There are a lot of little components on the inside of a computer. Everyone knows the big ones; the motherboard, the processer, the hard drive, the RAM. But this is not everything in a computer. In fact with just these components alone, computers would function much like an early 1990’s system, though maybe a little faster. But to see the kinds of things most people are used to on computers, a graphics card is required. To hear, the computer needs a sound card. To input data it requires a PCI card. And this is not even mentioning all of the personal upgrades most people like their computers to have.
Personal upgrades, that is upgrades that are specific to a consumer, are done through something called an expansion card. All computers come with an empty slot, ready to be filled. The expansion card that goes here is for the computer’s expansion (who would’ve guessed?) and additional features that do not come standard with the computer. It makes the computer customizable.
What is an Expansion Card?
Looking at an expansion card will reveal a printed circuit board with an electrical connector (or expansion slot). This connector, once inserted, has direct contact with the motherboard (the computer’s brain and central hub). This connection lets new and exciting things be introduced to the computer, namely graphics upgrades.
Physically, the expansion card looks much like a PCI card. One edge of the expansion card holds the contacts that fit into the slot. These slots establish the electrical contact between the electronics on the card and the motherboard. Peripheral expansion cards generally also have connectors for external cables. In the PC-compatible personal computer, these are located in the support bracket at the back of the cabinet. Industrial backplane systems have connectors mounted on the top edge of the card, opposite to the backplane pins.
Uses of the Expansion Card
Mostly of the time expansion cards are used to make up for inefficiencies in the standard versions of the computer. This is usually in the area of graphics and processing. For consumers that need high quality graphics and processing (usually for online gaming) expansions cards are a great addition. To buy a computer that comes standard with the graphic and processing capabilities required for gaming, it can become very expensive. Most gamers instead buy a computer with an HD screen and then expand on the graphics with upgrades on the expansion card. This strategy can save a lot of money, especially if the expansion card is self-installed (it is not hard to do).
Kinds of Expansion Cards
Different companies use different versions of expansion cards. Making sure the card is compatible with the computer is priority number one. Some computers also use expansion busses, which move the data on an expansion card between internal hardware. For example, an IBM 5886-8203 expansion card is only going to be compatible with an IBM computer set up for its integration. It will not even fit in an HP computer. Different expansion cards have different uses, but they are all customizable. The whole point of an expansion card is to make a computer exactly what the consumer wants it to be.
Personal upgrades, that is upgrades that are specific to a consumer, are done through something called an expansion card. All computers come with an empty slot, ready to be filled. The expansion card that goes here is for the computer’s expansion (who would’ve guessed?) and additional features that do not come standard with the computer. It makes the computer customizable.
What is an Expansion Card?
Looking at an expansion card will reveal a printed circuit board with an electrical connector (or expansion slot). This connector, once inserted, has direct contact with the motherboard (the computer’s brain and central hub). This connection lets new and exciting things be introduced to the computer, namely graphics upgrades.
Physically, the expansion card looks much like a PCI card. One edge of the expansion card holds the contacts that fit into the slot. These slots establish the electrical contact between the electronics on the card and the motherboard. Peripheral expansion cards generally also have connectors for external cables. In the PC-compatible personal computer, these are located in the support bracket at the back of the cabinet. Industrial backplane systems have connectors mounted on the top edge of the card, opposite to the backplane pins.
Uses of the Expansion Card
Mostly of the time expansion cards are used to make up for inefficiencies in the standard versions of the computer. This is usually in the area of graphics and processing. For consumers that need high quality graphics and processing (usually for online gaming) expansions cards are a great addition. To buy a computer that comes standard with the graphic and processing capabilities required for gaming, it can become very expensive. Most gamers instead buy a computer with an HD screen and then expand on the graphics with upgrades on the expansion card. This strategy can save a lot of money, especially if the expansion card is self-installed (it is not hard to do).
Kinds of Expansion Cards
Different companies use different versions of expansion cards. Making sure the card is compatible with the computer is priority number one. Some computers also use expansion busses, which move the data on an expansion card between internal hardware. For example, an IBM 5886-8203 expansion card is only going to be compatible with an IBM computer set up for its integration. It will not even fit in an HP computer. Different expansion cards have different uses, but they are all customizable. The whole point of an expansion card is to make a computer exactly what the consumer wants it to be.