A graphics card (video card) generates output images for display in a personal computer. In essence, it translates the data in your processor into actual images that you see on the screen. It’s like the art department of the computer. The processor specifies what kind of images it wants to project and the graphics card produces those images on the screen. The same principle happens with 3D data but the work is much more complicated on that regard.
Which should you buy?
The video card that you buy can affect the quality of the display as well as the speed of transmission of images. If you use your computer to play games, it’s best to go for one that has a lot of memory. For this same reason, make sure that the product you’re about to buy has 3D acceleration capabilities for better gaming performance. However, if you use the computer mainly for e-mail and web surfing, then you don’t need a high-end graphics card.
To evaluate a video card’s performance, all you need to do is look at its frame rate which is measured in frames per second (FPS). Fast action games require at least 60 FPS for frame rate. It’s also best if the graphics card is supported by impressive hardware. Your CPU as well as your motherboard’s performance is important for the video card to effectively transmit the images from your games.
Installation
Make sure that you remove your old video card drivers before you install the new one. Otherwise, you may be encountering compatibility problems between your old and new graphics card. Don’t forget to install the new drivers right after inserting the hardware. For high-end video cards, you may need to upgrade on your processor so make sure that your computer is properly updated before purchasing your new video card.