Graphic Card

A graphic card works with the monitor to display the images you call up, and you will want a responsive display time. The graphic card in your computer is tied to the refresh rate, which is tied to screen resolution. If you are at the screen resolution you want and your refresh rate is too slow, you may want to think about replacing your graphic card (also known as a video card).

In terms of replaceable desktop components, a video capture card is high on the wish list of many technophiles. You can get top-quality graphics cards that accelerate 3-D graphics, which is especially important if you are playing sophisticated games on your system. A PCI video card will also offer superb images for advance game play. This is nice to have, but experts agree that an AGP graphics card is essential. AGP stands for Accelerated Graphics Port, and most computers sold now have these included in the system. You can also get 2x AGPs now, which are even faster.

If resolution is everything to you (for instance, if you stay on top of the latest and greatest games), there are graphics cards called "Voodoo" cards. These cards add even more realism to the fast-moving images of modern games. However, keep in mind that these cards work best with monitors that are 17 inches or larger. Anything smaller than that doesn't do the souped-up graphics justice.

You also want a graphics card with a lot of memory, such as 16MB or more. Rich visuals take up a lot of memory, and you want a card that can handle what you want. Fortunately, the prices for these individual computer components come down as soon as the next generation hits, so it's possible to keep your system up to speed without breaking the bank even when purchasing name brand items like an ATI video card.