CertiGuide to A+ (Core Hardware)  9  Chapter 1000:  Multimedia       9  III  Video Cards

Accelerated vs. Unaccelerated 1 Video BIOS

As you learned in Chapter 0001, the motherboard of the PC contains a special logic circuit called a chipset that controls the interaction of all the various components in the computer and the processor.

Accelerated video cards have a similar logic circuit called the video chipset, or the video coprocessor. The capability of the video coprocessor has a direct impact on the performance of the video card.

Some video card manufacturers, like Matrox, design every component of their video cards internally from the ground up.

These companies have a greater control over the performance of their product because they're able to write more efficient software interfaces and drivers for their video cards.

Other manufacturers, like Elsa, purchase third-party chipsets that are then integrated into their card design. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it can lead to poorly written and problematic driver software.

Accelerated vs. Unaccelerated 1 Video BIOS