Almost every desktop PC has one. They have billions of transistors, can use hundreds of watts of power, and can cost over a thousand dollars. They are masterpieces of electronic engineering and generate extremes in product loyalty and disdain... and yet the number of things they normally do can be counted one just one hand. Welcome to the world of graphics cards!

Graphics cards are among the PC components to which we dedicate the most time on TechSpot, so clearly they need a proper dissection. Let's assemble the team and head for the operating table. It's time to delve into the innards that make up a graphics card, splitting up its various parts and seeing what each bit does.