- GPU
GPU
Short term reference for Graphics Processing Unit. The GPU is the dedicated processing unit for all graphical functions in a computer.
- GPU Architecture
GPU Architecture
The type of GPU engine onboard a certain GPU, usually the later the engine the better the performance. Architecture is usually identified by the GPU name; for example, the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX carries the NVIDIA 8 series GPU architecture.
- Core Clock Speed
Core Clock Speed
Quantitative number of the speed at which the GPU’s processing engine performs at.
- GPU Memory
GPU Memory
Onboard memory that is dedicated to the GPU. This is usually identified in, on, or near the GPU name; for example the NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTX with 768MB of DDR3 memory.
- DDR Memory
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DDR Memory
Short term reference for double-data rate memory, doubles the transfer rate without increasing the frequency of the front side bus
on the motherboard. DDR3 memory is the third version of double-data rate memory, which offers improved speed and overall system performance
over DDR2 memory.
- NVIDIA Sli Technology
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NVIDIA Sli Technology
Scaleable link interface, or Sli, is NVIDIA’s multi-GPU solution, providing users with the option to
link multiple graphics cards (usually two) to provide up to a 100% performance increase over a single matching GPU.
Alienware was the first to offer NVIDIA Sli dual graphics technology on its 17’ Aurora m9700 notebook.
- Rendering
Rendering
The final process of creating the actual 2D image or animation from the prepared scene. This can be compared to taking a photo or filming the scene after the setup is final and finished in real life.
- Frame Rates or FPS
Frame Rates or FPS
The rate at which a GPU cycles through pixilated static frames, usually measured in seconds (also known as FPS), causing the illusion of movement to the human eye.
- Anti-aliasing
Anti-aliasing
The technique of minimizing aliasing (jagged or blocky patterns) when representing a high resolution signal at a lower resolution. This feature can usually be toggled on or off at two to four times AA in certain games.
- Polygon
Polygon
A closed path composed of a finite number of line segments. The straight line segments that make up the polygon are called its edges or sides, the points where the edges meet are the polygon’s vertices. Polygons are used to create all graphic elements in a 3-D game.
- Game Engine
Game Engine
The graphics software program that is used for a particular game or software code. Graphics engines usually come with their own programming code and tools, as well as a: rendering engine, physics engine, collision detection, sound, scripting, animation, and artificial intelligence. Some of today’s popular next-gen game engines include the Unreal 3 engine, used to create Unreal Tournament 2007, and the Crytek engine used to create Crysis.
Example of the Crysis Game Engine
- Real-time
Real-time
Any material in the study of software or hardware that is subject to a constraint. In the graphics world, real-time refers to any constraint that is being utilized by an in-game engine.
- In-game
In-game
Refers to any action that is being performed real-time with a game engine, this is usually were the bulk of gameplay is commenced.
- Brightness
Brightness
The strength of the display lighting. If brightness is a feature in the game, then it refers to the strength of the individual game’s lighting.
- Draw Distance
Draw Distance
A computer graphics term, defined as the distance in a three dimensional scene that is still drawn by the rendering engine. Polygons that lie behind the draw distance won’t be drawn to the screen, thus a user with a faster graphics architecture will be able to run a higher draw distance, letting them see further graphics distances. Draw distance is usually quantitative, and can be set in most game’s video menus.
- Texture Mapping
Texture Mapping
Applied (mapped) to the surface of a shape. This process is similar to applying gift wrapping paper to a plain white box. Texture mapping can be highly detailed and involve many polygons, giving an intense detailed view of an object.
- Dynamic Light
Dynamic Light
Individually adjusted lighting, depending upon a certain scenario, arranged throughout a game’s internal graphics engine. Sometimes goes hand-in-hand with Dynamic Shadows.
- Dynamic Shadows
Dynamic Shadows
Individually adjusted shadows, depending upon a certain scenario, arranged throughout a game’s internal graphics engine, that create a realistic visual experience. Sometimes goes hand-in-hand with Dynamic Lighting.
- Shaders
Shaders
Used in 3-D games to determine the final surface properties of an object or image, obtained with light. This usually includes complex surface displacements and area bump mapping to give lighting effects.
- Pixel
Pixel
A pixel is short for picture element (called pix), using the common abbreviation "pix" for "picture" and is a single point in a graphic image. A pixel is not necessarily a "dot", but is an abstract sample of any polygonal image, so it can be rendered in any format a user so chooses to be a "pixel".
- Pixel Pipelines
Pixel Pipelines
Part of the GPU that transfers pixel information. The more pixel pipelines, the faster the video card can process pixels.
- Resolution
Resolution
The number of columns and rows of pixels that create a final display. The higher the resolution the more pixels are fit on screen; thus, giving the impression of more finite realistic objects. Some popular resolutions are 1280x1024, 1600x1200, and 1920x1200. Graphics cards and displays have a maximum resolution associated to them.
- High Definition
High Definition
Refers to any video system of higher resolution than standard definition, packing in more pixels per picture to give a crisper and sharper image. High definition starts at 720 resolution (1024x768). A p or i after the end of a high definition resolution will let you know whether it is an interlaced or progressive image. For example, 1080p is a high definition progressive image. All Alienware notebooks carry high definition displays.
- Interlaced Image
Interlaced Image
A captured image that is transmitted to the display once for every second line from the top left corner of the display, and then goes back up to the top left corner filling in all second lines on the same display image.
- Progressive Image
Progressive Image
A captured image that is transmitted and displayed line by line, similar to text on a page, from the top left corner to the bottom of the display image.
- Teraflop
Teraflop
Used as a measure of a computer’s performance, it represents a trillion floating point operations (or FLOPS) per second. A GPU that can perform a teraflop should be considered very powerful and very fast.
- Bump Mapping
Bump Mapping
A graphics technique where at each pixel an object being rendered is scaled by height, and applied before the illumination calculation is done. The result is a richer, more detailed surface representation that more closely resembles the details inherent in the natural world.
- Direct X
Direct X
A collection of application programming interfaces for handling tasks related to game programming, developed by Microsoft for the use to quickly render high-quality 3-D graphics. Direct X 10 will be released with Windows Vista and will increase in-game realism.
- High Dynamic Range
High Dynamic Range
The primary feature of HDRR is that both dark and bright areas of a scene can be accurately represented. Without HDR (sometimes called low dynamic range), dark areas are ‘clipped’ to black and the bright areas are clipped to white.
Mouse over to see HDR
