Graphic Card

my latest beauty greeting Spring of 2013 :
Saffire Radeon HD 7850 OC D5 2GB Dual-X Graphic Card PCi-Ex
 

1. in a visual World where a person’s first impression is stamped by his/her image
2. and to a being whose Universe is validated by what he/she sees around him/her,
a graphic card becomes a deciding factor in choosing a computer system . also to the game maniac or movie fan, it can be the most expensive peripheral in assembly . with graphic card speed evolving every other Season, this will be a general guide to select, buy AND sell video cards in South Korea come Spring of 2013, and NOT a recommendation on specific models . also, this is a basic guide for the laymen, so almighty tweakers please head over to the hard-core sites and forums ~

[ INDEX ]

1. Radeon or GeForce
2. imports and Korean
3. Which Model to Choose
4. Video Built-in Main-Board or Mother-Boards
5. Where to Purchase and Buy
6. Warranty, Product Support and Repair
7. Used Graphic Cards and ReSale
8. for NoteBooks or LapTops

[ Radeon or GeForce ]

you can join the ever-lasting war on debate between the two of the World’s dominating graphics card monopoly from manufacturers ATI/AMD against NVidia, both of Taiwanese descent . go surf onto the many sites for that . while as a rule-of-thumb the former is best apt for motion pictures with splendid colors, and the latter geared for the game enthusiast on the latest state-of-the-art 3D . you best decide for yourself, as it really cannot be done on a showroom or computer store, but on a trial basis as you exchange slots for several Months . eventually you will get the feel, and would be able to tell the difference as soon as you boot-up a new card and start viewing your favourite movie or game . I am a movie aficionado thus has always stuck with ATI, but feel NVidia catching-up a good Decade past the Millennium .

but with both camp constantly developing : its price-factor will come into action, where you can watch out for (hard-to-come-by) sales or credit card discounts on certain On-Line malls . plus a popular card emerges now-and-then which would sell-off quickly in time of re-sale, so in the long-run it would a juggling act : switching between either .

[ imports and Korean ]

asking whether to purchase one from home and bring it to Korea would be futile, for as one of the most sensitive part in a computer you want one that has Support Centers near you . plus most expensive ones come with a couple of fans attached – a constantly moving part – at the mercy of the passage of time .

as a much Modernized, developed and computer-literate – actually cannot do without – nation, most popular models abroad in the States as well as Europe and South-East Asia are available in South Korea . however, the best-priced and the most powerful models are those imported by a popular company and tweaked – or over-clocked, then adding their name onto the manufacturer’s brand name . some local companies are constantly making their own – Made in Korea – but is negligible in sales as well as popularity, and I would certainly advise NOT .

two notable companies worth of mention : emTek and Zortac . the former sells tweaked Radeon and GeForce imports, and had a tiny office in the Northern back-alley off YongSan Electronics Market . they now have their own proud building although two-stories high : behind SamGakJi Fire Station and have their own shuttle bus doing rounds to the neighboring electronics district and YongSan Train and Subway Stations .

Zortac a larger Hong Kong-based company recently began selling with a total of FIVE years warranty, when most competitors offer THREE (March 2014 Update : lengthened to SIX Years with earlier 3 years FREE). situated again in YongSan Electronics Market across Electronics Land and an alley behind .

[ Which Model to Choose ]

this is in Dedicated Page section on the top of this BLog, with contents expected to hold true more than a Year, as opposed to periodical Post on the Center whose popularity last at least a Season on local trend .

thus I will not recommend specific models getting faster roughly 2~3 times a Year . but will give you clear pointers in price 😉

1. the most price-conscious would be just below W100,000 usually good enough for general computing,
2. a mild choice are  W120,000 ~ W140,000 usually a popular model with some specifics left-out,
3. and the most popular would be either around W180,000 or W220,000 giving quite power yet affordable,
4. you are entering manic gaming zone at W280,000 and professional gamer’s dream starting over W400,000

[ Video Built-in Main-Board or Mother-Boards ]

from Fall of 2013 intel HD4000 have begun to be added in some popular boards – and I mention this as this is the minimum criteria for enjoying general movies and games as  built-in option . this is a good option for your second computer which you would use more for business or downloading .

[ Where to Purchase and Buy ]

if you are seeking a stand-alone graphics or video card, would mean you know about basic assembly so as always : On-Line is the cheapest, with Malls run by conglomerates a tad higher but with more friendly return and exchange practices – also they have regular discounts on certain credit cards ! um, coming from a mileage freak //

as a whole it is a choice between On-Line malls and YongSan Electronics Market, for electronics districts in other cities including Busan or Pusan, AND buildings near your area who promote themselves as “electronics district” would NOT have a wide array of choices nor popular models -_-

[ Warranty, Product Support and Repair ]

watch and read carefully the title on the box as most central computer parts support depend on it : fore-most it is taken care of by a local branch is the large company has one in South Korea, or will be done by its importer – whose reputation differs and well distinguishable from local forums ofcourse in Korean .

most warranties currently are THREE years from the date of your purchase so keep your receipt . and virtually all malfunctioning ones are exchanged on-the-spot or via next-day courier service, instead of repair . it is common practice for vendors or manufacturers to give you an alternate model if yours is now out-of-production .

[ Used Graphic Cards and ReSale ]

even the oldest model almost extinct will fetch a price, even low at Seon-in SangGa building mapped in my YongSan Electronics Market Page on Top Menu . and as always you can get the most deal for your used device on On-Line forums and communities, most requiring national citizen ID to sign-up, so can ask a local friend for that if you don’t have one . ideally, a male high school or college student would know best where to sell what . note :

1. here it is vital you get a popular model as it will retain its value, and some (although NOT common) even adding premium if it turns out to be a hit ! still does happen on tweaked-by-importers ones .
2. the best time to sell is when you have to take in for repair, then sell the one its Support Center exchanged after testing it – this will mean to your buyer : that it is refurbished quality checked by the vendor or manufacturer 😉
3. the next best time to sell is around two years after, when your device still holds a price with warranty left .

[ for NoteBooks or LapTops ]

as of Spring 2013, RAM memory and SSD or HDD in most notebooks or laptops can be changed by the user after purchase, BUT not CPU’s nor graphics or video cards //

basic notebooks or laptops come with graphics or video built-in into its CPU, while more advanced AND expensive models will have a separate card in addition to it, and the system automatically making use of it when deemed necessary .

– CGV iMAX, Korea Tech BLog –