Video Cards, GPU, & Monitors

By Patrick LaughrigeKofi Asante

Will Tiller

Monitor Display Technology

Monitor displays use liquid crystal display (LCD) or cathode ray tube

(CRT) technology

Resolution is also a factor when it comes to monitors. It’s the number

of individual dots of color, known as pixels, contained on a display.

Resolution is expressed by identifying the number of pixels on the

horizontal axis (rows) and the number on the vertical axis (columns),

such as 800x600.

Resolution is affected by a number of factors, including the size of the

screen.

Monitors: ResolutionStandard Resolution Typical Use

XGA (Extended Graphics Array) 1024x768

15- and 17-inch CRT monitors

15-inch LCD monitors

SXGA (Super XGA) 1280x1024 15- and 17-inch CRT

monitors17-and 19-inch LCD

monitors

UXGA (Ultra XGA) 1600x1200 19-, 20-, 21-inch CRT

monitors20-inch LCD monitors

QXGA (Quad XGA) 2048x1536 21-inch and larger CRT monitors

WXGA (Wide XGA) 1280x800 Wide aspect 15.4-inch

laptopsLCD displays

WSXGA+ (Wide SXGA plus) 1680x1050 Wide aspect 20-inch

LCD monitors WUXGA (Wide Ultra

XGA) 1920x1200 Wide aspect 22-inch

and larger LCD monitors

Monitors: Aspect ratio & Viewable area

Two measures describe the size of your display: the aspect

ratio and the screen size

computer displays, like most televisions, have had an aspect

ratio of 4:3. This means that the ratio of the width of the

display screen to the height is 4 to 3.

For widescreen LCD monitors, the aspect ratio is 16:9

Screen sizes are normally measured in inches from one

corner to the corner diagonally across from it

Monitor: Analog Connections

Most CRT monitors require the signal information in analog form

The computer and video adapter convert digital data into analog format.

Once the display information is in analog form, it’s sent to the monitor through a VGA cable.

Monitor: DVI Connection DVI keeps data in digital form from the computer

to the monitor. LCD monitors work in a digital mode and support

the DVI format The DVI specification is based on Transition

Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS) and provides a high-speed digital interface.

DVI cables can be a single link cable that uses one TMDS transmitter or a dual link cable with two transmitters.

LCD Monitors Liquid crystal display technology works

by blocking light LCD is made of two pieces of polarized

glass that contain a liquid crystal material between them.

Video Cards

What is a video card and what does it do?

Video Cards receive binary data from the CPU and turn it into pictures you can see

The CPU and Software Applications send info to the Video Card, which then sends the information to the monitor.

How to select a video card Large amount of memory space Fast Processor Frame Rate- amount of images

displayed per second Triangles per second Pixell fill rate Compare Hardware Specs- Large Range

How to Install Must be compatible with the buses on

motherboard If the motherboard has onboard video,

disable the onboard video in the BIOS when installing a card in the bus slot

Place in slot and configure

Troubleshooting System does not boot Incorrect colors Blurry Images Slow Video Performance Screen Flickers

Benefits of Upgrade Improved Graphics, Video capabilities Overall Efficiency Increase

GPU: What it does Main Function used in phones, personal computers,

workstations, and game consoles

Laptop Replacement problems

Average Speed World’s best GPU

Top VC Amd radeon HD 6990

Nvidia GeForce GTX 590

ATI Radeon HD 5970

Where does VC go?

Video inputs

Alternative to HDMI

Multiple VC

Other GPU/VC Facts Average temp

› Not overclocked Overclocked temp

Main reason for upgrading VC

How to install VC http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ILrq7lMe-0

1. Open case 2.Remove old card & screws, replace

new 3. screw back in screws 4. Update Drivers

Sources http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_

monitor Http://www.computerhope.com/help/lcd

.htm http://computer.howstuffworks.com/mo

nitor.htm http://www.grassrootsdesign.com/intro/

hardware.php

Sources continued… http://computer.howstuffworks.com/ http://www.testout.com/