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.

In the following overview, we have also listed cards from older generations that are still available in the market. The prices quoted here are current as of mid October 2004; we take no guarantee for the correctness of this information.

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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

Note that in some cases it is rather difficult to determine which models actually exist in the market and what specifications they use. The low-cost sector, especially, is flooded with a multitude of different configurations for the same basic chip. A good starting place to get an overview is Gigabyte's product page .