The Best Gaming Graphics Cards for the Money: October 2006

Graphics card specifications and reviews that really get into the nitty-gritty are great - that is, if you have the time to digest everything. At the end of the day, all a gamer really needs to know is what is the best graphics card for the money.

So if you don't have the time to research the benchmarks, or if you don't feel confident enough in your ability to make the right decision, fear not. We offer a simple list of the best gaming cards on offer for the money.

Keep a few simple guidelines in mind when reading this list:

• This list is for gamers who want to get the most for their money. If you don't play games but surf the Internet and edit video, the cards in this list are probably too expensive. On the other hand, if you're a professional full-time 3D designer, you should look at Quadros and FireGLs, not gaming cards:
• Prices change and deals come and go on a daily basis. We can't offer up-to-the-minute pricing information, but what we can do is list some solid cards that you probably won't regret buying - if you can find them at the price ranges we suggest;
• The list is based on some of the best U.S. prices from online retailers. In other countries, or in retail stores, your mileage is most certainly going to vary;
• These are new card prices. No used or open box cards are in the list; they might be a good deal but it's out of the scope of what we're trying to do.

So if you're a gamer who's not excited about putting in the research to discover which card is best for you, then sit back, cross reference the amount of money you have to spend with your graphics card slot (AGP or PCI express) and walk away with the confidence that you're not going to buy The Wrong Thing.

Note the two sections: one for PCI-Express, and the second for the AGP bus. Now go forth, and make the most out of your gaming dollar!

Check the The Best Gaming Graphics Cards for the Money Series Overview for more articles in this series.

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