Best PCI-E Card For ~$140: Tie

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.

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

The X1950 XT is a powerful graphics card. 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. In English, it is on par with the previous X1900 XTX champ, and fast enough to run at high resolutions with nice eye candy. It will handily beat a 7950 GT, and even best a 7900 GTO or 7900 GTX at most things.

The X1950 XT is an incredible deal at the $200 price point and I've seen it go for as low as $180 on Newegg. Many are $250 or higher though, and at that price it begins to tread too closely to the 8800 GTS, which is more powerful.