Video Card Roundup

Video Card Roundup - Best to Worst

The first list is based on performance with semi recent games

ATI X1900 XTX
GeForce 7900 GTX
GeForce 7800 GTX 512MB
ATI X1900 XT
GeForce 7800 GTX

GeForce 6800 Ultra
X850XTPE
X800XTPE
GeForce 7800 GS
X850XT
GeForce BFG 6800 GT OC
GeForce 7800 GT
Radeon X800 XT
GeForce 6800 GT
X800XL (better value than GF6800GT though)
Radeon X800 PRO
X800/R430-12P
GF6800

GF6600 GT
X700Pro (X700XT MIA, but there are a bunch of X700Pro+ out there which would equal GF6600 GT)
X800SE (Can be better and worse than the GF6600GT and X700Pro but sucks because usually far FAR more expensinve. And anyways SE = Sucky Edition)
Radeon 9800 XT
GF6800LE
X700
Radeon 9800 PRO 256(This card's 256mb of DDRII runs too hot and doesn't OC worth a damn)
Radeon 9800 PRO
GF6600

GeForce FX 5950 U
GeForce FX 5900 U
Radeon 9700 PRO (In Shader heavy or PS2.0 games this beats even the best FXs)
Radeon 9800 (same as above)
GeForce GF 5900
Radeon 9700
X600XT
Radeon 9500 PRO (This card FAR outperforms the R9600XT in modern games and really the FX5900XTs benifits are in areaswhere all these cards get 100fps so what's +/- 5fps?
X600Pro
GeForce FX 5900 XT
Radeon 9600 XT (actually in newer DX9/PS2.0 games the R9600XT will outperform the FX5900XT [and even the FX5900 and 5900U many times] FX5900XT is better in more olde games so gets the nod)
Radeon 9600XT 256 (Who put this so high up, the 256mb version in most cases has slower memory than the 128mb version and the extra 128mb has little impact on weak [4pipe] cards)
PCX5950 (Poor PCIe cousin of the other X5900 series)
GeForce FX 5700 U
Radeon 9600 PRO Once again in newer/future games the R9600P will outperform the FX5700U. I'd say they are close to tied especially with the OCability of the R9600P.
Radeon 9800 SE-256bit (Rare, but strong card, basically an R9500Pro ver.2)
GeForce FX 5800 U (This card is a TERRIBLE card, not worth the money or hassle, and performance SUXOR!)
GeForce FX 5800
X600
Radeon 9800 SE-128bit (Just below the R9600P)
GeForce FX 5700 (Definitely better than the GF4tis, just turn on AA/AF to find this out. Seriously the G4ti's advanatge is in old outdated games)
R9550
GeForce FX 5600 U FC (See above, Rev.2 is better than the GF4tis)
GF6200 (Depending on model [fully dedicated texture memory, w/ TurboCache wo/ TC])
X300
PCX5750

GeForce4 Ti 4600 8x
GeForce4 Ti 4600
GeForce4 Ti 4400
GeForce4 Ti 4200 8x
GeForce4 Ti 4200 128
GeForce4 Ti 4200 64
GeForce FX 5600 U (In newer games will be better than GF4tis, also will allow better AA/AF settings I think this is too low, but not going to defend a card even nV decided wasn't good enough)
Radeon 9500 128 (Far better than given credit for, but not worth placing correctly)
X300SE
GeForce3 Ti 500 64
Radeon 8500 64
Radeon 8500 128
GeForce FX 5600
FX5200Ultra (Far FAR Too Expensive for it's performance, but better than often thought)
GMA900 (Intel's latest integrated solution isn't great but will get you better than some older cards)
R8500LE/R9100
R9000Pro (or rare R9200Pro)
Radeon R9600SE (give boost thanks to benifits in newer games)
FX5500
FX5600XT/SE
FX5200

GeForce3 Ti 200 128 (Too old to argue placement, but shouldn't be bought for any current gaming)
GeForce3 Ti 200 64 (ditto)

Consider these cards if you know you will not be doing any gaming from the past year.

There are exceptions, if you run at 800x600 and have everything turned all the way down, but thats below the graphics card poverty line.

Radeon 9200 6
Radeon 9500 64 (Still better than the FX5200/R9000/GF3ti/GF4MX)
GeForce FX 5200 U (Better than this, still crap for what it's sold as, but better than bottom of original list)
GeForce4 MX 460
GeForce4 MX 440 8x
GeForce FX 5200
GeForce4 MX 440
Radeon 9600 SE (Far better than this, actually useable but SE still something to avoid)
Radeon 7200 32
Radeon 7200 64
GeForce 2 MX 400 64
Radeon 7000

Cards to Avoid completely

PCX 4300/5300
GF4MX4000
Radeon 7500
XGI Volari (any of them - Huge Suckage)
Xabres (Ditto)
Matrox Cards (Best2D cards available, but forget doing any gaming except the fun of surround gaming which isn't a performance issue but a proprietary benifit)