ATI Technologies 100 437807 - Radeon X1950 Pro HD PCI Express 256MB Video Card, User Manual

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PCI Express ® (PCIe™)
The successor standard to the PCI and AGP bus standards, with a significantly
faster serial communications system, further opening up bandwidth for more
communications between such peripherals as graphics cards and the
computer’s CPU. PCIe cards can come in several physical configurations, the
fastest currently being X16, which is typically used for graphic cards, and X1,
typically used for other peripherals, such as separate multimedia cards.
Pipeline
In relation to computer graphic processors, refers to the number of separate
arithmetic units available for rendering the output on a display. In general,
more pipelines available on a graphical processor means there are more 3D
rendering capabilities available, increasing overall 3D performance.
Pixel
All computer images are made up of tiny dots. Each individual dot is called a
pixel, a word created from the term “picture element.” A pixel is the smallest
indivisible unit of a digital image and can be only a single color. The size of
the pixel depends on how the display resolution has been set. The smallest size
a pixel can be is determined by the display’s dot pitch, which is measured in
millimeters (mm).
Refresh Rate
Also referred to as “vertical refresh rate.” This is the rate at which a monitor
or television can redraw the screen from top to bottom. NTSC television
systems have a refresh rate of approximately 60 Hz whereas computer
displays typically have refresh rates of 75 Hz or more. At refresh rates of 70
Hz and lower, screen flicker is often noticeable.
Rendering
Rendering refers to the final drawing stages where the 2D image that appears
on a display is derived from its 3D descriptions. What appears on the display
may look three dimensional, but it is really just a 2D grid of pixels designed
to appear that way.
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