Graphics card

Short description: Expansion card which generates a feed of output images to a display device

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A modern high-end consumer graphics card: a Radeon RX 6900 XT from AMD

A graphics card, also known as a video card, display card, graphics accelerator, graphics adapter, VGA card/VGA, video adapter, or display adapter GPU, is a computer expansion card that generates a feed of graphics output to a display device such as a monitor. Graphics cards are sometimes called discrete or dedicated graphics cards to emphasize their distinction to an integrated graphics processor on the motherboard or the central processing unit (CPU). A graphics processing unit (GPU) that performs the necessary computations is the main component in a graphics card, but the acronym "GPU" is sometimes also used to refer to the graphics card as a whole erroneously.[1]

Most graphics cards are not limited to simple display output. The graphics processing unit can be used for additional processing, which reduces the load from the CPU.[2] Additionally, computing platforms such as OpenCL and CUDA allow using graphics cards for general-purpose computing. Applications of general-purpose computing on graphics cards include AI training, cryptocurrency mining, and molecular simulation.[3][4][5]

Usually, a graphics card comes in the form of a printed circuit board (expansion board) which is to be inserted into an expansion slot.[6] Others may have dedicated enclosures, and they are connected to the computer via a docking station or a cable. These are known as external GPUs (eGPUs).

Graphics cards are often preferred over integrated graphics for increased performance. A more powerful graphics card will be able to render more frames per second.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Discrete vs integrated graphics
* 3 Power demand
* 4 Size
* 4.1 GPU sag
* 5 Multicard scaling
* 6 3D graphics APIs
* 6.1 Usage
* 7 Industry
* 8 Market
* 9 Parts
* 9.1 Graphics processing unit
* 9.2 Heat sink
* 9.3 Video BIOS
* 9.4 Video memory
* 9.5 RAMDAC
* 9.6 Output interfaces
* 9.6.1 Video Graphics Array (VGA) (DE-15)
* 9.6.2 Digital Visual Interface (DVI)
* 9.6.3 Video-in video-out (VIVO) for S-Video, composite video and component video
* 9.6.4 High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)
* 9.6.5 DisplayPort
* 9.6.6 USB-C
* 9.6.7 Other types of connection systems
* 9.7 Motherboard interfaces
* 10 See also
* 11 References
* 12 Sources
* 13 External links

## History

Graphics cards, also known as video cards or graphics processing units (GPUs), have historically evolved alongside computer display standards to accommodate advancing technologies and user demands. In the realm of IBM PC compatibles, the early standards included Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA), Color Graphics Adapter (CGA), Hercules Graphics Card, Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA), and Video Graphics Array (VGA). Each of these standards represented a step forward in the ability of computers to display more colors, higher resolutions, and richer graphical interfaces, laying the foundation for the development of modern graphical capabilities.

In the late 1980s, advancements in personal computing led companies like Radius to develop specialized graphics cards for the Apple Macintosh II. These cards were unique in that they incorporated discrete 2D QuickDraw capabilities, enhancing the graphical output of Macintosh computers by accelerating 2D graphics rendering. QuickDraw, a core part of the Macintosh graphical user interface, allowed for the rapid rendering of bitmapped graphics, fonts, and shapes, and the introduction of such hardware-based enhancements signaled an era of specialized graphics processing in consumer machines.

The evolution of graphics processing took a major leap forward in the mid-1990s with 3dfx Interactive's introduction of the Voodoo series, one of the earliest consumer-facing GPUs that supported 3D acceleration. The Voodoo's architecture marked a major shift in graphical computing by offloading the demanding task of 3D rendering from the CPU to the GPU, significantly improving gaming performance and graphical realism.

Within the graphics industry, these products are often referred to as graphics add-in boards (AIBs).[7] The term "AIB" emphasizes the modular nature of these components, as they are typically added to a computer's motherboard to enhance its graphical capabilities. The evolution from the early days of separate 2D and 3D cards to today's integrated and multifunctional GPUs reflects the ongoing technological advancements and the increasing demand for high-quality visual and multimedia experiences in computing.

## Discrete vs integrated graphics

Classical desktop computer architecture with a distinct graphics card over PCI Express. Typical bandwidths for given memory technologies, missing are the memory latency. Zero-copy between GPU and CPU is not possible, since both have their distinct physical memories. Data must be copied from one to the other to be shared.

Integrated graphics with partitioned main memory: a part of the system memory is allocated to the GPU exclusively. Zero-copy is not possible, data has to be copied, over the system memory bus, from one partition to the other.

Integrated graphics with unified main memory, to be found AMD "Kaveri" or PlayStation 4 (HSA)

As an alternative to the use of a graphics card, video hardware can be integrated into the motherboard, CPU, or a system-on-chip as integrated graphics. Motherboard-based implementations are sometimes called "on-board video". Some motherboards support using both integrated graphics and a graphics card simultaneously to feed separate displays. The main advantages of integrated graphics are: low cost, compactness, simplicity, and low energy consumption. Integrated graphics often have less performance than a graphics card because the graphics processing unit inside integrated graphics needs to share system resources with the CPU. On the other hand, a graphics card has a separate random access memory (RAM), cooling system, and dedicated power regulators. A graphics card can offload work and reduce memory-bus-contention from the CPU and system RAM, therefore, the overall performance for a computer could improve, in addition to increased performance in graphics processing. Such improvements to performance can be seen in video gaming, 3D animation, and video editing.[8][9]

Both AMD and Intel have introduced CPUs and motherboard chipsets that support the integration of a GPU into the same die as the CPU. AMD advertises CPUs with integrated graphics under the trademark Accelerated Processing Unit (APU), while Intel brands similar technology under "Intel Graphics Technology".[10]

## Power demand

As the processing power of graphics cards increased, so did their demand for electrical power. Current high-performance graphics cards tend to consume large amounts of power. For example, the thermal design power (TDP) for the GeForce Titan RTX is 280 watts.[11] When tested with video games, the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Founder's Edition averaged 300 watts of power consumption.[12] While CPU and power supply manufacturers have recently aimed toward higher efficiency, power demands of graphics cards continued to rise, with the largest power consumption of any individual part in a computer.[13][14] Although power supplies have also increased their power output, the bottleneck occurs in the PCI-Express connection, which is limited to supplying 75 watts.[15]

As of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 series, Ampere architecture, a custom flashed RTX 3090 named "Hall of Fame" has been recorded to reach a peak power draw as high as 630 watts. A standard RTX 3090 can peak at up to 450 watts. The RTX 3080 can reach up to 350 watts, while a 3070 can reach a similar, if not slightly lower, peak power draw. Ampere cards of the Founders Edition variant feature a "dual axial flow through"[16] cooler design, which includes fans above and below the card to dissipate as much heat as possible towards the rear of the computer case. A similar design was used by the Sapphire Radeon RX Vega 56 Pulse graphics card.[17]

## Size

Graphics cards for desktop computers have different size profiles, which allows graphics cards to be added to smaller-sized computers. Some graphics cards are not of the usual size, and are named as "low profile".[18][19] Graphics card profiles are based on height only, with low-profile cards taking up less than the height of a PCIe slot. Length and thickness can vary greatly, with high-end cards usually occupying two or three expansion slots, and with modern high-end graphics cards such as the RTX 4090 exceeding 300mm in length.[20] A lower profile card is preferred when trying to fit multiple cards or if graphics cards run into clearance issues with other motherboard components like the DIMM or PCIE slots. This can be fixed with a larger computer case such as mid-tower or full tower. Full towers are usually able to fit larger motherboards in sizes like ATX and micro ATX.

### GPU sag

In the late 2010s and early 2020s, some high-end graphics card models have become so heavy that it is possible for them to sag downwards after installing without proper support, which is why many manufacturers provide additional support brackets.[21] GPU sag can damage a GPU in the long term.[21]

## Multicard scaling

Some graphics cards can be linked together to allow scaling graphics processing across multiple cards. This is done using either the PCIe bus on the motherboard or, more commonly, a data bridge. Usually, the cards must be of the same model to be linked, and most low end cards are not able to be linked in this way.[22] AMD and Nvidia both have proprietary scaling methods, CrossFireX for AMD, and SLI (since the Turing generation, superseded by NVLink) for Nvidia. Cards from different chip-set manufacturers or architectures cannot be used together for multi-card scaling. If graphics cards have different sizes of memory, the lowest value will be used, with the higher values disregarded. Currently, scaling on consumer-grade cards can be done using up to four cards.[23][24][25] The use of four cards requires a large motherboard with a proper configuration. Nvidia's GeForce GTX 590 graphics card can be configured in a four-card configuration.[26] As stated above, users will want to stick to cards with the same performances for optimal use. Motherboards including ASUS Maximus 3 Extreme and Gigabyte GA EX58 Extreme are certified to work with this configuration.[27] A large power supply is necessary to run the cards in SLI or CrossFireX. Power demands must be known before a proper supply is installed. For the four card configuration, a 1000+ watt supply is needed.[27] With any relatively powerful graphics card, thermal management cannot be ignored. Graphics cards require well-vented chassis and good thermal solutions. Air or water cooling are usually required, though low end GPUs can use passive cooling. Larger configurations use water solutions or immersion cooling to achieve proper performance without thermal throttling.[28]

SLI and Crossfire have become increasingly uncommon as most games do not fully utilize multiple GPUs, due to the fact that most users cannot afford them.[29][30][31] Multiple GPUs are still used on supercomputers (like in Summit), on workstations to accelerate video[32][33][34] and 3D rendering,[35][36][37][38][39] visual effects,[40][41] for simulations,[42] and for training artificial intelligence.

## 3D graphics APIs

3D rendering API availability across operating systems  OS  | Vulkan | Direct3D | Metal | OpenGL | OpenGL ES | OpenCL

|
|
|
|
|
|

Windows | Yes  | Microsoft

| No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes
macOS, iOS and iPadOS | MoltenVK

| No  | Apple

| MacOS

| iOS/iPadOS

| Apple

Linux | Yes  | Alternative
Implementations

| No  | Yes  | Yes  | Yes
Android | Yes  | No  | No  | Nvidia

| Yes  | Yes
Tizen | In development

| No  | No  | No  | Yes  | N/A
Sailfish OS | In development

| No  | No  | No  | Yes  | N/A

### Usage

GPUs are designed with specific usages in mind, such product lines are categorized here :

1. Gaming
* GeForce GTX
* GeForce RTX
* Nvidia Titan
* Radeon HD
* Radeon RX
* Intel Arc
2. Cloud gaming
* Nvidia Grid
* Radeon Sky
3. Workstation
* Nvidia Quadro
* AMD FirePro
* Radeon Pro
* Intel Arc Pro
4. Cloud Workstation
* Nvidia Tesla
* AMD FireStream
5. Artificial Intelligence Cloud
* Nvidia Tesla
* Radeon Instinct
6. Automated/Driverless car
* Nvidia Drive PX

## Industry

As of 2025, the primary suppliers of the GPUs (graphics chips or chipsets) used in graphics cards are AMD and Nvidia. In the third quarter of 2013, AMD had a 35.5% market share while Nvidia had 64.5%,[43] according to Jon Peddie Research. In economics, this industry structure is termed a duopoly. AMD and Nvidia also build and sell graphics cards, which are termed graphics add-in-boards (AIBs) in the industry. (See Comparison of Nvidia graphics processing units and Comparison of AMD graphics processing units.) In addition to marketing their own graphics cards, AMD and Nvidia sell their GPUs to authorized AIB suppliers, which AMD and Nvidia refer to as "partners".[44] The fact that Nvidia and AMD compete directly with their customer/partners complicates relationships in the industry. AMD and Intel being direct competitors in the CPU industry is also noteworthy, since AMD-based graphics cards may be used in computers with Intel CPUs. Intel's integrated graphics may weaken AMD, in which the latter derives a significant portion of its revenue from its APUs. As of the second quarter of 2013, there were 52 AIB suppliers.[44] These AIB suppliers may market graphics cards under their own brands, produce graphics cards for private label brands, or produce graphics cards for computer manufacturers. Some AIB suppliers such as MSI build both AMD-based and Nvidia-based graphics cards. Others, such as EVGA, build only Nvidia-based graphics cards, while XFX, now builds only AMD-based graphics cards. Several AIB suppliers are also motherboard suppliers. Most of the largest AIB suppliers are based in Taiwan and they include ASUS, MSI, GIGABYTE, and Palit. Hong Kong–based AIB manufacturers include Sapphire and Zotac. Sapphire and Zotac also sell graphics cards exclusively for AMD and Nvidia GPUs respectively.[45]

## Market

Graphics card shipments peaked at a total of 114 million in 1999. By contrast, they totaled 14.5 million units in the third quarter of 2013, a 17% fall from Q3 2012 levels.[43] Shipments reached an annual total of 44 million in 2015. The sales of graphics cards have trended downward due to improvements in integrated graphics technologies; high-end, CPU-integrated graphics can provide competitive performance with low-end graphics cards. At the same time, graphics card sales have grown within the high-end segment, as manufacturers have shifted their focus to prioritize the gaming and enthusiast market.[45][46]

Beyond the gaming and multimedia segments, graphics cards have been increasingly used for general-purpose computing, such as big data processing.[47] The growth of cryptocurrency has placed a severely high demand on high-end graphics cards, especially in large quantities, due to their advantages in the process of cryptocurrency mining. In January 2018, mid- to high-end graphics cards experienced a major surge in price, with many retailers having stock shortages due to the significant demand among this market.[46][48][49] Graphics card companies released mining-specific cards designed to run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and without video output ports.[5] The graphics card industry took a setback due to the 2020–21 chip shortage.[50]

## Parts

A Radeon HD 7970 with the main heatsink removed, showing the major components of the card. The large, tilted silver object is the GPU die, which is surrounded by RAM chips, which are covered in extruded aluminum heatsinks. Power delivery circuitry is mounted next to the RAM, near the right side of the card.

A modern graphics card consists of a printed circuit board on which the components are mounted. These include:

### Graphics processing unit

A half-height graphics card

### Heat sink

### Video BIOS

### Video memory

Type  | Memory clock rate (MHz)  | Bandwidth (GB/s)

|
|

DDR | 200–400  | 1.6–3.2
DDR2 | 400–1066  | 3.2–8.533
DDR3 | 800–2133  | 6.4–17.066
DDR4 | 1600–4866  | 12.8–25.6
DDR5 | 4000-8800  | 32-128
GDDR4 | 3000–4000  | 160–256
GDDR5 | 1000–2000  | 288–336.5
GDDR5X | 1000–1750  | 160–673
GDDR6 | 1365–1770  | 336–672
HBM | 250–1000  | 512–1024

The memory capacity of most modern graphics cards ranges from 2 to 24 GB.[51] But with up to 32 GB as of the late 2010s, the applications for graphics use are becoming more powerful and widespread. Since video memory needs to be accessed by the GPU and the display circuitry, it often uses special high-speed or multi-port memory, such as VRAM, WRAM, SGRAM, etc. Around 2003, the video memory was typically based on DDR technology. During and after that year, manufacturers moved towards DDR2, GDDR3, GDDR4, GDDR5, GDDR5X, and GDDR6. The effective memory clock rate in modern cards is generally between 2 and 15 GHz.

### RAMDAC

The RAMDAC, or random-access-memory digital-to-analog converter, converts digital signals to analog signals for use by a computer display that uses analog inputs such as cathode-ray tube (CRT) displays. The RAMDAC is a kind of RAM chip that regulates the functioning of the graphics card. Depending on the number of bits used and the RAMDAC-data-transfer rate, the converter will be able to support different computer-display refresh rates. With CRT displays, it is best to work over 75 Hz and never under 60 Hz, to minimize flicker.[52] (This is not a problem with liquid-crystal displays, as they have little to no flicker. ) Due to the growing popularity of digital computer displays and the integration of the RAMDAC onto the GPU die, it has mostly disappeared as a discrete component. All current LCD/plasma monitors and TVs and projectors with only digital connections work in the digital domain and do not require a RAMDAC for those connections. There are displays that feature analog inputs (VGA, component, SCART, etc.) only. These require a RAMDAC, but they reconvert the analog signal back to digital before they can display it, with the unavoidable loss of quality stemming from this digital-to-analog-to-digital conversion.[citation needed] ut in favor of digital formats, RAMDACs have started to disappear from graphics cards.[citation needed]

A Radeon HD 5850 with a DisplayPort, HDMI and two DVI ports

### Output interfaces

Video-in video-out (VIVO) for S-Video (TV-out), Digital Visual Interface (DVI) for high-definition television (HDTV), and DE-15 for Video Graphics Array (VGA)

The most common connection systems between the graphics card and the computer display are:

#### Video Graphics Array (VGA) (DE-15)

Video Graphics Array (DE-15)

Main article: Video Graphics Array

Also known as D-sub, VGA is an analog-based standard adopted in the late 1980s designed for CRT displays, also called VGA connector. Today, the VGA analog interface is used for high definition video resolutions including 1080p and higher. Some problems of this standard are electrical noise, image distortion and sampling error in evaluating pixels. While the VGA transmission bandwidth is high enough to support even higher resolution playback, the picture quality can degrade depending on cable quality and length. The extent of quality difference depends on the individual's eyesight and the display; when using a DVI or HDMI connection, especially on larger sized LCD/LED monitors or TVs, quality degradation, if present, is prominently visible. Blu-ray playback at 1080p is possible via the VGA analog interface, if Image Constraint Token (ICT) is not enabled on the Blu-ray disc.

#### Digital Visual Interface (DVI)

Digital Visual Interface (DVI-I)

Main article: Digital Visual Interface

Digital Visual Interface is a digital-based standard designed for displays such as flat-panel displays (LCDs, plasma screens, wide high-definition television displays) and video projectors. There were also some rare high-end CRT monitors that use DVI. It avoids image distortion and electrical noise, corresponding each pixel from the computer to a display pixel, using its native resolution. Most manufacturers include a DVI-I connector, allowing (via simple adapter) standard RGB signal output to an old CRT or LCD monitor with VGA input.

#### Video-in video-out (VIVO) for S-Video, composite video and component video

VIVO connector

Main article: Engineering:Video-in video-out

These connectors are included to allow connection with televisions, DVD players, video recorders and video game consoles. They often come in two 10-pin mini-DIN connector variations, and the VIVO splitter cable generally comes with either 4 connectors (S-Video in and out plus composite video in and out), or 6 connectors (S-Video in and out, component YPBPR out and composite in and out).

#### High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)

High-Definition Multimedia Interface

Main article: Engineering:HDMI

HDMI is a compact audio/video interface for transferring uncompressed video data and compressed/uncompressed digital audio data from an HDMI-compliant device ("the source device") to a compatible digital audio device, computer monitor, video projector, or digital television.[53] HDMI is a digital replacement for existing analog video standards. HDMI supports copy protection through HDCP.

#### DisplayPort

DisplayPort

Main article: DisplayPort

DisplayPort is a digital display interface developed by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). The interface is primarily used to connect a video source to a display device such as a computer monitor, though it can also be used to transmit audio, USB, and other forms of data.[54] The VESA specification is royalty-free. VESA designed it to replace VGA, DVI, and LVDS. Backward compatibility to VGA and DVI by using adapter dongles enables consumers to use DisplayPort fitted video sources without replacing existing display devices. Although DisplayPort has a greater throughput of the same functionality as HDMI, it is expected to complement the interface, not replace it.[55][56]

#### USB-C

USB-C is an extensible connector used for USB, display port, thunderbolt, power delivery. The USB-C is a 24 pin reversible connector that supersedes previous USB connectors. Some newer graphics cards use USB-C ports for versatility.[57]

#### Other types of connection systems

Type  | Connector  | Description

|
|

Composite video |  | For display on analog systems with SD resolutions (PAL or NTSC)[58] the RCA connector output can be used. The single pin connector carries all resolution, brightness and color information, making it the lowest quality dedicated video connection.[59] Depending on the card the SECAM color system might be supported, along with non-standard modes like PAL 60 or NTSC 50.
S-Video |  | For display on analog systems with SD resolutions (PAL or NTSC), the S-video cable carries two synchronized signal and ground pairs, termed Y and C, on a four-pin mini-DIN connector. In composite video, the signals co-exist on different frequencies. To achieve this, the luminance signal must be low-pass filtered, dulling the image. As S-Video maintains the two as separate signals, such detrimental low-pass filtering for luminance is unnecessary, although the chrominance signal still has limited bandwidth relative to component video.
7P  |  | Non-standard 7-pin mini-DIN connectors (termed "7P") are used in some computer equipment (PCs and Macs). A 7P socket accepts and is pin compatible with a standard 4-pin S-Video plug.[60] The three extra sockets may be used to supply composite (CVBS), an RGB or YPbPr video signal, or an I²C interface.[60][61]
8-pin mini-DIN  |  | The 8-pin mini-DIN connector is used in some ATI Radeon video cards.[62]
Component video |  | It uses three cables, each with an RCA connector (YCBCR for digital component, or YPBPR for analog component); it is used in older projectors, video-game consoles, and DVD players.[63] It can carry SDTV 480i/576i and EDTV 480p/576p resolutions, and HDTV resolutions 720p and 1080i, but not 1080p due to industry concerns about copy protection. Its graphics quality is equivalent to HDMI for the resolutions it carries,[64] but for best performance for Blu-ray, other 1080p sources like PPV, or 4K Ultra HD, a digital display connector is required.
DB13W3 |  | An analog standard once used by Sun Microsystems, SGI and IBM.
DMS-59  |  | A connector that provides a DVI or VGA output on a single connector.
DE-9  |  | The historical connector used by EGA and CGA graphics cards is a female nine-pin D-subminiature (DE-9). The signal standard and pinout are backward-compatible with CGA, allowing EGA monitors to be used on CGA cards and vice versa.

### Motherboard interfaces

Main articles: Engineering:Bus (computing) and Expansion card

ATI Graphics Solution Rev 3 from 1985/1986, supporting Hercules graphics. As can be seen from the PCB the layout was done in 1985, whereas the marking on the central chip CW16800-A says "8639" meaning that chip was manufactured week 39, 1986. This card is using the ISA 8-bit (XT) interface.

Chronologically, connection systems between graphics card and motherboard were, mainly:

* S-100 bus: Designed in 1974 as a part of the Altair 8800, it is the first industry-standard bus for the microcomputer industry.
* ISA: Introduced in 1981 by IBM, it became dominant in the marketplace in the 1980s. It is an 8- or 16-bit bus clocked at 8 MHz.
* NuBus: Used in Macintosh II, it is a 32-bit bus with an average bandwidth of 10 to 20 MB/s.
* MCA: Introduced in 1987 by IBM it is a 32-bit bus clocked at 10 MHz.
* EISA: Released in 1988 to compete with IBM's MCA, it was compatible with the earlier ISA bus. It is a 32-bit bus clocked at 8.33 MHz.
* VLB: An extension of ISA, it is a 32-bit bus clocked at 33 MHz. Also referred to as VESA.
* PCI: Replaced the EISA, ISA, MCA and VESA buses from 1993 onwards. PCI allowed dynamic connectivity between devices, avoiding the manual adjustments required with jumpers. It is a 32-bit bus clocked 33 MHz.
* UPA: An interconnect bus architecture introduced by Sun Microsystems in 1995. It is a 64-bit bus clocked at 67 or 83 MHz.
* USB: Although mostly used for miscellaneous devices, such as secondary storage devices or peripherals and toys, USB displays and display adapters exist. It was first used in 1996.
* AGP: First used in 1997, it is a dedicated-to-graphics bus. It is a 32-bit bus clocked at 66 MHz.
* PCI-X: An extension of the PCI bus, it was introduced in 1998. It improves upon PCI by extending the width of bus to 64 bits and the clock frequency to up to 133 MHz.
* PCI Express: Abbreviated as PCIe, it is a point-to-point interface released in 2004. In 2006, it provided a data-transfer rate that is double of AGP. It should not be confused with PCI-X, an enhanced version of the original PCI specification. This is standard for most modern graphics cards.

The following table is a comparison between features of some interfaces listed above.

Bus  | Width (bits)  | Clock rate (MHz)  | Bandwidth (MB/s)  | Style

|
|
|
|

ISA XT | 8  | 4.77  | 8  | Parallel
ISA AT | 16  | 8.33  | 16  | Parallel
MCA | 32  | 10  | 20  | Parallel
NUBUS | 32  | 10  | 10–40  | Parallel
EISA | 32  | 8.33  | 32  | Parallel
VESA | 32  | 40  | 160  | Parallel
PCI | 32–64  | 33–100  | 132–800  | Parallel
AGP 1x | 32  | 66  | 264  | Parallel
AGP 2x | 32  | 66  | 528  | Parallel
AGP 4x | 32  | 66  | 1000  | Parallel
AGP 8x | 32  | 66  | 2000  | Parallel
PCIe x1 | 1  | 2500 / 5000  | 250 / 500  | Serial
PCIe x4 | 1 × 4  | 2500 / 5000  | 1000 / 2000  | Serial
PCIe x8 | 1 × 8  | 2500 / 5000  | 2000 / 4000  | Serial
PCIe x16 | 1 × 16  | 2500 / 5000  | 4000 / 8000  | Serial
PCIe ×1 2.0[65] | 1  |  | 500 / 1000  | Serial
PCIe ×4 2.0 | 1 × 4 |  | 2000 / 4000  | Serial
PCIe ×8 2.0 | 1 × 8 |  | 4000 / 8000  | Serial
PCIe ×16 2.0 | 1 × 16 | 5000 / 10000  | 8000 / 16000  | Serial
PCIe ×1 3.0 | 1  |  | 1000 / 2000  | Serial
PCIe ×4 3.0 | 1 × 4 |  | 4000 / 8000  | Serial
PCIe ×8 3.0 | 1 × 8 |  | 8000 / 16000  | Serial
PCIe ×16 3.0 | 1 × 16 |  | 16000 / 32000  | Serial
PCIe ×1 4.0 | 1  |  | 2000 / 4000  | Serial
PCIe ×4 4.0 | 1 × 4  |  | 8000 / 16000  | Serial
PCIe ×8 4.0 | 1 × 8  |  | 16000 / 32000  | Serial
PCIe ×16 4.0 | 1 × 16  |  | 32000 / 64000  | Serial
PCIe ×1 5.0 | 1  |  | 4000 / 8000  | Serial
PCIe ×4 5.0 | 1 × 4  |  | 16000 / 32000  | Serial
PCIe ×8 5.0 | 1 × 8  |  | 32000 / 64000  | Serial
PCIe ×16 5.0 | 1 × 16  |  | 64000 / 128000  | Serial

## See also

* List of computer hardware
* List of graphics card manufacturers
* List of computer display standards – a detailed list of standards like SVGA, WXGA, WUXGA, etc.
* AMD (ATI), Nvidia – quasi duopoly of 3D chip GPU and graphics card designers
* GeForce, Radeon, Intel Arc – examples of graphics card series
* GPGPU (i.e.: CUDA, AMD FireStream)
* Framebuffer – the computer memory used to store a screen image
* Capture card – the inverse of a graphics card

## References

1. ↑ "What is a GPU?" Intel. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
2. ↑ "ExplainingComputers.com: Hardware" (in en). http://www.explainingcomputers.com/hardware.html.
3. ↑ "OpenGL vs DirectX - Cprogramming.com". https://www.cprogramming.com/tutorial/openglvsdirectx.html.
4. ↑ "Powering Change with Nvidia AI and Data Science". https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/ai-data-science/.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Parrish, Kevin (2017-07-10). "Graphics cards dedicated to cryptocurrency mining are here, and we have the list". https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/graphics-card-for-mining-roundup/.
6. ↑ "Graphic Card Components" (in en-US). pctechguide.com. 2011-09-23. https://www.pctechguide.com/graphics-cards/graphic-card-components.
7. ↑ "Graphics Add-in Board (AIB) Market Share, Size, Growth, Opportunity and Forecast 2024-2032" (in en). https://www.imarcgroup.com/graphics-add-board-market#:~:text=Graphics add-in board (AIB) refers to an electronic,central processing unit (CPU)..
8. ↑ "Integrated vs Dedicated Graphics Cards | Lenovo US". https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/glossary/integrated-vs-dedicated-graphics-cards/. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
9. ↑ Brey, Barry B. (2009). The Intel microprocessors: 8086/8088, 80186/80188, 80286, 80386, 80486, Pentium, Pentium Pro processor, Pentium II, Pentium III, Pentium 4, and Core2 with 64-bit extensions (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson Prentice Hall. ISBN 978-0-13-502645-8. https://userpages.umbc.edu/~squire/intel_book.pdf.
10. ↑ Crijns, Koen (6 September 2013). "Intel Iris Pro 5200 graphics review: the end of mid-range GPUs?". hardware.info. http://us.hardware.info/reviews/4776/18/intel-iris-pro-5200-graphics-review-the-end-of-mid-range-gpus-conclusion.
11. ↑ "Introducing The GeForce GTX 780 Ti". http://www.geforce.com/whats-new/articles/introducing-the-geforce-gtx-780-ti.
12. ↑ "Test Results: Power Consumption For Mining & Gaming - The Best GPUs For Ethereum Mining, Tested and Compared" (in en). Tom's Hardware. 2018-03-30. https://www.tomshardware.co.uk/best-gpus-for-mining-ethereum,review-34279-3.html.
13. ↑ "Faster, Quieter, Lower: Power Consumption and Noise Level of Contemporary Graphics Cards". xbitlabs.com. http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/power-noise.html.
14. ↑ "Video Card Power Consumption". codinghorror.com. 18 August 2006. http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000662.html.
15. ↑ Maxim Integrated Products. "Power-Supply Management Solution for PCI Express x16 Graphics 150W-ATX Add-In Cards". http://www.maxim-ic.com/appnotes.cfm/an_pk/3605.
16. ↑ "Introducing NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series Graphics Cards" (in en-us). https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/news/introducing-rtx-30-series-graphics-cards/.
17. ↑ "NVIDIA GeForce Ampere Architecture, Board Design, Gaming Tech & Software" (in en). 2020-09-04. https://www.techpowerup.com/review/nvidia-geforce-ampere-architecture-board-design-gaming-tech-software/.
18. ↑ "What is a Low Profile Video Card?". Outletapex. https://outletapex.com/best-low-profile-graphics-card.
19. ↑ "Best 'low profile' graphics card". Tom's Hardware. http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/249711-15-best-profile-graphics-card.
20. ↑ "RTX 4090 | GeForce RTX 4090 Graphics Card". GeForce. https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/geforce/graphics-cards/40-series/rtx-4090/.
21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "What is GPU sag, and how to avoid it" (in en). 2023-04-18. https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/what-is-gpu-sag-how-to-avoid/.
22. ↑ "SLI". geforce.com. http://www.geforce.com/hardware/technology/sli/supported-gpus.
23. ↑ "SLI vs. CrossFireX: The DX11 generation". techreport.com. 11 August 2010. http://techreport.com/review/19404/sli-vs-crossfirex-the-dx11-generation.
24. ↑ Adrian Kingsley-Hughes. "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 in quad-SLI configuration benchmarked". ZDNet. http://www.zdnet.com/blog/hardware/nvidia-geforce-gtx-680-in-quad-sli-configuration-benchmarked/19274.
25. ↑ "Head to Head: Quad SLI vs. Quad CrossFireX". Maximum PC. http://www.maximumpc.com/article/features/head_head_quad_sli_vs_quad_crossfirex.
26. ↑ "How to Build a Quad SLI Gaming Rig | GeForce" (in en). https://www.geforce.com/whats-new/guides/how-to-build-a-quad-sli-system#1.
27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 "How to Build a Quad SLI Gaming Rig | GeForce" (in en). https://www.geforce.com/whats-new/guides/how-to-build-a-quad-sli-system#2.
28. ↑ "NVIDIA Quad-SLI|NVIDIA" (in en-us). http://www.nvidia.com/object/slizone_quadsli.html.
29. ↑ Abazovic, Fuad. "Crossfire and SLI market is just 300.000 units". https://www.fudzilla.com/news/graphics/38134-crossfire-and-sli-market-is-just-300-000-units.
30. ↑ "Is Multi-GPU Dead?". January 7, 2018. https://thetechaltar.com/is-multi-gpu-dead/.
31. ↑ "Nvidia SLI and AMD CrossFire is dead – but should we mourn multi-GPU gaming? | TechRadar". 24 August 2019. https://www.techradar.com/news/nvidia-sli-and-amd-crossfire-is-dead-but-should-we-mourn-multi-gpu-gaming.
32. ↑ "Hardware Selection and Configuration Guide". https://documents.blackmagicdesign.com/ConfigGuides/DaVinci_Resolve_15_Mac_Configuration_Guide.pdf.
33. ↑ "Recommended System: Recommended Systems for DaVinci Resolve". https://www.pugetsystems.com/recommended/Recommended-Systems-for-DaVinci-Resolve-187/Hardware-Recommendations.
34. ↑ "GPU Accelerated Rendering and Hardware Encoding". https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/gpu-acceleration-and-hardware-encoding.html.
35. ↑ "V-Ray Next Multi-GPU Performance Scaling". 20 August 2019. https://www.pugetsystems.com/labs/articles/V-Ray-Next-Multi-GPU-Performance-Scaling-1559/.
36. ↑ "FAQ | GPU-accelerated 3D rendering software | Redshift". https://www.redshift3d.com/support/faq.
37. ↑ "OctaneRender 2020 Preview is here!". https://home.otoy.com/render/octane-render/.
38. ↑ Williams, Rob. "Exploring Performance With Autodesk's Arnold Renderer GPU Beta – Techgage". https://techgage.com/article/autodesk-arnold-render-gpu-beta-performance/.
39. ↑ "GPU Rendering — Blender Manual". https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/render/cycles/gpu_rendering.html.
40. ↑ "V-Ray for Nuke – Ray Traced Rendering for Compositors | Chaos Group". https://www.chaosgroup.com/vray/nuke.
41. ↑ "System Requirements | Nuke | Foundry". https://www.foundry.com/products/nuke/requirements.
42. ↑ "What about multi-GPU support?". Folding@home. https://test.foldingathome.org/faqs/gpu2-common/frequently-asked-questions-common-ati-nvidia-gpu2-clients-2/multi-gpu-support/.
43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 "Graphics Card Market Up Sequentially in Q3, NVIDIA Gains as AMD Slips". 25 November 2013. http://www.techpowerup.com/194979/graphics-card-market-up-sequentially-in-q3-nvidia-gains-as-amd-slips.html.
44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 "Add-in board-market down in Q2, AMD gains market share [Press Release"]. Jon Peddie Research. 16 August 2013. http://jonpeddie.com/press-releases/details/add-in-board-market-down-in-q2-amd-gains-market-share/.
45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 Chen, Monica (16 April 2013). "Palit, PC Partner surpass Asustek in graphics card market share". DIGITIMES. http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20130416PD210.html?mod=2.
46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 Shilov, Anton. "Discrete Desktop GPU Market Trends Q2 2016: AMD Grabs Market Share, But NVIDIA Remains on Top". Anandtech. https://www.anandtech.com/show/10613/discrete-desktop-gpu-market-trends-q2-2016-amd-grabs-market-share-but-nvidia-remains-on-top.
47. ↑ Chanthadavong, Aimee. "Nvidia touts GPU processing as the future of big data" (in en). ZDNet. https://www.zdnet.com/article/nvidia-touts-gpu-processing-as-the-future-of-big-data/.
48. ↑ "Here's why you can't buy a high-end graphics card at Best Buy" (in en-us). Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2018/01/cryptocurrency-boom-creates-insane-global-graphics-card-shortage/.
49. ↑ "GPU Prices Skyrocket, Breaking the Entire DIY PC Market" (in en-US). ExtremeTech. 2018-01-19. https://www.extremetech.com/gaming/262493-gpu-prices-skyrocket-breaking-entire-diy-pc-market.
50. ↑ "How Graphics Card shortage is killing PC Gaming" (in EN-US). https://www.marketwatch.com/press-release/how-graphics-card-shortage-is-killing-pc-gaming-2021-06-18.
51. ↑ "NVIDIA TITAN RTX is Here". https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/deep-learning-ai/products/titan-rtx/.
52. ↑ "Refresh rate recommended". http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/1146.
53. ↑ "HDMI FAQ". HDMI.org. http://www.hdmi.org/learningcenter/faq.aspx.
54. ↑ "DisplayPort Technical Overview". VESA.org. January 10, 2011. http://www.vesa.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/ICCE-Presentation-on-VESA-DisplayPort.pdf.
55. ↑ "FAQ Archive – DisplayPort". VESA. http://www.displayport.org/faq/faq-archive/.
56. ↑ "The Truth About DisplayPort vs. HDMI". dell.com. http://en.community.dell.com/dell-blogs/direct2dell/b/direct2dell/archive/2008/02/19/46464.aspx.
57. ↑ "I/O Ports - USB Type-C｜Graphics Cards｜ASUS Global" (in en-us). https://www.asus.com/motherboards-components/graphics-cards/all-series/filter?Spec=688.
58. ↑ "Legacy Products | Matrox Video". https://video.matrox.com/en/products/legacy. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
59. ↑ "Video Signals and Connectors". Apple. https://documentation.apple.com/en/soundtrackpro/usermanual/index.html#chapter=C&section;=2&hash;=apple_ref:doc:uid:SoundtrackPro-UserManual-90762CPE-1008751.
60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 Keith Jack (2007). Video demystified: a handbook for the digital engineer. Newnes. ISBN 9780750678223. https://books.google.com/books?id=Kp5J7G8kXN4C&q=Video demystified: a handbook for the digital engineer. Newnes. p. 69.&pg=PA69.
61. ↑ "ATI Radeon 7 pin SVID/OUT connector pinout diagram @ pinoutguide.com". https://pinoutguide.com/Video/svideo_7pin_pinout.shtml. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
62. ↑ Pinouts.Ru (2017). "ATI Radeon 8-pin audio / video VID IN connector pinout". https://pinouts.ru/Video/ati_video_pinout.shtml&usg=ALkJrhjYg-klUa0V7qOqqbVPDHFy9Rdp5A.
63. ↑ "How to Connect Component Video to a VGA Projector". Your Business. AZCentral. http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/connect-component-video-vga-projector-1133.html.
64. ↑ "Quality Difference Between Component vs. HDMI". Extreme Tech. 8 April 2009. http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/81236-quality-difference-between-component-vs-hdmi.
65. ↑ PCIe 2.1 has the same clock and bandwidth as PCIe 2.0

## Sources

* Mueller, Scott (2005) Upgrading and Repairing PCs. 16th edition. Que Publishing. ISBN 0-7897-3173-8

## External links

| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Graphics card.

|

* How Graphics Cards Work at HowStuffWorks

* v
* t
* e

Basic computer components

Input devices|

* Keyboard
* Image scanner
* Microphone
* Pointing device
* Graphics tablet
* Game controller
* Light pen
* Mouse
* Optical
* Pointing stick
* Touchpad
* Touchscreen
* Trackball
* Refreshable braille display
* Sound card
* Sound chip
* Webcam
* Softcam
* Video card
* GPU

Output devices|

* Monitor
* Screen
* Refreshable braille display
* Printer
* Plotter
* Speakers
* Sound card
* Video card

Removable
data storage|

* Disk pack
* Floppy disk
* Optical disc
* CD
* DVD
* Blu-ray
* Flash memory
* Memory card
* USB flash drive

Computer case|

* Central processing unit
* Microprocessor
* Motherboard
* Memory
* RAM
* BIOS
* Data storage
* HDD
* SSD
* SSHD
* Power supply
* SMPS
* MOSFET
* Power MOSFET
* VRM
* Network interface controller
* Fax modem
* Expansion card

Ports|

* Ethernet
* FireWire (IEEE 1394)
* Parallel port
* Serial port
* PS/2 port
* USB
* Thunderbolt
* DisplayPort / HDMI / DVI / VGA
* eSATA
* Audio jack

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