Difference between revisions of "Graphics cards"

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{{KBtip|If you want to learn about whole systems that run Second Life well, see '''[[Choosing_a_computer|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? ==
 
[[System info|Get your system info]], it's shown in there next to '''Graphics Card:'''.
 
== Will my graphics card work with Second Life? ==
[http://secondlife.com/support/system-requirements/ 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, [https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/answers ask fellow Residents], then upgrade to the newest, ''stable'' version of your graphics card drivers. This can fix bizarre bugs such as [[Fixing avatar appearance|distorted textures]].
 
{{KBcaution|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:
 
* [http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/Pages/index.aspx ATI/AMD drivers]
* [http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx NVIDIA drivers]
* [http://www.intel.com/support/graphics/ 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 [http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1338 Software Update], are fewer.
 
If this doesn't solve the problem, try searching the [[Issue Tracker]] for known issues.
 
== See also ==
 
* '''[[System Requirements|System Requirements details]]'''
 
[[Category:System Requirements]]

Latest revision as of 11:25, 2 March 2011

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