Radeon X1950 PRO
Codename: RV570, 90-nm technology
36 pixel shaders, eight vertex shaders, 12 Texture units, 12 raster operations
256-bit external memory bus (512-bit internal ring bus)
575 MHz core, 690 MHz DDR (1380 MHz effective) memory

The X1950 PRO is similar to the X1900 GT, the main difference being that it is not based on the X1900 XT, but a whole new and less power-hungry core. The card's main competition is the 7900 GS, which the X1950 PRO will beat in most benchmarks at stock speeds. However, the 7900 GS tends to be cheaper, and the X1950 PRO does not overclock well, so they are both good buys depending on what you plan to use them for.

GeForce 7900 GS
codename: G71, 90-nm 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 clock speeds, 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. The 7900 GS also has a good overclocking reputation, while the X1950 PRO does not.

Best PCI-E Card For ~$200

None

I had a hard time with this segment, because the GeForce 7900 GT can be had for about $200 now, and the 7950 GT can be bought for as low as $215.

These are both good cards, and both are better than the Radeon X1950 PRO and GeForce 7900 GS. So why didn't I recommend them?

I hesitate to recommend the GeForce 7900 GT because Radeon X1950 PRO and GeForce 7900 GS performance is very good and fairly close for a price tag that is at least $25 cheaper.

On the other hand, the GeForce 7950 GT is hard to recommend at $215 - $240 when the Radeon X1950 XT's price is down to $250 and it is so much more powerful.

Still, a buyer should keep an eye on these GeForces in February. With rebates bringing them down below $200, there are some really worthwhile 7950 GT deals out there. I don't usually consider rebates when compiling this list, but in this case it's definitely appealing.