Choosing a Video Card for Your Computer

If you have followed along in my series of articles regarding building your own computer you should already have the following components picked out. You should have a case, a motherboard, a CPU, a heat sink and CPU fan and memory. The next component on the list is a video card. If you have missed any of the steps along the way, please refer to my other articles on computer building to catch up or to get started on your own computer build.

Choosing a video card has a lot to do with personal preference. Many motherboards have on board video capabilities. This means that the motherboard can handle basic video tasks for the computer. The onboard video would be capable of displaying the video need for typical program such as office utilities and would be capable of supporting the video requirements of basic online usage. However, the onboard video is not up to the task of handling demanding video editing programs, pc games, streaming high quality video and so on.

Therefore, I recommend that you purchase a separate video card to handle all of the video related needs of your computer. This is where personal preference and type of usage comes in to play. A serious computer gamer will have significantly different video requirements than an average computer user.

The selection process should be started by first determining a budget for video cards. A basic video card that would be capable of meeting the needs of most users can be found for less than $50. A video card for a serious gamer could cost more than $300. There is a vast selection available in terms of video cards and the choices seem endless, so start of with a budget.

Most users would be well suited with a video card in the $75 to $100 price range. This price category will buy you a high quality video card that is more than capable for everyday tasks and even one that can handle some pc games.