Detailed graphics card specifications and reviews are great - that is, if you have the time to do the research. But at the end of the day, what a gamer needs is the best graphics card within a certain budget.

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 at Tom's Hardware Guide have come to your aid with a simple list of the best gaming cards offered for the money.

A few simple guidelines to keep in mind when reading this list include:

• This list is for gamers who want to get the most for their money. If you don't play games, the cards in this list are more expensive than you need;
• Prices and availability changes on a daily basis. We can't offer up-to-the-minute accurate pricing info., but we can list some good cards that you probably won't regret buying 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 retail, your mileage will most certainly 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.

January Review And February Updates

As the industry gears up for the introduction of the new DirectX 10 Radeon R600 and midrange GeForce 8x00 derivatives, no new cards have been introduced for the last couple months. Most of the action has taken place in the pricing category, presumably to make way for the upcoming cards.

The X1650 XT's have become cheap enough to truly be a competitor for the 7600 GT, so the $120 segment is a tie now. This is really great for the consumer as $120 gets you a really solid gaming card.

As for everything else, it's just gotten a bit cheaper. The Radeon X1950 PRO and GeForce 7900 GS have been priced a bit lower at $175, The X1950 XT is down a few dollars to $250. The GeForce 8800 series is notably cheaper with the 8800 GTS down to $400 and the top of the line GTX model at $550.

On the AGP side of things, it's a similar story, although prices haven't dropped as much. The major news is that the Radeon X1650 XT, GeForce 7600 GT and Radeon X1950 PRO are becoming much easier to find in the AGP flavor.

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

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