svga

SVGA, or Super Video Graphics Array, is a historic marketing designation used to describe display adapters and video modes that extended IBM’s original VGA capabilities. Introduced in the late 1980s and popular through the 1990s, SVGA referred to higher resolutions and, in some cases, greater color depth than VGA. Unlike VGA, SVGA does not denote a single formal standard; manufacturers implemented a variety of resolutions and color qualifications under the same umbrella.

Common SVGA configurations included 800 by 600 pixels as the most widely used resolution, with color depths ranging from 256 colors to 65,536 colors (16-bit color), and, on higher-end cards, broader palettes. Because higher resolutions require more video memory, SVGA adapters typically used 1 to 4 MB of VRAM to support these modes. The result was a broader range of display options than VGA offered, enabling clearer images and more detailed graphics.

Standardization within the SVGA era came primarily through efforts by VESA (Video Electronics Standards Association), which defined timing specifications and a family of SVGA modes to promote cross-vendor compatibility. However, not all hardware adhered strictly to a single set of definitions, and many cards retained proprietary extensions.

Today, SVGA is largely of historical interest. It marks an intermediary step between VGA and later standardized graphics ecosystems such as XGA and beyond. The term is still encountered in historical discussions of PC graphics hardware and in references to era-specific graphics cards and monitors.