Choosing a Display Card

The way the market is moving, display cards could disappear

from the mass market altogether. This is because nowadays, most motherboards

come with onboard graphics. These are as good as–and sometimes even better

than–some lower-end AGP cards available in the market. Plus, due to their

integration with the motherboard, the cost also comes down. For example, an 810

motherboard could cost as low as Rs 3,500, depending on the make.

The Intel 810 motherboard has onboard graphics built into the

chipset, but doesn’t have an AGP port, so you can’t upgrade to a faster

display card. There are two versions of the motherboard–one with 4 MB VRAM,

and another with 8 MB. It supports 3D acceleration, as well as DirectX and

OpenGL functions. So, it’s good enough for normal computer use and lightweight

gaming. Unless you want to buy a PC for a special functions like working on

graphics, or heavy-duty gaming, these motherboards are more than sufficient.

If you do need a faster, better, meaner graphics card, you

need to see the range of AGP cards available. Don’t go for PCI, because

they’re more or less dead. Even if you do find one, chances are that it may

not support the latest 3D features. Entry-level AGP cards in the Indian market

start with 8 MB VRAM. The ones with 4 MB are fast becoming scarce, so we

wouldn’t recommend them. We suggest you go for one with 16 MB VRAM if you want

better game play or faster graphics. You’ll notice a vast difference in the

frame rates with the extra 8 MB of VRAM.

If you want great frame rates, and are also finicky about the

detailing you get on your screen, 32 MB VRAM cards are a better bet. These will

give you finer details and also support larger texture sizes without

compromising on performance. They also give more color depth, and higher refresh

rates and screen resolutions.

Once you’ve decided on how much VRAM to go for, the next

nagging question is which brand to buy. This again depends on the functionality,

features, and performance you want. Today, graphics cards come with additional

functionality like a Video-in port or a TV tuner. Some even come with special 3D

glasses to give a different level of realism to your games.

The latest generation of 32 MB cards are based around a

graphics processing unit (GPU). This takes away some critical functions from the

CPU, like transformation and lighting, etc, hence increasing overall

performance. You could get one of these if you have deep pockets, and don’t

want to compromise on performance in any way.

Finally, before buying a card, ensure that its drivers

support both DirectX and OpenGL. We found several good cards without support for

OpenGL, and Quake III Arena just wouldn’t run on them.

Anil Chopra