Laptops use graphics chips that are soldered onto the motherboard. Because of space constraints in portable computers, this is the only practical design. Since the graphics chip is built in to the computer, it cannot be upgraded. This is one advantage of desktop computers, which typically use PCI or AGP slots that accept video card upgrades. While graphics chips in laptops may not be quite as high-performance as the video cards in desktop models, companies such as ATI and Nvidia have developed portable graphics chips that deliver impressive 2D and 3D performance.

Typically, you can only hook up one monitor to a laptop, and it has to have a VGA port in the back.

The PCMCIA slot is what most laptops use. It's the opening in the side of the laptop where a little card fits into. Most laptops have two PCMCIA expansion slots and they are typically used for connecting modems, network cards, or video acceleration/video support cards.