What Does The Graphics Card Really Do?

[iNew2Macs]

Like is having a higher end GPU only good if you play games?

Will it still boost the computers performance even if I do stuff that doesn't involve videogames?

 

[xparaparafreakx]

The other deep change, one that will be noticed by everyone, is the OpenGL support in Photoshop. Everyone with any decent video card, that is. I don't mean a 1GB monster GPU. The humble 256MB ATI Radeon HD2600 included in my 24-inch iMac does an amazing job at keeping things smooth as hot butter. The bigger and more badass your graphic card is, however, the more documents you will be able to keep accelerated in OpenGL. In my iMac, the limit is seven images.

Thats for photoshop.

As for video work and gaming, yep it important.

 

[iNew2Macs]

Oh ok. I was just wondering if paying more for graphics card really worth it.

 

[BlueRevolution]

What "stuff" do you do?

If you don't know specifically what a graphics card does, you probably don't need a fast one.

 

[Jethryn Freyman]

If you don't know specifically what a graphics card does, you probably don't need a fast one.

This sums it up nicely.

Anyway, the only Mac with a high end graphics card is the Mac Pro (Radeon 4870 and upcoming Geforce 285 GTX.)