Graphics Cards

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Reviewed on 10/19/2006
ATI Radeon X1950 Pro If you're looking for a gaming card to run Vista and play most games, ATI's Radeon X1950 Pro will get you there, but not perfectly, and its real-world pricing is higher than we'd like. We're more interested to see ATI's next-gen cards use the newly refined CrossFire dual-card technology, debuted here, but that will have to wait. Specs: 256 MB GDDR3 SDRAM, 1 ATI Radeon X1950 Pro, PC, 2560 x 1600:, 2
$261 - $320 at 12 stores Check prices

Reviewed on 10/03/2006
Nvidia GeForce 7950 GT It can't hang with ATI's faster (and wider) Radeon X1900 XT in performance, but if you're building a small PC or you're concerned about noise levels, the GeForce 7950 distinguishes itself as the only single-slot 3D card in its price range. If efficiency is more important than speed, Nvidia makes it easy. Specs: 512 MB GDDR3 SDRAM, NVIDIA GeForce 7950 GT, PC, 2048 x 1536:85 Hz�ւ��
Click here for a list of 3D cards with this chip from Nvidia's partners.

Reviewed on 09/28/2006
ATI Radeon X1650 Pro We don't recommend paying even $125 for this new budget 3D card from ATI, but assuming you can find it for $100 or less, the Radeon X1650 Pro will meet your Windows Vista and basic gaming needs without overheating your PC or your wallet. Specs: PC

Reviewed on 09/25/2006
PNY Verto GeForce 7900 GS Featuring Nvidia's latest midrange GPU, the $200 PNY Verto GeForce 7900 GS offers a strong bang for the buck compared to its ATI rival. We recommend it if you are looking to play 3D games on an LCD monitor, aren't too concerned about sky-high frame rates, and won't be bothered if a next-gen replacement emerges in the coming months. Specs: 256 MB GDDR3 SDRAM, NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS, PC, 2560 x 1600:
$194 - $229 at 10 stores Check prices

Reviewed on 09/07/2006
ATI Radeon X1300 XT ATI's Radeon lineup features a confusing array of cards. The budget Radeon X1300 XT is a good card for the money, but we recommend the faster Radeon X1650 Pro because it costs only $10 more. Specs: PC

Reviewed on 08/23/2006
ATI Radeon X1950 XTX (512MB) ATI's Radeon X1950 XTX is the fastest single-chip 3D card that you can buy. Unfortunately, with Windows Vista and its accompanying gaming technology, it's going to become obsolete in just five months. ATI adjusted the price of the Radeon X1950 XTX accordingly, but at $450, it's still not an insignificant purchase. We recommend it only if money is no object. Specs: 512 MB, ATI RADEON, NVidia Quadro, ATI Radeon, NVIDIA Quadro, ATI Radeon X1950 CrossFire, ATI Radeon X1950 XTX, PC
$434 - $503 at 22 stores Check prices

Reviewed on 06/07/2006
ATI Theater 650 Pro Though it improves upon the category leader, with CableCard's technology for PCs on the horizon, ATI's latest TV tuner chip, the Theater 650 Pro, is only a stopgap solution for those looking to add TV to their PC. Specs: PC

Reviewed on 06/05/2006
Nvidia GeForce 7950 GX2 Nvidia's GeForce 7950 GX2 should have been an Editors' Choice contender. It brings two graphics processors to a single slot, costs half as much as similarly fast setups, and lays the groundwork for do-it-yourself Quad SLI. But the gap between this chip generation and the next is too close, so we recommend you pass on the 7950 GX2. Specs: PC
Click here for a list of 3D cards with this chip from Nvidia's partners.

Reviewed on 05/16/2006
PNY Verto GeForce 7900 GTX Limited Edition (512MB) PNY's highest-end 3D card is overclocked and comes with a few helpful accessories. We just wish that it included a game or two, as a $500 graphics card isn't very useful if you don't have anything to play with it. Specs: 512 MB GDDR3 SDRAM, nVidia GeForce 7900 GTX, PC, 2560 x 1600:, 2

Reviewed on 05/05/2006
ATI Radeon X1800 GTO Its sub-$300 price makes the Radeon X1800 GTO tempting, but its performance isn't compelling enough, and upgrading to two cards is expensive and inefficient, thanks to ATI's clunky CrossFire technology.

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