Tag: video card

ATI FirePro V7750 Graphics Accelerator

For people who feel the need for accelerated graphics, here is a new graphics accelerator card that is sure to sweep you off your feet. The ATI FirePro V7750 graphics accelerator was announced by AMD yesterday and it’s definitely a great choice for those that require high quality graphics for their chosen professions like scientists and engineers. It includes OpenGL 3.0 support and 1GB of frame buffer memory.

A great add-on for the gamers who love to play with high video requirements, this is certain to make all your needs a reality. Other features include a 128-bit memory controller, 320 stream processors, a 30-bit display pipeline and PCI Express 2.0 support. Two DisplayPort outputs are included as well as a Dual Link DVI-I output with support for 18, 24 and 30-but displays with a resolution of up to 2,560 x 1,600.

This GPU makes it so less processing power has to be used by the CPU for graphics. Plus, High Dynamic Range rendering is supported. The ATI FirePro V7750 is available now for $899 and works on machines running Linux, Windows XP and Vista.

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Upgrading Video Cards for Competency

If you are a gamer, you will notice that through the years, each video card advances by the day. The reason behind this is not really for bragging rights but more of satisfying the demand for gaming requirements set forth by game developers for the resolution requirements to fully enjoy a worthy entertaining game.

Many of the desktop computers purchased in the past two years can still play games fairly well with even the chance of running at higher resolution provided they get a video card upgrade.

Graphics or video cards have made some outstanding performance gains the the past year that allow them to play games at higher resolutions and detail than ever before. With monitor prices dropping for larger 24-inch displays with their 1920×1200 resolutions, gamers will probably find older PCs having a harder time keeping up frame rates or even playing at these resolutions.

Thankfully, it is very easy to upgrade a computer’s graphics cards. If you are looking to give your system a boost in the 3D graphics arena, check out my selections for the best performance graphics cards if you are looking for higher resolutions or my best budget 3D graphics cards if you are looking to do some upgrades but spend a bit less.

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S3 Affordable Home Theater Graphics Card

It looks like graphic card manufacturers may have to consider another twist when developing video cards these days. Not only for gaming, home theater requirements have grown through the months and it looks like S3 has developed the right formula in bringing together price and quality in one setting.

The latest addition to S3’s power-efficient Chrome 500 Series graphics processor family, the 850MHz DDR3-based Chrome 540 GTX GPU. The new GPU is capable of handling dual-stream Blu-ray and HD videos. It features a DisplayPort digital interface and HDMI and dual-link DVI and therefore supports connectivity to the latest digital monitors and HDTVs.

The new 540GTX GPU supports DirectX 10.1 and OpenGL 3.0 for both Windows and Linux platforms. However, the card only can handle non-gaming rendering graphic applications well.

The card will ship bundled with WinDVD 8 for Blu-ray playback at no extra cost. Video cards based on the new GPU are now available with prices that vary depending on configuration. Nevertheless, they will cost much less than the higher priced cards from vendors such as Nvidia or ATI.

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Gadgets You May Want to Consider This Christmas

December is here and for the computer geeks, the season for buying is at hand. This could go as far as getting a new computer package or perhaps upgrading or adding certain peripherals to your current setup. Making a Christmas wish list is apparent and among the things needed would vary, depending on how geeky you can get. The best thing about it is that price drops are sure to be in demand as most companies are inclined to clean up their inventory, a familiar practice of businesses once the year draws to a close. Here are some potential things you may want to buy.

New Video Card. Price drops as far as video cards with higher DDR ram are bound to be offered anywhere. While many would not care as long as their computer operates fine with any video card compatible with it, upgrading for a few bucks would not hurt. Also, consider the fact that higher specs of video cards are coming out and with that in mind, cheaper video cards with good DDR rams like 256 RAM and a TV out option can be a great addition to your computer for better graphics showcase.

DVD writer. We have seen a lot of optical storage devices gainin popularity and rather than rely on your old CD writer, why not add or upgrade a DVD writer for higher capacity and perhaps DVD authoring if you fancy it. They have considerably become cheaper and while many would be fine with the CD writer that they have, remember that DVD writers can store as much as 4 gigabytes if you get one.

Built-in Devices Slow Down Your PC

Today, we see that most motherboards come with built-in adapters, sound ports and video ports. Ordinarily, these may seem as helping the budget-conscious person try to save on added peripherals. But for the advanced users, these are nuisances since they take up additional load as far as analyzing the whole system process to which the motherboard will take much of the load.

That is one reason that while motherboards have these added features, they are normally disabled. Except perhaps for the sound port, video and network adapters are better maximized using the separate plug and play cards. They will mean additional cost for some but the fact of the matter is that if you want a fast PC, you just have to spend for it.

The performance level of your video card for example is different if you use the external slot placed video cards today. Other than providing better resolution, they take a load off the system resources needed to make a motherboard function properly. For gamers, it is advisable to use this extended video cards for better rendering of graphics since the requirement today is certainly higher. Why else do you think high-end graphics card are spread over the market today?

So if you want to save, you can do so but not crossing out the external devices. Be wiser when you have your PC assembled. It may be a cost-conscious consumer world out there but it you demand high performance from your PC, you simply cannot do it by making do without the standard setup we know of today.

All I Want for Christmas is a NEW PC

The holiday season is just around the corner and for sure, many of us are thinking of what to get ourselves. If you are fortunate to have some people to give you costly gifts then good for you. A new computer perhaps?

Considering that the holidays are the time where people get their bonuses and 13th month pay, who knows if you could we lucky enough to get a new CPU that is available in the market? There is no harm in wishing right?

Well for some, there are people who rewards themselves with potential enhancements to their current computer line which include latest peripherals in the market like high powered video cards or even a larger hard disk storage device. It’s the least you can ask for after toiling with that old computer and chances are you will not settle for anything less.

If you are wondering what suitable high technology Christmas gift to get or ask, maybe you can choose from this list:

1. A Intel Core Duo Processor
2. At least a 512 MB Video Card
3. New Tower Casing
4. A LCD monitor
5. Dual Channel Memory Chips
6. A DVD Writer

The things you may want can certainly vary. But depending on what you need, expect more peripherals to hit the market before the Yuletide season officially starts. So if you can wait a bit, then see what else you can expect to be offered in the market by December. Save up for it since it is bound to cost you.

Is Your PC Purely for Gaming?

These days, owning a PC is not purely for business purposes. While we all know that most people are buying computers for studies or word processing requirements, they have also been considered to appease kids who look towards them for playing games that require specific requirements such as higher video cards and large storage space.

It does seem like a waste for most but for people who want to keep their kids at home and away from vices, such is a price that is more than enough to consider. Besides, it is a matter of priorities. Improving the specs a little bit can still satisfy the need to have these personal computers be used for official ways such as documents and spreadsheets for work or school.

As far as getting more expensive hardware for a customizable PC, it is really a logical price to pay. Computers have always been known to provide entertainment and if games are something that they are keenly interested to be kept away from harm, then by all means parents should think beyond the box.

Cost is something most PC buyers will ponder upon. But while that is a given, it would be best to see which benefits and downfalls such an investment would make. As far as raising children and keeping them busy at home is concerned, buying a new PC with specialized specs is indeed something worthy parents will acknowledge not now, but in the future.

Being a Step Ahead of the Software Requirements

For most software that you install, there will be the ideal PC requirements provided so you can be assured of optimum performance for programs and games you will install on your PC. At times, varied differences as far as video specifications, memory and processor capacity will be stated. But while many would see the usual minimal requirements, you have to consider the fact on whether these will be sufficient to satisfy the level of performance you are expecting once these software programs are installed.

Based on experience, it would never hurt to be a step ahead. This entails making sure that you are installing the software on hardware that is a bit advanced. For example, if video card requirements are at least 128 MB, why not install a 256 MB video card if the difference is just a couple of bucks? Or perhaps if memory requires at least 256 RAM, why not go double like 512?

Some may call it overkill but they are really some form of making sure that you get best performance from these programs. Remember that if you go for minimal requirements, you will eventually find yourself wanting better performance and hence upgrading these concerned hardware peripherals in the end.

In summary, do not take the minimal system requirements as a measure of competent utilization of programs. They are placed there so that you know that the program will indeed run. But as far as great performance is concerned, do consider the fact that it is not stated anywhere in that part of the software box for you to ponder on as well.

Overheating Video Cards can Crash your PC

If you happen to be wondering why your computer would suddenly give you a blue screen, check out the message first. If it has something to do with your video card, chances it is overheating for some reason.

Normally, you will notice that these video cards have built-in auxiliary fans. The purpose for this is to maintain a certain temperature level for their use. Some make use of wider heat-sink fans but if you are the type who spends a lot of time on the computer, this may not be practical.

Going back, once you get that blue screen, try and check our video card hardware. Observe if the fan is still functioning and how fast it is going. If it is not the normal speed to which ventilation is being circulated, chances are your video card is indeed overheating.

Normally, this will be a real problem for you. While you can try and use your computer over and over again, chances are it will keep on crashing and giving that blue screen. Worst, if you are not careful, the next time around your computer may not load anymore.

Such big problems from one computer peripheral can really be frustrating but it is something you just have to face. Video cards such as Nvidia or Palit Daytona normally have these small fans to help mediate the temperature level for their use. In case this happens, you have two options; either buy a new video card or replace the fan. The fans can be replaced at a much cheaper rate and all you have to is bring it to a technician so that it can be replaced.