Do I really need a... Graphics card?

What does it do?

A graphics card contains a graphics processing unit ( GPU) that takes over certain tasks from your PC’S central processing unit ( CPU). Both desktop PCS and laptops can have graphics cards, but they’re not as common in laptops and more upgradable in desktop PCS.

Why would I want one?

Imagine your PC is an office full of people, beavering away at the work you’re doing in Microsoft Word or Internet Explorer. Then you ask them to run a 3D game. They’ll have a go, but it’s not really their forte and they’ll struggle to keep up. So you hire a graphics whizkid who only does the graphics. Suddenly everything goes smoothly. It’s not only about games: software like Adobe Photoshop or Corel Videostudio Pro can use a GPU to speed up applying filters and effects.

What’s the catch?

Not all graphics software can use all (or any) GPUS. There are some new graphics cards around, like Nvidia’s Geforce GTX 1060 and AMD’S Radeon RX 480, that offer incredible performance at affordable prices, and gamers will certainly benefit.however, if your programs don’t support them you’re wasting your money. Today’s CPUS, such as Intel’s Skylake i5 chips (pictured), have quite decent GPUS built in, so for less ambitious tasks and 3D games a graphics card isn’t essential.

So should I buy one?

Check your software specs. Various APIS help programs takeake advantage of GPUS. Software that uses Microsoft Directx shouldhould benefit from most graphics cards. Nvidia cards should help programs that support CUDA, while those that use Opengl should also work with AMD cards. If your graphics card isn’t listed as compatible, search online for the name of the program and GPU to see if other users have got it working.