The way that a Video Card works in 2D is very simple. Before we get into it though, we have to establish the difference between 2D and 3D in computers. For example, if you have Microsoft's newest addition to its Operating System family, Windows XP, you will notice that it looks very 3D. Although it looks 3D, the Video Card only renders it in 2D. This is because there is no depth or 3D perspective to Windows. For example, you can move a window, up or down, left or right, but you cannot move it back or forward. The talented artists at Microsoft just give it the appearance of 3D, while the Video Card only needs to work with 2 Dimensions, making Windows XP fast and visually appealing.

Microsoft's New Operating System, Windows XP

We see newer Video Cards with 32 Megabytes, 64 Megabytes, sometimes even 128 Megabytes (for professional applications) of built-in memory. One thing that most people do not know is that, for the most part, if you are not playing 3D games, or using 3D programs such as ones used to make the movie "Toy Story", this memory is not being used. To illustrate this, here is a table showing how much memory in your Video Card is required for the most common resolutions, at the most common color depths.

As you can see, to work in Windows or other Operating Systems at the most common resolution, 1024 X 768 at 24-bit color, you only need a 2.55 Mb Video Card. Having an 8 Mb or a 128 Mb Video Card would usually not make much of a difference for that system.

There is only one catch. If there are any images on the screen, they take up extra space in the Video Card's memory. The images category includes icons in Windows, Images in an Internet Browser, as well as the "Wallpaper" for Windows. To be sure, make sure you have a 4-8 Mb Video Card if you are planning to use resolutions of 640 X 480 up to 1024 X 768. Otherwise, if you are planning to use higher resolutions, use an 8-16 Mb Video Card for good performance. This suggestion only applies if you are a casual computer user, not if you are a Professional or a Video Game fanatic. For those people, read the following pages in the Display section to get an in-depth look at Video Cards for 3D.