Hardware Reference
In-Depth Information
• Unless you run graphics-intensive games, 3D graphics performance is un-
important. Any recent video adapter is more than fast enough for busi-
ness applications and casual gaming. Even integrated video, let alone any
current standalone video adapter, is fast enough to support the 3D require-
ments of the Windows Aero Glass interface.
• Choose integrated video unless there is good reason not to. Integrated video
adds little or nothing to the price of a motherboard, and generally suffices
for anyone except hardcore gamers or those with other special video re-
quirements. Make sure any motherboard you buy allows integrated video
to be disabled and provides a PCI Express slot, though. That way, you can
upgrade the video later if you need to by installing a separate video card.
• Make sure that the video adapter you choose (or the integrated video
on your motherboard) provides the type of video output connector you
need. Nearly all displays provide a 15-pin analog (DSUB) VGA connector.
All but the least expensive displays also provide a DVI connector, which
may be analog, digital, or hybrid. Some displays provide an HDMI connec-
tor, which may or may not be HDCP-enabled.
•
If you plan to use dual displays, make sure that your integrated video or
video adapter supports dual displays, and that it provides the type of vid-
eo connectors you need for both displays. Note that some video adapters
provide one analog and one digital video connector, but allow only one
of those to operate at a time. The most flexible choice is a card with dual
DVI-I hybrid video connectors, which support both analog and digital dis-
plays, or dual HDMI connectors.
•
If you need a 3D graphics adapter, don't overbuy. A $400 video adapter
is faster than a $100 adapter, but nowhere near four times faster. As with
other PC components, the bang-for-the-buck ratio drops quickly as the
price climbs. If you need better 3D graphics performance than integrated
video provides but you don't have much in the budget for a video adapt-
er, look at “obsolescent” 3D video adapters—those a generation or two
out of date. If you buy an older adapter, make sure the level of DirectX it
supports is high enough to support the games you play.
• Make sure that the adapter you choose has drivers available for the op-
erating system you intend to use. This is particularly important if you run
Linux, BSD, or another OS with limited driver support.
•
In any case, but particularly if you will use a large, high-resolution display,
make certain the video adapter and its drivers support the native resolu-
tion of the display. For example, if the highest resolution supported by
your video adapter is 1920
×
1080, you will not be pleased with the image
quality from that adapter on your expensive new 30” 2560
×
1600 display.
•
If you want to use dual displays, it simplifies matters to install a video card
that has two identical video outputs (preferably digital) and connect it to two
identical displays. It's often possible to configure a mixed environment—for
example, one integrated video output and one video output from a sepa-
rate video adapter driving two dissimilar displays—but doing so makes
configuring the system more complex.