Select a Video Card for Digital Photo Editing
Digital photo editing requires a reasonably powerful computer to efficiently handle your digital images. The speed and capability of the processor helps to keep your editing smooth, while large amounts of RAM allow you to work with large image files. The most important hardware for processing digital images, however, is your video card. The video card has dedicated memory specifically for images, which leaves the rest of your RAM available for editing and processing.
Instructions
1. Determine the amount of digital photo editing you will be doing. Professional photo editors will need a more powerful graphics card than a hobbyist working with home photography. If you will be doing a lot of editing, choose a video card with a high speed and a large amount of dedicated graphics memory. Look at the programs that you use on a daily basis and review their technical specifications to determine the smallest possible card for your needs.
2. Check your computer's specification to see what type of card it may already have. Your computer will need an empty hardware expansion slot, and the motherboard will determine what type of video cards are compatible. The motherboard's specifications are outlined by the manufacturer and may limit your choice of video card.
3. Determine what type of video output you will need. Your monitor may have an S-VGA, DVI or VGA input. The specification of your monitor should match the output the video card provides.
4. Set a price range. Video cards can range from under $50 to $500 or more. Setting a price range may limit the number of cards available to you. Choose a card from a reputable manufacturer, referencing consumer reviews if possible, and select the one that best meets your needs for your budget.
Tags: what type, will need, Card Digital, Card Digital Photo, digital images