If anyone out there can answer this pls do :)

[timacore]

I have a question that I know is silly but its been killing me to know for awhile. One of the biggest advantages of PC is being able to upgrade and not having to buy a whole new system. Why isn't graphics cards like this? Why cant you just upgrade the GPU and not buy a new graphics card? Like I said, its a pretty silly question but I still want to know

 

[mrmez]

GPU and graphics card are the same thing. Just different terms.

If you're talking about keeping the board and just upgrading the processor... I guess it would be possible for someone to make something capable of that, but there are usually other upgrades needed to the board, so just upgrading the processor would be a bit of a waste.

I guess it's just an arbitrary line in the sand. If you could upgrade the processor, people would ask 'why can I upgrade the ram also?'. Etc etc.

 

[davidgirgis]

A few reasons:
1. Since the GPU itself is soldered onto the graphics card, it is nearly impossible for the user to perform the installation at home.
2. Many GPUs have are different sizes. A PCB (printed circuit board) that accepts different-sized GPUs does not exist.
3. Each GPU has different power requirements, which translates into different PCB layout, different circuitry and what have you. There are no universal cards that simply accept user-installable GPU's.
4. A graphics card with its built-in GPU, is most likely the cheapest way to get performance graphics hardware into the hands of users.
5. There is no industry standard socket that accepts different GPUs.

 

[Shoomer]

Because the GPU is integrated into the graphics card architecture. Maybe one day things will change but as things stand the GPU chip is by far (orders of magnitude) the most expensive thing on the card. Most of the rest is just a bit of cheap plastic with some other cheap chips, more cheap plastic and some fans, and some lights if you like that sort of thing. Replacing the GPU and keeping all of the rest makes no sense financially - not for the people making them or for the people buying them.

Maybe one day things will be modular, but I wouldn't hold your breath.

 

[Shoomer]

GPU and graphics card are the same thing. Just different terms.

No. Not really. Technically a GPU is something that sits on a graphics card. People may use the terms intermixed but they would be wrong.

 

[Karadjgne]

Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is the actual processor on a graphics card/video card. Exactly no different in theory than the Central Processing Unit (CPU) on a motherboard. A video card and a motherboard are identical in purpose and componentry, both have a processor, voltage regulatory circuitry, ram, bios, heatsink etc. Basically a video card is a self contained pc that has no storage or user accessibility. It's an all in one shot deal just to process graphics that works in conjunction with a pc as such. If a video card were to have user interchangeable parts such as the gpu, ram etc, it would by necessity have to be much larger to accommodate the necessary sockets, removable heatsinks, ram sockets etc. Be like trying to fit a laptop in a pcie socket.

Ppl just call it a GPU to differentiate it from a CPU when referring to processors and because they are too lazy to type out graphics/video card.

 

[timacore]

A few reasons:
1. Since the GPU itself is soldered onto the graphics card, it is nearly impossible for the user to perform the installation at home.
2. Many GPUs have are different sizes. A PCB (printed circuit board) that accepts different-sized GPUs does not exist.
3. Each GPU has different power requirements, which translates into different PCB layout, different circuitry and what have you. There are no universal cards that simply accept user-installable GPU's.
4. A graphics card with its built-in GPU, is most likely the cheapest way to get performance graphics hardware into the hands of users.
5. There is no industry standard socket that accepts different GPUs.

Thanks for answering this silly little question of mine! I never even thought about the power req and all that.