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Video CardsYou are here: Computers >> Video CardsUpdated November 2007Installation considerations: Buy a card that fitsInstalling a video card is very similar to changing a light bulb in an overhead fixture. You can do it yourself, as long as you get the right version and your computer has a place for it (not all computers do). Contemporary graphics cards are made to fit into PCI-Express (PCI-E for short) slots. Manufacturers often offer the same cards for AGP slots, which is an older standard. AGP cards are no longer reviewed, but if you're replacing a dead AGP card, that's your only option. However, if your computer is old enough that you still have an AGP slot, experts say that buying a high-end AGP card makes no sense, because its benefits would be limited by the rest of an older system. A new computer would make more sense. If your computer has integrated video, its motherboard may or may not have a PCI-E or AGP upgrade slot. You must find out before you consider adding a card. Ultra-compact cases (such as slimlines or all-in-ones) rarely have the physical space to accommodate a video card. They also lack sufficient interior space to dissipate the heat generated by high-end gaming. If you're in the market for a high-end gaming card, you need a big case. Many high-end cards are oversized. If the case doesn't have enough interior breathing room, fitting the card can amount to trying to put a large rectangular peg into a small rectangular peg hole. Some high-end motherboards have slots for two video cards. They are engineered for either SLI (Nvidia) or Crossfire (ATI). If you want two video cards for a money-is-no-object gaming experience, look for graphics cards that are compatible with one of those technologies. Nvidia vs. ATI video card hardwareCurrently, ATI lags well behind Nvidia in the fastest-GPU race. A GPU is a graphics processor unit. It is the video-card equivalent of a CPU (central processing unit). A GPU makes all the rapid calculations necessary to display moving 2D and 3D images. Current clock speeds range from 240 MHz to 675 MHz. Faster video cards keep up with the speed in action games and smoothly display any moving images on your computer. A video card's dedicated memory (RAM) ranges from 128 MB to 1 GB. Video cards have many other specifications discussed in sometimes excruciating detail in reviews, but you do not need to understand all of them to choose the best video card for your system and your needs. We'll talk about the important ones as we go along, but if you want to learn more, see the Best Research section below or read the buying guides on websites listed in the All Reviews section. All current video cards are compatible with Microsoft DirectX 9. Many cards are not compatible with DirectX 10, which is part of Windows Vista, and a free download for licensed XP owners. Microsoft describes DirectX as "the core Windows technology that drives high-speed multimedia and games on the PC." Reviewers say that DirectX 10 games are trickling to market. So, if you expect to buy a new video card every year or two, DirectX 10 compatibility doesn't matter much. If you want a card that will be able to run all the new games you buy during the life of your computer, it is an essential buying consideration. Jason Cross of ExtremeTech.com observes, "No matter how fast the card you buy today is, at some point down the line, it's not going to be fast enough, or have all the new whiz-bang features you want. The real question then is: How much disposable income do you have, and what are your needs?" Nvidia graphics cards dominate in reviews, particularly among the most cutting edge video cards. ATI cards can be competitive in the mid and lower price ranges. Reviewers often find that they are better for playing one or two games, but comparably priced Nvidia cards are better for all other games. Where ATI may have a market niche is in cards oriented to video -- displaying movies and DVDs -- rather than in gaming. ATI has long been known for cards with specialty features, such as an integrated television tuner or video capture. However, we didn't find many reviews of video cards for those types of purposes -- even in home theater or video enthusiast publications or websites. While all video cards have a speed rating, video cards can also be overclocked. That means running a GPU at a higher speed than rated safe by Nvidia or ATI. Overclocking generates extra heat, which shortens the life of hardware and may cause system instability, failure of other components and burnout of overclocked components. Despite that, overclocking is popular with gamers because it results in more speed at no additional expense. If you're interested in overclocking, you have two choices. You can buy a factory-overclocked card, or you can do it yourself. Reviewers cite advantages to each. Since doing your own overclocking often voids your warranty, factory overclocking protects your investment. On the other hand, you pay a little more for a factory-overclocked card, and reviewers sometimes say that a stock card can be overclocked to a higher speed than a factory overclocked card. Reviewers generally test video cards at stock and overclocked speeds. Best video cardsNvidia's GeForce 8800 series models are the fastest gaming video cards. The top-of-the-line Nvidia GeForce 8800 Ultra (*est. $700) receives mixed reviews. Reviewers grudgingly admit its performance superiority, but they question whether it's worth the premium cost. Nvidia-centric website NV News reviews the XFX GeForce 8800 Ultra XXX (*est. $630) and gives it a Grand Slam award. Reviewer Mike Chambers says, "Potential owners of the XFX GeForce 8800 Ultra XXX Edition can be confident that their system will tackle any game on the market today at the resolution of 2560 x 1600." He adds, "However, the same statement also applies to the GeForce 8800 GTX and to a lesser degree the GeForce 8800 GTS, both of which are cheaper than the XFX GeForce 8800 Ultra XXX Edition." XSReviews.com reviews a stock version of the PNY-branded 8800 Ultra (*est. $730 for an overclocked version) and the Gainward 8800 Ultra (not sold in the U.S.). The Gainward video card is quieter and earns a higher rating, but reviewer Jon Martindale clearly doesn't see the value in either. He complains, "it really isn't that much more powerful than a GTX and costs quite a bit more." He concedes, "For raw speed the Ultra can't be beat," but thinks an overclocked GeForce 8800 GTX is a much better value. X-bit aLbs' engineers say that the GeForce 8800 Ultra deserves the title of today's fastest gaming graphics accelerator, but they add that the advantage of a GeForce 8800 Ultra over a GeForce 8800 GTX video card averages just 8 to 15 percent. HardwareLogic.com, X-bit Labs, Bit-tech.net, XSReviews.co.uk, BeHardware.com and many others all recognize the Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTX (*est. $550) as the best video card overall. X-bit Labs testers directly compare four branded versions of the same base GeForce 8800 GTX cards. The XFX GeForce 8800 GTX 768MB DDR3 XXX Edition (*est. $560) is about 8 to 10 percent faster than the others are because it's factory overclocked. BeHardware's Damien Triolet struggles to find flaws, but mentions that the XFX video card consumes a lot of power and may be difficult to fit into a case. He rationalizes the cost of use by comparing the GeForce 8800 GTX video card with a sports car that gets poor gas mileage. Before we cover which individual brands of GeForce 8800 GTX video cards reviewers think are the best, we need to discuss what reviewers have learned about individual brands in general. In a Tom's Hardware article, Don Woligroski speaks for many other video card testers by advising, "Don't worry too much about which brand you choose, because all of the cards out there stick close to Nvidia and ATI's reference designs. Just pay attention to price, warranty, and the manufacturer's reputation for honoring the warranty if something goes wrong." Unless a card is overclocked, testers usually measure the same performance for every GeForce 8800 GTX or any other given Nvidia or ATI design. Computer electronics are generally reliable, but video cards can run hot, which can be risky, so warranties matter. Paul Lilly of HardwareLogic.com says only three Nvidia partners offer any form of lifetime warranty. "EVGA's is perhaps the most flexible," he informs. "You're allowed to overclock your card and/or switch out the stock heat sink/fan for a third party solution without negating their guarantee, provided you don't cause any physical damage while doing so." Tim Smalley of Bit-tech.net says, "One area where BFGTech excels above most other Nvidia board partners is with its warranty service and after sales support." He commends BFGTech's 24/7 toll-free telephone and e-mail support and their lifetime warranty. XFX is the other company that provides a lifetime limited warranty. XFX's warranty is uniquely transferable to a second owner. So, FiringSquad.com's Brandon "Sandman" Bell summarizes, "While many of today's GeForce 8800 GTX cards are based on Nvidia's reference design and therefore identical from a board-level perspective, picking the right GeForce 8800 GTX card for you is going to come down to several factors." He itemizes those as your budget, interest in the warranty, interest in factory overclocking and games that are bundled with video card. Three versions of the XFX GeForce 8800 GTX (*est. $560) receive the most specific recommendations. The hard-to-find overclocked XXX version is the fastest. Scott Sherman of Bjorn3d.com enthusiastically raves, "[It] would be a huge understatement [to say] it's the finest graphics card I've used. It gives you one of the most vibrant and enriching gaming experiences that I've ever seen." He's bowled over by image quality as well as pure speed, but cautions that the 10.5-inch-long card may not easily fit in all cases. He also warns that the 450-watt power supply requirement is too minimal. Clock speeds range from 575 MHz to 630 MHz. All versions have 768 MB of DDR3 RAM. TechPowerUp.com and others give ardent support to the EVGA-branded GeForce 8800 GTX (*est. $550) . However, no reviewer particularly makes a case for EVGA over another brand. The Nvidia GeForce 8800 GTS (*est. $325) is considerably cheaper than the GTX, but as discussed above, reviewers generally think it's a poor value. However, the EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS (*est. $325) stands out for a handful of reviewers. Kyle Kerley of NV News explains, "I won't lie: when I first saw the (seemingly) ‘crippled' specs of the 8800 GTS, I scoffed at the thought of using one or two of those cards when the GTX has so much more power. But after using these for the past few weeks, I can say without a doubt that these cards are amazing." [H] Enthusiast gives the EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS an Editor's Choice gold award. Mark Warner raves about its relative value, overclocking performance and real-world use in gaming. He says the EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS is "one of the highest clocked GeForce 8800 GTS video cards on the market and it has a great warranty and support plan in place as well as a step-up program that EVGA customers have been enjoying for a long while now." FiringSquad's Brandon "Sandman" Bell achieved extraordinary performance with the EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS. "In our performance testing, the GeForce 8800 GTS 320 MB often outperformed ATI's Radeon X1950 XTX, in some cases by double-digit margins," he reports. It usually beat GeForce 8800 GTS cards with 640 MB of RAM in his tests, too. X-Bit Labs measured little meaningful difference among six tested GeForce 8800 GTS cards, but the EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS was the top performer in the group. The EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS is sold in several configurations. Reviewers prefer the "superclocked" version, which runs at 588 MHz, considerably faster than the stock 500 MHz. The card comes with 320 or 640 MB of RAM. The stock version was voted the winning video card in the October 2007 Newegg.com Customer Choice Awards. Reviewers generally agree that you don't have to spend $300 or more to get a very good video card. Jason Cross of ExtremeTech.com believes, "The sweet spot is $200-250, where cards aren't over 10 inches long and don't devour so many watts that you need a new case and power supply just to operate them." The Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT (*est. $270) is a tad more expensive than that, but most reviewers think it is the best value in a high-end gaming card. [H] Enthusiast, bit-tech.net, Tom's Hardware, ExtremeTech.com, AnandTech, TrustedReviews.com and others all honor the Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT as the high-end gaming card for the masses. [H] Enthusiast says that the 8800 GT video card is easily the best blend of performance and value. Edward Chester of TrustedReviews.com amplifies, "While the Nvidia 8800 GT doesn't beat the established 8800 GTX, it provides close to the performance for a fraction of the price and also packs in more features to sweeten the deal." Other reviewers agree, and in some tests, the GeForce 8800 GT outperformed some more expensive video cards, both Nvidia and ATI based. In short, we found a complete consensus about the GeForce 8800 GT video card. The Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT has a 600 MHz core clock and 512 MB of video RAM. Except for the Zotac GeForce 8800 GT, which currently has no U.S. dealers, we found no brand preference among reviewers for any particular GeForce 8800 GT card. Reviewers were delighted with all the individual brand cards they reviewed. These cards are apparently more popular than manufacturers expected. At press time, we found that dealers were out of stock on many major-brand cards. We found favorable reviews for the XFX GeForce 8800 GT Alpha Dog Edition (*est. $300) , XFX 8800 GT XXX (*est. $300) , PNY XLR8 GeForce 8800 GT (*est. $280) , BFG 8800 GT OC (*est. $300) and MSI GeForce NX8800GT (*est. $290) . Budget video cardsGabriel Torres of Hardware Secrets.com says the Nvidia GeForce 8600 GT (*est. $110) is a good choice for the "average" user who wants to play some performance games, but doesn't need the very fastest video card. Kyle Kerley of NV News claims, "The 8600 GT is an unexpected powerhouse more than capable of handling some of today's most demanding games at even the highest resolutions." Reviewers also say the GeForce 8600 GT is a better value than the Nvidia GeForce 8600 GTS (*est. $150) . We did find some dissenting opinions of the GeForce 8600 GT and a few reviewers who say that the ATI Radeon X1950 PRO (*est. $150) is at least competitive with the GeForce 8600 GT (as well as the GeForce GTS). Marco Chiappetta of HotHardware.com is torn between the platforms. He praises the benefits of the 8600 series video cards, including full support for DirectX 10, cool and quiet operation, and modest power consumption. On the other hand, he achieved better performance from the ATI X1950 PRO graphics card. Chiappetta concludes that the GeForce 8600 GT is the better choice, especially for those who want to watch DVDs and home videos. Movies and related entertainment don't require the speed that action games do, and both ATI and Nvidia have special hardware to enable or enhance video playback. Home theater, video and movie enthusiast magazines and websites have surprisingly little to say about video cards for those purposes, and they add no advice that isn't in other reviews. However, they do note that you'll want a video card that's high-bandwidth digital content protection (HDCP) compliant to play back high definition DVDs and other HD content, digital video outputs (HDMI or, more usually, HDCP compliant DVI) and analog video outputs, such as S-video. Nvidia has some excellent explanations of the requirements for playing Blu-ray and HD DVD movies on a PC; see the Best Research section below. AnandTech's Derek Wilson says high-resolution MPEG-2 video is not demanding of a computer, but MPEG-4 is. Wilson thinks a standalone Blu-ray or HD player makes more sense than using a computer as the anchor for a home-theater system If you're building a computer to use in your home-theater system, reviewers think a GeForce 8600 GT or equivalent is all the video card you need. A higher-end graphics card is only necessary for "serious" gaming. The more important consideration is cooling. All but the cheapest video card cards either use active cooling (normally a fan) or passive cooling (a heat sink, heat dissipation pipes or a combination of the two). Active cooling is generally more effective, but it adds noise. Reviewers measure high levels of noise at peak loads with high-end video cards. For a home-theater computer, you want a passively cooled card. Several individual brand GeForce 8600 GT video cards are recommended in reviews. [H] Enthusiast gives an Editor's Choice gold award to the MSI NX8600 GT (*est. $110) . Mark Warner says it's a fantastic value: "It is inexpensive, consumes relatively little power, produces relatively low temperature, and has performance to rival the more expensive GeForce 8600 GTS." He also reports that it runs quietly (it is passively cooled). Warner concludes, "It is simply the fastest video card in its price category that we have ever tested. A gamer or enthusiast would be hard pressed to find a better value than this video card." At ViperLair.com, Scott Harness is enthusiastic. He itemizes relative weaknesses, but can't deny the value. Harness concedes, "It's not a killer card, and at this price point there was no way it was ever going to be, but overclocked as it is out-of-the-box, it does offer pretty impressive numbers for $108." In addition, we found favorable reviews of Gigabyte GeForce 8600GT (*est. $110) and EVGA GeForce 8600 GT (*est. $110) . [H] Enthusiast is impressed with the XFX GeForce 8600 GT XXX (*est. $130) . That overclocked GeForce 8600 GT-based video card out-performed the 800 MHz ATI Radeon HD 2600 XT (*est. $140) . The XFX GeForce 8600 GT XXX also earns a gold award from Driver Heaven.net. The Sapphire Radeon X1950 GT (*est. $155) is widely reviewed and widely commended, yet reviewers are leery of saying that it's a good card to buy now. The video card was mostly reviewed early this year, before the release of ATI's 2000 series, and reviewers were sure the new cards would have more to offer. TechPowerUp.com and Register Hardware.com both recommend the graphics card with the caveat that the newer cards are likely to be a better deal. [H] Enthusiast compares the Sapphire Radeon X1950 GT favorably with the subsequently discontinued Nvidia GeForce 7900 GS. The latter two reviewers are particularly impressed with the video card's overclockability and overclocking performance. FiringSquad.com finds that performance is equal to the GeForce 7900 GS video card. Other reviews are cooler, and several reviewers criticize noise and heat generation. HotHardware.com isn't thrilled with the Sapphire Radeon X1950 GT, but summarizes, "This card is not designed for those who want the latest and greatest, but is designed for those who want a refined, stable card at a low price point. For this potential market, the X1950 GT hits the mark quite well." Non-gaming video cardsProfessional video cards are made for high-end workstations. X-bit Labs reviews a couple of them, indicating that they are for digital content creation, 3D modeling or CAD applications. While many people would like those capabilities in a home or small business computer, X-bit labs says that professional video cards cost several thousand dollars. Since those prices push them out of the realm of consumer products, we won't cover them further in this report. We researched video cards for use with Adobe Photoshop, the leading high-end image-editing program, and found that even a budget gaming card is probably more than you need. More video RAM should provide faster screen re-draws. Video cards in this class start at about $30. These budget cards are generally old technology. Clock speeds are as low as 240 MHz, and most of the cheapest cards have 128 MB of RAM. Experts say the entry-level graphics cards are all you need for business applications like Microsoft Office, and your computer will run faster with a basic video card than with integrated video. It will be a little more reliable, too. For a bit more money, you can get a video card that is uncompromised for any purpose but action games. The major competitors are both new. The ATI Radeon HD 2400 Pro (*est. $60) brings AMD into the current generation with support for high definition video and DirectX 10. It has a 525 MHz clock speed and 256 MB of RAM. The Nvidia GeForce 8400 GS (*est. $50) was released in June 2007. Its core version has a 450 MHz clock speed and 256 MB of RAM. Victor Wu of Bjorn3d.com reviews the ATI Radeon HD 2400 Pro based VisionTek 2400 Pro and says that it "is really not designed for any gamers out there, unless you only play Tetris or Solitaire on your computer or play games at low resolution. What it would be good [for] is for viewing HD content." He adds that the video card runs cool and quiet. Driver Heaven.net conducts a roundup review comparing the new entry-level Nvidia and ATI video cards. The ATI contender performed best in most tests, especially HD video playback, but noise was a major problem. Instead, Driver Heaven.net selects the XFX GeForce 8400 GS (*est. $60) as the best all-around of the tested graphics cards. Its 3D performance was unmatched. Driver Heaven says, "It was the only card in this roundup that didn't force us into choosing between high 3D performance and silent operation." Note, however, that some versions of this video card include fan cooling, and reports say those are considerably louder. Other options include increased memory (512 MB). Madshrimps.com compared seven GeForce 8400 GS video cards, benchmarking them against the ATI HD2400XT (*est. $70). Geoffrey Van Landeghem says, "To our surprise the 8400 GS managed to regularly perform on par with, sometimes even beat the 2400XT and so leaving the lower clocked HD2400 Pro behind in dust." The XFX GeForce 8400 GS produced the best results in this test, too. The GeForce 8400 GS lacks the PureVideo HD technology found in Nvidia's more upscale video cards, and the company's comparison chart shows that the GeForce 8400 GS is only "good" for HD DVD or Blu-ray playback, but it's "excellent" for regular DVD movie playback, as well as photos, office applications and web surfing. Nvidia claims the 8400 GS is 3.8 times faster than integrated video for gaming. In contrast, the top 8800 series is seven times faster than the 8400 GS, and the 8600 series is three-and-a-half times faster. An entry-level video card is sufficient for running Windows Vista. All versions of Vista except for Home Basic use the Aero interface, which includes visual effects. Rob Williams of Techgage Networks tested the Sapphire Radeon X1050 (now discontinued) and Sapphire Radeon X1550 (*est. $70) and reports that both video cards handle Vista's Aero effects very well. He specifically recommends the cheaper card for people "who are wanting a basic card but don't want to suffer with an on-board solution." Important Features: Video cardsReviewers say to consider the following about shopping for a video card:
Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our * Also see our Comparison Chart.
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The primary alternative to a video card is integrated video. We found several reviews that compare integrated video with entry-level video cards. Tom's Hardware says integrated chipsets outsell video cards. It's a cheaper solution. "While these integrated platforms may help keep greenbacks in your wallet, these systems are generally underpowered compared to ones that have a dedicated graphics card," according to Darren Polkowski in a September 2007 review. Polkowski tests two common integrated chipsets: the Intel X3000 and the ATI Radeon X1250. He finds them unacceptable for even basic gaming, but satisfactory for standard DVD playback, although they introduced noise. PCI-E 2, the second-generation PCI-Express bus is new. It promises faster throughput. DirectX 10 games are starting to hit the market. They will require a DirectX 10-compatible video card (all the latest models are). Both Nvidia and ATI have buying wizards that direct you to a specific video card based on your intended uses and system. Nvidia also has a useful guide to the requirements for playing HD DVD and Blu-ray discs on a PC. Digit-Life.com has a comprehensive and relatively easy to understand how-to-buy guide. Don Woligroski of Tom's Hardware offers a multi-part introduction to video cards from summer 2006. DevLib.org offers a video card selection guide from February 2007 for home-theater computers. Go here to learn more about Nvidia SLI. CNet.com's GameSpot has a very basic buying guide from June 2006. Articles about studies of the effects of video game violence– Violent Video Games: Myths, Facts, and Unanswered Questions. The Effects of Home Video Game Violence and Fantasy Portrayals upon Enjoyment and Emotional State: A Gender Comparison, at PSU.edu. Video Game Violence and Public Policy from the National Institute on Media and the Family. No strong link seen between violent video games and aggression, reported in PhysOrg.com. Does game violence make teens aggressive? Reported on MSNBC. Report at ArsTechnica.com on a study finding that stable personalities are unaffected by violent games. Violent video games alter brain's response to violence, reported at NewScientist.com. Manufacturer's websites have information about specific products: Advertisement
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ConsumerSearch and ConsumerSearch.com are registered trademarks of ConsumerSearch, Inc. Other trademarks or service marks on this site are the property of their respective owners. ConsumerSearch is not sponsored by any source reviewed, and we accept no consideration or payment for including, excluding, or ranking any reviews, products or services in our reports.
* Pricing information is approximate as of the time this report was written and is based on observed market selling prices and/or list prices. Actual selling prices may differ.
