GeForce 7600 GS

Codename: G73, 90-nanometer technology 12 Pixel Shaders, five Vertex Shaders, 12 Texture Units, eight Raster Operator Units 128 bit memory bus 400-Mhz core, 400-Mhz DDR (800 Mhz Effective) Memory

With identical features compared to its faster 7600 GT brethren, the 7600 GS lacks only the core and memory clockspeeds - however, the GT's clockspeeds are so much higher that the GS pales in comparison. Nevertheless, the 7600 GS is a good performer in the sub $100 segment vs. the X800 GTO.

Best PCI Express Card For ~$130

GeForce 7600 GT

Codename: G73, 90-nanometer technology 12 Pixel shaders, five Vertex shaders, 12 Texture units, eight Raster operations processors 128-bit memory bus 560 MHz core, 700 MHz DDR (1400 MHz Effective) Memory

The 7600 GT is an amazing card in this price range, sporting new SM 3.0 technology and very high clock speeds to deliver excellent performance. Its weakest feature is its 128-bit memory bus, but its high-memory speeds offset that disadvantage and make it competitive with 256-bit cards like the X850 XT. ATI's new X1650 XT is competitive, but more expensive, leaving the 7600 GT to keep its top spot in this segment.

Best PCI Express Card For ~$180

GeForce 7900 GS

Codename: G71, 90-nanometer technology 20 Pixel Shaders, seven Vertex Shaders, 20 Texture Units, 16 Raster Operator Units 256-bit memory bus 450-Mhz core, 660-Mhz DDR (1320 Mhz Effective) Memory

Essentially the card is an overclocked 7800 GT, sporting a 256-bit memory bus and decent clockspeeds; it's a very good performer and a solid card for the money. While the X1950 PRO is a stronger performer, it's also a bit more expensive around the $220 mark. The 7900 GS also has a good overclocking reputation.

Best PCI Express Card For ~$270

Radeon X1950 XT

Codename: R580+, 90-nanometer technology 48 Pixel shaders, Eight Vertex shaders, 16 Texture units, 16 Raster operations processors 256-bit external memory bus (512-bit internal ring bus) 625 MHz core, 900 MHz DDR (1800 MHz effective) Memory

The X1950 XT is an amazing deal at a $270 price point. Its core runs a mere 25 MHz slower than that of the X1950 XTX, and its memory runs a full 250-Mhz (effective) faster than the X1900 XTX. Translated into plain English, this is a blazing fast card - faster than the previous X1900 XTX champ, and fast enough to run at high resolutions with nice eye candy. The GeForce 7900 GTO is a nice card, but the X1950 XT's much higher memory speed ( 480 MHz effective faster than the GTO) pulls it ahead. You simply can't buy anything better at this price.

Best PCI Express Solution For ~$340: Dual GPU Solutions

Radeon X1950 PRO Crossfire / GeForce 7900 GS SLI

It is with some hesitancy that I recommend dual-card setups in this price segment. The biggest factor is that in most situations the ~$250 X1950 XT will perform just as well as a pair of cheaper cards, but for less money and hassle. Dual-card setups introduce a lot of unpleasant factors that the user has to think about: they run two times hotter, consume twice as much power, offer inconsistent performance compared to a single card and may not work with dual displays. More expensive motherboards and power supplies have to be purchased. The list goes on. But if the user knows what they're getting, it might be right for them. Two X1950 PROs or 7900 GS' can perform as well as a single $400 card in many cases, sometimes even better. Fans of either the ATI or Nvidia camps can be happy knowing that two X1950 PROs in Crossfire mode offer almost identical performance to two 7900 GS' in SLI mode. Keep in mind that a single X1950 XT will perform just as well in many situations for less money and far fewer headaches. But if you need the highest resolutions and AA for your buck, dual-GPU might be for you. Just be sure to read the fine print.