Windows accelerator: Difference between revisions

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{{more citations needed|date=February 2019}}

A '''Windows accelerator''' was a type of [[Graphics processing unit]] for [[personal computers]] with additional acceleration features like 2d [[line-drawings]], [[blitter]], [[Clipping (computer graphics)|clipping]], [[font caching]], [[hardware cursor support]], [[color expansion]], [[linear addressing]], and pattern, polygon and area fills.

A '''Windows accelerator''', or generically a '''GUI accelerator''', was a type of [[graphics processing unit]] for [[personal computer]]s with additional acceleration features like [[2D computer graphics|2D]] line-drawing, [[blitter]], [[Clipping (computer graphics)|clipping]], font caching, hardware cursor support, color expansion, [[linear addressing]], and pattern, polygon and area fills.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Definition of Windows accelerator|url=https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/windows-accelerator|access-date=2021-08-05|website=PCMAG|language=en}}</ref> This functionality was marketed for [[hardware acceleration|accelerating]] programs that used [[graphical user interface]]s (GUIs), namely [[Microsoft Windows]]. Windows accelerators have been superseded by multipurpose [[GPU]]s, which include acceleration for [[3D graphics]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-05-05|title=GPU Server - All You Should Know About|url=https://vsys.host/blog/gpu-server-all-you-should-know-about/|access-date=2021-08-05|website=Blog @ VSYS.host|language=en-US}}</ref>

The functionality marketed for [[hardware acceleration|accelerating]] the [[Microsoft Windows]] [[operating system]].

These have been superseded by multipurpose [[GPU]]s which include acceleration for [[3d graphics]].

Most "Windows accelerator" video cards were 2D-capable fixed-function processors that received 2D drawing commands and pixel data sent from the [[Central processing unit|CPU]], resulting in faster window drawing.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2019-01-07|title=Your computer's graphics card isn't just for gaming. Here's how to upgrade it.|url=https://www.popsci.com/upgrade-computer-graphics/|access-date=2021-08-05|website=Popular Science|language=en-US}}</ref> The reduced burden on the CPU, combined with the smaller [[data stream]] needed for the required instructions, resulted in improved performance compared to "dumb" frame-buffer only based video cards.<ref>{{cite web|title=PC Mag, Making a Choice in the area of Video technology|date = 12 January 1993|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LIyy_CtozLcC&pg=PA165}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Warren|first=Tom|date=2021-02-26|title=Nvidia starts boosting frame rates by up to 10 percent on 30-series GPUs|url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/2/26/22302679/nvidia-rtx-3060-resizable-bar-support-30-series-gpus|access-date=2021-08-05|website=The Verge|language=en}}</ref>

Most of the Windows accelerator video cards were 2d capable fixed function accelerators that got 2d drawing commands and pixel data sent from the CPU and the fixed function run the given command which resulted in a faster drawing of the window.

The lessened burden on the CPU, combined with the smaller data stream needed for the required instructions, resulted in improved performance compared to dumb frame-buffer only based video-cards.<ref>{{cite web|title=PC Mag, Making a Choice in the area of Video technology|url=https://books.google.de/books?id=LIyy_CtozLcC&lpg=PP1&hl=de&pg=PA165#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref>

In the high-end professional areamarket, aat priceprices ofin severalthe thousands of dollars, there were also coprocessor based video chipsets like the [[TMS34010|Texas Instrument TMS34020]] available that had their own processor, which allowed tooffloading offloadof some of the processing data from the CPU to the coprocessor's the[[Graphics card|videocard]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HD0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA32|title=InfoWorld|date=1991-12-16|publisher=InfoWorld Media Group, Inc.|language=en}}</ref>

To make use of these accelerator or coprocessor based video cards, a Windows Graphic driver software for the specific video chipset was necessary.<ref>{{Cite web|last=III|first=Scott Fulton|title=Arm processors: Everything you need to know now|url=https://www.zdnet.com/article/arm-processors-everything-you-need-to-know-now/|access-date=2021-08-05|website=ZDNet|language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[SVGA]]

* [[localVESA busLocal Bus]]

* [[windowsWindows 3.11x]]

==References==