What Is The Best Value Computer You Can Buy?: Part 2

Higher number is better

Continuing on from a fortnight ago, I am going to talk to you about choosing the best value video card for your money.

Basically, when choosing video cards you have two options - ATI (now AMD) or Nvidia. Both of these companies have been making graphics cards for ages and they are good quality. One of the first things you will notice when you go out to buy your chosen cards is the fact that there are several different brands which make the same type of card you want. For example, if you were looking for an Nvidia 9800GT, you might find a Gigabyte 9800GT, an Asus 9800GT or an MSI 9800GT. These cards will often have slight differences but they are made to follow a guideline. they all use exactly the same chip which is made by their respective company (Nvidia or ATI) and then these other companies (Gigabyte, Asus etc.) make the video card and put the chip inside it. Sometimes you might get some factory overclocked cards which give better performance than the reference design. Others might give better coolers or silent coolers. It is all up to you. It is probably better to stick to a brand you trust as there have been problems such as failing fans on graphics cards from lesser known brands, but they are still good.