How can computer parts like a graphics cards get updates to get faster when they are still the same hardware? And why are there soo regular?
In: Technology
When you really think about it, something like a GPU board is a computer in itself. Your application would give it something to process and it finally generates all the signals for your display to show. So, it’s not just hardware, there’s firmware and drivers as well.
The performance enhancing updates change the way this processing is done making it potentially quicker. Like how you may sometimes find better shortcuts to reach a destination.
It’s regular cause the device is complex and there are many opportunities for bug-fixes and performance enhancements.
It’s not really an update to make the graphics card “get faster”. Those are updates to make the communication between the hardware and your computer get “more efficient, secure, stable”, hence, making it faster.
A graphics card will still be the same raw performance no matter the update.
The same way you can get where you are going faster by using better directions, even though the car is the same.
Devices like graphic cards have software called *device drivers* that communicate between it and the rest of the computer. Updating those drivers can give them more efficient instructions, and it can also fix bugs and security holes.
Its not the cards themselves that get the updates, but rather the software on your computer which tells it how to interact with the card.
Latest Answers