Many people get confused when they see "Requires NVIDIA graphics card acceleration" when using AI software. They wonder: my graphics card is Colorful, ASUS, or GIGABYTE, not NVIDIA, can I use it?
Don't worry, today we'll talk about the "secrets" of graphics cards in layman's terms to help you figure out if your graphics card is truly "NVIDIA blood".
Understanding Graphics Cards with an Analogy
Imagine building a car:
- NVIDIA is like a manufacturer that produces car engines. It designs GPU chips (such as RTX 3060, 4090), but it's not responsible for assembling the entire car.
- Brands like Colorful, ASUS, GIGABYTE are like car assembly plants. They buy NVIDIA's "engines" (GPU chips), add their own car bodies, cooling fans, and circuit boards, and assemble them into complete graphics cards to sell to you.
What are the Styles of These Brands?
Each brand has its own "car manufacturing characteristics", but the core engine is NVIDIA's:
Colorful: Like a "domestic high-performance car", affordable and with sufficient performance.
ASUS/ROG: Like a "high-end modified car", especially the ROG series, focusing on luxury and strong performance.
MSI: Like a "racing-style car", with good heat dissipation and strong overclocking capabilities.
GIGABYTE: Like an "all-around family car", with good cost-performance ratio and stability.
ZOTAC: Like a "mini hot hatch", specializing in small graphics cards.
GALAX: Like a "cool supercar", with a stylish appearance and full of personality.
Inno3D: Like a "practical utility vehicle", focusing on heat dissipation and durability.
Key Point: AI Acceleration Depends on the Chip, Not the Brand
How to Determine if You Can Use It? As long as your graphics card model starts with RTX or GTX (such as RTX 4060, GTX 1660), regardless of whether the brand is Colorful or GIGABYTE, the core is NVIDIA's chip, so it can run AI without any problems!
What's the Difference Between Brands? The brand only determines the appearance, heat dissipation, warranty and other "external" factors. The AI acceleration capability completely depends on the model of the NVIDIA chip (such as 3060, 4090).
Tips for Self-Checking Your Graphics Card
- Look at the Name: The name of the graphics card is usually "Brand + RTX/GTX + Number", such as "Colorful RTX 4060".
- Look at the Software Requirements: If it requires "RTX 3060 or higher", as long as your model number is ≥3060 (such as 4060, 4070), any brand will do.
- Check Your Computer: Windows users press "Ctrl+Shift+Esc" to open Task Manager, click the "Performance" option, and view the graphics card model.
Summary in One Sentence
NVIDIA is the "chip leader", Colorful and others are the "assembly subordinates", identify RTX/GTX + Number, and AI acceleration is guaranteed!