What is that Video BIOS?

jmecor

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Everytime i open a pc, the first thing i always see in the monitor is an information about your video. It's like a BIOS info to the current video card that is installed in the pc. My question is for example, I currently have a Nvidia card and the video bios is installed and suddenly upgraded to an ATI card, will the BIOS automatically programmed by the video card or do i have to do it manually?
 

Woodman

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It's automatic, you don't have to do anything, cept watch :).

Just to be clear, the info displayed comes from the video card itself, not the system's BIOS. So there's no "video-card-updates-system-BIOS" thingy happening.

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<A HREF="http://www.khmercity.com/city_music//Kerpal Comedy@@ kick my dog~ :)/Jerky Boys - Kerpal - Airport Pakistani And Hindi Fight.mp3" target="_new">I'm going to get you, you bastard guy</A>.<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by Woodman on 08/07/03 05:07 AM.</EM></FONT></P>
 

Woodman

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Err, why?

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<A HREF="http://www.khmercity.com/city_music//Kerpal Comedy@@ kick my dog~ :)/Jerky Boys - Kerpal - Airport Pakistani And Hindi Fight.mp3" target="_new">I'm going to get you, you bastard guy</A>.
 

Crashman

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The first thing that flashes on your screen (if your screen isn't in sleep mode, nearly impossible with today's monitors) is the video card BIOS header. Yes, video cards have their own BIOS.

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jmecor

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but i think the video card is still dependent on the main BIOS, since they can be configured in the BIOS settings.

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Crashman

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No they can't. All you can set in BIOS is boot order (PCI or AGP) which is a setting for the motherboard, and AGP Aperature Size, which is a setting for the chipset (how much system memory is allowed for caching textures). Motherboards have no settings which allow you to adjust your card in any way whatsoever!

Even when you choose a slower AGP transfer mode (say, 4x instead of 8x) all your changing is the setting for the AGP Slot, not the card. The card adapts automatically based on it's own hardware and BIOS.

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jmecor

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SWEET. now i fully understand the difference between a video card BIOS and the main BIOS. thx!!!!

<i>
"I'll Take A Quiet Life
-Handshake to Carbon Monoxide- Th.Yo."
</i>