xiǎnkǎ: 显卡 - Graphics Card, Video Card

• Keywords: xianka, 显卡, what is xianka, xianka meaning, graphics card in Chinese, video card in Chinese, GPU in Chinese, computer parts in Chinese, Nvidia in Chinese, learn Chinese tech terms, Chinese for gaming.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese tech term 显卡 (xiǎnkǎ), which means “graphics card” or “video card”. This page breaks down its meaning, cultural significance in China's massive gaming and tech scenes, and provides practical examples for talking about computers, gaming performance, and hardware. Whether you're building a PC or just navigating modern Chinese life, understanding 显卡 is key.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): xiǎn kǎ
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: N/A
• Concise Definition: A piece of computer hardware that generates and outputs images to a display; a graphics card.
• In a Nutshell: 显卡 (xiǎnkǎ) is the modern Chinese word for the component in your computer that makes games, videos, and all other visuals appear on your screen. It's a direct and literal combination of “display” and “card,” making it an easy term to remember for anyone familiar with computer hardware.

• 显 (xiǎn): This character means “to show,” “to display,” or “to manifest.” Think of it as the action of making something visible.
• 卡 (kǎ): This is a phonetic loanword from the English word “card.” It's used in many modern terms like 信用卡 (xìnyòngkǎ - credit card) and 银行卡 (yínhángkǎ - bank card).

By combining these two, 显卡 (xiǎnkǎ) literally means a “display card,” which is a perfectly accurate description of its function.

While 显卡 (xiǎnkǎ) is a technical term, it holds significant weight in modern Chinese culture due to several key factors: 1. The World's Largest Gaming Market: China has hundreds of millions of video gamers. For them, the 显卡 is the heart of their gaming rig. Discussions on forums like Baidu Tieba (百度贴吧) and social media platform Weibo (微博) are filled with debates about the latest cards from Nvidia (英伟达 - Yīngwěidá) and AMD. The performance of one's 显卡 can even be a point of pride or “face” (`面子`). 2. Tech DIY and E-commerce: There's a huge “do-it-yourself” (DIY) PC building culture, known as 攒机 (cuánjī). Enthusiasts spend hours researching the best 显卡 for their budget on e-commerce giants like JD.com (京东) and Taobao (淘宝). The annual “Singles' Day” (双十一) shopping festival sees massive sales and promotions on these components. 3. Economic Indicator: In recent years, the price and availability of 显卡 became a hot topic due to global chip shortages and the boom in cryptocurrency mining (`挖矿 - wākuàng`). News about “GPU miners” buying up all the stock was widespread, making the 显卡 a symbol of global supply chain issues and speculative tech trends. Compared to the West, the conversation around 显卡 in China is similar but happens on a much larger scale. It's also tied into the national goal of technological self-sufficiency, with a growing interest in domestically produced graphics cards to compete with Western brands.

显卡 is a common, informal term used by everyone from casual computer users to hardcore tech enthusiasts.

• In Everyday Conversation: When buying a new computer or talking about its performance, 显卡 is one of the first specifications people mention, along with the CPU (`处理器`) and RAM (`内存`).
• On Social Media and Forums: Gamers will post their specs, asking for advice or showing off their powerful 显卡. You'll often see abbreviations like “3080显卡” or “4090显卡,” referring to specific Nvidia models.
• In E-commerce: When shopping online, searching for 显卡 will bring up thousands of listings. Product titles will detail the brand, model, and amount of video memory (e.g., “NVIDIA RTX 4070 12G 显卡”).

The term is neutral in connotation and is the standard way to refer to a graphics card in almost any context. The more formal, full term is 显示卡 (xiǎnshì kǎ), but it is rarely used in spoken language.

• Example 1:
  • 我的电脑太旧了，需要换个新显卡才能玩这个游戏。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ de diànnǎo tài jiù le, xūyào huàn ge xīn xiǎnkǎ cái néng wán zhège yóuxì.
  • English: My computer is too old; I need to get a new graphics card to play this game.
  • Analysis: A very common scenario for gamers. `换 (huàn)` means “to change” or “to replace.”
• Example 2:
  • 这张显卡的性能怎么样？
  • Pinyin: Zhè zhāng xiǎnkǎ de xìngnéng zěnmeyàng?
  • English: How is the performance of this graphics card?
  • Analysis: `张 (zhāng)` is the measure word for flat, card-like objects. `性能 (xìngnéng)` means “performance.” This is a key question when shopping for computer parts.
• Example 3:
  • 因为很多人用显卡挖矿，所以现在价格特别贵。
  • Pinyin: Yīnwèi hěn duō rén yòng xiǎnkǎ wākuàng, suǒyǐ xiànzài jiàgé tèbié guì.
  • English: Because many people use graphics cards for crypto mining, the prices are especially high right now.
  • Analysis: This sentence explains a major economic and cultural phenomenon of recent years. `挖矿 (wākuàng)` literally means “to dig a mine.”
• Example 4:
  • 你觉得英伟达的显卡好还是AMD的好？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ juéde Yīngwěidá de xiǎnkǎ hǎo háishì AMD de hǎo?
  • English: Do you think Nvidia's graphics cards are better, or AMD's?
  • Analysis: A classic tech debate. `英伟达 (Yīngwěidá)` is the official Chinese name for Nvidia. `还是 (háishì)` is used to form “or” questions.
• Example 5:
  • 我刚买了最新的4090显卡，玩游戏太爽了！
  • Pinyin: Wǒ gāng mǎi le zuìxīn de sì-líng-jiǔ-líng xiǎnkǎ, wán yóuxì tài shuǎng le!
  • English: I just bought the newest 4090 graphics card, playing games is so awesome!
  • Analysis: `爽 (shuǎng)` is a colloquial term for a feeling of being very satisfied, thrilled, or refreshed. It's perfectly suited for describing a great gaming experience.
• Example 6:
  • 这台笔记本电脑是集成显卡，不是独立显卡。
  • Pinyin: Zhè tái bǐjìběn diànnǎo shì jíchéng xiǎnkǎ, búshì dúlì xiǎnkǎ.
  • English: This laptop has an integrated graphics card, not a discrete graphics card.
  • Analysis: This shows more specific technical terms. `集成 (jíchéng)` means integrated, and `独立 (dúlì)` means independent or discrete.
• Example 7:
  • 安装好显卡之后，别忘了装驱动。
  • Pinyin: Ānzhuāng hǎo xiǎnkǎ zhīhòu, bié wàng le zhuāng qūdòng.
  • English: After you've installed the graphics card, don't forget to install the driver.
  • Analysis: A practical instruction. `驱动 (qūdòng)` means “driver” in a software context.
• Example 8:
  • 他的电脑配置很高，显卡是顶级的。
  • Pinyin: Tā de diànnǎo pèizhì hěn gāo, xiǎnkǎ shì dǐngjí de.
  • English: His computer's specs are very high-end; the graphics card is top-tier.
  • Analysis: `配置 (pèizhì)` means configuration/specs. `顶级 (dǐngjí)` means “top-level” or “top-tier.”
• Example 9:
  • 做人工智能开发需要非常强大的显卡。
  • Pinyin: Zuò réngōng zhìnéng kāifā xūyào fēicháng qiángdà de xiǎnkǎ.
  • English: Doing artificial intelligence development requires an extremely powerful graphics card.
  • Analysis: This highlights the use of GPUs beyond gaming. `人工智能 (réngōng zhìnéng)` is AI.
• Example 10:
  • 我在京东上抢到了一张打折的显卡。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zài Jīngdōng shàng qiǎng dào le yī zhāng dǎzhé de xiǎnkǎ.
  • English: I managed to snag a discounted graphics card on JD.com.
  • Analysis: `抢到 (qiǎng dào)` means to successfully snatch or grab something, implying it was in high demand or on a limited sale. `打折 (dǎzhé)` means discounted.

• 显卡 (xiǎnkǎ) vs. GPU: In casual conversation, Chinese speakers use 显卡 and “GPU” (often pronounced as the English letters) interchangeably, just like in English. Technically, the GPU (`图形处理器 - túxíng chǔlǐ qì`) is the main chip on the 显卡. For a beginner, thinking of them as the same thing is perfectly fine.
• 显卡 (xiǎnkǎ) vs. 显卡驱动 (xiǎnkǎ qūdòng): This is a common mistake. 显卡 is the physical hardware. 显卡驱动 (xiǎnkǎ qūdòng) is the “graphics driver,” the software that allows the operating system to communicate with the hardware. You install the `驱动` for your `显卡`.
• 显卡 (xiǎnkǎ) vs. 显示卡 (xiǎnshì kǎ): 显卡 is the shortened, universally common term. 显示卡 (xiǎnshì kǎ) is the full, more formal name but you will almost never hear it in spoken Chinese. Using 显卡 is always the correct choice for conversation.

• 电脑 (diànnǎo) - Computer. The device where a 显卡 is installed.
• 配置 (pèizhì) - Configuration / Specs. 显卡 is a key part of a computer's `配置`.
• 主板 (zhǔbǎn) - Motherboard. The main circuit board where the 显卡 is plugged in.
• 内存 (nèicún) - Memory / RAM. Another critical performance component, often discussed alongside the 显卡.
• 处理器 (chǔlǐqì) - Processor (CPU). The “brain” of the computer, works in tandem with the 显卡.
• 游戏 (yóuxì) - Game. The primary application that demands a powerful 显卡.
• 挖矿 (wākuàng) - (Crypto) Mining. An activity that drove 显卡 prices sky-high.
• 驱动 (qūdòng) - Driver. The software needed for the 显卡 to function properly.
• 帧率 (zhēnlǜ) - Frame rate. The measure of performance (like FPS) that a good 显卡 provides.