Graphics Cards

Diamond Viper Radeon HD 4850
AMD's new ATI Radeon HD 4850 is a solid midrange 3D card that will run pretty much anything, and it boasts some forward-looking features to boot. It might be worth waiting for the price to drop just a bit, at which point this card will become much more attractive.
Specs: ATI Radeon HD 4850, 2560 x 1600, 512 MB, PC, 2

Asus EN9600 GT
Nvidia's new GeForce 9600 GT graphics chip gives the Asus EN9600 GT some of the best bang-for-the-buck we've seen in a midrange 3D card. If your goal is reliable frame rates in the latest PC games, you should pick this card up as soon as you can.
Specs: NVIDIA GeForce 9600 GT, 2560 x 1600, 512 MB, PC, 2

ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT
If you're looking to build a home theater PC, we recommend ATI's Radeon HD 2600 XT as the midrange card to use, thanks to its nearly perfect HD video image and its no-fuss installation. But for 3D gaming, you'd be much better off looking for a good deal on a faster, older graphics card.

ATI Radeon HD 2400 Pro (PCI-e, 128MB)
Specs: ATI Radeon HD 2400PRO, 2048 x 1536, 128 MB, PC, 2

EVGA e-GeForce 8600 GTS (PCI-e, 256MB)
If you care more about HD movie watching than gaming and you need a new video card for the task today, we recommend a 3D card like this EVGA with Nvidia's newest mainstream graphics chip. Gamers can get more performance value from Nvidia's higher-end 8800 cards, but for anyone, it would be a good idea to wait to see what's new from ATI in just a few short weeks.

Asus EN8800GT
Asus and Nvidia have teamed up for a compelling midrange 3D graphics card with this EN8800 GT. It doesn't completely dominate a less expensive card from ATI like we'd hoped, so players of certain games should stay away. But if you can find this card for a good price, we recommend it, especially if you intend to use two of them.
Specs: NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GT, 2560 x 1600, 512 MB, PC, 2

Asus EN9800GX2
Nvidia's new flagship 3D card delivers almost all the performance we expect for its price. If you can live with "almost," at this price range, then this is a solid PC gaming option. We also wouldn't blame you Crysis fans for waiting to see what's in store later this year.

ATI Radeon X800 Pro
If you can live a few frames per second behind those with the highest-end graphics cards, the ATI Radeon X800 Pro saves you $100 and still smokes most of the competition.
Specs: ATI Radeon X800 Pro, 2048 x 1536 / 85 Hz, 256 MB, PC, 2

ATI Radeon X1650 Pro (dual link)
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: ATI Radeon X1650 Pro, 512 MB, PC, 2

ATI Radeon HD2400 Pro (PCI-e, 256MB)
Specs: ATI Radeon HD 2400PRO, 2560 x 1600, 256 MB, PC, 2

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: NVIDIA GeForce 7900 GS, 2560 x 1600, 256 MB, PC

XFX GeForce 8600 GT (PCI-e, 512MB)
Specs: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT, 2560 x 1600, 512 MB, PC, 2

PNY Verto GeForce 8500 GT - graphics adapter - GF 8500 GT - 512 MB
Specs: NVIDIA GeForce 8500 GT, 2560 x 1600, 512 MB, PC, 2

ATI Radeon X1600 Pro (512MB, AGP)
Specs: ATI Radeon X1600 Pro, 512 MB / 512 MB (max), PC, 2

NVIDIA GeForce 8400GS - graphics adapter - GF 8400 GS - 256 MB
Specs: NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS, 2048 x 1536, 256 MB, PC

Matrox Millennium G550 (AGP 4x, 32 MB)
Dedicated 3D gamers need not bother, but home or business users will appreciate the solid 2D performance and a new approach to face-to-face communication over the Internet.
Specs: Matrox MGA G550, 2048 x 1536, 32 MB / 32 MB (max), PC, 2

ATI Radeon 9550 (AGP 8x, 256MB)
Specs: ATI Radeon 9550, 256 MB, PC, 2

PNY NVIDIA Quadro FX 1700 - graphics adapter - Quadro FX 1700 - 512 MB
Specs: NVIDIA Quadro FX 1700, 2560 x 1600 / 60 Hz, 512 MB, PC, 2

XFX GeForce 6200A (AGP 8x, 256MB)
Specs: NVIDIA GeForce 6200A, 2048 x 1536, 256 MB, PC, 2

VisionTek Radeon HD 2600 Pro (PCI-e, 512MB)
Specs: ATI Radeon HD 2600PRO, 512 MB, PC, 2

ATI Radeon HD2600 Pro (PCI-e, 256MB)
Specs: ATI Radeon HD 2600PRO, 2560 x 1600, 256 MB, PC, 2

eVGA GeForce 8400 GS (PCI-e, 512MB)
Specs: NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS, 2048 x 1536, 512 MB, PC, 2

EVGA e-GeForce FX 5200 (AGP 8x, 128MB)
Specs: NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200, 2048 x 1536 / 75 Hz, 128 MB, PC

Asus GeForce 8600M GT (PCI-e, 512MB)
Specs: NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT, 512 MB, PC

XFX GeForce 8600 GT (256MB)
Specs: NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GT, 2560 x 1600, 256 MB, PC, 2