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Understanding Video Cards & Monitors
John Curl, Joe Hetherington, Brad Lewis, and Michael Hsing Wu
Agenda
History of Video Cards ATI vs. Nvidia How Video Cards Work Outputs and Inputs Dual Graphics Card HD Graphics Cards Monitors Review Questions
Video Cards
To generate a graphic and video interface.
Transmits Images to a Display Video cards connect to the
motherboard usually through PCI or PCI Express interface.
They output the signals through composite video, S-video, VGA, and DVI.
History of Video CardsBrad Lewis
History of Video Cards
The first video card was the MDA(Monochrome Display Adapter) released in 1981 by IBM. Could only show 80 columns and 25
lines of text in one color. Had 4KB of memory.
History of Video Cards
MDA(Monochrome Display Adapter Did not have any graphics mode Only displayed monochrome text mode Used a printer port output
History of Video Cards
VGA(Video Graphics Array) Released in 1987 Improved resolution and colors used by
many corporations Memory improved from 4KB(MDA) to
256KB(MDA)
History of Video Cards
VGA led to the SVGA(Super VGA) Developed in 1989 Reached 2MB of memory and resolution
of 1024X768 at 256 color mode Set the tone for 2D/3D cards
History of Video Cards
2D/3D cards In 1997 3dfx introduced the Voodoo
graphics card which had new 3D effects such as▪ Mip mapping-pre-calculated collection of images that
increase speed▪ Z-buffering-the management of image depth
coordinates▪ Anti-aliasing-the technique of minimizing the distortion
artifacts known as aliasing when representing a high-resolution signal at a lower resolution
Voodoo 2 followed from 3dfx, and TNT and TNT2 from NVIDIA
ATI vs. NvidiaMichael Wu
ATI
ATI Technologies Inc. founded in 1985
Acquired by AMD in 2006 and renamed AMD Graphics Product Group
ATI brand still on graphics cards Developed the first integrated
graphics chip with TV tuner card First combination of 2D and 3D
accelerator known as 3D Rage
ATI Main Product
Radeon started up in 2000 Successor to Rage Brand for their consumer 3D
accelerator add-in cards
Nvidia
Founded in 1993 Company of the Year for 2007 by
Forbes Developed the RSX ‘Reality
Synthesizer’ GPU used for Playstation 3
Nvidia Main Product
GeForce first produced in 1999 As of 2009, there are 11 iterations of
the design Intended for PC gaming market
How Video Cards WorkJoe Hetherington
How Video Cards Work
• This setup only works with Analog Video Cards and Monitors
How Video Cards Work
The images you see on your monitor are made up of tiny dots called pixels. Most screens will display over 1 million pixels, so the computer needs to decide what to do with every one of them
This is where a translator comes in- something that takes binary data from the CPU and turns it into the images you see.
How Video Cards Work
Think of a computer as a company with an art department. The company wants a piece of artwork The art department decides of to create
the picture and then puts it on paper The end result is an idea turns into a
viewable picture
How Video Cards Work
Creating an image out of binary data is a complicated process. To make a 3-D image, the graphics card first creates a wire frame out of straight lines. Then, it restripes the image (fills in the remaining pixels). It also adds lighting, texture and color. For fast-paced games, the computer has to go through this process about sixty times per second. Without a graphics card to perform the necessary calculations, the workload would be too much for the computer to handle.
The graphics card accomplishes this task using four main components:
A motherboard connection for data and power A processor to decide what to do with each pixel on the
screen Memory to hold information about each pixel and to
temporarily store completed pictures A monitor connection so you can see the final result
How Video Cards Work
Types of Output
• DVI• VGA• S-Video • Composite• HDMI
Types of Input
PCI AGP(Accelerated Graphics Port) PCI-X PCI-Express
AGP vs. PCI Video Cards
http://www.ehow.com/video_5112695_difference-agp-pci-video-cards_.html
Graphics Processor Unit
• Similar to CPU• Requires most
cooling• Most specifications
refer to GPU
Graphics Processor Unit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLLI0vKYM4o
Video Memory
Memory chips (2-4) Close proximity to GPU for better
performance Commonly use 128, 256, 512 MB
locally DDR2 + GDDR3
Video Memory
Image from GPU sent to memory (frame buffer) – bit map
More video memory = less burden on computer RAM
Memory bus – typically 128-256 bit wide Determines how much data can be
transferred per cycle
Cooling Devices
Applied to GPU/GPU + memory Passive vs. Active Cooling Passive
Heatsinks Heat pipes
Cooling Devices - Active
Fans Single-slot vs. Dual-slot Coolers
Expansion slots in case Cover both GPU + memory Dual – designed to push hot air out of
the back of the case
Dual Graphics CardsMichael Wu
Dual Video Cards
Increases performance Performance increase of 30-50% Primarily for 3D applications
Generally used when running 2 or more monitors
Splits the graphic load between the two cards
Improves frame rates
Dual Video Cards
Shared duties will cause Improved rendering 3D images Higher frame rates Higher resolutions Additional filters Improve quality of the graphics
Disadvantages
Running dual video cards is costly Not all applications benefit from multiple
graphics cards Some applications may show a slight decrease
in performance Low end processor can only throttle the
amount of data the system can provide to the graphics cards
Dual video cards is recommended for higher end systems
Dual Video Cards
For average consumer, dual video cards are not necessary
Costs are too high for: Capable motherboard video cards Core hardware
Installing Dual Video Cards
Ensure all parts are SLI (Scalable Link Interface) or Crossfire capable
ATI’s graphic solution is CrossFire NVIDIA graphic solution is SLI Ensure that motherboard has
appropriate chipset. 2 PCIe x16 slots allow users to install
2 video cards
Installing Dual Video Cards
Install updated video card drivers User may need to enable in BIOS
HD Video CardsMichael Wu
HD Video Card
• With the introduction of Aero and DirectX 10, a new generation of video cards have been developed
• Higher end graphics cards support onboard decoding of the H.264 spec– Required to display high def DVDs
• Some video cards have HDCP– High-Bandwidth Digital Content Protection– Required to display Blu-ray DVD playback
HD Video Cards
Allows for video display in 720p, 1080p, or 1080i
Higher quality video display When used to display on a HDTV, the
HDMI cable will carry over audio and video at the same time
MonitorsJohn Curl
Monitors
Also called the Visual Display Unit Displays information from the
computer to the user Two main types are CRT(Cathode Ray
Tube) and TFT-LCD(Thin Film Transitory Liquid Crystal Display)
CRT Monitors
Vacuum tube with an electron gun Three electron guns(Red, Green, and
Blue) A florescent screen Internal ways to reflect or deflect the
electron beams in order to create a picture.
CRT Monitors
CRT Monitors
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnl1vuwjHto
LCD Monitors Holds millions of pixels Each pixel is a layer of molecules
between two electrodes. Electricity is applied and the liquid
crystals twist to let more or less light out.
LCD Monitors
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAZKICHWGnA&feature=fvw
CRT vs. LCD
CRT Pros:▪ High dynamic range (up to around 15,000:1 [1],) excellent
color, wide gamut and low black level. ▪ Can display natively in almost any resolution and refresh rate ▪ No input lag ▪ Sub-millisecond response times ▪ Near zero color, saturation, contrast or brightness distortion.
Excellent viewing angle. Cons:▪ Large size and weight, especially for bigger screens (a 20"
unit weighs about 50lbs or 22kg) ▪ High power consumption ▪ Geometric distortion in non-flat CRTs ▪ Older CRTs are prone to screen burn-in ▪ Produces noticeable flicker at low refresh rates
CRT vs. LCD
LCD Pros:
▪ Very compact and light ▪ Low power consumption ▪ No geometric distortion ▪ Rugged ▪ Little or no flicker depending on backlight technology
Cons:▪ Limited viewing angle, causing color, saturation, contrast and brightness to
vary, even within the intended viewing angle, by variations in posture. ▪ Bleeding and uneven backlighting in some monitors, causing brightness
distortion, especially toward the edges. ▪ Slow response times, which cause smearing and ghosting artifacts. Modern
LCDs have response times of 8ms or less. ▪ Only one native resolution. Displaying other resolutions requires a video
scaler, which degrades image quality at lower resolutions. ▪ Fixed bit depth, many cheaper LCDs are incapable of true color. ▪ Input lag ▪ Dead pixels are possible during manufacturing
QuestionsJohn Curl & Brad Lewis
1. You switch on your PC and get no display. You are sure the monitor is ok. Which order would you follow for troubleshooting this problem?a) Replace the video card, replace the monitor, replace
the power supply, replace the system board, try a different monitor.
b) Check that PC and monitor are plugged in, check that monitor brightness is turned up, check that PC fan is running.
c) Check PC supply voltages, replace video card, replace CPU.
d) Check that everything is plugged in, replace system board.
2. Your monitor screen is a light green color, what could be the problem?a. A pin is bent on the video cable
connectorb. The cable has been attached upside
downc. The cable is reversedd. The cable is missing
3. Which of the following does not output signals?a. VGAb. MDAc. DVId. S-video
4. Which order is how a video card works?a. PCI interface-CPU-Video Chip-RAM-
RAMDACb. CPU-PCI interface-Video Chip-RAM-
RAMDACc. CPU-RAM-RAMDAC-PCI interface-Video
Chipd. PCI interface-Video Chip-CPU-RAM-
RAMDAC
5. A graphics card uses 4 main components to translate binary data. Which one of these does not?a. A motherboard connection for data and power b. A processor to decide what to do with each
pixel on the screen c. RAM to hold information about each pixel and
to temporarily store completed pictures d. A monitor connection so you can see the final
result
e. All of these are used
6. Of the three 3-D effects _____________ is the technique of minimizing the distortion artifacts known as aliasing when representing a high-resolution signal at a lower resolution.a. Mip-mappingb. Anti-aliasingc. Z-buffering
7. A graphics card serves as a translator that takes binary data from the CPU and turns it into the images you see on the monitor.a. Trueb. False
8. Dead pixels are possible during manufacturing of ____________ monitors.a. Plasmab. LCDc. CRT
9. Refresh rate is the time a pixel in a monitor takes to go from active (black) to inactive (white) and back to active (black) again, measured in milliseconds. Lower numbers mean faster transitions and therefore fewer visible image artifacts. a. Trueb. False
10.Which of these is not an advantage when using an LCD monitor?a. Very compact and lightb. No input lagc. No geometric distortiond. Low power consumptione. Rugged
11.Contrast ratio is the ratio of the _______________ of the brightest color (white) to that of the darkest color (black) that the monitor is capable of producing. a. Liquidityb. Luminosityc. Pixels
12.The display device in modern monitors is _______ while ________ was used in older monitors.a. HD, Projectorsb. TFT-LCD, CRTc. Plasma, CRT
13.Which one does not belong?a. PCIb. PCI-Expressc. PCI-Xd. PCI-e
14.What is the key difference between a computer monitor and a Television?
a. Dot Pitchb. HD- Capacityc. Luminosityd. Refresh Rate
15.The following picture depicts what type of port?a. HDMIb. VGAc. DVId. S-Video
16.What series is the first combination of 2D and 3D accelerator?
a. Mach Seriesb. Radeon Seriesc. Rage Seriesd. GeForce Series
17.With Dual Video Cards, the shared duties would:
a. Keep constant filtersb. Improve rendering of only 2D imagesc. Higher frame ratesd. Improve performance by 100%
18.HDMI cable will carry video not audio; an addition audio cable is requireda. Trueb. False
19.HDCP is required to display:a. HD DVDsb. Blu-Ray Discsc. LCD TVd. Plasma TV
References
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_cards http://www.tomshardware.com/us/#redir http://www.ehow.com/
video_5112695_difference-agp-pci-video-cards_.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLLI0vKYM4o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gnl1vuwjHto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAZKICHWGnA&feature=fvw