Extended Graphics Array

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What Does Extended Graphics Array Mean?

Extended Graphics Array (XGA) is a computer display standard that provides 1,024 by 768 pixels in 256 colors, or 640 by 480 pixels in 16-bit color. It is a proprietary standard that was originally intended to replace the earlier VGA (Video Graphics Array) display mode, but as it was quickly replaced by superior technology, it instead became simply known as part of the VGA family (with other formats like SVGA and UVGA).

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Techopedia Explains Extended Graphics Array

IBM developed VGA in 1987, and XGA followed in 1990. While VGA was limited to a standard resolution of 640 by 480 in 16 colors, XGA had the ability to increase color depth at that resolution to 16-bit, or to increase to a higher resolution of 1,024 by 768 in 256 colors. Although this was a drastic improvement in image quality, it was quickly superseded by a number of other display modes. Nevertheless, the format has evolved into newer standards such as Wide XGA (WXGA), which is used for modern low-end high definition displays.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.