256 limit

My video card only goes to 256 colors,Can
updating the drivers help or is it time for
a new video card?Does more colors make the
images more shaper?Which is best high 16 or
high 24?What do i need to look for if buying
a new video card?nullnull

What make/model is your video and what version of Windows are you running?

If your video card itself only goes up to 256 colours, then it will have to be replaced. As Sowulo asked, what make and model is it? It's determined by the DAC (Digital to Analogue Converter) chip on the card, an 8 bit DAC can only display 256 colours simultaneously on screen (but there's 262,000 to choose from).

Hi-colour 15 or 16 bit can display 32,000 or 64,000 colours respectively, but that's all there is, so this is not so useful. You really need 24 bit (16.7 million colour) to give full representation of colours, hence the True-colour name. More current cards have 32 bit capability, too.

The colour depth will not affect the sharpness of the image, but 16 or 24 bit images will often look strange in 256 colours, with speckles, blotches and wrong colours.

If your current card has an 8 bit DAC, or if it has more but there are no updated drivers available for it, you will have to replace it. If so the most important thing to find out is what card slots your motherboard has. Not much except AGP cards are produced now, so if there is no AGP slot your choice will be limited. If the system is old enough to have a 256 colour video card, you may be limited to PCI slots, so will have to find one of the few PCI cards made. Don't get one that uses a SIS chipset (poor performance & reports of compatability problems).

It could be that you just need to install your video cards specific drivers. More than likely in the Display properties it says VGA adapter.