Determine The Type Of Graphics Adapter (Video Card) On Windows XP

The graphics adapter is the part of the computer that is rendering the things that appear in the screen (monitor). There are two types of graphics adapter. The first type is the built-in, which is part of the motherboard of the computer. Most of the new computers today have the built-in graphics adapter. The second one is the video card, which you have to plug into the motherboard of the computer. Even if the motherboard already have a built-in graphics adapter, you can still add a video card to it. One of the reasons why you may need to use a video card rather than the built-in one is for gaming purposes. High tier games like the First Person Shooter (FPS) or games that require high graphics processing may not work with the built-in graphics adapter because it may not have the renderer or memory required for the game to run. It is therefore necessary that you know the type of graphics adapter that your computer have so that you can determine if the game that you want to install will work on the present built-in graphics adapter or if you need to purchase a video card that meets the system requirements of the game.

1. Right-click on an empty area on the desktop view and choose PROPERTIES option.


2. Click the SETTINGS tab across the top of the Display Properties dialogue box.


3. Click the ADVANCED button.


4. Click the ADAPTER tab.


5. You will now find the type or the name of the graphics adapter under Adapter Type. In this case, it is SiS 650. The SiS graphics adapters are from Silicon Integrated Systems Corporation. Click OK button to close the dialogue box.