Video Card????

[guitar kid]

Do I need a video card for my PC if all that I'm gonna be doing is recording? I'm gonna be using CakeWalk Pro Audio 9.0 and probably that Band In a Box software. I will only be using the internet for a limited amount of things (like visiting this website). No videos.

 

[Slackmaster2K]

Heh, that's kinda funny.

A video card is a "display adapter" and isn't directly related to "video" like you're thinking ("let's watch a video")....basically, you wouldn't see much if you didn't have a video card.

Yes, you need a video card...but you don't need a fancy video card. A 2-4MB AGP or PCI video card will run you $20-40.

Slackmaster 2000

 

[sonusman]

Slack is mostly right here....

You do need a video adapter card. But you will need at least a 4MB card that can have the 3D crap unabled on it. This of course would be done with the supplied software control the card has to offer.

Any less than a 4MB card and you meters in your recording software are not going to display properly. Also, the screen will struggle to rewrite while you are tracking or playing back a file where scrolling is used.

About $40 will get you what you need.

That is funny Slack....

Ed

 

[Cooperman]

Now I don't know the first things about computers but I read somwewhere that for recording purposes an AGP video card is better that a PCI card. Don'ask me why... maybe Slack or Ed or someone can answer that? That is of course if it is true... please correct me if I'm wrong!

 

[sonusman]

Could be that a AGP card is not on the regular PCI bus, thus, messing up the audio transfer through it. Less interrupt problems. Also, AGP is just plain faster.

Ed

 

[Gary Hendershot]

Well,if you are interested in SYSTEM STABILITY, it pays to get a stable video card with stable video drivers to match!

Top of the heap is Matrox with the G-400. Matrox have long been known for stability AND speed in the graphics professional community. A slow card will also slow down your system, especially at higher resolutions.

The standard retail version of the Matrox G-400 32MB has a *very* useful feature for DAW applications. It is the only AGP graphics card on the market that has the ability to drive 2 separate monitors (one can also be a TV) each with different information being displayed -- just like a dual PCI video card setup can. Street price for a standard retail Matrox G-400 32MB AGP video card is $160 - $200.


For more info see:
http://www.matrox.com/