SVGA (Super Video Graphics Array), introduced c. 1990, is not a firmly outlined
standard. The features of each SVGA board are decided only by the manufacturer.
However, all video cards bearing the SVGA label have two things in common:
- They must have full VGA support.
- They must support screen modes beyond those in the VGA standard, i.e. above 640x480x16.
Since there is no standard
defining what an SVGA card must include,
drivers must be loaded to enable the card to function at screen modes not included in the VGA standard. In the beginning, the only option for was to use
proprietary drivers, but an effort has been made to provide a standard,
universal driver, called
VBE, the
VESA Bios Extension. Most modern video cards support VBE, which is now in version 3.0, eliminating the need to load specific drivers for SVGA screen modes. However, to get the full
performance out of a card, it is often better to use the most recent version of the manufacturer's drivers.
SVGA cards connect to a monitor through a 15-pin D-type connector. The
pinout is the same as a standard
VGA card, but is listed here as well, in the interest of
completeness.
1 Red
1 5 2 Green
____________ 3 Blue
/ o o o o o \ 4 Gnd
\ o o o o o / 5 Gnd
\o o o o o / 6 Red Gnd
---------- 7 Green Gnd
11 15 8 Blue Gnd
9 Not used
10 Gnd
11 Gnd
12 Not used
13 Horizontal sync
14 Vertical sync
15 Not used