A video card is hardware that outputs visual images to a monitor or projector. It can be used to add or upgrade a computer’s existing video output and can come in various forms. Video cards can be used for different purposes, such as upgrading graphics systems for gaming or professional audio-visual use. Popular manufacturers include AMD, eVGA, HP, and Alienware, with popular brands being GeForce, Radeon, and NVidia. Checking specifications when purchasing new display hardware can help determine the quality of the sound card.
Also called a video card or video expansion card, a video card is a type of hardware that you install into an existing computer to output a visual image, usually to a monitor or projector. In addition to a monitor, every computer needs some kind of video adapter to display any image. The adapter can be used to add video output to a computer without video output, or it can be used to change or upgrade a computer’s existing video output. This type of hardware can come in the form of a simple plug or a complex video device.
When it comes to computers, a display refers to the video output device, most often a monitor, and the hardware in the computer that orchestrates the monitor’s image, usually called a video card or graphics card. As a unit, the parts of the computer setup that create an image are collectively called the display. Whether the hardware is a simple socket or a professional video card, a display adapter can be any piece of hardware that upgrades or adapts the chain of hardware that makes up a display.
Video card devices can be of many types for many purposes. Some computer users use the term video adapter to describe an adapter connector for a display device. An adapter plug that changes a connection from a standard video graphics array (VGA) to a digital video interface (DVI) is an example of a simple display adapter. This type of adapter allows you to use hardware with inputs other than those used by your computer’s graphics card.
Some adapters modify a video setup to give the user the ability to switch between different video inputs from multiple computers or split the feed from one video card to multiple monitors. Other adapters are used to completely upgrade a graphics system, often to install a more powerful display system. Many users use these adapters to upgrade hardware to handle features such as 3D computer graphics for computer games and professional audio-visual plugs and sockets for users who want to upload video to their computer.
Manufacturers that produce video cards include Advanced Micro Devices® (AMD), eVGA®, Hewlett-Packard® (HP), and Alienware®. Popular video card brands include GeForce®, Radeon® and NVidia®. Video card manufacturers make different models of sound cards ranging from basic to professional; each sound card has its own level of output quality and computer power requirements. When purchasing new display hardware, checking the specifications can help a user determine which sound card is of the highest quality. Hardware specifications are usually listed on the side of the product packaging or on the hardware manufacturer’s website.
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