PCI Video Cards - What PCI Card is best?

PCI or “peripheral component interconnect” video cards have the ability to manage videos and images displayed on monitor screens. They change incoming signals from videos into electronic signals that can be displayed on the monitor and are plugged into a computer’s PCI rack alongside other expansion cards like network cards and sound cards. PCI video cards also feature one or more ports that can be used to connect with screens or electronic input devices like video cameras.

Kinds

VGA Video Cards: VGA video cards work for analog display devices and provide support for resolutions of 640 x 480, and 16-color and 256-color modes.

DVI Video Cards: DVI video cards are made for digital displays but can also support analog video signals through assigning values for brightness on pixel arrays and not individual pixels.

DMS-59 Video Cards: DMS-59 video cards provide support for as much as two VGA and DVI signals. They are also used in connecting two to four monitor screens from video cards that are half-height or about four to eight monitors on full-height video cards.

Buying tips

When looking to buy PCI video cards, be sure to consider the following:

Installed memory: Look for PCI video cards that come installed with a large memory to give you crisper video and 3D displays. For installed memory, 64 MB and lower are generally deemed low-end while 128 MB sizes and higher are high-end.

Data width: A video card's data width is the key determinant for the color spectrum that a card can provide. Look for video cards that come with 256-bit or 512-bit data width if you're using applications that rely on heavy graphics like design work and gaming. For most general applications, 64-bit up to 128-bit would suffice.

Complete information

A complete Guide to PCI VIDEO CARDS is available in Picky Guide, one of the fastest growing online magazines giving free consumer advice and product information.