Video cards have long become an integral part of any home computer. They are used in phones, tablets and other graphic devices. But over time, they lose their potential, requiring replacement with a fresher product. What types of video cards exist, and how not to make a mistake in choosing among a huge variety of models?
What are GPUs and why are they needed?
Over time, the processors ceased to cope with the tasks assigned to them, and an additional means of processing the graphic stream was required. So the industry has reached a new level - the production of video cards. At the moment, there are hundreds of models of discrete graphics cards, and a significant part of the processors has an integrated graphics core.
Since in modern computers graphics are one of the most important qualities, you need a tool that is able to correctly and quickly process a lot of graphic streams without taking up all the resources of the computer. Therefore, graphic adapters began to be equipped with their own memory, thus increasing the power several times.
Many people believe that discrete graphics cards are the lot of gamers and are content with integrated video on older motherboards.
Discrete Video Adapters
This is the main type of powerful graphics card, supporting many technologies and able to cope with supernatural tasks. In fact, such GPUs are a separate small computer, since they are equipped with their own memory, processor, controllers, and even software. Most removable GPUs have an optional power connector.
This type of video card is quite suitable for powerful games, work in 3D editors and just complex rendering. The main disadvantage of such GPUs is the price. The cost of top-end models is comparable to the cost of an entire mid-range computer, and sometimes exceeds it.
You can use such a video card if you want to get a powerful computer and forget about lags in the game forever, or put up with braking and try a more budget option. What does “integrated” video cards mean, and how are they better?
Integrated systems
In addition to discrete adapters, in desktop PCs you can find integrated GPUs. As the name implies, this card is non-removable and soldered into the circuit at the factory. Video adapters of this type have found their place in smartphones, tablets, ultrabooks and other devices where the use of active cooling is unacceptable. Integrated graphics cards are built in several ways:
- To the motherboard as a separate chip. This type is outdated and is currently practically not used in home equipment.
- The Crystal Central Processing Unit (APU). A quite popular type of video card in recent years, used on many laptops and budget PCs.
In the case of using the APU, it is possible to replace the damaged graphics core with the processor, but such situations are almost never encountered.
Positive and negative sides
Built-in GPUs are forced to use shared computer resources to perform calculations. This means that memory, processor and power are constantly being used. From the point of view of performance, this is not entirely good, because during the maximum load of the GPU, a huge queue is going to be processed for the CPU. The main disadvantage of this type of video adapter is its performance.
However, these shortcomings do not mean that the integrated graphics card is bad. On the contrary, if we consider the positive aspects, then everything becomes much more rosy:
- No extra space in the housing for installation.
- Power is supplied through the module of the motherboard or processor.
- No additional cooling required.
- Served with CPU.
- Several times cheaper than discrete analogues.
Integrated GPUs are reliable enough to last several years, or even survive a hard drive or RAM - you should not worry about their “attachment” to the motherboard.
Also, in the case of using the APU, it is possible to replace the damaged graphics core with the processor.
Or maybe it's still a hybrid?
APU can be installed on both a laptop and desktop PC. This is often confusing when studying the characteristics of a device, thereby provoking the thought: “Wow! The processor immediately with a video card. Give two! ”Sometimes such ignorance leads to disappointment. So which is better - discrete or integrated graphics card?
As a rule, everything that is universal is worse than narrowly targeted things. This is true for APUs. The final choice depends on your needs and capabilities.
For office tasks, a single processor with an integrated graphics core is sufficient. There are enough modern models to watch a high-resolution video, play undemanding games, and even collect a gif. But while working in text editors and e-mail, you don’t remember at all that your processor is “hybrid”. It makes no sense to pay for discrete video cards for the sake of gatherings on the Internet.
Modern discrete cards
The first video cards recently had only a few megabytes of memory, and today the volume of the most productive models reaches 12 GB! New types of video cards for PC support signal output in several ways:
- DVI
- HDMI
- Display Port;
- and VGA, which is gradually becoming obsolete.
Connectors can be interchangeable through adapters. So, DVI output can be done on an old monitor with VGA and vice versa.
One top-end GTX Titan X card consumes up to 250 watts at maximum load, which requires a powerful power supply with special outputs for the video card. Therefore, the GPU needs powerful cooling. It got to the point that top models began to be equipped with turbines and water systems.
Technology and Compatibility
There are systems that contain two video cards, for example, integrated and discrete, capable of working in parallel with each other. This is well developed by AMD (Dual Graphics technology). It allows you to combine the resources of the APU with any model of AMD graphics cards to provide higher performance.
Of similar technologies, Cross Fire can be noted, which allows you to summarize the power of discrete graphics cards, and SLI is the same, only for NVidia. To put this technology into practice, you must have a motherboard that supports one or both of these functions.
In most cases, motherboards and video cards are compatible in any combination, with the exception of video cards with the old AGP connector, which you can’t even find. Modern GPUs have a PCI-E port, which has several advantages over AGP.
In pursuit of innovation
Modern top-end discrete cards support 8K resolution and can work with a large number of monitors. Also in top models integrated support for virtual reality. We will not go into the details of the selection, but only consider the priority parameters for discrete GPUs.
Many people believe that the higher the memory, the more powerful the video card, but this is not entirely true. Performance is determined by all of the following parameters:
- The amount of video memory. Treat the selection rationally. Think about what the computer will be used for, how soon the card will be replaced, maybe SLI / Crossfire is better.
- Bus frequency - the higher, the faster the memory.
- The manufacturing process - the less the better.
- The number of shader units.
- Cooling system.
- Motherboard and CPU.
In the most modern games, as of 2017, 8 GB of video will be quite enough, and 6 GB will be enough for most of them.
The types and characteristics of modern video cards are so diverse that it becomes too difficult to choose a specific set of adapter and processor. But there is an optimal solution - buy iron about one year of release and class.
Usually it makes no sense to build a computer on top-end equipment only for new games. Top-end machines can be considered the working tool of those who deal with video editing and other serious computing. Sometimes, an additional GPU can be used for conventional large-volume calculations, paired with a CPU.
Replacing an old card
Probably, 1-2 years after the purchase of a mid-range GPU, it will cease to suit you, and you will want something more. But in order not to replace it with the same thing, you need to find out the current model of a discrete video card:
- Open the device manager.
- Expand the Video Adapters branch. The card will be indicated in the title of the next item.
- If you want more, you can right-click on the name of the map and go to: Properties / Details. The model will immediately be indicated in the window.
Suppose that your video card is burned out and is not defined in the device manager, third-party programs, and all that is is its lifeless carcass. In this case, let's look at how to find out the model of a video card in appearance.
There are several ways:
- Disconnect and remove the card from the PC case.
- On the back of the board is usually a sticker with a barcode and the full name of the product.
- With a high probability you will find the model and logo of the company on a radiator or cooler.
- If there are no labels, then this is strange, but you can continue the search and try to find the model (or any other numbers that are somehow connected with the model) already on the board itself.
- Try a search on the names of the controllers and the inscriptions of the graphic chip (for this you will have to remove the radiator). Searches are unlikely to succeed, but worth a try.
- If you are not sorry for your time, try to find a similar model from the photos.
Different companies have the same model that can radically differ in design, which greatly complicates the search.
Mobile platforms
Many are sure that a discrete graphics card is a removable item. But for laptop parts, this definition is not entirely true. Indeed, laptops with two video cards of different types are more common, only they are both soldered to the motherboard. It turns out that a discrete card is still present and even performs the lion's share of the work, but it is impossible to remove it without a soldering iron. One way or another, they are classified as removable GPUs and fulfill all its responsibilities.
And what is better - a discrete or integrated video card on mobile platforms? It is becoming increasingly difficult to find a laptop that has only one graphics core. And the price of such models is often minimally different from prototypes with discrete cards. Therefore, it makes sense to overpay for additional gigabytes of video memory.
Usually, a common heatsink and only one cooler are used to cool a discrete graphics card and processor. Well, can one fan adequately cool, for example, a system on AMD A10 and a video card of the 9xxx series? In the absence of physical maintenance of the laptop, such "hot" systems often show serious overheating, which significantly harm the equipment.
To summarize
When choosing between two types of video cards, first of all, it is worth considering your needs and budget. If you are a hardcore gamer, then the following items will be important to you:
- The amount of video memory.
- Architecture.
- Frequency.
- Cooling system.
- Background parameters (other characteristics of the video card, computer).
Some high-level cards are often tuned, like the entire system unit, however. There are companies involved in the design of cases and individual components. There you can turn your GTX 1080TI into a true work of art.
If games do not appeal to you, and the choice fell on the APU, then you should consider the general characteristics of the computer and the processor itself.