Laajennukortit

Laajennukortit, meaning "expansion cards" in Finnish, refers to hardware components that are plugged into a computer's motherboard to add functionality or upgrade existing capabilities. These cards connect to the motherboard via expansion slots, such as PCI, PCIe, or older ISA slots.

Common types of expansion cards include graphics cards (also known as video cards or GPUs) for enhanced visual processing, sound cards for improved audio input and output, network interface cards (NICs) for connecting to networks, and storage controllers for managing hard drives or SSDs. Other less common but still relevant expansion cards can provide additional USB ports, Wi-Fi connectivity, or specialized input/output capabilities.

The purpose of expansion cards is to allow users to customize and upgrade their computer systems beyond the integrated features provided by the motherboard. This modular approach offers flexibility, enabling users to select specific components that meet their performance needs or add features that are not natively supported. For instance, a user requiring high-end gaming performance would install a powerful graphics card, while a professional audio engineer might add a dedicated sound card. The development of standardized expansion slot technologies has ensured compatibility and ease of installation for a wide range of expansion cards across different computer architectures.