern demanding games. Dedicated video cards have their own RAM, or VRAM. The amount of memory they carry will determine how well applications which rely on the video card work.A modern game can require a video card with at least 512 MB of dedicated memory for instance. But if you ...
... simply want every video setting at the maximum, you'll have to dig a little deeper in your pocket for a high end graphics card.Also, mid to high end video cards can be used by people working in video editing or graphic design. The GPU can take in lots of visual calculations needed, so a card with a strong GPU is required here. You shouldn't settle for anything less if your work depends on it.If one piece of software requires a graphics card with at least 512 MB memory, then you should aim at getting one with at least 1GB of dedicated memory, just to make sure that future software updates will be covered.If you're still unsure how to choose the best video card for your computer, one method always works. Get a list of all your software and games you want to use and look up their system requirements. You'll end up with two lists. The first one should be the one containing the minimum system requirements list and the second one should contain the recommended system requirements list, so you'll have two options in the end really.To choose the best video card, all you have to do is determine which software or games are the most demanding one in terms of hardware resources and build your computer around that. If you choose to stay on the safe side with your budget, you'll most likely choose the minimum system requirements list.Getting a graphics card according to a minimum system requirements list won't guarantee you'll play the latest game at the highest graphics settings, but at least the game will run on your system.You have to figure out your budget limits before jumping in and purchasing a new video card.Getting optimal graphics for gaming can be difficult depending on what game you are playing. If you're playing The Secret World be sure to check out our tips and tricks on our blog at http://tswgameguides.com/