BEST PCI-E CARD FOR £170 (inc VAT):

Radeon HD X2900 PRO

Codename: R600 Process: 80nm Universal Shaders: 320 Texture Units: 16 ROPs: 16 Memory Bus: 512-bit Core Speed MHz: 600 Memory Speed MHz: 800 (1600 effective) DirectX / Shader Model DX 10 / SM 4.0

The GeForce 8800 GTS 320mb finally has some strong competition – so strong, in fact, that it beats it in its price segment. The Radeon 2900 PRO is a barely disguised 2900 XT with slightly lowered clock speeds and very similar performance compared to its faster brother. With a relatively mild overclock, you’ll get 2900 XT performance from this card. The only downside is that the 2900 PRO are probably not going to be around for a long time, so get ‘em while they’re hot!

Best PCI-E Card For £225 (inc VAT): Tie

GeForce 8800 GTS (640MB version)

Codename: G80 Process: 90nm Universal Shaders: 96 Texture Units: 54 ROPs: 20 Memory Bus: 320-bit Core Speed MHz: 500 Memory Speed MHz: 800 (1600 effective) DirectX / Shader Model DX 10 / SM 4.0

The GeForce 8800 GTS is the little brother of the 8800 GTX, and both are based on the same Nvidia next-generation DirectX 10 GPU. The 8800 GTS is slightly crippled compared to the GTX, but it will still beat powerhouse cards like the dual-GPU 7950 GX2 in many cases. The biggest downside to the 8800 GTS 640MB is that it’s cheaper 320MB cousin offers very close performance for much less scratch. However, if you plan to play your games at higher resolutions 1600x1200 or above, it’s worth the extra money for the 640MB version.

Radeon HD X2900 XT

Codename: R600 Process: 80nm Universal Shaders: 320 Texture Units: 16 ROPs: 16 Memory Bus: 512-bit Core Speed MHz: 740 Memory Speed MHz: 825 (1650 effective) DirectX / Shader Model DX 10 / SM 4.0

The Radeon HD 2900 XT debuted with mediocre performance compared to that of the GeForce 8800 GTS 640, especially when price was factored in. But ATI have stepped up to bat and introduced fresh drivers that really bring out the 2900’s potential, even allowing it to challenge the 8800 GTX in some arenas. While the 8800 GTS 640MB is still a great card and can challenge the 2900 XT in some titles on average you will find the 8800 GTS in stores for a lot less money. With this in mind, both cards are recommended in this price segment.

Best PCI-E Card For £300 (inc VAT):

GeForce 8800 GTX

Codename: G80 Process: 90nm Universal Shaders: 128 Texture Units: 64 ROPs: 24 Memory Bus: 384-bit Core Speed MHz: 575 Memory Speed MHz: 900 (1800 effective) DirectX / Shader Model DX 10 / SM 4.0

The introduction of the 8800 Ultra – essentially an overclocked 8800 GTX – relegated the GTX to the humble position of second-fastest-videocard-in-the-world. But with the low-priced 8800 Ultras starting at the £400 mark, it’s hard to justify an extra £100 for an overclock.

In all honesty, even the £125 cheaper 8800 GTS 320MB would probably serve anyone well at resolutions below 1600x1200. But if you’ve got money to burn, play at high resolutions, and will only settle for the top of the line – then this is the card for you.