Computer Hardware: Video Cards

• Video cards, expansion cards, CD ROM drives and CD writers are elements of computer hardware

Video Cards

• A video card, also called a graphics card or GPU, renders images, videos, and animations on a computer.
• Video cards come in various models with different performance levels.
• Performance levels range from basic integrated graphics built into the CPU or motherboard to high-end discrete GPUs.
• High-end discrete GPUs are designed for professional gaming or workstations.

Uses for Video Cards

• Video cards are essential for tasks like gaming, enabling the game to run smoothly with awesome graphics and realistic visuals.
• Video editing, especially high-definition or 4K footage is made faster with video cards.
• Video cards help speed up the rendering process and make editing software work faster.
• 3D design and animation using 3D modeling software (like Blender or AutoCAD) are aided by video cards
• Video cards aid in rendering the 3D objects and animations in real-time.
• Graphic design and photo editing in programs such as Photoshop or Illustrator benefit from video cards.
• Video cards help load images faster and provide smoother performance during editing.
• Watching movies or streaming, especially in high definition (HD) or 4K is smoother thanks to video cards.
• Virtual Reality (VR) needs super-fast and high-quality graphics, a powerful video card is essential for a good VR experience.

Expansion Cards

• An expansion card is a circuit board to add functionality to a computer system.
• Expansion cards are inserted into an expansion slot of a computer motherboard or backplane.
• Expansion cards upgrade a computer's capabilities by adding features not available on the motherboard.
• PCIe, or Peripheral Component Interconnect Express card is a high-speed interface that connects components to a computer's motherboard
• PCIe connects graphic cards, storage devices, and other peripherals.

Types of Expansion Cards

• Graphics cards enhance the quality of graphics displayed on a monitor
• Graphic cards are one of the most upgraded components in computers for gaming and professional graphics work.
• Sound cards improve the computer's audio output quality.
• Sound cards also offer advanced features like surround sound or multiple audio channel support.
• Network Interface Card/Controller (NIC) enables a computer to connect to a network
• A NIC uses an Ethernet cable or, in the case of wireless network cards, Wi-Fi.
• Storage controller cards add support for storage interfaces that are not natively supported by the motherboard.
• Storage controller cards offer additional SATA (Serial ATA) ports for hard drives or SSDs.
• USB cards add additional USB ports, allowing more USB devices to be connected to the computer.

CD ROM Drive

• A CD-ROM drive (Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) reads data stored on CDs (Compact Discs).
• CD-ROMs allow a computer or other electronic devices to access content such as software, music, videos, or documents that are stored on a CD.
• The "read-only" part means that you can read the data from the CD, but you can't write or modify the content on it.

CD Writer

• A CD writer, also known as a CD-RW (Compact Disc ReWritable) drive, is an optical drive that can both read and write data to CDs.
• Unlike a standard CD-ROM drive that can only read data, a CD writer allows you to burn data onto a blank CD.
• CD Writers burn items such as music, videos, or files.