If you are a gamer then Graphics Card is the most important component for you, but if you are not then you may not wish to spend money on a dedicated graphics card as you are quite happy with the integrated or onboard graphics that come with the processor or motherboard. Onboard graphics have become somewhat powerful these days but they still cannot be compared to a full dedicated graphics card even the entry-level ones.
Graphics Cards are not all about gaming because they are used for a number of different purposes as well. They are used for working with high-end graphics software, applications, and scientific laboratories. These graphics cards that are used for professional work are a bit different in nature and they are called workstation graphics cards. Graphics cards do need some investment but they are totally worth it because of the various benefits they offer to you. So here in this post, I am going to list down the various benefits of having a graphics card for your PC.
Top Advantages or Benefits of Graphics Card
Here are the top advantages and benefits of having a dedicated graphics card for your PC.
Overall System Performance Increase
One of the main benefits of having a graphics card is that it leads to an overall increase in the performance of your PC. It takes the load off the CPU because the dedicated graphics card does all the graphics processing or graphics-related tasks. It also frees up the RAM from the graphics data because the dedicated graphics card comes with its own video memory that is much faster than the computer memory or normal RAM. Also, a dedicated graphics card will perform graphics-related tasks much better as compared to onboard graphics.
Graphics Performance Increase
A dedicated graphics card comes with more features and offers much better performance in graphics applications and software. It can run your graphics-based software (Adobe Illustrator etc.), photo editing software like Photoshop, and video editing software with greater accuracy and providing better performance. You can watch Full HD movies (1080p), and Blu-ray movies in much better quality with a good dedicated graphics card. If you are building an HTPC then you should get a good graphics card to have the best home theater experience. For HTPC it is advisable to get a passively cooled graphics card because it is totally silent in operation and will not ruin your movie-watching experience.
Better Gaming Experience
With onboard or integrated graphics you won’t be able to play the latest games, and even if you will be able to run them, then you will not always get playable frame rates and have to play them in the lowest settings possible. But if you have a decent graphics card in the mid-range or even budget segment then you can latest games on mid to high settings with playable frame rates without any lag. So if you are someone who wants to play each and every game on your PC then you cannot do so without a dedicated graphics card.
Running Multiple Monitors
If want to run dual monitors or multiple monitors on your PC then you must need a dedicated graphics card. You don’t even need an expensive graphics card for multiple monitors set up as an entry-level or budget graphics card is more than enough for this task.
Better Driver Support
Dedicated graphics cards have better driver support and compatibility as compared to your integrated graphics. This comes in very handy when you move to a different or newer operating system or want to run some specific graphics applications or software on your computer.
Check out: DDU – Best Graphics Driver Removal Tool
More Features
A dedicated graphics card comes with more features that you normally won’t find in the onboard graphics. Some of the advanced features can prove very handy for your graphics-related work. The number of features varies from card to card because budget graphics cards come with lesser features compared to mid-range and high-end graphics cards that have too many advanced features with them including Virtual Reality or VR capability.
Must Read: Know about Graphics Card components and connectors
Graphics Cards for Different Budgets
Here below you can find graphics cards for different budgets. You can find graphics cards as low as 50 dollars and as high as 500 dollars or more. So according to your budget & requirements, you can decide which graphics card to get for your PC.
- Best Graphics Cards under 50 Dollars
- Best Graphics Cards under 100 Dollars
- Best Graphics Cards under 200 Dollars
- Best Graphics Cards under 300 Dollars
- Best Graphics Cards under 500 Dollars
Final Words
Getting a graphics card for your PC is always a good idea whether you like games or not. If you have a lower budget then you can get an entry-level or budget graphics card but if there are no budget constraints then I recommend you to get a good mid-range graphics card so that you also enjoy the latest games at 1080p. If you have any queries on which graphics card you should buy then you can ask me by leaving a comment below.
(*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you choose to purchase through the links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site!)
it would be useful to me, if you could be more specific: what does a basic OS need to run well? what are the requirements in GB or GPU capabilities to run the OS without special apps?
does video compression benefit from more Memory or a better GPU, HTPC running a 4K monitor, what does that require? I don’t play games in my PC, but I understand games are the most demanding of Graphics capabilities, other than that in descending order what are the other apps (category) that require better graphics, and how much better?
scientific apps (Mathematica) video compression apps, I guess it would be a comprehensive primer on graphics.