Vga driver what is it

VGA: what is it in a general sense?

First, a few words about the standard itself. In the broadest sense, VGA is not the individual components listed above, but an integral component-type video interface, originally developed by IBM for its computers.

Thus, the understanding of the entire technology for reproducing or transmitting images includes both hardware and software components, and the functioning of the interface consists of their interaction.

VGA cable - characteristics

Today, VGA cable is no longer as popular as it was 10 years ago, due to the fact that technology does not stand still, electronics are developing at tremendous speed. However, many plasma TVs, not digital, support such a cable for the monitor in our time. Competition between manufacturers of LCD TVs and plasma screens is growing every minute, with the advent of a cable capable of transmitting both sound and image, the popularity of VGA cables has sharply decreased.

The VGA cable has 15 pins, each of which performs its own function.
The connecting cable is popularly called “male”, and the plug connections are called “female”.
The contacts are arranged in three horizontal stripes.
The analog signal is transmitted using contacts, “divided” into blue, red and green colors.

History of the standard

Now a few words about the emergence of the VGA video standard. What is it, we figured it out a little. Video Graphic Array technology was first introduced by IBM in 1987 on PS/2 computers.

The VGA adapter, unlike its predecessors and successors, used (and still uses) an analog signal for high-quality image transmission. But along the way, the question arises about why the introduction of a new standard was necessary. To fully understand this solution, you need to refer to the basic parameters of the devices themselves.

DVI connector

To develop the Digital Visual Interface (DVI), large companies joined forces. It was jointly decided that it was inappropriate to convert the signal twice. As a result, the developers came to the decision to create a single digital interface that can display the original image without unnecessary changes or loss of quality.

The basic operating principle of the interface is the new technology of the TMDS data encoding protocol. Information previously implemented by the protocol is sequentially transmitted to the device.

The interface allows you to achieve a resolution of 1920x1080 at a frequency of 60 Hz. These parameters can be achieved through a throughput of 1.65 Gb/s, and this is when using a single TMDS connection. If two connections are used, the speed will increase to 2 Gb/s. With such high performance, DVI is head and shoulders above its predecessors.

To explain to the average user why Digital Visual Interface is so good, we can only say that it is a digital video interface. It is not difficult to distinguish it from its analog predecessor - the connectors are always white, which makes it impossible to confuse it with others. The shape and a larger number of pins are also characteristic differences of the interface.

The interface cable is limited in length, like other connectors; its maximum length is no more than 10 m, which is 7 meters longer than VGA.

Main types and differences

In addition to the characteristic differences from other interfaces, the Digital Visual Interface also differs from each other. The main differences between them are the number of channels and the ability to transmit an analog signal. Let's take a closer look at the popular variations:

DVI-I SingleLink is the most common option. Almost all modern video cards are equipped with a variation of this interface. It is notable for the fact that it has two combined channels (digital + analog), which are independent of each other and cannot operate simultaneously. The device itself determines through which channel to transmit data.
DVI-I DualLink - similar to the previous version, but differs in that it has two digital channels , as evidenced by the Dual in the name. This allows you to increase data transmission capacity and increase the maximum resolution to 2056x1600, thereby improving picture quality.
DVI-D SingleLink - the letter D in the name means “Digital”, which means that in this variation there is no analog channel and the interface operates exclusively on one digital one. This limits the resolution to 1920x1080.
DVI-D DualLink is a connector specification with maximum bandwidth. This is achieved by using two digital channels . In this case, the maximum resolution will be 2560x1600.
DVI-A is essentially VGA, but with a DVI connector. Can only transmit analog signal.

What is XMP on a computer?

The difference between the connectors can be summarized simply - the letter D indicates the presence of only a digital signal, the letter A indicates only an analog signal, the letter I indicates the presence of both types of signals.

In the case where the video card has a Digital Visual Interface output, but the monitor only has VGA, adapters are suitable. When purchasing adapters, you need to understand the difference between DVI-I and DVI-D; the former will be able to transmit the signal to VGA because there is an analog channel, but the second one does not have an analog communication channel and it will not be possible to transmit an image through it through an adapter; special expensive converters are used for this.

In addition to DVI-VGA and VGA-DVI adapters, there are other DVI-HDMI, HDMI-DVI, DVI-DisplayPort, DisplayPort-DVI, they all transmit a digital signal between themselves and there should be no connection problems.

Disadvantages of technology

The only significant drawback of the technology is the limitation on cable length . For example, when using a 15 m cable, the maximum resolution that can be achieved is 1280x1024, but if you use only a 5 meter cable, the resolution will increase to 1920x1200. If you need to connect a device over a long distance without losing the signal, you will have to use additional repeaters that will strengthen the signal.

Main characteristics

Most experts say that the first and one of the main factors in the transition to this standard was the fact that initially it was necessary to reduce the number of wires in the main cable with the ability to connect system units via a VGA graphics adapter to the corresponding monitors, which were capable of transmitting much more colors and shades than earlier. At the same time, a higher image resolution was achieved.

The VGA graphics adapter itself today has a structure that includes the following elements:

a graphics controller for exchanging data between video memory and the central processor based on bit data operations;
256 KB DRAM video memory, divided into four color layers;
serial converter of video memory data into bits for transferring attributes to the controller;
an attribute controller for converting input data into palette-based color values;
synchronizer for controlling layer switching and timing parameters of the graphics adapter;
cathode ray tube controller to generate synchronization signals with the monitor.

Provided that the VGA driver is installed in the system, the maximum resolution is 640x480 pixels per inch with a color depth of up to 32 bits. Of course, at the time the standard appeared, it was truly a revolution. But today you can find much greater resolutions, which is achieved through the use of digital technologies. But as it turns out, even at the current stage of development of computer technology, the VGA standard cannot be discounted. What does it mean? The only thing is that, as already mentioned, to transmit the image, an analog signal is used, which can be converted to any other. In addition, the size of the adapter itself is significantly reduced, and it can be integrated directly into the motherboard or additionally into the video card.

Here it is also worth paying attention to the fact that the digital signal has a wider bandwidth, and MPEG encoding technology is used to transmit such a signal. And this, in turn, leads to a loss of quality.

Where to download the driver for VGA adapter for Windows 7

Since the VGA adapter is a basic device that supports rather modest resolution modes (maximum 1024 by 768), new driver versions for this device are practically never released. The following versions of the standard adapter driver are currently available:

Version 12.104.0.0000, release date 03/28/2013. Suitable for Windows 7 64-bit. Can be downloaded from driverscape.com (alternative).
Version 9.000.0.0000, release date 12.06. 2012. Suitable for Windows 7 32 and 64 bit. Can be downloaded from drivescape.com (alternative).

Download and install the appropriate version of the driver on your system.
The files available from the links above are located in the form of driver packages. All you need to do is download such a package, if necessary, unpack it from the archive using any modern archiver, and put it to work. The driver for the standard VGA adapter will be installed during product installation.

Also, the specified drivers are included by default in the assembly of modern Windows OS. They can be installed in the standard way:

Place the cursor over the active video card, right-click and select “Update driver”.
Then you need to select the option “Browse for driver software on this computer.”
Then “Select a driver from the list of already installed ones” and then “Standard VGA graphics adapter”. The specified driver will be installed on the system as the main one.

Selecting this driver in the settings

This may be useful: .

VGA monitors and TVs

Since the advent of the main standard, corresponding monitors have also begun to be actively used, and then television panels of this interface (for example, LCD devices).

Today, this abbreviation is used to denote all graphics modes, including monitors that are capable of supporting a resolution of 640x480 pixels, regardless of the hardware component. At the current stage of development, they are practically not used, although at one time they were very popular.

How to update video controller driver

Automatic update

Solving the problem with the video card is quite simple. To do this, you should update or install native drivers for it. First, you should try installing automatic updates. To do this, go to the “ Device Manager ” menu, right-click on the “ VGA Compatible Video Controller ” icon and select the “ Update Drivers ” action. After this, in the new menu you need to select the item “ Automatic search for updated drivers ” and wait for the procedure to complete. It is likely that after this the utility will update automatically.

Methods for installing Windows on a USB flash drive

Manual update

However, Windows built-in programs are not always able to automatically find updated drivers. In this case, you need to manually download and install. To do this, you need to find out the model of the video adapter installed on this computer. After this, you need to go to the website of the video card developer and search by model, and then download the necessary distribution kit to your computer’s hard drive in accordance with the installed operating system.

If the user still has the original drivers that came with the graphics card, then to reinstall it, just insert the disk into the drive and follow the indicated steps. However, if a lot of time has passed since you purchased the video card, then the drivers may be outdated. In this case, you should go to the official website of the video card developer and download the latest version .

Search by ID code (ven/dev)

You can also search for a driver by hardware ID code or device code. In order to determine this code, you need to go to the device manager , launch the “ Information ” tab and click on the “ Hardware ID ” or “ Device Instance Code ” item, depending on the version of Windows.

This number should be copied, go to the website https://devid.info.ru, paste the code into the input line and click the “ Search ” command. In addition, you can use any search engine to search.

We use special utilities

You can also update drivers using the Everest program. The program is very convenient and Russified, you need to download and install it on your computer. Using this program, you can identify not only the video card, but also other devices installed on the computer. The program is free for 30 days after installation, after which the right to use it must be purchased. However, the free period is enough to update and install the correct video controller.

Run command line as Administrator

Graphics adapters

Almost all modern graphics accelerators (video cards), whether integrated or discrete, support the main modes of the described interface and are equipped with appropriate outputs (ports), which are sometimes also referred to as D-Sub.

In other words, a video card can have several video outputs. And a VGA connector is required. By the way, such connectors can be found on the back panels of stationary system units and on the side walls of laptops.

Alternative programs for installing drivers

If the specified driver versions do not suit you for some reason, you can use specialized programs. They will scan your system and install the latest drivers on it. In particular, these can be such popular programs as “Driver Pack Solution”, “Driver Genious”, “Driver Booster” and other analogues, which in a semi-automatic mode will indicate the absence of the necessary drivers, download and install them.

Use the capabilities of Driver Booster and analogues to install fresh drivers

Drivers

It goes without saying that no graphics accelerator will work unless the appropriate driver is installed for it (including the VGA driver).

But for modern video cards, such control programs need to be installed not from the operating system databases, but from the distribution kits of the equipment manufacturers. In addition, management or overclocking utilities supplied for the most popular NVIDIA and Radeon cards are quite widely used today.

Many gamers can verify that the VGA driver works correctly by setting the video mode to 640x480 or its non-standard variations in the game settings. Actually, the same situation is observed when connecting a computer or laptop to a high-resolution TV panel if a VGA cable is used (and not only with the same type of connectors on both sides).

What is a vga compatible video controller

A compatible VGA adapter is a basic device built into the Windows system. It does not provide the required quality and high playback speed; it can only be used to perform simple actions.

In some situations, the operating system itself installs a standard video card driver and gives it a name - VGA compatible video controller, which is essentially a standard VGA adapter. This indicates that there is no special utility , or its standard version is used. This driver is not suitable for full computer operation and running complex games. With its use, you can only perform simple basic actions.

Typically, such problems with a graphics adapter appear after reinstalling the operating system and updating drivers, as well as in other cases when the driver does not fit the video card. In this case, the screen and image look normal, and problems begin when you try to start a game or watch a video. Errors manifest themselves in the form of “knocking out” of games, low quality graphics, and the inability to start videos.

Types of cables and adapters

Since there are quite a lot of options for connecting to completely different video interfaces, it is worthwhile to dwell separately on cables with adapters that can be used to convert image transmission according to a scheme that will be recognized by both the receiving and transmitting devices.

As an example, consider a VGA cable with different transition options. Among the main ones (besides the usual type) are the following:

VGA-DVI (used on some video cards that do not have a VGA connector, although they support the corresponding operating modes);
VGA-HDMI (can be used to connect older computers or laptops to modern TVs and projectors);
VGA-RCA or VGA-“tulip” (used to connect modern computer systems that are not equipped with VGA connectors to old TVs or monitors with cathode ray tubes);
VGA-HDMI-RCA-mini-Jack (a variation of combining the two previous adapters for connection with audio transmission - sound is not transmitted through VGA);
VGA-S-Video (a less popular option for connecting to TVs).

The main connector of the standard, also designated DE15F, in any of the variants is a 15-pin connector on one side, which allows you to transmit a signal based on progressive scanning technology, in which a change in voltage corresponds to a change in the brightness of the ELP (the intensity of the beam of a monitor gun or kinescope).

Most modern users of computers, mobile devices or television panels have come across the concept of VGA. What is it - a connector, video adapter, monitor, driver, cable or adapter? Unfortunately, many of us, as a rule, do not have a clear understanding of this issue. Therefore, it is worth dwelling on this standard in a little more detail.

Now a few words about the emergence of the VGA video standard. What is it, we figured it out a little. Video Graphic Array technology was first introduced by IBM in 1987 on PS/2 computers.

The VGA adapter, unlike its predecessors and successors, used (and uses) an analog signal for high-quality image transmission. But along the way, the question arises as to why the introduction of a new standard was necessary. To fully understand this solution, you need to refer to the basic parameters of the devices themselves.

The first and one of the main factors in the transition to this standard, most experts call the fact that initially it was necessary to reduce the number of wires in the main cable with the ability to connect system units via a VGA graphics adapter to the corresponding monitors, which were capable of transmitting much more colors and shades , rather than before. At the same time, a higher picture resolution was achieved.

The VGA graphics adapter itself today has a structure that includes the following elements:

graphic controller for data exchange between video memory and central processor based on bit operations with data;
DRAM video memory 256 KB, divided into four color layers;
serial converter of video memory data into bits for transferring attributes to the controller;
an attribute controller for converting input data into palette-based color values;
synchronizer for controlling switching layers and timing parameters of the graphics adapter;
cathode ray tube controller for generating synchronization signals with the monitor.

Provided that the VGA driver is installed in the system, the maximum resolution is 640x480 pixels per inch with a color depth of up to 32 bits. Of course, at the time the standard appeared, it was truly a revolution. But today you can find much greater resolutions, which are achieved through the use of digital technologies. But as it turns out, even at the current stage of development of computer technology, the VGA standard cannot be discounted. What does it mean? Yes, only that to transmit the image, as already mentioned, an analog signal is used, which can be converted to any other. In addition, the size of the adapter itself is significantly reduced, and it can be integrated directly into the motherboard or additionally into a video card.

Since the advent of the main standard, the corresponding monitors began to be actively used, and then television panels of this interface (for example, LCD devices).

Almost all modern graphics accelerators (video cards), whether integrated or discrete, support the main modes of the described interface and are equipped with corresponding outputs (ports), which are sometimes also designated as D-Sub.

In other words, a video card may have several video outputs. And a VGA connector is required. By the way, such connectors can be found on the back panels of stationary system units and on the side walls of laptops.

It goes without saying that not a single graphics accelerator will work unless the appropriate driver is installed for it (including the VGA driver).

But for modern video cards, you need to install such control programs not from the operating system databases, but from the distribution kits of the equipment manufacturers. In addition, today management or overclocking utilities supplied for the most popular NVIDIA and Radeon cards are quite widely used.

Since there are quite a lot of options for connecting to completely different video interfaces, it is worthwhile to dwell on cables with adapters that can be used to convert image transmission according to a scheme that will be recognized by both the receiving and transmitting devices.

As an example, let's consider a VGA cable with different transition options. Among the main ones (besides the usual type) the following can be distinguished:

VGA-DVI (used on some video cards that do not have a VGA connector, although they support the corresponding operating modes);
VGA-HDMI (can be used to connect outdated computers or laptops to modern TVs and projectors);
VGA-RCA or VGA-tulip (used to connect modern computer systems not equipped with VGA connectors to old TVs or monitors with cathode ray tubes);
VGA-HDMI-RCA-mini-Jack (a variation of combining the two previous adapters for connecting with sound transmission - sound is not transmitted through VGA);
VGA-S-Video (less popular option for connecting to TVs).

The main connector of the standard, also designated as DE15F, in any of the options is a 15-pin connector on one side, allowing you to transmit a signal based on progressive scanning technology, in which the change in voltage corresponds to a change in the brightness of the ELP (the intensity of the monitor gun beam or kinescope).

That's all for understanding VGA. What is this? In fact, it is the interface, and not its individual components, necessary for correct functioning. And as you may have already noticed, it is present in most modern computer devices. Although the prospects for the development of such technologies look very vague, nevertheless, no one is going to abandon them yet.

It remains to add that this standard, despite the appearance of its followers in the form of the same Super VGA or XGA interface, still remains one of the most popular and in demand all over the world and on all types of devices, including computers, laptops, television panels or even mobiles gadgets.

English-Russian explanatory dictionary of terms and abbreviations for VT, Internet and programming. . 1998-2007.

2GR - VGA graphics driver (Windows Video grabber) (Computing » File Extensions) ... Abbreviations dictionary

3GR - VGA graphics driver (Windows Video grabber) (Computing » File Extensions) ... Abbreviations dictionary

Graphics hardware and FOSS — Free and open source software (FOSS) can be used with a variety of graphics hardware, largely via the X.Org project. There are varying levels of support, ranging from completely working drivers to unsupported hardware. Some manufacturers do not... ... Wikipedia

3dfx - Interactive Fundación 1994 Fundador(es) Ross Smith, Scott Sellers, Gary Tarolli Desaparición 2002[1] ... Wikipedia Español

3dfx Interactive — Industry Semiconductors Fate Bankrupt,[1] most assets bought by Nvidia, fate of remaining assets unknown … Wikipedia

List of filename extensions /V - /* ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTU VWXYZ Note: Since the filename extension can be anything, the list provided is not complete... Wikipedia

Spike Video Game Awards - Los Spike Video Game Awards (VGA) son unos premios anuales presentados por Spike TV y que selecciona los mejores videojuegos del año. La primera edición se celebró en 2003 y desde entonces ha concedido premios al mejor videojuego del año, y los… … Wikipedia Español

Windows XP - Windows Experience redirects here. For Windows Experience Index, see Windows System Assessment Tool. Windows XP Part of the Microsoft Windows family ... Wikipedia

Borland Graphics Interface - The Borland Graphics Interface, also known as BGI, is a graphics library bundled with several Borland compilers for the DOS operating systems. BGI was also used to provide graphics for many other Borland products including the Quattro spreadsheet … Wikipedia

Video Graphics Array — The term Video Graphics Array (VGA) refers specifically to the display hardware first introduced with the IBM PS/2 line of computers in 1987 [cite web|title=Chronology of IBM Personal Computers|url=https://www .islandnet.com/KPOLSSON/ibmpc/ibm1987 … Wikipedia

Comparison of Netbooks — These tables provide a comparison of netbooks. See also the comparison of subnotebooks, as there is significant overlap between these categories. Aspects of netbooks that should be considered: Mouse layout that is used. Touchpad with 2 buttons... ... Wikipedia

Materials used in the article:

Brief summary and conclusions

That's it for understanding VGA. What it is? In fact, it is the interface, and not its individual components, necessary for correct functioning. And as you may have already noticed, it is present in most modern computer devices. Although the prospects for the development of such technologies look very vague, nevertheless, no one is going to abandon them yet.

Characteristics

Let's now move on to the specifications of the d-sub connector :

256 KB video RAM. Serves as buffer memory.
Sixteen-color and 256 color modes.
Color palette of 262,144 colors.
Selectable frequency of 25.175 or 28.322 megahertz.
Maximum 800 horizontal pixels (possibly more now).
Maximum 600 vertical pixels (can also be more).
Update rate up to 70 times per second.
Hardware support for smooth scrolling.
Support for some raster operations.
Split screen support.

How to choose a VGA cable?

When buying a VGA cable, the first thing you need to pay attention to is the quality and remember that a high price does not always provide a guarantee, but an option that is too cheap can fail. Many users have noted that gold-plated contacts display a clearer picture on the monitor without interference, but this is not entirely true; nickel-plated or chrome-plated contacts work no worse, and are an order of magnitude cheaper.

Please check the product for defects before purchasing.
VGA cable with retractable connectors is easier to connect.
When choosing, the maximum length of the VGA cable should be no more than 5 m. It is worth considering that the longer the cable, the worse the image and the more interference.
If you really need to extend the wire without causing interference, you can purchase a special VGA cable extension.

What is a video card? Video card device

There is a special device on the computer through which the monitor “communicates” with the computer. This device is called a video adapter or video card.

A video card is a device that converts data into raster graphics for presentation on the screen. It is also called a video card, video card, graphics accelerator, 3D accelerator. The main function of the video adapter is to convert information and commands received from the central processor into a format perceived by the monitor electronics.

A video card can be either an additional module connected to the motherboard or an integrated component of the motherboard.

Functionally, the video card consists of several blocks:

GPU
Video controller
Video memory
Digital-to-analog converter (DAC)
Video ROM
Video driver

GPU

Just like the CPU, the GPU is the brains of the video adapter and is the most important part of the graphics card. The main task of the graphics processor is to process the image displayed on the monitor screen, relieving the central processor of this responsibility. It is the basis of the graphics card and the performance of the device depends on it.

The computer's central processor, preparing a three-dimensional scene, creates a stream of parameters for the vertices of three-dimensional objects present in the frame. The GPU geometry fetch unit fetches geometry data from RAM and directs it to the vertex pre-cache located in video memory. DirectX 9 generation accelerators can work with multiple data streams, when part of the vertex attributes is stored in one data array, and the other part in another. Typically, memory access occurs simultaneously by several threads. Next, each of the vertices goes to the vertex processor.

Video controller

The video controller is the part of the video card that is responsible for forming the image inside the video memory.

There are controllers for external (PCI or AGP), internal data buses, as well as a video memory controller. The width of the internal bus and video memory bus is usually larger than the external one (64, 128 or 256 bits versus 16 or 32); many video controllers also have RAMDAC (Random Access Memory Digital to Analog Converter) built into them. Modern graphics cards usually have several video controllers that operate independently of each other. The main manufacturers of such video cards are ATI and nVidia.

Video memory

Video memory is an intermediate memory that stores image information generated by the processor, which is subsequently displayed on the monitor screen.

An important role in increasing the performance of a video adapter is played by the characteristics of video memory, determined by its type, operating frequency, latency, and memory bus width. The computer's central processing unit sends data to video memory, and the video card's graphics processor reads information from there. In addition, the video memory stores the frame buffer and intermediate data required by the GPU.

Digital-to-analog converter (DAC)

The graphics processor, having received image information from video memory, processes it and transmits it either to a digital-to-analog converter (RAMDAC) for output to an analog monitor, or to a TMDS digital signal generation chip for output to a digital monitor. The hardware structure of RAMDAC is practically described in its name, where RAM is Random Access Memory and DAC is Digital to Analog Converter. The memory in RAMDAC modules is built on static elements, so its performance roughly corresponds to processor cache memory.

Video ROM

ROM - Read-only memory device, the memory into which video BIOS is recorded. The video controller does not use ROM directly; it is only accessed by the central processor. The video BIOS stored in ROM is used by the system to initialize the operation of the video card before loading the operating system, and also contains system data that is read and interpreted by the video driver during operation.

VGA and DVI converters

You probably need a DVI to VGA converter if you need to connect a DVI video card to a display with a VGA port.

DVI-VGA converters are usually DVI-male to VGA adapters. This means that the DVI end of the converter connects directly to the DVI port on your graphics card, and the VGA end of the converter is used with a VGA male to male cable to connect the converter to the female end of the display device.

These types of converters are easy to find and relatively inexpensive.

VGA and DVI converters also exist, but can be quite expensive and hard to find. This type of converter is necessary if you need to move video from a VGA video card to a DVI monitor.

DVI to VGA converters work because the signal goes from digital to analog, which is simply a translation in the DVI pins since DVI supports both analog and digital signals. VGA is only analog, so going from VGA to DVI requires a converter to change those analog signals to digital.

Upgrading your graphics card to support a newer monitor will likely be less expensive and make more sense in the long run.

Dad and Mom - VGA connections

All types of computer cables are gender specific - male or female. A male cable is one that has its connections protruding or protruding from the cable. Plug connections are reverse-faced, with internal holes that allow the male cable to fit perfectly into the socket connection.

VGA cables are no different. This cable runs from the monitor to the computer, where it meets the female connection from the video card.

VGA: HDMI and DVI converters

With VGA, DVI and HDMI video cards and monitors mixed together in the real world, you'll definitely want a VGA converter if you have a VGA monitor or VGA video card.

For example, if your computer has a graphics card that only supports VGA, but you just bought a new monitor that only has DVI and/or HDMI ports, you must either replace your graphics card to get one with new ports, get another monitor that supports VGA, or buy a VGA converter.

The same thing happens if your graphics card only supports HDMI and/or DVI, but all you have is a monitor that accepts a VGA cable.

You may find it difficult to know what type of converter you need. Do you need VGA-DVI or DVI-VGA converter? HDMI-DVI converter, or is it called DVI-HDMI? Keep reading for some clarification.