Startech Video Cards

It began with the ENIAC, a 30-ton monster about the size of a railroad freight car that could add, subtract, multiply and divide--and that was all. In the six decades since the world's first computer was switched on, consumer electronics have changed; computers are not just for computing, they are for just about anything you want to show off, and, with a new video card from Overstock.com, you can afford to show off quite a lot.

Video cards take data from files and send them to the monitor. Since new computers have larger monitor screens, that means a lot of pixels to see. With every new frame (30 to 60 per second), every pixel must be renewed or changed. A PCI video card will help your computer move those pixels quickly. Some monitors are even capable of supporting high definition television, so an HDTV tuner card will let you watch high definition programming on your computer.

While the CPU runs the rest of the computer, the video card lends a hand. It has its own CPU and a memory chip that stores enough data for each frame plus connections to the motherboard and monitor. Video cards tend to produce a lot of heat as well as a lot of pictures, so, if you upgrade with new computer hardware, a new computer fan is also recommended. If you decide to add an additional video card to your computer system, your motherboard may need to be reconfigured to deal with both video cards.

By the way, how do you use your computer? If you or your kids are seriously into video games, you'll definitely want a great video card, along with a great sound card, maybe even a video game console. What you don't want is to pay regular retail prices; that's why you shop at Overstock.com.