Dedicated graphics cards, which we’ll talk about in this guide, are needed if you want to play 3D games or watch HD movies (although sometimes a powerful CPU and plenty of internal RAM may suffice).
Important specs to consider when choosing a graphics card
GPUs
GPU stands for “Graphics Processing Unit” and is the main control circuit for all graphics cards. The GPU is the most determining feature of every graphics card when it comes to overall performance and speed. The two largest GPU manufacturers are NVIDIA and ATI (which is owned by CPU manufacturer AMD). They make the reference designs for each new generation of graphics card. But most graphics cards are sold by other manufacturers that produce their own flavor of reference cards from NVIDIA and ATI. Examples of those manufacturers are MSI, Asus, ECS Elitegroup, XFX, and more.
Examples of the latest generations of NVIDIA graphics GPUs are; GeForce 8500/8600/8800/9800 GT/GTX/GX2 and GTX 260/280. The latest generations of ATI graphics cards are: RADEON HD 3850/4850/4870 in different versions.
RAM
It’s also important to consider the amount and type of your graphics card’s onboard RAM, which is different than your computer’s RAM. RAM is important for a number of technical reasons that we won’t delve into here. But in short, you should go for a graphics card with at least 256MB of RAM. The type of RAM is less important, but we recommend that you buy a graphics card with the second generation or later of GDDR (GDDR2 or later).
Different types of slots
There are three different slots available on the PC market. The “slot” is where you plug the graphics card into your computer’s motherboard. You should check what type of slot your motherboard has before buying a graphics card, or you may spend money on something you can’t use. The available slots are PCI (very old), AGP (old), or PCI express (current standard). All recently purchased computers are equipped with a PCI Express slot, but be sure to check it. PCI Express is the newest technology and allows for the highest bandwidth, which means better performance for you.
external connectors
Graphics card connectors are also important. The standard analog VGA connectors have been replaced by DVI (digital) connectors. The DVI connector is a must, some cards even come with two DVI connectors that will allow you to connect an additional display. Additional external connectors to look for are:
oHDMI, which will allow you to connect your computer to a plasma or LCD-TV. (This can also be done via a DVI connector with a DVI/HDMI converter)
oThe S-Video outputs are used to connect the PC to an older style TV or VCR and output the same display that is present on your screen.
The oDB-15/VGS/SVGA connectors are basically used for a standard output to an analog monitor. Good if you have an old monitor.
Taking into account your budget
Of course, your financial possibilities will also limit your purchasing options. Let’s take a look at what you can expect depending on how much you’re willing or able to pay. Remember that graphics cards are short cycle products, so the suggestions below are just a guide.
low budget graphics cards
We’re talking about spending $50 to $80, what can you expect?
At this lower budget level, the most popular and valuable GPUs from ATI and NVIDIA are the ATI Radeon HD 3650 and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 260 and 8600GT/GTS. These cards usually have a RAM memory of 256 MB to 512 MB, depending on the model and manufacturer. There’s no problem finding cards with multiple DVI connectors, and some even have an HDMI connector.
These types of cards are suitable for silent HTPCs and media centers, as you can get them with silent passive coolers. We can’t recommend entry-level graphics cards for hardcore gaming rigs, even though they’ll play some older games just fine.
Mid-priced graphics cards
In this segment, with prices from $80 to $250, you will find graphics cards with good performance even for gaming. You should be aware, because as we said, this is a fast-moving market, and sometimes you can find real bargains on current generation graphics cards when next generation cards hit the market. Prices drop rapidly as retailers and e-retailers have to make room in their stock for the new generation of cards.
As always, we encourage you to read expert graphics card reviews to find which top expert editors have recommended. Also based on the reviews, try to find out what is the latest generation of GPUs at the moment. Right now, NVIDIA’s next-gen high-end GPU is the GTX 280. We couldn’t find a 280 GTX card under $250, but we did find one for $260, so prices are coming down.
We recommend you opt for the latest generation cards such as the GeForce 9800GTX or 9800GX2 (integrated dual GPU) and the ATI HD 3850 and 4870. They will offer you a great performance/price ratio.
advanced graphics cards
Getting top performance and resolution can land you spending $400 or more on high-end graphics cards. This is for real gamers who need that extra FPS rate and resolution to perform optimally. You should look at dual GPU solutions, either integrated dual GPUs or using SLI or Crossfire technology (two physically separate graphics cards working together).
ATI’s 3870 X2 with 1 GB of RAM is a good alternative and is slightly cheaper than the 4870 X2, which naturally gives a few extra percentages of performance. From NVIDIA you should take a look at the GTX 280 and 9800GX2.
