graphics card

A graphics card (also called a video card, display card, graphics adapter, VGA card/VGA, video adapter, or display adapter) is an expansion card which generates a feed of output images to a display device (such as a computer monitor). Frequently, these are advertised as discrete or dedicated graphics cards, emphasizing the distinction between these and integrated graphics. At the core of both is the graphics processing unit (GPU), which is the main component that performs computations, but should not be confused with the graphics card as a whole, although "GPU" is often used as a metonymic shorthand to refer to graphics cards.
Most graphics cards are not limited to simple display output. Their integrated graphics processor can perform additional processing, removing this task from the central processor of the computer. For example, Nvidia and AMD (previously ATI) produced cards that render the graphics pipelines OpenGL and DirectX on the hardware level. In the later 2010s, there has also been a tendency to use the computing capabilities of the graphics processor to solve non-graphic tasks, which can be done through the use of OpenCL and CUDA. Graphics cards are used extensively for AI training, cryptocurrency mining and molecular simulation.Usually, the graphics card is made in the form of a printed circuit board (expansion board) and inserted into an expansion slot, universal or specialized (AGP, PCI Express). Some have been made using dedicated enclosures, which are connected to the computer via a docking station or a cable. These are known as eGPUs.
Discrete GPUs (dGPUs) usually come in the form of graphics cards, while integrated GPUs (iGPUs) are usually in the form of APUs, an AMD marketing term for 'fusing' a GPU and CPU onto the same die. iGPUs are usually less powerful than dGPUs as they share memory and power draw with the CPU, while dGPUs have their own VRAM (video random-access memory) and power draw via PCIe adaptors.
Discrete GPUs are usually used by gamers, content creators, cryptominers, and professionals because they are much more powerful than iGPUs and can process more complex renders and visual lighting/shadow effects (sometimes via ray tracing). Integrated GPUs are less powerful, and orientated for more casual users, such as office use, streaming of video content, and light 3d rendering.

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