Jun 18, 2009 02:11 PM
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(Updated Jun 18, 2009 03:42 PM)
*Selecting a video card upgrade can be an intimidating task.Unlessyou’ve kept up with all the GPU announcements and performancereports, it’s practically impossible to know which cards are worth buying.
Read first part
6. You don’t need to spend INR 30, 000
The newest top-end cards comes at INR30, 000 or more, but you can alwaysfind several mid-high-performance cards in the INR8, 000-INR15, 000 range. Thisprice range usually offers the best performance for the money becauseit includes a mix of current-generation enthusiast-level cards as wellas discounted high-end cards from the previous graphics generation.
But for games I recommend card like come in range 2500-8, 000 INR. Check out pipeline and clock speed specifications when comparing twocards from different technology generations. If the specs are roughlythe same, go with the newer card since it’ll have support for moreadvanced features. Newer chip architectures are also more efficient soyou’ll get more performance out of the same number of pipelines.
7. Do you have the power?
System power requirements have become a major concern now that videocards have grown into strong, power-sucking behemoths. Video cardmanufacturers print the power-supply recommendations on the side of thebox. The printed number is often slightly higher than actuallynecessary since it accounts for poor power-supply quality andoverloaded systems. Mid- to high-end single cards usually require a400W or 450W power supply. Requirements for dual-card setups such as aCrossFire Radeon X1900 XTX configuration start at 550W.
8. AGP and PCI Express
Since its introduction two years ago, PCI Express has replaced AGP asthe standard graphics slot in currently shipping systems. PCI Expressoffers two to four times more bandwidth than AGP, and almost all newvideo cards come in the PCI Express format. The GPU manufacturers throwa bone to AGP system owners once in a while with a new GPU like theNvidia GeForce 7800 GS, but all the best equipment comes out for PCIExpress first.
If your PC system is more than two years old, it probably has an AGPslot. Upgrading to PCI Express will be expensive since you’ll need toreplace the motherboard, CPU, and memory, but if your system is morethan two years old, it might just be the right time to upgrade yourentire PC anyway.
9. SLI and CrossFire
You’ll also need PCI Express if you want to upgrade up to a dual videocard configuration. Getting dual-card systems up and running(andshowing performance gains) is a complicated matter. You need to havethe right kind of motherboard, a compatible set of video cards, and apassable power supply.
Nvidia and ATI both offer competing dual-card formats, which requiretheir own specific motherboards. Nvidia introduced SLI(scalable linkinterface) first in 2004, and has used the time since then to solidifythe platform and even build up an SLI certification program for crucialmotherboard, power supply, and memory components. You can pair twoSLI-approved GeForce cards from different manufacturers as long as theGPU types match. ATI launched its CrossFire dual-card technology in2005. As with SLI, CrossFire requires a CrossFire-enabled motherboard, quality memory, and a beefy power supply. Matching ATI cards isslightly more complicated because you need to pair a “CrossFireEdition” card with a “CrossFire Ready” card to get two cards workingtogether.
10. Make sure you actually get a video card
If you’re buying a prebuilt system online, pay careful attention to thevideo card option. If the selection menu only lists “integratedgraphics, ” close the browser window immediately and find another modelthat offers real video card options. Graphics built right onto themotherboard are fine for basic desktop applications like wordprocessing and browsing the Web, but they aren’t powerful enough forgaming unless you consider 15 frames per second at 800×600 acceptableperformance.
Appendix: Term related to Graphics Cards
Framerates: As the term implies, framerate is an indication of how many frames per second your systemcan display. The rate not only varies from game to game, it is alsoaffected by the game's settings and the action taking place at anygiven moment in the game. Framerate is, in some ways, the ultimate testof a video card's speed, so a lot of sites compare cards on this basis.The fastest cards in this regard are usually the most expensive as well.
DirectX:Whileyou may need the latest version of Microsoft DirectX(DX) software torun a game, this doesn't necessarily mean that your card must be fullycompatible with the latest version of DX, you simply won't be able touse certain graphics features. Most new games support cards that havebuilt-in DX 9 features, but will still run on a video card from the DX8 era, for example. When in doubt, look for the specific chipsets thatthe game you want to play supports.
Hardware Transform and Lighting: This has been a standard feature in game-oriented video cards for quite afew years, but there are still PCs around that don't have it. These areusually systems with Intel graphics integrated into the motherboard, commonly used in budget laptops and desktops designed for office use.If your desktop doesn't have hardware T&L and you have a graphicscard slot available, adding a newer graphics card could be an option.
Power Consumption: Many cards designed for gaming require a considerable amount of power, andthey often have additional power connectors on them because they can'tget enough juice through the slot itself. They also require arelatively good power supply, especially for SLI and Crossfire systemswith dual video cards. If you're upgrading to the latest high-end card, you may find yourself upgrading your power supply as well. Powerrequirements are usually stated in the graphics card's specifications.
3D Graphics Accelerators: I still receive the odd question about 3D acceleration, but it's safe tosay that all cards and PCs, including laptops, now have this feature.3D accelerated cards handle a variety of 3D display functions that usedto be sent the CPU for processing, which makes 3D games run much moresmoothly. Again, this is no longer a concern because you'd have to goback many years to find a system that doesn't have 3D acceleration.
