Recently, my ATI x1900 xtx video card quit functioning properly. Actually, with windows Vista, it was an ongoing problem. I am not knocking Vista here BTW, that is another discussion (and I have grown fond of the OS now). Anyways, I gave up on the X1900 xtx, and went in search of a new card that wouldn't break the piggy bank. That is what this post is about.

There were several decisions I needed to confront when looking for a new card.

1) More MB of memory, or faster DDR?

2) ATI or NVIDIA?

3) How much do I need to spend?

3) Let me address the last point first. I paid 400 dollars for my X1900, a decision I regret. Today I can get a card with at least as much capability for less than half that price. But this is the way it goes with technology. So, 3) How much to spend? Answer: less than 200 bucks could get me a card that would compete with my old X1900 xtx, which was the best X1000 series card ATI ever built. So if you want the best bang for your buck, stay behind the leading edge of technology. You will pay twice as much for performance you will be able to get for half the price in one year. That is a steep depreciation. Try to stay under 200 bucks, unless you're made of money.

2) ATI or NVIDIA? Answer: Verdict is still out. I just bought the NVIDIA GeForce 8600 GTS. I paid 177 dollars before a 50 dollar mail-in-rebate. When I ran it through the tests, it underperforms, albeit slightly, my old X 1900 xtx. But it has one major advantage: DirectX 10 support, which the X1900 lacks. Newer HD series ATI cards, however, support DirectX10. It might have been better to go with and HD 2600 for the same price. I don't know. I was frustrated with ATI's glitchy support of my X1900 and I listened to all the NVIDIA fanboys, and I went with the 8600 GTS. I don't regret it, but I am still open minded to the possibility that ATI might have been as good or better. Bottom line is that the brand name doesn't mean a lot until you put the card to work. Don't get sucked into the ATI vs NVIDIA debate because you might get surprised, like I just did when the X1900 outscored the 8600 GTS. (BUT if you plan on running newer games with DirectX 10, don't get an X1900!)

1) GDDR2 on 1 GB of memory, or GDDR3 on 512 mb?

I don't know the answer to that. It may depend on your system. My OS is pretty much maxed out on supported RAM, and so a Card with GDDR3 seems to make more sense. You however need to decide for yourself. An older system might be better served with 1 GB of GDDR2, but I generally see that faster GDDR is better.