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

Intro: The ASUS Radeon HD 3870 is a 512 MB, mainstream 3D card.Compared to other mainstream 3D display cards on the market, it is midpriced at around $180.

Noteworthy Features: Has a 2.25 GHz memory clock speed, which is faster than some similarly priced display cards.By way of comparison, the typical cost of a product with this fast a memory clock speed is $350.Also, this graphics card has a PCI express 2.0 x16 interface, which is somewhat faster than some similarly priced display cards.

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 good features for the money.

Suggestions: (1) Since this card is DVI-capable, you might want a DVI-enabled monitor or a flat-panel display to connect with it -- this will pass the digital video signal directly without converting it to analog, making for better performance.(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 graphics card capable of running all the new features in Windows Vista, including the upcoming DirectX 10.