Graphics adapter

A graphics adapter, also known as a graphics accelerator or video card, is an expansion card that processes data and

then passes it on to your monitor for display. Unless your PC has onboard video, your monitor will be plugged into the part of the graphics card that is accessible through the back of the case.

Graphics adapters are now available to fit into three different types of expansion slots on your PC's motherboard. A PCI graphics adapter plugs into a PCI (Peripheral Component Interface) slot and the newer types plug into either an AGP (Advanced Graphics Port) or AGP Pro slot. The newer AGP and AGP Pro slots were developed specifically for graphics adapters and have the ability to transfer certain types of data at much faster rates than the older PCI slot is capable of. The trade off with AGP and AGP Pro slots is that they are not multi-use as PCI slots are. They are designed specifically for graphics

adapters only.

There are many different types and brands of graphics adapters available today and there are many different combinations of capabilities and features that may be included in each. All will have their own built in graphics chipset designed to handle graphical data and all will have their own built in memory (RAM). Some even have their own built in processor to handle some of the calculations that would normally be performed by your system's CPU.

Some are excellent at presenting 2D (two dimensional) graphics such as office applications, the Windows® GUI (graphical user interface), etc, others are excellent at presenting 3D (three dimensional) graphics for 3D games, 3D design programs, etc. Others might excel in the presentation of video such as streaming web content, DVD movies, home movies shot with a digital video camera, etc. Then there are some that have combinations of two or more of these capabilities all wrapped up in a single card.

Choosing a graphics adapter can be a tricky decision to make, especially with all these features to take into consideration. The graphics adapter that is right for may be decided upon by either price or included features, or a combination of the two, depending on your specific needs or the amount of money you are prepared to spend. The prices can range from only a hundred dollars or so for a basic 2D/3D model, to several hundred for a high-end 3D adapter and all the way up to several thousand for a top of the line professional workstation model.

CPU

A computer is only as good as its brainpower. The key to that brainpower is the Central Processing Unit (CPU), also known as the microprocessor, or simply, the processor.

The miracle of silicon allows chipmakers to create a brain for your personal computer that is more powerful than many early computers that took up whole rooms. It keeps getting smaller - and smarter - than early computer makers ever dreamed possible. The CPU is what makes it possible for you to join me here on the internet via a computer on your desk at your home or office.