All Graphics Cards

The Bottom Line: 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: NVIDIA GeForce 7950 GT, 2048 x 1536 / 85 Hz, 512 MB, PC

The Bottom Line: 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

The Bottom Line: 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

The Bottom Line: 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

The Bottom Line: 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: ATI Radeon X1950 CrossFire, 2560 x 1600, 512 MB, PC, 2

The Bottom Line: 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

The Bottom Line: 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

The Bottom Line: 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: nVidia GeForce 7900 GTX, 2560 x 1600, 512 MB, PC, 2

The Bottom Line: 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.

The Bottom Line: The GeForce 7600 GT is a powerful, affordable 3D card. If you're looking for a stopgap graphics card to hold you over until Vista and Direct X 10, you won't be disappointed.

Specs: RAMDAC 400 MHz, 2560 x 1600, 256 MB / 256 MB (max), PC, Mac, Linux