ATI RADEONX1900 User Guide - Page 33

29 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 Tapestry™ Pixel Tapestry™ is a graphics architecture that includes multiple independent texture units for each rendering pipeline. This technology makes 3D surfaces look more realistic and detailed. Pixel Tapestry™ II Pixel Tapestry™ II uses four parallel, highly optimized rendering pipelines, each capable of handling two textures simultaneously. It provides advanced texturing, making 3D surfaces look more detailed and realistic. 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. Resolution The resolution of any display is the number of pixels that can be depicted on screen as specified by the number of horizontal rows against the number of vertical columns. The default VGA resolution of many video cards is capable of displaying 640 rows of pixels by 480 columns. The typical