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A video graphics board is a graphics adapter board that helps a computer produce visual output for a display. It is commonly called a graphics card or video card. The board is the hardware assembly; the GPU is the graphics-processing chip it contains. Some computers instead use integrated graphics, with no separate graphics board.
What does a video graphics board do?
A graphics board provides graphics hardware for a computer. Its GPU processes graphics-related work, including rendering images for display. Depending on the hardware and workload, graphics processing can also support video, visual effects, games, and demanding creative applications.
A discrete graphics card is an add-in board installed separately in a computer. It includes the GPU and supporting hardware and connections that let it operate in the system. By contrast, an integrated GPU is built into the computer platform, so it does not need a separate card.
Is a GPU the same as a graphics card?
Technically, no. The GPU is the processor; the graphics card is the board that incorporates it. Intel explains that a graphics card is an add-in board containing the GPU, much as a motherboard contains a CPU (Intel’s GPU explainer). In casual conversation, people sometimes use “GPU” to mean the whole card, but the terms refer to different parts.
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Video graphics board, video card, and graphics adapter
“Video graphics board” is one of several names for graphics-adapter hardware. Common consumer terms include “graphics card” and “video card”; “graphics board,” “video board,” and “graphics adapter” are also used. The Office québécois de la langue française lists these and other equivalents in its terminology entry for carte vidéo, last updated in 2002 (OQLF terminology entry).
Older technical definitions describe a graphics adapter as a video adapter that can display graphics as well as alphanumeric characters. That wording is useful historical context, but the key distinction in contemporary PC usage is between the GPU chip and the board or system that provides graphics hardware.
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Does every computer need a separate graphics board?
No. A computer with integrated graphics can handle visual output without a discrete card. Microsoft describes integrated graphics as generally more power-efficient and suitable for some gaming and light editing, while discrete graphics typically use more power and are intended for heavier editing, design, and gaming workloads. The right arrangement depends on the computer’s design and what the user does; the term “video graphics board” does not mean every computer needs one. Microsoft’s overview explains the distinction between integrated and discrete GPUs (Microsoft Support: GPUs).
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