Demand of graphic-intense applications

Gamers have known for some time about the demands of graphic-intense applications, but it wasn't until the launch of Windows Vista that the need for a good video card was brought home to the average user.

Video cards, which contain GPUs or graphics processing units, are built specifically to handle, obviously, graphics. Most computers today come with a GPU, but often these preinstalled GPUs lack the processing power necessary for many new applications.

1) If you don't have a video card that's performing well enough, consider upgrading. The two main manufactures of GPUs today are Nvidia and AMD, which recently purchased ATI, Nvidia's long-time competitor. A new card can improve graphic performance.

2) The main difference between video cards is the amount of memory. Some have as little at 256 megabytes, while high-end cards will have as much 1.5 gigabytes of memory. The more memory, the higher the cards capacity to handle graphics. However, do a little research online before you purchase a card, as top-of-the-line cards can top Dh10,000.

3) Have a professional install the card, especially if you are using a laptop. Video cards generally don't require any special installation, but this isn't the same as adding a USB drive. Unless you're familiar with the interior of your machine and have installed a card before, why risk it?

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