If you were to look closely at your PC game collection, would you find that the majority of your games 2-D? Or are the majority of your games 3-D, thus requiring a 3-D accelerator? If most of your PC games 2-D, then virtually all of today's graphics cards will be adequate for your needs and your game play can not be enhanced greatly by upgrading to a newer graphics card. On the other hand, if you play a lot of 1st person action shooters that often require 3-D acceleration, then you may want to take a look at some of the latest PC graphics cards to enhance your game-playing experience.

The most difficult thing about selecting a graphics cards is knowing enough about your system to select a card that is well-balanced for your CPU speed. If you have an older Pentium II chip, purchasing the latest graphics card will be a waste; it cannot be used to it's fullest potential. You're better off purchasing a lower-priced model and trying to get the maximum out of both your chip and graphics cards.

Another factor to consider when purchasing a graphics card is that not all cards work with all systems. Be sure to check the specifications for your PC and input devices to ensure their compatibility with the card you plan to buy. Also, check to make sure that your current graphics card is not soldered directly in to the motherboard. If it is, you're most likely not going to be able to upgrade, at least not with out obtaining some professional technical help.

Most users do not realize that graphics cards have their own processing unit, or "GPU", with it's own speed and memory. The faster the GPU and the more memory it has, the better your graphic intense applications will perform. The "be-all and end-all" for computer gamers is the frames rate: the speed at which your card can process the game's image frames and make your game render movie-like graphics. Two of the biggest manufacturers of graphic chip sets are ATI with it's Radeon 8500 and nVidia with it's GeForce4 family of chips.

Below are links to the latest graphic cards on the market as well as links to help you learn a little bit more about upgrading your card.

• HardOcp - Includes reviews and information on the latest graphics cards on the market today. Try this link at hardocp to learn more about the latest GPU chip from nVidia
• nVidia - Makers of the GeForce family of GPUs.
• ATI Technologies - Manufacturer of PC and MAC graphic cards, which include the All-In-Wonder Radeon 8500DV

For other great links to graphics cards and other computer hardware be sure to take a look at the links under Computer Gaming Hardware/Peripherals