Question

Activity 1 – Determining the Video Card, Driver, and Capabilities

1- What is the current video card, specifications and driver that is on the Windows XP system and on the Windows 7 box?

PC	Vido Card	Driver	Specification
Cage Pc
Bench PC

2- How did you determine the correct video card driver to update to on the Cage PC and what was its version #?

3- Why would using the generic Microsoft driver or getting the driver from the Microsoft Update be a bad idea?

Activity 2 – Installing newer video driver and determining capabilities

1- When you changed the refresh rates to display rates your monitor did not support and tested them, what happened?

2- Can a monitor be damaged by using rates it does not support (Even if it can display the image)? Why or Why not?

3- Every display has a setting that is optimal for it to use that is known as Native Resolution. What is Native Resolution and why is it important to understand?

4- When purchasing or using video cards and displays, you may need to use various resolutions and refresh rates. Where might it become an issue if you are unaware of the capabilities?

Activity 3 – 3D Effects and Drivers

1- Purchasing a video card today can be very confusing. Now that we have looked at video card capabilities and 3D effects, how do you determine the correct video card for your needs?

2- Video Cards can be “over-clocked” to run beyond the manufacturer’s specifications. What affect will this have on performance, the video card and your system? Is it a good idea or not?

3- When we ran the 3dMark tests, you saw what happened in various scenarios as the CPU and Video card worked together and when the CPU did all the work without the Video Card assisting. Why is there such a large difference in the tests? Why is it important?