Question:
Remarkable variety of graphics cards
There are a remarkable variety of graphics cards on the market aimed at gamers. While the very latest technology is always expensive, there are also solutions for those who don't have hundreds of dollars to spend. These video cards were selected because they are good values in their class, and they are ordered roughly from fastest (most expensive) to slowest (most affordable). I can't include every quality card, but I do update the list when I can, so your suggestions are welcome.
1) nVidia GeForce 7950 GX2
If hefty price tags aren't a problem, the Geforce 7950 GX2 packs two 7900 GPUs onto a single card, giving you the performance of a dual card system. Although you won't see a lot of benefit from this right now unless you're running games at high resolutions (1600x1200 or greater), they do go nicely with a 24 inch monitor. For extreme overkill, you can have quad graphics processors by placing two GX2 cards in one system!
2) ATI Radeon X1900 XT
ATI's X1900 cards, which so far come in GT, XT, XTX, and Crossfire versions, are at the top of ATI's current product line for gamers. The performance is very similar to that of GeForce 7 cards. The XTX with 512 MB of memory and 48 shader units is the most powerful of the X1900 cards, followed by the 256 MB XT, which is at a particularly attractive price point right now.
3) nVidia GeForce 7900 GTX
The GeForce 7900 is nVidia's premium chipset for gamers, and has several improvements over the 7800. As well as better performance, it's smaller, has fewer transistors, and generates less heat. Subsequently, it should cost less to manufacture cards using the 7900 than the 7800 in the long run. To be sure, the 7900 GTX is a force to be reckoned with and keeps up to the Radeon X1900 XTX on most benchmarks.
4) ATI Radeon X1900 GT
The Radeon X1900 GT is step down from the XT, and while the XT is probably a better value overall, the GT will save you a few bucks. It has 36 pixel shaders rather than the 48 on the XT, and it runs at slightly slower clock speeds, but it still provides excellent game performance for around $200.
5) nVidia GeForce 7600 GT
Aimed at mainstream gamers rather than the high-end of the market, the GeForce 7600 is based on nVidia's new 90-nm G73 graphics core. Although it has half as many pixel shaders as the 7900, it offers performance very close to Radeon X1800 cards on some game benchmarks. Because the new core is more economical to make, 7600 cards are definitely among the best values on the market at the moment.
6) ATI Radeon X850 XT
A slightly older chipset from ATI that continues to perform well is the X850, which is available in Pro, XT, and XT Platinum Edition (PE) versions. The X850 XT features 256-bit DDR3 memory and they can be found for AGP motherboards. It's a solid choice for a relatively affordable upgrade if Shader Model 3.0 support isn't important to you.
7) nVidia GeForce 6800 GT
nVidia's GeForce 6800 series represented the largest leap in game card performance to come along in years. They support DirectX 9.0c and Shader Model 3.0 and are available for both AGP and PCI Express. Note that the 6800 Ultra wants two auxiliary power connectors, so you might want to go with the 6800 GT, which only needs one. A good card that should get more affordable now that Geforce 7 cards are out.
8) nVidia GeForce 6600 GT
Although very similar to the 6800 cards, including DirectX 9.0c and Shader Model 3.0 support, nVidia has made some changes to make the 6600 series more affordable. They have fewer pixel pipelines, fewer pixel shader units, and the memory bus has been reduced to 128-bit from 256-bit, but they still offer adequate game performance. AGP versions of this card are also available, and recent price drops have made the 6600 GT very appealing if you don't have much to spend.
9) ATI Radeon X1600 XT
The Radeon X1600 is a mid-range chipset from ATI aimed at those seeking something easier on the wallet than the X1800 and X1900, but better performing than the X1300. It is very comparable in both speed and price to the GeForce 6600. Although the X800 is a little faster in some cases, you may want to go with an X1600 because it has Shader Model 3.0 support, which the earlier X800 and X850s do not have.
10) nVidia GeForce 7300 GT
Gamers on a tight budget should definitely consider the GeForce 7300 GT. While it won't perform as well as most of the other cards on this list, it's powerful enough to run the latest games at moderate settings, and they can be found for less than $100. They've recently introduced models with DDR3 RAM, which is something worth looking for.
By- Dave Spohn,
Answer:
Re: Remarkable variety of graphics cards
i think your guide is all good n stuff but i do not think the 7950 gx2 should be included
there are better cards then that (8800 series) and running 7950 gx2 in sli gives almost no benefit and may actually hamper performance in some game
many games are not programed efficiently to take advantage of 7950 gx2 in sli. if you want more info, check out anandtech.com
also, i would not recommend the x1600 at all, they are horrible, should instead go with the x1650, which is greatly improved but for best bang for buck, i think that 7600 is a great choice. very rarely is the x800 or x850 slower then x1600
EDIT: you should also include an 7900gs, at under $180 it is imo, one of the best bang for the buck
Answer:
Re: Remarkable variety of graphics cards
Don't forget the ATI X1950. The pro version comes with the same price tag as the 7900GS and it performs better. You might as well put up the X1300 as well seeing that you've included the 7300.
Answer:
Re: Remarkable variety of graphics cards
Don't forget the ATI X1950. The pro version comes with the same price tag as the 7900GS and it performs better. You might as well put up the X1300 as well seeing that you've included the 7300.
The X1300 is really a pretty lousy part, though.
The 7300GT is included because it:
a. Doesn't use TurboCache.
b. Has a 128-bit memory bus.
c. Has eight pixel pipelines.
The 7300GT is basically just an underclocked Go 7600, and is a very impressive performer for its price range.