Graphics cards

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Tip: If you want to learn about whole systems that run Second Life well, see choosing a computer!

What's a graphics card?

Your graphics card (also called a video card) is the hardware that actually creates the images shown on your monitor. For three-dimensional applications like the Second Life Viewer, this card does much of the work involved in actually calculating and drawing the 3D world. As a result, your graphics card plays a very important part in your Second Life experience.

How do I know which graphics card I have?

Get your system info, it's shown in there next to Graphics Card:.

Will my graphics card work with Second Life?

See our System Requirements. If your graphics card doesn't meet our Requirements, you may not be able to use Second Life at all.

How much does a capable graphics card cost?

While prices around the world can vary, thanks to advances in technology, you can easily find a graphics card that exceeds our Recommendations (substantially above the minimum Requirements) for US$50-100.

We can't recommend a single store to buy from, but helpful suggestions which fellow Residents have had good experiences with are on the "Buying graphics cards" page.

What if I'm having graphics problems?

Generally, ask fellow Residents, then upgrade to the newest, stable version of your graphics card drivers. This can fix bizarre bugs such as distorted textures.

Important: Make sure to closely follow the manufacturer's instructions, which may involve uninstalling and wiping traces of the previous version before installing the new version. This is sometimes referred to as a "Clean Install".

On Windows:

• ATI/AMD drivers
• NVIDIA drivers
• Intel drivers

On Mac, Apple integrates the hardware and software more closely than with Windows. Problems are less likely, but revisions and workarounds, provided through Software Update, are fewer.

If this doesn't solve the problem, try searching the Issue Tracker for known issues.

See also

• System Requirements details