Saturday 29 August 2009

How Graphics Cards Operate

By Jim Samposzi

When one is watching a video clip or feature, he/she are usually unaware of the forces going on behind the scenes to bring on the display of the video. There is good amount more than just analyzing, playing, and transforming the signal into something readable. Whether it is a simple text animation or a complex 3-D rendering, video cards allow you to view videos and other media on the computer.

A chip for video is sometimes referred to as: display adapter, graphics card, or graphics accelerator card. In short, the machine picks up the data from the file and sends it to the video chip card, in the expansion slot, to process the data and return a display to the monitor. This process happens rapidly before it is noticed; most video cards reduce flickers and dead spots.

Video cards usually have input areas in the back to support various devices or media players. These ports basically connect the device to the computer so that it can send video to it for processing and display. Some of the most well-known ports include:

* Video Graphics Array (VGA) - This is common to many computers and is not seen on machines today. It looks similar to a rectangle box slot with holes in the center. This is the oldest of output for video technology and is not used anymore because the quality is not as good.

* Video In / Video Out (VIVO) and S-Video - This series of sockets allow for 3-D rendering by transcribing this information into computer language. These kind are seen more in computers nowadays and support a clear picture, LCD, and plasma. The socket round and have dots in the middle. Most machines and monitors label this as S video.

* High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) - HDMI is a bit more high-tech and supports games and movie files. This type of input allows for security over intellectual properties.

* Display Port - These types are the newest technology in video connection and is known to be capable of putting all other connections to rest. It supports seamless video rendering without interruption.

Whatever connection is being put to use, computers all analyze and generate video from a microchip. The chip set of this card includes components that make it work. These components are: video bios, video memory, and RAMDAC (Random Access Memory Digital to Analog Converter). The video bios exists as a simple guideline of how the PC has to process, read, and display the video. The video memory then kicks in to allow for streaming. Finally, the RAMDAC converts an analog signal to one of a digital data type so the machine can show the video. Although some computers no longer need RAMDAC, due to the creation of monitors with this capability already included, though all PCs still need it to run the video clip.

Not all individuals that play videos know exactly how it is working. Most people like being able to access videos in seconds. The processes aforementioned calculate so quickly that the viewer never notices them. However, there is much more than meets the eye when you click play on your media player.

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