Dumb question... Is graphic card only used for graphic application and games?

Why I am asking is because I recently upgrade my video card from 8800GT 512MB to a 6870 1GB and not only does my games gets much higher FPS, the entire computer seems faster...

All my movies and photos looks nicer for some reason, and my LCD monitor's overall color seems richer as well. Internet browsing is faster too, it's so weird... the entire machines feels like it's runner faster and smoother...

I thought my PC's speed and performance is based on the CPU and RAM but after this upgrade, I think the graphic card's GPU is doing a lot to speed my my computer's processing power...

Maybe I am crazy but maybe some expert can explain this to me.

Why I am asking is because I recently upgrade my video card from 8800GT 512MB to a 6870 1GB and not only does my games gets much higher FPS, the entire computer seems faster...

All my movies and photos looks nicer for some reason, and my LCD monitor's overall color seems richer as well. Internet browsing is faster too, it's so weird... the entire machines feels like it's runner faster and smoother...

I thought my PC's speed and performance is based on the CPU and RAM but after this upgrade, I think the graphic card's GPU is doing a lot to speed my my computer's processing power...

Maybe I am crazy but maybe some expert can explain this to me.

1076751

Windows 7 takes advantage of GPU capabilities; Thats probably the case. But theres still a bit of a placebo effect occuring to you.

Could just be the change from Nvidia to ATI... ATI has always been better with 2D applications, than Nvidia. Especially, with clarity and color.

I didn't know that ati was better then nvidia but I was wonder why my 4290 ati look so much better then my 8800gt nvidia both with 512mb. That explains it. Sorry for putting this in here but I didn't know about ati and nvidia. I agree with the perso who started this form everything does look better then my other card and brighter and almost like it was in 3d almosblackleather223

The 4290 is basically a 8800GT if not worse.

me and ANYONE ELSE HERE who folds.. is shocked that @home was never brought up..

me and ANYONE ELSE HERE who folds.. is shocked that @home was never brought up..

ionusX

If you're using @Home, you wouldn't be asking this kind of question in the first place, IMO.

[QUOTE="blackleather223"]I didn't know that ati was better then nvidia but I was wonder why my 4290 ati look so much better then my 8800gt nvidia both with 512mb. That explains it. Sorry for putting this in here but I didn't know about ati and nvidia. I agree with the perso who started this form everything does look better then my other card and brighter and almost like it was in 3d almosGTR12

The 4290 is basically a 8800GT if not worse.

MUCH worse.

If your using Windows 7 then yes, the OS can and will utilise the GPU for everyday tasks... It was one of the ways that they achieved the much demanded speed and performance that the consumers wanted. And as for images and movies, they should look slightly better and run quicker so yes your probably right, although your noticing this only because you upgraded your GPU, if someone else did it without you knowing then you'd probably not notice it at all.