Back then, gaming consoles ruled the entire gaming scene since no powerful computers could barely run PC games. But nowadays, you can find many PC owners that can run all kinds of games, whether it is a game made from the 2000s or a heavy 2021 game like Cyberpunk 2077, Battlefield 2042, and Psychonauts 2, to name a few.
One crucial PC component that lets it run games is the graphics card, which many gaming PCs need. You may have friends that are PC gamers, and you have heard them talk about which graphics cards are the best in the market today. And if your friends persuade you to build a gaming PC, you have to familiarise yourself with graphics cards.
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What Is A Graphics Processing Unit?
The graphics processing unit (GPU) handles everything conveyed from the PC internals to your monitor or connected display. Whether you use it for gaming, video editing, or HD graphics, the GPU is responsible for rendering them. Nowadays, GPUs are significant because of the fans that help cool them during extensive or heavy use. EssayMama
However, you have to know that laptop or tablet owners do not have the option to replace their graphics cards because they are factory built into the motherboard. Upgrading the GPU will require you to upgrade the entire motherboard, so the GPU upgrades are only applicable to desktop PCs. It is the reason many people will prefer to buy a desktop PC than a laptop because they can upgrade everything inside, especially the GPU.
Do You Still Need The GPU Even When You Have A Strong CPU?
Some people who are new to owning a PC think that it is enough to run every task or program. That may be good if you only use it for typing in documents or web browsing, but it will not work if you want to play some PC games. To put it short, the GPU can handle more when it comes to calculations and numbers than the CPU.
It is the reason most modern games will lag on a PC without a GPU because the game engine needs the extra cores located in the GPU board. You will never see a video editor or a 3D modeller use a PC without a dedicated GPU installed. Both the CPU and GPU run millions of calculations and processes. At the same time, the GPU will be entrusted by software to render the graphics and redirect all available cores to a particular task.
How Hot Can The GPU Get?
Another thing about graphics cards is they tend to get hot when you use them for a long time. This is because GPUs eat up a lot of power when running heavy games or software, which means there is a chance for them to overheat. You can measure the GPU’s heat in Thermal Design Power (TDP) and watts. So if the graphics card has a 180W TDP rating, it does not mean that it needs 180 watts from the power supply.
Note that having higher TDPs ratings will require you to get a better cooling system because it will get hotter. If you let the GPU overheat, your PC’s performance will decrease significantly, and you might also have to replace it.
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