Enhanced Graphics Adapter

The Enhanced Display Adapter (EDA) was developed by IBM in 1984 for use with its (then) new PC-AT. EGA is a computer display standard which replaced the older IBM Color Graphics Adapter (CGA) standard. EGA offered a maximum resolution of 640x350 pixels, and could offer up to 16 colors in a display. The 16 colors could be picked out of a total of 64 palette colors. EGA also included full 16-color versions of the CGA 640x200 and 320x200 graphics modes, but EGA is not fully compatible with CGA.

An EGA card included a 16KB ROM to extend the system BIOS for additional graphics functions. EGA can drive an MDA monitor if the user sets the switched on the board. EGA sported 64KB of video memory (technically expandable then to 256KB) at first and used the PC ISA bus. It was available starting in 8-bit versions. EGA was eventually replaced by the VGA standard.