Dude, You can do it! How to build a Sweet PC

Video Cards

The video card is responsible for all the images you see on your computer monitor (Figure 2.7). The better the video card (and usually, the more expensive too!), the better and faster your images appear onscreen. The most expensive video card on the market right now will set you back about $600, while the cheapest—still better than onboard graphics chips—comes in at around $40. A good video card is key for hard-core gamers because of the immense processing power needed to display the complex 3D images in today's games.

Figure 2.7. This is a PowerColor Radeon 9800 Pro video card, which includes more memory and a better cooling solution than many other video cards. Some of it is pure aesthetics, but the cooling solution is the key to ...