An Accelerated Graphics Port speeds up data transfer between a video card and Random Access Memory (RAM) when compared to standard graphics displays. In general, PCI makes the video card (or port) run at the same speed as other components in a computer system (such as the audio card, or the hard drive, for example). However, the AGP runs on a separate bus, so there is no superfluous data being transmitted to or from the video card. Similarly, AGP 2X, AGP 4X, and more generally, AGP “N”X provide a separate bus, at 2 or 4 or “N” times the speed of other computer system components. Thus, for example, the standard known as AGP 4X, has a 133 MHz bus (4×33 MHz) and provides state-of-the-art graphics for games, art, and image intense programs. However, there are limitations that prevent the advantages of higher-performance AGPs (high-AGP) from being realized on a laptop computer (or “laptop”).
One obstacle to providing high-performance AGP to a laptop is that personal computer (PC) design guidelines require an AGP chip for the laptop, but allow for only one AGP chip at a time in a computer system. This means that a low power/low performance AGP chip is built into the laptop, and this precludes an additional AGP chip (a higher-performance AGP) from being remotely added to the laptop to improve AGP performance.
The electronics that support powerful graphics processing generate too much heat to place high-performance AGP in a laptop. In addition, a powerful graphics processing requires significant amounts of power. Accordingly, even if heat constraints were ignored and a high-AGP were used in a laptop, the laptop's battery would discharge very quickly. Thus, computer users who prefer laptops because of the portability and space advantages offered by laptops do not get to enjoy the advanced 3D graphics provided by high-performance AGPs. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide devices and methods for providing high-performance AGP quality graphics to laptop computers.