There are a variety of video standards that define the
resolution and colors for displays.
Support for a
graphics standard is determined both by the
monitor and by the
video adapter. The monitor must be able to show the resolution and colors defined by the standard, and the video adapter must be capable of transmitting the appropriate signals to the monitor.
Listed here, in approximate order of increasing power and sophistication, are the more popular video standards for PCs. Note that many of these numbers represent only the minimums specified in the standards. Many suppliers of video adapters provide greater resolution and more colors.
- VGA -- 640 x 480 resolution
- SVGA -- 800 x 600 resolution
- XGA -- 1024 x 768 resolution
- SXGA -- 1280 x 1024 resolution
- UXGA -- 1600 x 1200 resolution
