Week 6 - Graphics

Video cards or also known as video adapter or display card are generally pre installed onto motherboards. However installed expanded video cards or graphics add in boards generate a much greater feed of output images to a display on computer moniters or any hardware which displays generated pixels.

AMD and Nvida graphics are currently manufacturing all major video cards. These video cards offer rendering of both 2D and 3D graphic for varias formats which include folowing:

MPEG-2/MPEG-4 TV Output Multi-Monitor.

Dedicated vs integrated graphics

video card can be integrated onto the motherboard or the CPU. Motherboard-based implementations are called "on- e video cards.board video". CPU integrated graphics are called accelerated processing units or APUs. Almost all desktop computer motherboards with onbaord video cards allow integrated graphics chip to be disabled in the BIOS. Onbaords video cards include a PCI Express (PCI-E) slot allowing integration of higher performance

Disabling integrated video cards still allows motherboard to be still in function even if the on-board video has failed. Sometimes both integrated graphics and a dedicated graphics cards can be used together to separate displays. Integrated graphics cost more than onboard. However its compactness, simplistic and has low energy consumption.

There are some performance disadvantages of integrated graphics as the graphics processor shares system resources with the CPU. A dedicated graphics card has its own random access memory (RAM). Integrated graphics also uses its own cooling system. Dedicated power regulators are used along with all components specifically designed for processing video images.

Dedicated graphics are faster since data offloads from the CPU and Ram which may improve the systems overall performance.

Price ranges and market segments for video cards.

The low to high performance spectrum of video cards can start from 24 pounds. For example SAPPHIRE AMD Radeon 5450 PCI-E Graphics Card - 1 GB at PC World is priced £24.99. top selling graphics cards range from 50 to 100 pounds. The starting price of high performance graphics cards are 200 pounds up to 900 pounds. The ASUS GTX TITAN- 6GD5 PCI-E 3.0 Graphics Card - 6GB is the highest value video card which is also one of PC World’s high performance video card.

Power demand

Every time new video cards are manufactured, the processing power increase which means they demand more electrical power for higher performance. Sometimes powerful GPU (graphics processing unit) require such high power, the CPU and power supply will need to be upgraded to higher power efficiency since the video may be highest electricity user in the system.

This is the main reason stronger power supplies are being manufactured. The PCI express connection has an limit of supplying up to 75 watts. Latest video cards with power consumption of over 75 watts include six pins of 75 watts or eight pins of 150 watts. These pins are sockets which connect directly to the power supply.

A minimum of 500 watts of power supply is required for a video card, however most gaming computers will need at least 750 watts with a high performance video card. Computers with multiple video card installed may need power supplies of 1000 to 1500 watts to perform efficiently. Heat extractors are essential to cool down the system.

Components of Video cards:

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

A GPU is also known as visual processing unit (VPU). Its main purpose is to feed off images in a frame buffer, the result is a output display. This is done by rapidly manipulating and accelerating memory. The GPU is such an powerful component that requires such high electricity, it’s a computer system its self due to its high performance.

Heat Sink

Most latest video cards manufactures mounted on heat sinks with the intention to spread out heat given off by the GPU evenly. A fans is also mounted to cool the heat sink and the GPU. However the older GPUs don’t have heat sinks and fans mounted. Instead the GPUs where liquid cooled using water blocks since video cards manufactured from the 1980s to early 1990s did not generate much heat so heatsinks sinks where not required.

Modern Heat Sink.

Video Bios

Also known as firmware which is a program for initial set up and control of the video card. This contains information on the timing of the memory, operating speed in addition to voltages of other components resembling the graphics processer and RAM. The purpose of having a video bios is to allow faster processing speeds by over clocking the video card. Over clocking is done to make the video bios operate at a faster speed than the default clock frequency specified by the video card manufacture. This is executed by modifying the system parameters. The operation of the GPU can be increased by increasing voltages. The downside of overclocking techniques leads to increase in power consumption which generating more heat. Overclocking can also potentially damage video cards and possibly cause cascaded damage to the motherboard.

Graphics and Media Control Panel of Intel 64 Family 6 Model Video Card 31.

Video memoryMost video memory cards capacity starts from 128mb up to 8GB. High performance video cards typically perform with the memory of 8GB. They use special high speed multi-port memory assembling VRAM, WRAM, SGRAM since its being accessed by the GPU.

Typical video memory is based on DDR Technology (Double Data Rate) which transfers data on “rising and falling edges of the clock signal”, Wikipedia states. This is a transfer per cycle on a

electronic circuit. After DDR technology was introduced, manufactures the moved on to DDR2, GDDR4, GDDR5. Latest video cards have a memory clock rate between 1GHz to 6.3GHz

Other data can be stored using video memory, even screen image. For example “Z-buffer” which the depth coordinates in 3D Graphics, textures and vertex buffers are managed by. Video Memory can even be used for other shader programs.

The Memory Clock Frequency of DDR technology types.

RAMDACRAMDAC Stands for Randon Access Memory Digital-to-Analog Converter. Its drive is to convert digital signals to analog for computer displays which uses analog inputs. For example CRT (Cathode Raytube) uses analog inputs. RAMDAC contains an RAM Chip which regulates functioning of video cards. RAMDAC data transfer rates converter supports different computer display refresh rates depending upon number of bits used. Flicker of CRT displays can be caused if RAM is working under 60 Hz. Working over 75 Hz should minimize the flicker.

Latest LCD monitors do not use RAMDAC and flickers are very rare, instead they work by the digital domain. When LCD TV’s where first released, they featured analog inputs (VGA, SCART) which required RAMDAC. The analog signal was reconverted to digital before display.

Video In Video Out (VIVO) for S-Video (TV-out),

Digital Visual Interface (DVI) for High-definition television (HDTV). Digital transmission, Red, Blue and Green. channel. Conveys digital data, input from 0 - 255.

DB-15 for Video Graphics Array (VGA) –

Video Graphics Array (VGA) (DE-15)VGA is also known as D-sub, VGA was designed in the 1980s for CRT displays as an analog-based. This component is also known as a VGA connector. However some problems have been encountered: electrical noise, image distortion and sampling error in evaluating pixels. High definition video including 1080p are still being used today by VGA analogy interface.

high resolution playback is supported by VGA transmission bandwidth, however depending on cable quality and length, users may experience degradation in picture quality. Degradation in quality may appear most frequently using a DVI or HDMI connection on large LCD/LED monitors or TVs. This may be apparent using VGA analogy interface in Blu-ray playback at 1080p.

Digital Visual Interface (DVI)flat-panel displays (LCDs, plasma screens, high-definition television and video projectors use digital-based standard designs. DVI is also used by high end CRT monitors. The advantages of CRT monitors using DVI are: no image distortion and electrical noise and corresponds each pixel from the computer to the CRTs display pixel.

manufacturers include DVI-I connector which is a simple adapter to connect other flat panel displays. Also RGB signal output is mounted to allow old CRT or LCD monitors to be connected using VGA input.

Video In Video Out (VIVO) for S-Video, Composite video and Component video

VIVO has two 10-pin mini-DIN connector which may be used to connect the following: televisions, DVD players, video recorders and video game consoles. VIVO splitter cable generally comes with either 4 connectors which are: S-Video in and out, composite video in and out. VIIVO also comes with 6 connectors which are: S-Video in and out, component PB out +, component PR out +. Vivo also comes with component Y out and composite out + composite in

High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI)

HDMI is used for transferring uncompressed video data. HDMI is also used to compress and uncompressed digital audio data from the HDMI source device. The audio and video data is then transferred to the following compatible devices: digital audio, computer monitor, video projector, or digital television with a compact audio/video interface.[28]

HDMI was introduced as a digital replacement for existing analog video standards. For example Composite video, which is an analog video transmission with no audio which carries standard definition video typically at 480i or 576i resolution. HDMI also supports copy protection through HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) which is is digital copy protection and digital rights management developed by Intel Corporation

DisplayPort

DisplayPort was developed by the Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA). Display Port is a digital display interface, primarily used to connect a video source to a display device resembling a computer monitor.

Display Port can also be used to transmit audio, USB, and other forms of data. [29] . VESA designed this with intention to replace VGA, DVI, and LVDS (Low-voltage differential signalling). LVDS is a technical standard which specifies electrical characteristics of a differential and serial communication protocol.

adapter dongles enables users to use backward compatibility to VGA and DVI, however DisplayPort has similar functionalities as HDMI.

Refresh rate: 80=90 hts apple macs

Projectors – fairly slow refresh rate – 40 hrtz

Livescan cameras –

Video camera takes frame – 25 frames per second

Livescan cameras – scans vertically. They used in railways

Expensive web cam are Livescan cameras

Digital SLR – capturing frame to expose surface of image.

VGA OUTPUT – on board to motherboard

two DVI out ports for multiple screens

apple is limited to 8

matrix of numbers.

Each pixel have address for green ,red blue.

Maximum red pixel is

Multi threading

Graphics is only device that multiple thread

Greed, red , blue channel

Number ranges from 0 255

CUDA – CUDA, (the Compute Unified Device Architecture), is a parallel computing platform and programming model created by NVIDIA and implemented by the graphics processing units (GPUs) that they produce

Openngl

Dot pitch

GRAPHICS cards have separate power supply

PCI express – explading the data bus – feeding the graphics card. Only accepts 75 watts.

2KW power supply to feed theatre machine

Explore realtionship between ram and graphics card.

Understand the key concets between digital to analog.

Graphics processing unit

Core marli graphics chip

Flat panel displays

What resolution image.

Difference between TV and monitor

Smart TV will have slightly low resolution then monitor

LCD - Liquid-crystal display

Light source – array of those behind 3 mil thick of display.

Essentially discharge tubes

Different layers of nano

Internet koist

Explore display technology

What resolution are we dealing with?

HD cameras have stretched the image for larger viewport

Image scaling

Euler filter

W3C svg primer

Vector graphics – coordinates based – each pixel as dvir

Identifies the nodems.

3-D graphics – next frame rendered may be smaller, next frame rendered. Coordinates are changing. May be true frame or computer interpreter it.

Left eye is viewed as horizontal

Right eye is

DVD frame rate: 15 -25 frames per second

Webcam – 2 or 3 frames per second.

References:

Ebuyer.com. 2014. Corsair Professional Digital AX760i Fully Modular 80.. | Ebuyer.com. [online] Available at: http://www.ebuyer.com/410034-corsair-ax760i-80plus-platinum-high-performance-760w-power-supply-cp-9020036-uk [Accessed: 11 Mar 2014].

Ebuyer.com. 2014. Gigabyte GTX 750 Ti Dual DVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E.. | Ebuyer.com. [online] Available at: http://www.ebuyer.com/623499-gigabyte-gtx-750-ti-dual-dvi-hdmi-pci-e-graphics-card-gv-n75toc-2gi [Accessed: 11 Mar 2014].

Ebuyer.com. 2014. Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro rev 2 Socket 775, 1150.. | Ebuyer.com. [online] Available at: http://www.ebuyer.com/176157-arctic-cooling-freezer-7-pro-rev-2-socket-775-1156-1155-1366-ac-frz-7pr2 [Accessed: 11 Mar 2014].

Intel.com. 2014. Graphics — Video BIOS FAQ. [online] Available at: http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/sb/CS-029985.htm [Accessed: 11 Mar 2014].

Xbitlabs.com. 2014. AMD Sempron 3100+ Overclocking. Page 3 - X-bit labs. [online] Available at: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/sempron-3100-oc_3.html [Accessed: 11 Mar 2014].

Wikipedia. 2014. Video card. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_card [Accessed: 11 Mar 2014].

Wikipedia. 2014. Composite video. [online] Available at:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Composite_video [Accessed: 11 Mar 2014].

Wikipedia. 2014. Low-voltage differential signaling. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-voltage_differential_signaling [Accessed: 11 Mar 2014].

Wikipedia. 2014. Gpu-connector.jpg. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gpu-connector.jpg [Accessed: 11 Mar 2014].

Wikipedia. 2014. Overclocking. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overclock [Accessed: 11 Mar 2014].

Wikipedia. 2014. High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-Bandwidth_Digital_Content_Protection [Accessed: 11 Mar 2014].