Asus Radeon HD 3850 (PCI-e 2, 512MB)

Intro: This ASUS Radeon HD 3850 is a 512 MB, mainstream 3D card.Compared to other mainstream 3D display cards on the market, it is midpriced at around $140.

Noteworthy Features: Has a PCI express 2.0 x16 interface, which is considerably faster than some similarly priced display cards.Also, this graphics card is built around an ATI Radeon HD 3850 chipset, which is somewhat more advanced than some similarly priced display cards.In fact, the typical cost of a product with this advanced a chipset is $320.

Weaker Features: None noted, given available product data.

Suitability: Suited for all productivity tasks, as well as for the casual 3D gamer.This card supports DirectX 10 technology, used in Microsoft's Windows Vista OS, and is the new technology for the upcoming generation of high-performance games.

Value: Overall, this graphics card has great features for the money.Also, you could expect to pay about 35% more for a card with comparable features and onboard memory.

Suggestions: (1) This card has DVI-out to connect to similarly enabled flat panel or plasma monitors and produce a clearer picture than does analog-to-digital conversion.(2) CNET's graphics and sound content can help you decide if this card is the right purchase to make.

GPU Performance: This card is compatible with the new rendering features of DirectX 10, which is featured in the Windows Vista operating system.

Vista Capability: This is a modern video card capable of running all the new features in Windows Vista, including the upcoming DirectX 10.