[ The PC Guide | Systems and Components Reference Guide | Monitors | Monitor Resolution, Color and Refresh ]

Color and Color Depth

While video cards have as one of their characteristics the concept of a color depth, this does not apply to monitors. The reason is that the color depth is used by the video card to determine what color levels to send to the monitor when the RAMDAC generates the video signal. Since modern monitors are analog they display whatever color levels the video card sends them. The video card determines how precisely that color level is calculated using the color depth but the monitor doesn't have anything to do with it--it just displays the color that it is sent.

It is still possible to get monochrome monitors, although they are seldom used and are typically available only in the smaller 14" and 15" sizes.

Next: Refresh Rates and Interlacing

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