A graphics card is like a miniature version of the computer motherboard. It is a printed Circuit Board that houses a processor, RAM, and other components. The graphics card is often called a graphics processing device or GPU. However, the GPU is a component, though it is the primary defining component of graphics cards.
GPUs are available in two forms:
- An integrated GPU has been built into the motherboard. It cannot be upgraded or replaced. This feature can be found on laptops as well as inexpensive desktop PCs. These graphics could perform better for professional graphics production and gaming tasks.
- A discrete graphics card with a GPU mounts on a video card and slides into a motherboard’s expansion slot. This kind is easy to replace, so that it can be upgraded with newer graphics.
Modern graphics cards have become so sophisticated that they can behave almost like standalone computers. They are capable of doing a massive number of calculations and are the most sophisticated component of a computer.
They can draw 2D graphics (windows and documents) in real-time. The best graphics cards can create realistic, high-resolution 3D graphics without needing pre-rendered content. Because they can manipulate and process large numbers of pixels in real-time, they are crucial for graphics production.
These cards can also perform ray tracing. Ray tracing can be described as a 3D technique that renders scenes by tracking the light beam’s path and accurately modelling the effect on the materials and textures. Ray-traced images are highly realistic. They can only be rendered in advance and require much more processing power. As graphics cards with Ray-tracing capabilities drop in price, video games will rely more on them to deliver cinema-quality visuals that are rendered in real-time.
Types graphics cards
The two leading rival brands that make almost all graphics cards are Nvidia and AMD. No matter what type of graphics cards you have, they are almost always sold by either one of these companies directly or by a third-party company that has licensed their technology.
Because they use the same architecture, finding a graphics chip is much easier. Also, the Nvidia GeForce2070 GPU is guaranteed to behave as expected regardless of whether you purchase it from Asus or MSI, Gigabyte or Nvidia.
AMD is a very close competitor to Nvidia. In some cases, they can outperform each other in performance. As a rule, AMD cards provide a similar performance to Nvidia cards.
Applications for graphics cards
Because of their sophistication and processing power, modern GPUs often outperform the central processing unit (CPU), making them the most powerful and complex component in a computer.
High-end graphic cards perform all the traditional tasks that they’ve been assigned, including rendering the simple graphics that you use every day. They can also render advanced 3D graphics directly in real-time for computer gaming.
Graphic designers use high-end graphics cards. Today, graphics professionals rely on high-end graphics cards for photo, video and graphics production.
Some GPUs used in graphics cards also have the raw processing power to perform other non-graphics functions. For advanced cryptocurrency mining, miners depend on high-end graphics card computers.