What is a Graphics Card?
Graphics card is another term for a GPU, the internal hardware part responsible for handling the graphics displayed on the screen of the computer. Similarly:
- Integrated graphics card means integrated GPU.
- Dedicated graphics card means dedicated GPU.
Another term for it is video card.
Terminology
If you think about it, "card" should mean it's inserted into a slot, so a "graphics card" should mean it's a dedicated GPU, as an integrated GPU is either built into the motherboard or part of the CPU. As someone on the Internet notes:
"Card" would usually refer to a circuit board which plugs into something else and provides some extra functionality (eg video cards, network cards, which plug into a motherboard). "Board" usually refers to any other circuit board.
https://www.electro-tech-online.com/threads/what-is-the-difference-between-board-and-card.8607/ (accessed 2024-05-23)
. However, there are many "cards" we have today in computers that aren't really cards.
For example, "sound cards" and "Ethernet cards" used to be separate components that you plugged into the computer, but nowadays they're integrated into the motherboard. It's no longer a card. It's part of the whole board.
If that makes sense, then a "graphics card" being "integrated" isn't that weird either!
Leave a Reply