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Graphics and Sound Cards

In this lesson, we will learn about how your computer shows you pictures and plays music!

The Graphics Card

The Graphics Card (or Video Card) is the part of the computer that handles everything you see on your screen. It takes information from the CPU and turns it into images, videos, and games.

  • GPU: The “brain” of the graphics card is called the GPU (Graphics Processing Unit).
  • Speed: A powerful graphics card makes games look better and run smoother.

The Sound Card

The Sound Card is what allows your computer to make noise. It sends sound to your speakers or headphones and can also record sound from a microphone.

  • Nowadays, most computers have the sound parts built right into the motherboard.

Why do we need them?

Without these parts, your computer wouldn’t be very fun! You wouldn’t be able to watch movies, play games with cool graphics, or listen to your favorite songs.


Questions

  1. What does the GPU do?
  2. Why might a gamer want a very powerful graphics card?
  3. Where does the sound card send information so you can hear it?