DIamond Viper Radeon HD 3870 (PCI-e 2.0, 512MB)

Intro: The Diamond Viper Radeon HD 3870 is a 512 MB, mainstream 3D card.Compared to other mainstream 3D display cards on the market, it is relatively expensive at around $230.

Noteworthy Features: Has a PCI express 2.0 x16 interface, which is faster than some similarly priced display cards.Also, this graphics card is built around an ATI Radeon HD 3870 chipset, which is more advanced than some similarly priced display cards.In fact, the average 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.

Value: In general, this graphics card's features are as expected for this price.Also, if you were to judge primarily by the card's chipset you could expect to pay about 30% more for a similarly capable card.However, mainstream 3D cards having comparable features and memory have an average cost of around $190.

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.