5:06 PM
Graphics card is the most important component in gaming computer after processor. To play heavy graphics games you need something better then integrated GPU. Choosing the right graphics card can be difficult, because there are dozens of different video card models and manufactures. Currently there are two companies who dominate the GPU market - AMD (former ATI) and Nvidia. Both have their pros and cons, AMD cards for example don't have PhysX support and often have less stable drivers than Nvidia.
So, how to choose the right one? Comparing the specs is one, but not the best way, much wiser is to read graphics card reviews on hardware sites. Choosing just by memory size will not work, because amount of video memory tells almost nothing about the video card performance. There are plenty low-end graphics cards with large amounts of video memory that are meant for tricking people who don't know much about computer hardware. Manufactures sometimes even load low-end graphics cards with 4GB of video memory. To keep price low they use very slow and cheap memory, so 1GB and 2GB versions are usually faster. Lets take an example, person who is looking for cheap used gaming computer finds two almost identical computers with only one difference - graphics card. Both have same price, one has 2GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 and other has 4GB NVIDIA GeForce GT 730. In this case you should pick older GTX 680, because it's many times faster. Bigger model number doesn't mean it's better, GT 730 is a weak low end graphics card, not meant for serious gaming, GTX 680 is an older high end GPU that can play basically any modern game.
When buying a video card or gaming PC, follow these 3 tips:
- Read reviews, then you know performance differences and features
- See graphics card ranking list or hierarchy chart
- Don't fall for low-end graphics that are marketed as gaming cards
