How to choose a graphics card for your PC

A graphics card is mainly composed of a processor, GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), and memory.

The graphics card is in itself a small PC dedicated to graphics applications, independent of the rest of the PC, the only link being the information passing through the port graphic and food.

Choosing a card is based on its needs and its budget:

• For desktop applications, a map called "entry level" enough;
• For multimedia applications, a map can read the desired video format is imperative;
• For 3D video games (and generally all 3D applications), one more powerful is essential.

Structure of a graphics card

The essential component that will determine the performance of the graphics card is the GPU:
A modern GPU is based on different units calculation:

• Processors Flow
• Texturing units,
• Raster units (ROPS).

The most important are the processors flows over the number of processors flow is important, the GPU will be more powerful (for architecture).
The model number on the card is linked to the GPU.

To enable the GPU to store its calculations, there are memory:

• It varies in quantity:
  
  • 256 MB enough for the tickets range of previous generations;
  • 512 MB is sufficient for most current cards graphics;
  • 1GB is needed for cards with a very powerful GPU, the GTX 280;
  • Broadly speaking, the more you play in high resolution and filtering enabled, you need more memory.
• It varies in type:
  
  • DDR2, DDR3, DDR4 or DDR5: The higher the figure, the greater the memory is fast. His type does not relate to that used for RAM PC: you can have a PC in DDR2 and DDR3 graphics card.
  
  
• Its frequency:
  
  • Plus it is high, the card is more powerful.

Finally, to link GPU and memory is the memory bus.
The width of this bus is important: it may be 64, 128, 256, 384 and 512 bits: over the bus is large, most trade between the GPU and memory will be rapid. A map to 256-bit bus is efficient at a map of 128-bit bus for the same GPU.

Performance video graphics cards
For reading the various video formats, decode the format by the graphics card is as follows:

• MPEG-2: all ATI X series in 1000 and beyond, all GeForce 7000 series and beyond are capable
• MPEG4/H.264: all ATI HD 2000 series (except for HD 2900) and beyond, all GeForce 8000 series (except old 8800) and beyond are capable
• VC-1: all ATI HD 3000 and the GeForce 9000 series (except 9600 GT) are capable of.

MPEG-2 on DVD standard, the MPEG-4/h.264 and VC-1 Microsoft concern HD DVD and Blue Ray.

Advice before choosing

I draw your attention to 2 points:

• Once the GPU chosen, attention to classic trap on the amount of memory:
  
  
  
  • Take a graphics card with lots of RAM is useless if the GPU is less powerful: for example, 1GB are unnecessary for an ATI HD 4670, or an nVidia 9500 GT, it's best 512 MB DDR3 that 1GB of DDR2;
  
  
• Do not take a very powerful graphics card if you have a PC a little old, because the CPU can limit the graphics card, it called the "CPU limited, it is mainly those who play on screen 17 or 19"
  
  
  • For example, with a P4 3 GHz, still fairly common, it does not really take over a HD 3850 to play in 1280,
    
  • Similarly, with a X2 4800 + at 2.4 Ghz, an HD 3850 is already somewhat limited, it is not really interesting to take a more powerful 9600 GT for play on a 19 ",
    
  • The CPU Limited also comes with 2 PC graphics cards coupled high-end (SLI, CrossFire), it is advisable to have a Dual Core to 4 Ghz (overclocked) or Quad Core 3GHz.

Choice of equipment

End 2008 for the entry-level player, I recommend at the Sapphire ATI HD4670 512MB to around 75 €, or Sapphire HD3850 512MB DDR3 less than 80 €, and in the nVidia Gainward Bliss 9600 GT 512MB, that the there are 85 €.
Associated with a E7200 or a X2 6000 +, they give satisfaction to the players "casual" with a screen of 17 or 19 inches.
Online players will settle for a less powerful card as the GeForce 9500 GT or the HD3650, online games is generally poorly demanding system resources (attention Exceptions).
To update a PC with AGP, the choice may be on the HD 3650 AGP about 75 € or HD 3850 AGP about 100 € (attention to the compatibility if your PC is really old).

The mid-range is represented by the 9800 series at nVidia, and HD 4800 series from ATI.
HD 4850, to 140 €, probably wins the prize for the best price / performance ratio currently.
Do not hesitate to take the Gainward dual slot, better GPU cooling. The Golden Sample is overclockée of origin. The HD 4830 is a streamlined version.
At nVidia, the XFX 9800 GTX, 150 €, slightly overclockée of origin, is also a good choice.
Coupled with an E in 8400 or X2 6400 +, these cards can play without problems on a screen of 19 to 22 inches.

In high-end, I recommend the ATI at Sapphire HD 4870 512 MB to 200 € and in the nVidia GTX 260 to about 250 €.
The 1GB version of the HD4870 is not much, even in high-resolution filtering enabled.

The very high end is represented by the cards to 2 GPU, as the 9800 GX2, or HD 4870 X2, and the GTX 280 of nVidia in the HD4870x2 map is the most powerful of the moment Filtering enabled.
These cards are designed for screens 22 to 30 inches.
Solutions for high-end dual-GPU SLI or CrossFire or, I advise combined with a Quad Core Q9550, whose price has fallen this summer, if you do not want to be CPU Limited.