Graphics cards, also known as video cards or GPUs (graphics processing units), are the heart of your computer’s visual experience. They take instructions from the central processor, or CPU, and draw what you see on your monitor. They are especially important for PC gaming because they accelerate the games you play, make them run smoothly and help them look amazing.
The GPU works by taking information in the form of binary data and converting it into pixels, which are tiny squares that combine to create images on your monitor or display. The number of pixels in an image determines its definition: a standard-definition (SD) image has fewer pixels than a high-definition (HD) or 4K one.
It’s the GPU’s job to determine how those pixels should light up to produce an image that’s accurate to the original source material. This can be anything from the numbers in a spreadsheet to text and pictures on a website, or the individual frames that make up a TV show or movie.
Modern high-end graphics cards do all the usual things like displaying text and images, but they also render advanced 3D computer graphics in real time for computer games. Creative professionals rely on them for photo and video editing as well as to speed up simulations, computer animation and artificial intelligence training. Graphics cards