THG Graphics Card Buyer's Guide

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Price Categories

Let's now take a look at the three main price categories. We begin with the cheapest cards, which are the entry-level or low-budget products. These fall either into the sub $100 category, or the price bracket between $100 and $150. The second category, usually called the "mainstream", begins at $150 and reaches up to the $300 mark. In this category, the largest selection of cards can be found between $150 and $250. Last, we have the enthusiast category which starts at around $300 and extends to $500 (and well beyond, in some cases.) This is where the latest top models from ATI and NVIDIA are to be found.

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Entry-Level
Price Range	Bus	Lowest Price	Model	Memory	Memory Bus	Shader Model	Pixel Pipes
<$99	AGP	$35	XGI Volari V3	64 MB	64 bit	1.3	2
Row 2 - Cell 0	Row 2 - Cell 1	$45	XGI Volari V3	128 MB	64 bit	1.3	2
Row 3 - Cell 0	Row 3 - Cell 1	$46	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200	128 MB	64 bit	2	4
Row 4 - Cell 0	Row 4 - Cell 1	$55	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 5 - Cell 0	Row 5 - Cell 1	$56	ATI Radeon 9550 SE	128 MB	64 bit	2	4
Row 6 - Cell 0	Row 6 - Cell 1	$60	ATI Radeon 9600 SE/LE	128 MB	64 bit	2	4
Row 7 - Cell 0	Row 7 - Cell 1	$63	Matrox Millennium G550	32 MB	64 bit	DX6	2
Row 8 - Cell 0	Row 8 - Cell 1	$64	ATI Radeon 9550	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 9 - Cell 0	Row 9 - Cell 1	$65	ATI Radeon 9600 SE/LE	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 10 - Cell 0	Row 10 - Cell 1	$70	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5500	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 11 - Cell 0	Row 11 - Cell 1	$79	ATI Radeon 9550	256 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 12 - Cell 0	Row 12 - Cell 1	$80	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5500	128 MB	64 bit	2	4
Row 13 - Cell 0	Row 13 - Cell 1	$80	ATI Radeon 9600	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 14 - Cell 0	Row 14 - Cell 1	$82	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200	256 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 15 - Cell 0	Row 15 - Cell 1	$92	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5500	256 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 16 - Cell 0	Row 16 - Cell 1	$95	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700 LE	256 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 17 - Cell 0	PCIe	$75	ATI Radeon X300 SE	128 MB	64 bit	2	4
Row 18 - Cell 0	Row 18 - Cell 1	$77	NVIDIA GeForce PCX 5300	128 MB	64 bit	DX7	2
$100 - $149	AGP	$100	ATI Radeon 9600	256 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 20 - Cell 0	Row 20 - Cell 1	$106	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 21 - Cell 0	Row 21 - Cell 1	$110	ATI Radeon 9600 Pro	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 22 - Cell 0	Row 22 - Cell 1	$130	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200U	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 23 - Cell 0	Row 23 - Cell 1	$125	ATI Radeon 9600 Pro	256 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 24 - Cell 0	Row 24 - Cell 1	$126	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700	256 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 25 - Cell 0	Row 25 - Cell 1	$131	ATI Radeon 9800 SE	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 26 - Cell 0	Row 26 - Cell 1	$140	ATI Radeon 9600 XT	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 27 - Cell 0	PCIe	$105	ATI Radeon X300	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 28 - Cell 0	Row 28 - Cell 1	$115	NVIDIA GeForce PCX 5750	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 29 - Cell 0	Row 29 - Cell 1	$135	NVIDIA GeForce 6600	128 MB	128 bit	3	8
Mainstream
Price Range	Bus	Lowest Price	Model	Memory	Memory	Shader Model	Pixel Pipes
$150-$199	AGP	$160	Matrox Millennium P650	64 MB	128 bit	1.3	2
Row 33 - Cell 0	Row 33 - Cell 1	$161	ATI Radeon 9600 XT	256 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 34 - Cell 0	Row 34 - Cell 1	$164	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5700 Ultra	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 35 - Cell 0	Row 35 - Cell 1	$175	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 SE/XT	128 MB	256 bit	2	8
Row 36 - Cell 0	Row 36 - Cell 1	$195	Matrox Millennium P750	64 MB	128 bit	1.3	2
Row 37 - Cell 0	PCIe	$150	ATI Radeon X600 Pro	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 38 - Cell 0	Row 38 - Cell 1	$170	NVIDIA GeForce 6600	256 MB	128 bit	3	8
Row 39 - Cell 0	Row 39 - Cell 1	$175	ATI Radeon X600 XT	128 MB	128 bit	2	4
Row 40 - Cell 0	Row 40 - Cell 1	$180	ATI Radeon X700 Pro	128 MB	128 bit	2	8
$200-$299	AGP	$200	ATI Radeon 9800 Pro	128 MB	256 bit	2	8
Row 42 - Cell 0	Row 42 - Cell 1	$215	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900	128 MB	256 bit	2	8
Row 43 - Cell 0	Row 43 - Cell 1	$250	ATI Radeon 9800 Pro	256 MB	256 bit	2	8
Row 44 - Cell 0	Row 44 - Cell 1	$270	NVIDIA GeForce 6800	128 MB	256 bit	3	12
Row 45 - Cell 0	Row 45 - Cell 1	$288	Matrox Parhelia 128	128 MB	256 bit	1.3	4
Row 46 - Cell 0	PCIe	$200	NVIDIA GeForce PCX 5900	128 MB	256 bit	2	8
Enthusiast
Price Range	Bus	Lowest Price	Model	Memory	Memory	Shader Model	Pixel Pipes
$300-$399	AGP	$303	ATI Radeon 9800XT	256 MB	256 bit	2	8
Row 50 - Cell 0	Row 50 - Cell 1	$350	NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT	256 MB	256 bit	3	16
Row 51 - Cell 0	Row 51 - Cell 1	$369	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5900 Ultra	256 MB	256 bit	2	8
Row 52 - Cell 0	Row 52 - Cell 1	$370	NVIDIA GeForce FX 5950 Ultra	256 MB	256 bit	2	8
Row 53 - Cell 0	Row 53 - Cell 1	$380	ATI Radeon X800 Pro	256 MB	256 bit	2	12
Row 54 - Cell 0	PCIe	-	-	Row 54 - Cell 4	Row 54 - Cell 5	Row 54 - Cell 6	Row 54 - Cell 7
$400-$499	AGP	$465	ATI Radeon X800 XT	256 MB	256 bit	2	16
Row 56 - Cell 0	PCIe	-	-	Row 56 - Cell 4	Row 56 - Cell 5	Row 56 - Cell 6	Row 56 - Cell 7
>$500	AGP	$525	NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra	256 MB	256 bit	3	16
Row 58 - Cell 0	Row 58 - Cell 1	$550	Matrox Parhelia 256	256 MB	256 bit	1.3	4
Row 59 - Cell 0	Row 59 - Cell 1	$680	ATI Radeon X800 XT PE	256 MB	256 bit	2	16
Row 60 - Cell 0	PCIe	$560	ATI Radeon X800 XT	256 MB	256 bit	2	16
Not Available Yet (in USA)
Price Range	Bus	Lowest Price	Model	Memory	Memory	Shader Model	Pixel Pipes
Row 63 - Cell 0	AGP	Row 63 - Cell 2	NVIDIA GeForce 6600	128 MB	128 bit	3	8
Row 64 - Cell 0	Row 64 - Cell 1	Row 64 - Cell 2	NVIDIA GeForce 6600	256 MB	128 bit	3	8
Row 65 - Cell 0	Row 65 - Cell 1	Row 65 - Cell 2	NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT	128 MB	128 bit	3	8
Row 66 - Cell 0	Row 66 - Cell 1	Row 66 - Cell 2	NVIDIA GeForce 6800 LE	128 MB	128 bit	3	8
Row 67 - Cell 0	Row 67 - Cell 1	Row 67 - Cell 2	S3 S8 Deltachrome	Row 67 - Cell 4	Row 67 - Cell 5	Row 67 - Cell 6	Row 67 - Cell 7
Row 68 - Cell 0	Row 68 - Cell 1	Row 68 - Cell 2	XGI Volari V5 Series	Row 68 - Cell 4	Row 68 - Cell 5	Row 68 - Cell 6	Row 68 - Cell 7
Row 69 - Cell 0	Row 69 - Cell 1	Row 69 - Cell 2	XGI Volari V8 Series	Row 69 - Cell 4	Row 69 - Cell 5	Row 69 - Cell 6	Row 69 - Cell 7
Row 70 - Cell 0	PCIe	Row 70 - Cell 2	NVIDIA GeForce 6800U	256 MB	256 bit	3	16
Row 71 - Cell 0	Row 71 - Cell 1	Row 71 - Cell 2	NVIDIA GeForce 6800GT	256 MB	256 bit	3	16
Row 72 - Cell 0	Row 72 - Cell 1	Row 72 - Cell 2	NVIDIA GeForce 6800	128 MB	256 bit	3	12
Row 73 - Cell 0	Row 73 - Cell 1	Row 73 - Cell 2	NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT	128 MB	128 bit	3	8
Row 74 - Cell 0	Row 74 - Cell 1	Row 74 - Cell 2	NVIDIA GeForce 6200	128 MB	128 bit	3	4
Row 75 - Cell 0	Row 75 - Cell 1	Row 75 - Cell 2	ATI Radeon X700 Pro	256 MB	128 bit	2	8
Row 76 - Cell 0	Row 76 - Cell 1	Row 76 - Cell 2	ATI Radeon X700 XT	128 MB	128 bit	2	8
Row 77 - Cell 0	Row 77 - Cell 1	Row 77 - Cell 2	ATI Radeon X800 Pro	256 MB	256 bit	2	12
Row 78 - Cell 0	Row 78 - Cell 1	Row 78 - Cell 2	ATI Radeon X800 XT PE	256 MB	256 bit	2	16