How to Compare Graphics Card Before Buying

Graphics cards can be categorized differently based upon their features and utility. Thus, when it comes to buying one, there are a whole lot of features and factors to be considered. This includes the standards, pricing and compatibility among others. Here is how you can compare graphics cards before buying.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Check the slot/s supported by your computer. These slots are located on the motherboard of your machine. There are three types of slots—PCI, PCIe and AGP. Remember that older PCs have only PCI and AGP slots. PCIe slots are available in the newer PCs.
2. Assess your need for a graphics card. Check the kind of applications you want to run on your computer. If you plan to use your machine for net-surfing and playing games with 3D images, an AGP card will serve the purpose. A PCIe card will support the above functions and is also suited for video editing. PCI cards have become obsolete as computers have become more graphically oriented.
3. Study the memory space offered by various cards available in market. PCIe cards offer memory space ranging from 64MB to 1GB, while AGP cards offer memory space between 256MB and 1 GB.
4. Learn about the bandwidth of different cards. Memory bandwidth is the speed at which the graphics processor communicates with the graphics memory. A higher memory bandwidth enables faster rendering. AGP slot offers options up to 8x, while a PCIe slot is available in 1x, 4x, 8x, 16x and 32x.
5. Compare the additional features available in graphics cards. Graphics cards offer features like dual monitor support, TV out and DVI facility. TV out facility enables your machine to send video signals to TV. DVI facility allows you to have sharper images using VGA standards. Having a dual monitor support can be useful for people who have to work on one image while keeping the other files open.
6. Finalize the type of card you want based on your need and features of the card.
7. Estimate your budget for buying a graphics card.
8. Compare prices of graphics cards online as well as in computer stores. Look at various Buyers’ guides to understand features, pricing and versions of different graphics cards. For more information, see Resources. These will also give you a list of stores selling graphics cards and the respective price.
9. Search for online vendors using search engines like Google or Yahoo. Know about the features and quality assurance offered by various manufacturers.
10. Browse through popular online stores. For more information, see Resources.

Tips & Warnings

• Browse through product reviews on the Internet before you settle for a particular card.
• Browse through blogs and discussion forums for gamers and advanced graphic designers. These are good sources to understand what types of cards are required for different applications.

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