Understanding PC and Troubleshooting Unit 12

Unit 12 Video Adapters and Accelerators

Structure:
12.1 Introduction
Objectives
12.2 Conventional Video Adapters
Text & Graphics
Video BIOS
Direct X
Replacing / Updating an Adapter
12.3 Classification of Video Display Hardware
12.4 Graphics Accelerators
Factors for Video Speed
12.5 3D Graphics Accelerator Issues
The 3D Process
Issues in 3D Speed
Improving 3D Performance
12.6 Troubleshooting
Avoiding the Basic Problem
Missing Display Options
Basic Troubleshooting in Windows OS
12.7 Summary
12.8 Glossary
12.9 Terminal Questions
12.10 Answers

12.1 Introduction
In this unit we shall discuss about video adapters and accelerators. A user
gives raw information to the system through the input device and gets the
processed information through the output device, usually a visual display
unit, also called as monitor. This output display is made possible by a
special hardware called video adapter. This video adapter card may be a
standalone device or may be integrated into the motherboard. Display
adapter, graphics accelerator or graphics card are other names of the video
adapter. Modern video cards have most advanced features such as 2D / 3D
graphics rendering, video capturing, multiple monitor outputs and MPEG
decoding.
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In this unit we shall discuss various classifications of video adapters. Also

there are a number of factors such as bandwidth, memory etc. which are
responsible for the speed of video. This unit also throws light on these
factors. Advanced gaming requires powerful 3D accelerators. We shall
discuss the steps involved in 3D process and methods to improve 3D
performance. Finally we shall discuss various basic troubleshooting
techniques for video adapters.
Objectives:
After studying this unit, you should be able to:
 Explain the features of conventional video adapters
 Classify video display hardware based on their functions
 Discuss the issues associated with 3D graphics accelerator
 Resolve the problems in video cards through troubleshooting

12.2 Conventional Video Adapters

A conventional video card gets the processed output from the processor and
converts into a form that the monitor can display. Thus it acts in between the
processor and the monitor. These cards just accept the data from the
processor and send it to the monitor. They did not have any processing
power.
IBM (International Business Machines) introduced the first PC configured
with a video card called Monochrome Display Adapter (MDA) in 1981
followed by the first commercial 2D/3D Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) in
1995. These cards usedthe SVGA (Super Video Graphics Array) standards
which incorporated 3D functions. Several advanced features and
capabilities such as anti-aliasing, MIP mapping, and z-buffering are included
in modern graphics cards. The Accelerated Graphics Port or AGP has been
introduced by Intel.
Usually a video adapter is a printed circuit board that plugs into a personal
computer to give it display capabilities but these capabilities, depend on
both the logical circuitry (provided in the video adapter) and the display
monitor. For instance, even if the video adapter is very powerful, a
monochrome monitor cannot display color.

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Components of Graphics/Video Cards

You will find that a standard video or graphics card is composed of several
components mounted on a printed circuit board (abbreviated as PCB,
which is a thin plate on which chips and other electronic components are
placed) which include the following devices:
 Graphics Processing Units (GPU) – A Graphics Processing Unit
(GPU), also called (Visual Processing Unit (VPU) is a special type of
microprocessor that takes up the job of graphics rendering from system
CPU. GPUs are used in embedded systems, mobile phones, personal
computers, workstations, and game consoles. Modern GPUs are very
efficient at manipulating computer graphics, and their highly parallel
structure makes them more effective than general-purpose CPUs for a
range of complex algorithms. In a personal computer, a GPU can be
present on a video card, or it can be on the motherboard. More than
90% of new desktop and notebook computers have integrated GPUs,
which are usually far less powerful than those on a dedicated video card
Like CPU (Central Processing Unit), GPU is a dedicated processor
designed for accelerating video and 3D graphics rendering.
 Video BIOS – Like system BIOS, Video BIOS is the firmware that
contains the basic program that controls the basic operations of the
video card. This includes the interaction with the computer and the
software applications.
 Video memory – Video memory provides the memory needs of the
GPU and the display unit.Generally video memory ranges from 128MB
to 4GB. However new and emerging graphics cards contain more
memory.
 RAMDAC – Random Access Memory Digital-to-Analog Converter
converts digital signals to analog signals. These analog signals were
used in old cathode ray tube (abbreviated as CRT, which is a
specialized vacuum tube in which images are produced when an
electron beam strikes a phosphorescent surface) displays. However new
LCD displays do not require the RAMDAC.
 Outputs – Modern video cards include the standard outputs such as
VGA (Video Graphics Array) connector; DVI (Digital Visual Interface);
9-pin VIVO (Video In Video Out) for S-Video, composite and component

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video; HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface); and the advanced

DisplayPort that is intended to replace VGA and DVI connectors.
12.2.1 Text& Graphics
Text and graphics are the two basic modes offered by video adapters. In
text mode, a monitor can display only ASCII (American Standard Code for
Information Interchange) characters. The term graphics represents almost
everything on computers that is not text or sound.The representation and
manipulation of image data by a computer is also termed as computer
graphics. In graphics mode, a monitor can display any bit-mapped image.
Within the text and graphics modes, some monitors also offer a choice of
resolutions. If the resolution is low, then more colors can be displayed by the
monitor. As advanced video adapters contain their own memory, computer
memory is not used for storing displays. Additionally, most adapters have
their own graphics coprocessor for performing graphics calculations.
Suchadapters are referred to as graphics accelerators.
12.2.2 Video BIOS
You are aware that the system BIOS (Basic Input Output System) provides
a set of functions that are used by software programs to access the system
hardware. Likewise, the video BIOS provides a set of video-related functions
that are used by programs to access the video hardware. The video BIOS
interfaces software to the video chipset in the same way that the system
BIOS does for the system chipset.
It should be kept in mind that the BIOS code and the software drivers in the
Video BIOS can differ for different cards that use the same video chipset. As
there is an increase in the variety of cards available in the market and you
need different code to support the BIOSes of different cards, software
programming has become difficult. VESA (Video Electronics Standards
Association, an international standards body for computer graphics founded
in 1989 by NEC Home Electronics and eight other video display adapter
manufacturers) has introduced a standard for high-resolution BIOS code
called the VESA BIOS Extensions (VBE). You can apply these by means of
hardware code or software drivers so as to have more standardized control
over the video.

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12.2.3 DirectX
DirectX is a technology from Microsoft, which is a collection of Application
Programming Interfaces (APIs) for handling tasks related to multimedia,
especially game programming and video, on Microsoft platforms. Originally,
the names of these APIs all began with the word Direct, such as Direct3D,
DirectDraw, DirectMusic, DirectPlay, DirectSound, and so forth. But later on
the name DirectX was coined to refer to all of these APIs (the X standing in
for the particular API names) and this continued to be the name of the
collection. When Microsoft developed a gaming console called ‘Xbox’, to
indicate that the console was based on DirectX technology. The initial X has
been used in the naming of APIs designed for the Xbox such as XInput and
the Cross-platform Audio Creation Tool (XACT), while the DirectX pattern
has been continued for Windows APIs such as Direct2D and DirectWrite.
For the development of video games for Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Xbox,
and Microsoft Xbox 360, 3D graphics API within DirectX (Direct3D) is being
widely used. Other software applications for visualization and graphics tasks
such as Computer Aided Design / Computer Aided Manufacturing
engineering use Direct 3D You would have observed that the terms
‘Direct3D’ and ‘DirectX’ have been used interchangeably.
The DirectX Software Development Kit (SDK) consists of runtime libraries in
redistributable binary form, along with accompanying documentation and
headers for use in coding. Originally, the runtimes were only installed by
games or explicitly by the user. Windows 95 was not launched with DirectX
but it was included with Windows 95 OEM (Original Equipment
Manufacturer) Service Release 2 Windows 98 and Windows NT 4.0 both
contained DirectX which SDK can be downloaded for free.
The new versions of DirectX such as Direct3D 9Ex, Direct3D 10 and
Direct3D 11, available only for Windows Vista and Windows 7 were built to
depend upon the new Windows Display Driver Model.
Direct3D 9Ex: this allows full access to the new capabilities of drivers while
maintaining compatibility for existing Direct3D applications. The new
Vista/Windows Display Driver Modelgraphics architecture includes a new
video memory manager that supports virtualizing graphics hardware to
multiple applications and services such as the Desktop Window Manager.

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Direct3D 10: It is designed around the new driver model in Windows Vista
and featuring a number of improvements to rendering capabilities and
flexibility.
Direct3D 11: It has the major features of multithreading support to assist
video game developers in developing games that better utilize multi-core
processors.
12.2.4 Replacing / Updating an Adapter
It is important to know which type of video adapter can be used in your
system as there are three main types of video adapter upgrades available.
Add-on Video Card
Add-on video card can be physically inserted into and taken out of the
computer as an individual hardware component. It can be plugged in PCI or
AGP slots. In order to upgrade an add-on video card, you haveto remove
the old card and drivers and install the new video card and drivers.
Motherboard Video-only Chipset
This type has an integrated video along with an open AGP expansion slot.
Either you can use the motherboard’s integrated video or plug-in your own
video card in the AGP slot. Modern PCs are equipped with this setup. You
should disable the on-board video and add an AGP video card and install
drivers for the new card to upgrade to this type.
Motherboard with Integrated Video
There is only on-board video in this type.You will not find an extra AGP slot
that you can use to install a new video card. You may be able to install a
slower PCI video card or if you really want an AGP video card you can opt
for a motherboard upgrade (to one that offers an AGP slot).
Self Assessment Questions
1. The AGP technology was introduced by _______________.
2. DirectX technology is from _______________.
3. BIOS stands for _______________.

12.3 Classification of Video Display Hardware

A video display adapter is also referred to as graphics accelerator card
which is an expansion card whose function is to generate output images to a
display. These cards offer added functions, such as rendering of

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accelerated 2D and 3D images, video capture, TV-tuner adapter, MPEG-

2decoding, light pen, TV output, or the ability to connect multiple monitors.
High performance video cards also support PC games.
Video display adapter hardware is integrated on the motherboard chip in
earlier machines. It was also called as video controller or graphics controller.
Recent computers use a graphics chipset which is developed along with
Northbridge on the motherboard. This chip has embedded memory and
some amount of system RAM. This reduces the total RAM available. This is
called integrated graphics or on-board graphics and it is used by those who
runs 3D applications. A dedicated Graphics Card on the other hand has its
own RAM and Processor specifically for processing video images. Almost all
of these motherboards allow the disabling of the integrated graphics chip in
BIOS, and uses buses like AGP, PCI, or PCI Express slot for adding a
higher-performance graphics card in place of the integrated graphics.
There are two broad categories of video display hardware: non-accelerated
and accelerated cards. In the non-accelerated graphics adapters, as the
early graphics adapters were, the system CPU did all the work related to
processing and calculating. The adapters just received data from the
processorand forwarded the signals to the monitor. The computer needed to
change each pixel individually to change the image on the screen when
using the non-accelerated (un-accelerated) graphics adapters. However, the
introduction of Graphical User Interface operating systems such as
Windows created some problems. It was then found that systems began to
slow down as the CPU was left trying to move large amounts of data from
the system RAM to the video card.
Video cards in recent age are accelerated and connected to the system's
CPU through high-speed buses such as PCI (Peripheral Computer
Interface) or AGP (Accelerated Graphics Port). A graphics accelerator, for
example, is a type of video adapter that contains its own processor to boost
performance levels. These processors are specialized for computing
graphical transformations, so that they can achieve better results than the
general-purpose CPU used by the computer. Additionally, they free up the
computer's CPU to execute other commands while the graphics accelerator
is handling graphics computations. The popularity of graphical applications,
and especially multimedia applications and computer games, has made

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graphics accelerators not only a common enhancement, but a necessity.

Nowadays most computer manufacturers include a graphics accelerator
with their mid-range and high-end systems.
Apart from the graphics processor used, other characteristics that
differentiate graphics accelerators are:
 Memory: Graphics accelerators have their own memory, which is
reserved for storing graphical representations. Because of the demands
of video systems, video memory needs to be faster than main memory.
The amount of memory determines how much resolution and how many
colors can be displayed. Some accelerators use conventional DRAM
(Dynamic RAM), but others use a special type of Video RAM (VRAM),
which enables both the video circuitry and the processor to
simultaneously access the memory.
 Bus: Each graphics accelerator is designed for a particular type of video
bus (AGP or PCI).

Self Assessment Questions

4. Video display hardware can be broadly classified as
_______________and _______________.
5. DRAM stands for _______________.
6. VRAM stands for _______________.

12.4 Graphics Accelerators

Graphics accelerators are coprocessors that reside in your computer that
assist in drawing graphics. If your system is equipped with a graphics
accelerator then it does have to transfer raw pixel data over a slow general
bus and chipset. Instead of it will use graphics accelerator for transferring
the pixel data over the bus and chipset and draw image. Thus a graphics
accelerator works concurrently with a general CPU to improve graphics
performance of the system. They are also called as Graphics Processing
Units (GPU).
GPU is a single-chip processor with integrated transform, lighting, triangle
setup/clipping, and rendering engines. It is capable of processing a
minimum of 10 million polygons per second. It was first, defined and
popularized by NVIDIA in 1999, who marketed the GeForce 256 (name of
the GPU model) as the world's first GPU. The release of the Radeon 9700
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saw the introduction of the Visual Processing Unit (VPU) by

ATI Technologies in 2002.
Custom microchips found in graphics accelerators contain special
mathematical operations commonly used in graphics rendering. The
efficiency of the microchips determines the effectiveness of the graphics
accelerator. They are mainly used for playing 3D games or high-end 3D
rendering. A GPU implements a number of graphics primitive operations in a
way that makes running them much faster than drawing directly to the
screen with the host CPU. Modern GPUs also have support for 3D computer
graphics, and typically include digital video–related functions. Figure 12.1
shows a modern graphics card. Intel, NVIDIA, AMD (Advanced Micro
Devices), S3 Graphics VIA Technologies and Matrox are some of the
popular companies manufacturing GPUs.

Graphics
Processor

Figure 12.1: A Modern Graphics Processing Unit

Computational functions of GPUs

Modern GPUs use most of their integrated circuits to perform calculations
related to 3D computer graphics. They were initially used to accelerate the
memory-intensive work of texture mapping and rendering polygons, later
adding units to accelerate geometric calculations such as the rotation and
translation of vertices into different coordinate systems. Recent
developments in GPUs include support for programmable Shaders (A Pixel
Shader is a graphics function that calculates effects on a pixel level) which
can manipulate vertices and textures with many of the same operations

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supported by CPUs, oversampling and interpolation techniques to reduce

aliasing, and very high-precision color spaces. Because most of these
computations involve matrix and vector operations, engineers and scientists
have increasingly studied the use of GPUs for non-graphical calculations.In
addition to the 3D hardware, today's GPUs include basic 2D acceleration
and frame buffer capabilities (usually with a VGA compatibility mode).
12.4.1 Issues in Video Performance
The following are some of the common hurdles faced regarding video speed
performance,
 Graphics memory bandwidth
 Communication between host and graphics accelerator
 Features and host feature emulation
 Monitor refresh

Graphics Memory Bandwidth

The speed at which the accelerator can output its results to memory is one
of the biggest challenges in graphics performance. The various techniques
used to improve the performance are:
 Using VRAM, a kind of RAM technology that could allow multiple
accesses per cycle (one for video refresh, and one for accelerator
output)
 Using RAMBUS, wherein the RAM is partitioned over multiple buses
 Slicing the memory in large sequential banks
 Embedding an eDRAM (embedded Dynamic RAM) and splining the on-
chip
 Increase the efficiency of memory accesses via tiled addressing
Host, Accelerator Communication
A command queue (or FIFO-First In First Out strategy) helps in
communicating operations from the host to the accelerator. The host
graphics API (Application Programming Interface) are decomposed to these
accelerator specific commands which are then executed by the graphics
accelerator and then de-queued by the graphics accelerator in oldest first
order. Writing to and arbitration of the graphics queue usually involves
writes and reads to memory mapped graphics register locations, or I/O
ports. However, writes to ordinary system memory and graphics based DMA
strategies are also possible.

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Earlier graphics accelerators faced the hurdle of the queue being too small
(typically 16 entries) to give the host and the graphics accelerator sufficient
opportunity for parallelism. So, the host driver would commonly be stalled
waiting for the queue to free up enough space for the next operation. But in
modern graphics accelerators, you will not face this problem as the queue
has been significantly expanded usually to sizes usually above 512 entries.
While a register window retained a small queue, a portion of the graphics
memory would be used as an extension queue to the register window
queue.
Some accelerators, in order to improve queue access performance use the
ploy of memory mapping the queue to contiguous sequential addresses, to
use the PCI bursting capabilities of the host chipset.
Features and Host Feature Emulation
There are various factors which influence the marketability of graphics like:
price, how well they support games, and how well they conform to
standards. Earlier, starting in 1989, PC based graphics acceleration was
limited to 2D but with the advent of DirectDraw and Direct3D and availability
of 3D accelerated games, 3D is being preferred. 3D is not as simple as 2D
for graphic companies to deal with.
Monitor Refresh
Monitor refresh is the last factor in determining the video speed which takes
a certain amount of memory bandwidth away just to update the monitor. But
3D applications perform double buffering in order to prevent tearing or
flickering. By double buffering we mean that the trace is sent back and forth
between two frame buffers and the monitor is alternately refreshed by the
buffer. In order to repoint the monitor to refresh from a different section of
graphics RAM to avoid tearing, you have to wait until the current refresh (if
one is pending) is complete. Typically this is done by "waiting for vertical
retrace". This "wait period", however is dictated by the specifications of your
monitor, not by the performance of your CPU or graphics accelerator.
Self Assessment Questions
7. The term GPU was coined and popularized by _______________.
8. The term VPU was first introduced by _______________.
9. GPU stands for _______________.

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12.5 3D Graphics Accelerator Issues

3D computer graphics requires a lot of computer processing power and a
large amount of memory. Until late 1995, 3D acceleration was only found on
a small number of high-end products its target applications being high-end
rendering packages and supporting engines. However, with the introduction
of powerful Pentium chips, the demand for 3D accelerators has increased
manifold with all modern PCs incorporating them.
It was found that the initial 3D accelerators were slower than conventional
GUI accelerators under Windows, and poor in DOS at a time when most PC
games ran on that platform, the main problem lying with software support.
Moreover, with 32-bit Super Games Consoles on the increase, the quantity
and quality of titles available for the 3D cards was poor.
With Microsoft supporting DirectX and enhancing Windows 95 as a
multimedia platformand with the sales of 3D graphics chips exceeding 42
million, in 1997, attitudes changed. There was a phenomenal increase in the
demand for 3D graphics chips with sales going up to 140 million by the year
2000.
12.5.1 The 3D Process
The main purpose of a dedicated 3D graphics chip or a dual-purpose 2D/3D
graphics chip is to take away load from system CPU and perform the
rendering by itself. This rendering, or drawing, is accomplished through the
graphics pipeline in two major stages: geometry and rendering. The
geometry stage is performed by the CPU. In this the CPU handles all
polygon activity and converts the 3D spatial data into pixels. The rendering
stage is handled by the 3D hardware accelerator. It manages all the
memory and pixel activity and prepares it for painting to the monitor.
Earlier, although for a brief period, the only way a PC user could have
access to 3D acceleration was throughan add-on card that worked along
with a conventional 2D card. The latter was used for day-to-day Windows
computing, and the 3D card gained popularity only when a 3D game was
launched. As 3D capability rapidly became the standard, these 3D-only
cards were replaced by cards with dual 2D/3D capability. These 2D/3D
combo cards combine standard 2D functions plus 3D acceleration
capabilities on one card and represent the most cost-effective solution for
most gamers. Almost all modern-day graphics cards have some kind of

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dedicated 3D acceleration, but their performance varies a lot. If you want to

upgrade to 3D, you could go in for a dedicated 3D add-on card.
12.5.2 Issues in 3D Speed
A CPU's capabilities are stretched while handling the various 3D rendering
techniques involving complex calculations. Even if you have dedicated 3D
accelerators to perform many of the functions identified abovethe CPU still
handles most of the geometry calculations – such as, the positioning of every
filtered pixel that appears on-screen. With current 3D accelerators sending
out over a 100 million pixels per second, this is beyond the capacityof even
the fastest CPU. The 3D accelerator literally has to wait for the CPU to finish
its calculations.
12.5.3 Improving 3D Performance
Two very different ways of improving 3D performance have been found.
One is the use of dedicated geometry processor which takes over the
geometry calculations from the main CPU. Another means is offered by
processor manufactures who have tried to boost the 3D performance of their
CPUs because they feared that once geometry processors became
standard on graphics boards, it would only take a mediocre processor to
perform other functions such as running the operating system and
monitoring devices. Hence they provided specialized instruction sets Katmai
New Instructions (KNI - The code name for the new multimedia instructions
that were built into the Pentium III (Katmai) chipin the case of Intel and
3D Now! (an extension to the 8086 instruction set,)in the case of AMD for
improving 3D performance. But, in the long run, the increase in performance
provided by these new MMX-style (Multi Media extension) instructions will
appear insufficient to cope with the brute power of the new generation of 3D
accelerator. Moreover, most users including gamers do not upgrade their
systems regularly and have CPUs which are relatively slow. Therefore,
dedicated geometry processors are the most preferred.

12.6 Troubleshooting
Some typical problems encountered with video cards are discussed in this
section. Most of the problems addressed are related to specific setup issues
with the video subsystem. You should always make sure that you are using
the correct drivers for your video card. If you have any problems related to

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the video subsystem, or even general instability with the system that shows
up when you are running Windows, thenbe sure that it is caused due to the
use of faulty or incorrect drivers. The video cards are generally shipped with
their drivers in a floppy-disk or CD-ROM from their manufacturers. However
the up-to-date drives can be found in their company’s website. These will
often fix many of the strange problems sometimes seen when installing a
new video card.
12.6.1 Avoiding the Basic Problem
Problems Associated with Graphics/Video Cards and Devices
Video cards, graphics cards, and other 2D/3D graphic accelerator cards are
bunched with the corresponding device drivers that are essential for the
proper function and performance of the graphics device. Sometimes these
old device drivers may not work properly if you upgrade your motherboard,
processor or operating system. Under these circumstances you need to
uninstall the old drivers, download the latest drivers suitable for the
upgraded motherboard, processor or operating system and then reinstall it.
Resolving Installation Problems with Driver Detective
The device driver update tool called Driver Detective can be used to update
Graphics and video device drivers quickly and accurately. The Driver
Detective tool can identify individual graphics and video cards with driver
problems. They can also automatically download the most up-to-date
drivers suitable for a particular motherboard, processor and/or operating
system.
If you encounter difficulties like crashing, hanging, freezing, etc. Then it
means that the display adapter has some problem. In case your video card
displays some things incorrectly then you may be able to identify the
problem by comparing your screen errors with examples screenshots. This
section contains some screenshots of video cards which show different
kinds of visual problems. But if your video card crashes or hangsthen it
isoften difficult to find the cause because there could be various other
reasons displaying the same signs. You could carry out some standard
procedures to set right the problem. As a last resort you could seek the help
of support forumsBut before trying these proceduresit is advisable to create
a system restore point as described below. A restore point allows you to

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undo software changes you make while trying to solve your video card
problem.
1. Install the latest motherboard chipset drivers
2. Uninstall your old display drivers and then install the latest display
drivers
3. Disable your sound system
4. Disable your AGP port
5. Do physical checks
6. Test your CPU and RAM
7. Check your power supply
12.6.2 Missing Display Options
Missing display is a common problem in which the operating system, such
as Windows XP, does notappear on the screen. In other words, the
computer starts up but nothing appears on the monitor. Assuming that your
monitor is in good condition, your next step should be to take a look at the
video card.
This particular problem can be caused from several different things such as
a video card that is not properly seated or a loose connection from the video
card to the monitor. Troubleshooting this problem will require you to locate
the video card inside your computer and verify the following:
 Assuming that the video card adapter is separate from the motherboard,
you should check that the card is properly seated. Sometimes one end
of the card may creep out of the slot when it is initially screwed in
resulting in no display appearing on the monitor.
 Verify the correct jumper settings for video cards that are mounted to the
motherboard by checking the documentation that camewith the
hardware.
 The cable running from the monitor to the video port may also be broken
or there may be a loose contact. Examine the monitor cable to ensure
that there are no broken or bent pins. A bent pin can usually be
straightened using a pair of sharp-nosed pliers. Also check that the
cable running from the monitor to the VGA port is secure.

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12.6.3 Basic Troubleshooting in Windows OS

Operating System does not appear
Suppose if the initial screen of the startup process appears on the monitor
and then if the display goes blank, then there is a possibility of wrong video
driver installation. When an incompatible video driver with the operating
system is installed these kinds of problems will surface. If your operating
system is Windows XP, you can follow procedures given below to resolve
the problem.
 In Windows XP, start the computer in Safe Mode by pressing [F8] when
the Starting Windows message appears.
 From the boot menu select the Safe Mode option. This will force
Windows XP to start using the standard VGA driver, instead of the video
driver that is used when the operating system is started normally.
 Once the computer is started in Safe Mode, you can install the correct
video driver using Device Manager.
You can get a detailed description of these steps under the section
"Updating Video Drivers".
Another cause for the video problem discussed above could be due to
overclocking. Although this is a popular method used to get more
performance out of a hardware component such as a video card adapter, it
could result in display problems. The problem can once again be resolved
by starting Windows XP in Safe Mode and configuring the video card to
operate at its default speed.
Poor Display
Poor display can cause, besides fuzzy appearance, distorted text, monitor
flickering etc. Due to poor display there may be chances of causing
headaches and sore eyes after working for long time on the computer.
Therefore this problem has to be resolved.
There are a number of causes which lead to poor display. You should first
verify that the latest driver for the video adapter has been installed. You can
determine which driver version is currently installed in Windows XP by
completing the steps outlined below:
1. Right click the Windows desktop and click Properties.
2. From the Display Properties dialog box, click the Settings tab.
3. Click the Advanced button.

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4. Click the Adapters tab.

5. Click the Properties button under Adapter Type as shown in Figure
12.2.
6. Click the Driver tab.

Figure 12.2: Verifying device driver

Select the Properties button under Adapter Type to locate specific driver
information including the driver version. You can find the version information
beside the Driver Version field. Compare this version with the latest version
on the manufacturer's Web site. If the driver needs to be updated complete
steps four through seven listed under the section entitled “Updating Video
Drivers”. If the latest driver is installed, you may need to adjust the
resolution and refresh rate (this is the rate at which the video card redraws
the screen) for the video adapter card. Incorrect display settings can cause
problems with your display.
Screen Resolution
In order to configure display settings, right click the Windows XP desktop
and click Properties to open the Display Properties dialog box. Then select
the Settings tab as shown in Figure 12.3 to change the resolution settings.
Use the slider under Screen resolution to adjust the settings. Normally, a 17
inch monitor will have a default resolution of 800x600.

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Figure 12.3: Changing the screen resolution

Use the Settings tab from the Display Properties dialog box to change the
resolution. If you are unable to select the desired resolution that should be
supported by the video card, you will need to again check that the operating
system has correctly identified the card. In Windows, you can use Device
Manager to make sure the card has been properly detected. If the card has
not been properly identified, you will once again need to check the driver. It
is usually recommended that you use the drivers supplied by the
manufacturer instead of the drivers included with Windows.
The screen resolution may also be limited if the wrong monitor is selected.
To check the monitor selection, once again open the Display Properties
dialog box and select the Settings tab. Click the Advanced button and select
the Monitor tab. If the monitor listed is not correct, you will need to update
the driver for the monitor.
Refresh Rate
If the problem still persists after adjusting the resolution, your next step
should be to adjust the refresh rate. Lower refresh rates tend to cause
flickering so it is important to verify this setting. You can adjust the refresh
rate using the Settings tab from the Display Properties dialog box.

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Once again, select the Settings tab and click the Advanced button. Select
the Monitor tab as shown in Figure 12.4. Use the drop down arrow to adjust
the refresh rate to about 70 MHZ. Remember that a higher refresh rate will
reduce the amount of flickering. As with the screen resolution, if you are
unable to select the desired refresh rate, go back to the video driver to make
sure the latest one is installed. Use the Monitor tab to adjust the refresh
rate.

Figure 12.4: Selecting refresh rate for the monitor

It is important to verify that the monitor supports the screen resolution and
refresh rate configured in the Display Properties dialog box. You should
refer to the documentation or manual that came with your monitor in order to
identify the values that are supported.
Problems Displaying Videos or Animations
You will encounter problems with videos and animations, if the display
adapter driver does not support DirectDraw. If videos and animations are
not correctly displayed on the monitor, you should first determine if the video
card adapter driver supports DirectDraw which can be accomplished using
the DirectX Diagnostic Tool. Then from the Run command type DxDiag.exe
and click OK. From the Display tab, click the Test DirectDraw button.
Windows XP will perform a series of tests. If your display does not pass
each of the tests, you will need to update the video adapter.
If updating the video adapter driver does not solve the problem, verify that
your video card is indeed supported by the operating system installed on

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your computer. If you are running Windows, you can check the Hardware
Compatibility List (HCL) to determine if the video card adapter is supported.
Updating Video Drivers
Faulty or incorrect video drivers can result in such things as operating
system instability, video subsystem problems, and so on.Most video cards
come with drivers on a floppy disk or a CD-ROM. You can use the drivers
that came with the hardware or visit the manufacturer's Web site to obtain a
more recent one. The drivers should come with a text file outlining the
installation process.
The first step in updating the driver is to identify the make and model of your
video card. In Windows XP, you can see a list of all the hardware
components within Device Manager. The video card should be listed under
Display Adapters as shown in Figure 12.5. However, if it is has not been
recognized by Windows XP, it may be listed under Unknown Devices.
Double click on the video adapter listed to identify the make and model. This
information can be used to retrieve the latest driver from the manufacturer's
Web site. Device Manager will list the Display Adapter installed in the
computer.

Figure 12.5: Device manager screen

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If you are running Windows XP, you can update a device driver using the
steps listed below:
1. Right click My Computer and click Properties.
2. From the Hardware tab, click Device Manager.
3. Within Device Manager, double-click the video adapter listed under
Display Adapters.
4. Click Update Driver as shown in Figure 12.6 to open the Hardware
Update Wizard.
5. Accept the default option, Install the Software Automatically.
Choose the Install from a List or Specific Location option if you
have the updated driver so you can indicate the file location. Click
Next.
6. Windows searches for an updated driver and instructs you if an
updated driver has been found.
7. Click Finish once the updated driver has been installed.

Figure 12.6: Updating device driversscreen

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A majority of video adapter card problems can be solved by ensuring that

the correct driver is installed and that the display settings are properly
configured based on the capabilities of your hardware. However, if you are
unable to resolve the problem using the steps discussed in the previous
sections then, it might be advisable to contact the manufacturer of the video
card.

Self Assessment Questions

10. KNI stands for ______________.
11. MMX stands for ______________.
12. You need to run ______________file to test whether your monitor
supports DirectDraw or not.

12.7 Summary
Let’s recapitulate important concepts discussed in this unit:
 Video adapter is a board that plugs into a personal computer to give it
display capabilities. Those capabilities of a computer, however, depend
on both the logical circuitry (provided in the video adapter) and the
display monitor.
 DirectX is the technology from Microsoft, which is a collection of
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for handling tasks related to
multimedia, especially game programming and video, on Microsoft
platforms.
 The video display hardware can be broadly classified into non-
accelerated and accelerated cards.
 A Graphics Processing Unit or GPU (also occasionally called visual
processing unit or VPU) is a specialized microprocessor that offloads
and accelerates graphics rendering from the central processor. It is used
in embedded systems, mobile phones, personal computers,
workstations, and game consoles.
 Video cards, graphics cards, and other 2D/3D graphic accelerator cards
are bundled with the corresponding device drivers that are essential for
the proper function and performance of the graphics device.

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12.8 Glossary
Term Description
GPU GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) islike CPU (Central Processing
Unit).It is a dedicated processor designed for accelerating video
and 3D graphics rendering.
Video BIOS This is the firmware that contains the basic program that
controls the basic operations of the video card, including
interaction with the computer and the software applications.
Video Memory It provides the memory needs of the GPU and the display
unit.Generally video memory ranges from 128MB to 4GB.
However new and emerging graphics cards contain more
memory.
RAMDAC RAMDAC (Random Access Memory Digital-to-Analog
Converter) converts digital signals to analog signals. These
analog signals were used in old CRT displays. However new
LCD displays do not require the RAMDAC.
DirectX DirectX is the technology from Microsoft, which is a collection of
Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) for handling tasks
related to multimedia, especially game programming and video
on Microsoft platforms.
VRAM VRAM (Video RAM) isa kind of RAM technology that could allow
multiple accesses per cycle (one for video refresh, and one for
accelerator output).
RAMBUS RAMBUS is a technology, wherein the RAM is partitioned over
multiple buses.

12.9 Terminal Questions

1. Explain the features of conventional video adapters.
2. Briefly explain the major classification of video display hardware.
3. List out the issues associated with video speed.
4. Explain the precautionary measures to be taken to avoid basic problems
in video cards.

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12.10 Answers
Self Assessment questions
1. Intel
2. Microsoft
3. Basic Input Output System
4. Accelerated, Non-accelerated
5. Dynamic Random Access Memory
6. Video Random Access Memory
7. NVIDIA
8. ATI Technologies
9. Graphics Processing Unit
10. Katmai New Instructions
11. Multi Media Extension
12. DxDiag.exe
Terminal Questions
1. Refer section 12.2: Conventional Video Adapters
2. Refer section 12.3: Classification of Video Display Hardware
3. Refer section 12.4.1: Issues in Video Performance
4. Refer section 12.6.1: Avoiding the Basic Problem

References:
 Troubleshooting, Maintaining and Repairing PC’s by Stephen J.
Bigelow, TMH
 The Indispensable PC Hardware Book by Messmer (Addison Wesley-
Third Edition)

E-References:
 http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-graphics-adapter.htm

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