Computers are made up of various elements: microprocessor, RAM memory, hard disk, DVD drive, ... and the graphics card, which is an element that allows us to generate the images that are then presented on the monitor (a peripheral). .
The graphics card is the part of the video system that is inside the computer
The graphics card or video card is a piece that is found in all computers and that is in charge of processing the information in digital data format that should give rise to the images, and later converting them to a format that is understandable for the monitors.
The output of these generated images is done through the video ports through special cables to one or more monitors. Although the video ports are usually part of the graphics card, the other elements are not, the monitor being considered a peripheral, that is, an element external to the components of the computer itself.
The graphics card has evolved
As a result of the technology that existed at the time, the first compatible PC computers had very limited graphic capabilities, which were practically only used for video games and a very limited set of utilities.
It was a time when graphical user environments were not "well regarded" as a productive tool, they were not considered "serious", only for the home market in eight-bit computers. And then Apple came along and changed everything.
Graphics environments with their number of effects, transitions and functionalities was not the main reason why graphics cards evolved, but it was one of their engines at the beginning. Later, video games and multimedia took the role of tractor in the evolution of graphics cards.
Authentic computers within computers
The increasingly high demands of applications that made intensive use of the graphic section of computers and, especially, video games, led them to offer more and more power and, as a consequence, more complex chips that currently have little to envy conventional computer microprocessors.
The term GPU, an abbreviation for the name, began to become popular among users. Graphics Process Unit (Graphics Processing Unit), and that names the microchip that performs the main work of the graphics card.
In fact, what I mentioned before about the power of GPUs is materialized in the fact that there are programming techniques that allow these chips to be used for a general purpose, as if they were CPUs and even equipping supercomputers.
The power of GPUs has led them to be used even in supercomputing
NVIDIA is one of the two leading companies in the field of GPUs, which has launched its own line of these chips and their corresponding hardware to tackle tasks related to supercomputing.
The other manufacturer of reference is AMD, after the acquisition of ATI several years ago. If NVIDIA is known for its GeForce GPU series, AMD / ATI is known for its Radeon series.
The creations of both manufacturers are then integrated by the producers of graphics cards, which surround the GPU of the hardware suitable for optimal operation, leaving it ready for integration into a new PC or for sale for anyone who wants to update their old machine.
Photos: iStock - pagadesign / alengo
