The graphics card is a part of the computer that displays images on a monitor. It connects to the motherboard through a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) slot. They have their own processor, called a graphics processing unit (GPU), which does the functions necessary to display graphics. Some motherboards come with built in graphics cards, but they are generally not very powerful. More powerful graphics cards can play computer games with lots of detailed graphics
Other names for the graphics card include "video card" and "graphics accelerator".
- Purchasing Depending on what you intend to use your computer for, you may want to put a priority on purchasing a higher-end graphics card. If you plan on watching movies, editing videos, or playing games, you will need a graphics card with more RAM. If you're not intending to use more intensive software you may not need to spend as much money or time finding a graphics card.