对于普通计算机用户来说，显卡(Graphics Card) 可能不是必不可少的组件。但对于高端用户、游戏玩家和图形设计师来说，显卡是最重要的组件之一。显卡有许多不同的组件，RAM就是其中之一。显卡有很多版本。您可能听说过DDR3、DDR4和DDR5显卡。这几代显卡有什么区别？这就是我们将在本文中讨论的内容。
什么是显卡？
显卡是计算机系统的硬件组件，用于提高其视频内存和显示质量。图形卡使计算机系统更强大，以便它可以有效地处理高级工作。您在计算机系统中查看的图像和视频质量取决于您使用的显卡类型。在游戏和视频编辑任务中，显卡起着主要作用。每个游戏都需要显卡。显卡的类型取决于该游戏中使用的图形质量。
阅读(Read)： 如何找出您拥有的显卡？
显卡(Graphics Card)的组成部分有哪些？
在我们开始讨论不同类型的显卡之前，有必要了解显卡的不同组件。我们在下面列出了一些显卡的组件。
GPU（图形处理单元）
图形(Graphics) 处理单元(Processing Unit)是进行所有图形计算的图形卡的主要组件。因此(Hence)，我们可以说GPU是显卡的心脏。GPU有数百到数千个核心，而CPU只有(CPU)2到16个核心。这些小核心帮助GPU执行复杂的图形计算。
如果您是游戏玩家，那么您对Nvidia(Nvidia)和AMD的名称非常熟悉。这是制造显卡的两家流行公司。Nvidia将显卡核心或处理器称为Cuda Cores或Shaders，而AMD将它们称为Stream Processors。因为英伟达(Nvidia)和AMD是两家不同的显卡厂商，所以他们显卡的架构也不尽相同。因此(Hence)，我们不能说Cuda Cores = Stream Processors。到期的(Due)由于架构不同，这两款显卡的性能也不尽相同。
让我们看看与GPU相关的两个术语：
- GPU 时钟(GPU Clock)：它是GPU运行的速度。
- 着色器时钟或频率(Shaders Clock or Frequency)：它是Cuda 核心(Cuda Cores)和着色器(Shaders)运行的速度。它与GPU(GPU)时钟保持同步。
记忆
内存是存储所有信息的组件。GPU获取存储在内存中的纹理，并在处理完信息后将它们发送回RAM 。在这一步之后，它会将处理后的信息发送到RAMDAC，然后再发送到用户的LCD屏幕或监视器。RAMDAC是随机存取(Random Access Memory Digital)存储器(Analog Converter)数模转换器。它将图像转换为模拟信号，然后将其传输到监视器屏幕。
显卡使用不同类型的RAM。当今显卡中最常用的RAM是(RAM)GDDR3和GDDR5，其中G表示Graphics，DDR表示Double Data Rate。我们将在本文后面讨论DDR 。
散热器和风扇
运行显卡时会产生热量。不受控制的温度会损坏显卡。因此(Therefore)，所有的显卡都带有散热器和风扇。散热器(Heat)和风扇降低了RAM和GPU的温度，使显卡可以在更长的时间内有效地运行。
什么是内存？
RAM代表随机存取存储器(Random Access Memory)。它是一个易失性存储器，这意味着一旦电源中断，所有存储的信息都会自动擦除。在数据处理过程中，信息在CPU(CPU)和RAM之间传输。因此(Hence)，CPU处理信息的速度也取决于RAM的数据传输速率。
什么是DDR？
DDR 代表双倍数据速率(Double Data Rate)。DDR用于表示RAM和CPU之间的数据传输速率。双倍数据速率(Double Data Rate)意味着数据在信号的高边沿和低边沿传输。现在您可以理解为什么DDR RAM比非DDR RAM更快了。DDR1、2、3(DDR1)等，是DDR RAM的几代。
阅读：(Read:) 集成显卡与专用显卡。
DDR3 与 DDR4 与 DDR5 显卡
现在，您已经了解显卡中的DDR一词是指嵌入其中的RAM 。是时候比较不同代的显卡了，即DDR3、DDR4和DDR5 RAM显卡。我们将在这里使用不同的参数进行比较。
带宽
带宽(Bandwidth)是指进出特定目的地的数据或信息量。简单来说，RAM带宽代表了它与CPU之间的数据传输速率。Bytes/second是带宽的单位。新一代RAM始终具有比其先前版本更高的带宽。这就是为什么DDR4 RAM比DDR3 RAM快的原因。但是您在购买显卡时还必须考虑RAM的容量。(RAM)繁重(Heavy)的图形需要更多的RAM空间(RAM). 因此，如果您的工作需要运行多个重型应用程序，您应该考虑购买具有更多RAM(RAM)的显卡。
电压
高电压意味着高功耗。高功耗意味着更多的热量产生。如果你在PC上玩超高清游戏，它会给卡带来更多的负载，这意味着产生高热量。这可能会导致显卡过热。如果你比较不同代显卡的规格，你会发现新几代显卡的额定电压更低，带宽更高。这意味着它们可以以低电压消耗处理多项重型任务。这就是为什么DDR5显卡优于DDR4及更低版本的原因。
预取
您可能听说过预取。它是什么？它是单次传输的数据量。它还决定了RAM的速度。例如，DDR2 RAM的预取速率为 4n，而DDR3和DDR4 RAM的预取速率相同，均为 8n。这意味着DDR2和DDR3 RAM一次可以分别处理 4 个单元和 8 个单元的数据。DDR5 RAM显卡的预取速率为 16n，是DDR3和(DDR3)DDR4 RAM(DDR4 RAM)显卡速率的两倍。
更多类型的显卡
如果您是游戏玩家，您可能听说过GDDR显卡。这些是什么？它们与我们在本博客上面讨论的DDR显卡有什么不同吗？答案是肯定的。GDDR显卡中的字母G代表(G)Graphics。与DDR一样，GDDR也是一种用于显卡的RAM 。DDR显卡和GDDR显卡的区别在于后者更先进，专为高端游戏应用而生。
(GDDR)与DDR(DDR)存储器相比，GDDR存储器具有更高的时钟频率和更大的带宽。GDDR RAM也称为VRAM或Video RAM。让我们鸟瞰GDDR3、GDDR4和GDDR5显卡。
- GDDR3 RAM：它比DDR3 RAM更快，专为中低档显卡和游戏机制造。使用GDDR3 RAM(GDDR3 RAM)的游戏机示例包括Xbox 360和PS3。
- GDDR4 RAM：这种RAM不是很受欢迎。因此(Hence)，它用于较少的显卡。今天，没有公司生产GDDR4显卡，因为更高版本已经取代了它们。
- GDDR5 RAM：它是目前最快的RAM，用于当今的中高端显卡。您会在PlayStation 4等顶级游戏机中找到(PlayStation 4)GDDR5 RAM显卡。GDDR5 RAM可以达到 5GHz 甚至更高的速度。如果您将其与GDDR3 RAM进行比较，您会发现它的速度要快 2.5 到 3 倍。正因为如此，GDDR5显卡最贵。
哪个是最好的游戏DDR(Gaming)显卡(Graphics Card)？
大多数人购买显卡是为了在 PC 上玩高清游戏。显卡(Graphics)在高端游戏应用中扮演着重要角色。上面我们已经解释了不同类型的显卡，包括DDR3、DDR4和DDR5。如果您必须在DDR3和DDR4 RAM之间进行选择，您考虑最多的两件事是成本和性能。除非您玩高端游戏，否则您不会注意到这两种显卡之间的区别。DDR4在很多方面都优于DDR3显卡。因此，如果成本不是您主要关心的问题，您应该选择DDR4显卡。同样，DDR5显卡优于历代。
阅读(Read)：如何find out Computer RAM, Graphics Card/Video memory。
如果您是高端游戏玩家，并且想享受最高分辨率的最新游戏以及直播等其他一些功能，您应该购买新一代显卡，如DDR5。但如果你对游戏不太感兴趣，但需要显卡来完成图形设计等其他任务，你可能会选择较低的版本，比如DDR4和DDR3。
DDR3 vs DDR4 vs DDR5 Graphics Card: What is the Difference?
A Graphics Card may not be an essential component for normal computer users. But for high-end users, gamers and graphics designers, a graphics card is among the most essential components. A graphics card has many different components, RAM is among these components. There are many versions of graphics cards. You might have heard about DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5 graphics cards. What is the difference among these generations of graphics cards? This is what we will discuss in this article.
What is a Graphics Card?
A graphics card is a hardware component of a computer system used to boost its video memory and display quality. A graphics card makes a computer system more powerful so that it can handle high-level works efficiently. The image and video quality that you view in your computer system depends on the type of graphics card you are using. When it comes to gaming and video editing tasks, the graphics card has the primary role. Every game needs a graphics card. The type of graphics card depends on the quality of graphics used in that game.
Read: How to find out which Graphics Card you have?
What are the Components of a Graphics Card?
Before we start our discussion on the different types of graphics cards, it is essential to understand the different components of a graphics card. We are listing below some graphics cards’ components.
GPU (Graphics Processing Unit)
A Graphics Processing Unit is the main component of the graphics card where all the graphics calculations take place. Hence, we can say that GPU is the heart of the graphics card. The GPU has hundreds to thousands of cores, whereas, CPU has only 2 to 16 cores. These small cores help GPU perform complex graphics calculations.
If you are a gamer, you are well-versed with the names, Nvidia and AMD. These are the two popular companies that manufacture graphics cards. Nvidia called the graphics card cores or processors the Cuda Cores or Shaders, whereas, AMD called them Stream Processors. Because Nvidia and AMD are the two different companies that manufacture graphics cards, the architecture of their graphics cards is also not the same. Hence, we cannot say that the Cuda Cores = Stream Processors. Due to the difference in their architecture, the performance of these two graphics cards is also not the same.
Let’s see the two terms related to the GPU:
- GPU Clock: It is the speed at which GPU runs.
- Shaders Clock or Frequency: It is the speed at which the Cuda Cores and Shaders run. It remains in synchronization with the GPU clock.
Memory
Memory is the component that stores all the information. GPU fetches the textures stored in a memory and sends them back to RAM after processing the information. After this step, it sends the processed information to the RAMDAC from where it is sent to the LCD screen or monitor of the user. RAMDAC is the Random Access Memory Digital to Analog Converter. It converts the image into an analog signal before transmitting it to the monitor screen.
Graphics Cards use different types of RAM. The most commonly used RAM in today’s graphics cards is GDDR3 and GDDR5, where G means Graphics and DDR means Double Data Rate. We will discuss DDR later in this article.
Heat Sink and Fan
When you run a graphics card, heat is generated. Uncontrolled temperatures can damage the graphics card. Therefore, all the graphics cards come with a heat sink and fan. Heat sink and fan lower down the RAM and GPU temperature so that the graphics card can perform effectively for longer durations.
What is RAM?
RAM stands for Random Access Memory. It is a volatile memory which means all the stored information is erased automatically once the power supply is terminated. During data processing, the information is transferred between CPU and RAM. Hence, how fast the CPU can process the information also depends on the data transmission rate of RAM.
What is DDR?
DDR stands for Double Data Rate. DDR is used to indicate the rate of data transmission between RAM and CPU. Double Data Rate means that the data is transferred at both high and low edges of a signal. Now you can understand why DDR RAM is faster than non-DDR RAM. DDR1, 2, 3, etc., are the generations of DDR RAM.
Read: Integrated vs Dedicated Graphics card.
DDR3 vs DDR4 vs DDR5 Graphics Card
Now, you have understood that the word DDR in a graphics card refers to the RAM embedded in it. It’s time to compare the different generations of graphics cards, i.e., DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5 RAM graphics cards. We will take here different parameters for comparison.
Bandwidth
Bandwidth refers to the amount of data or information moved to and from a particular destination. In simple words, RAM bandwidth represents the rate of data transfer between itself and the CPU. Bytes/second is the unit of bandwidth. Newer generation RAM always has a higher bandwidth than its previous version. That’s why DDR4 RAM is faster than DDR3 RAM. But you also have to consider the capacity of the RAM while purchasing a graphics card. Heavy graphics require more space on RAM. Therefore, if your work requires running multiple heavy-duty applications, you should consider purchasing a graphics card with more RAM.
Voltage
High voltage means high power consumption. And high power consumption means more heat generation. If you play ultra-high-definition games on your PC, it puts more load on the card, which means high heat generation. This can cause the graphics card to overheat. If you compare the specifications of the different generations of the graphics cards, you will see that the newer generations of graphics cards have less voltage rating and high bandwidth. This means that they can handle multiple heavy-duty tasks with low voltage consumption. That’s why DDR5 graphics cards are better than DDR4 and lower versions.
Prefetch
You might have heard about prefetch. What is it? It is the amount of data transferred in one pass. It also determines how fast RAM is. For example, DDR2 RAM has a prefetch rate of 4n and both DDR3 and DDR4 RAM have the same prefetch rate of 8n. It means that the DDR2 and DDR3 RAM can process 4 units and 8 units of data in one pass respectively. The DDR5 RAM graphics card has a prefetch rate of 16n which is double the rate of DDR3 and DDR4 RAM graphics cards.
Some more types of Graphics Cards
If you are a gamer, you might have heard about GDDR graphics cards. What are they? Are they different from the DDR graphics cards that we have discussed above in this blog? The answer is yes. Letter G in the GDDR graphics card stands for Graphics. Like DDR, GDDR is also a type of RAM that is used in graphics cards. The difference between a DDR graphics card and a GDDR graphics card is that the latter one is more advanced and is made for high-end gaming applications.
GDDR memories have higher clock frequencies and larger bandwidth as compared to DDR memories. GDDR RAM is also called VRAM or Video RAM. Let’s have a bird’s eye view on GDDR3, GDDR4, and GDDR5 graphics cards.
- GDDR3 RAM: It is faster than DDR3 RAM and is manufactured for low to mid-range of graphics cards and gaming consoles. Examples of gaming consoles that use GDDR3 RAM include Xbox 360 and PS3.
- GDDR4 RAM: This RAM is not very popular. Hence, it is used in fewer graphics cards. Today, no company manufactures GDDR4 graphics cards, as the higher versions have replaced them.
- GDDR5 RAM: It is the fastest RAM as of now and is used in today’s mid to high-range graphics cards. You will find GDDR5 RAM graphics cards in the top gaming consoles like PlayStation 4. GDDR5 RAM can attain a speed of 5GHz and more. If you compare it with GDDR3 RAM, you will find it 2.5 to 3 times faster. Due to this, GDDR5 graphics cards most expensive.
Which is the best DDR Graphics Card for Gaming?
Most of you buy a graphics card to play high-definition games on your PC. Graphics card plays an important role when it comes to high-end gaming applications. Above we have explained the different types of graphics cards including DDR3, DDR4, and DDR5. If you have to select between DDR3 and DDR4 RAM, the two things that you consider the most are cost and performance. You will not notice the difference between these two graphics cards unless you play high-end games. DDR4 is better than DDR3 graphics card in many aspects. Therefore, if cost is not your main concern, you should go with the DDR4 graphics card. Similarly, the DDR5 graphics card is superior to all the past generations.
Read: How to find out Computer RAM, Graphics Card/Video memory of your PC.
If you are a high-end gamer and want to enjoy the latest games in the highest resolution along with some other functionalities like live streaming, you should invest in the newer generations graphics cards like DDR5. But if you are not much interested in gaming but require a graphics card for other tasks like graphics designing, you may go with the lower versions, like DDR4 and DDR3.
