Video cards

The Radeon X1600 XT and GeForce 7600 GT names may sound very familiar – but what are they exactly? For those just getting to grips with computer hardware, they represent the GPU model name. The GPU directly determines the performance and features of the video card and should be the first factor to look at when selecting a video card.

There are a ton of GPU models out there it is pretty easy to get confused especially when only a handful are a good fit for your requirements. This guide provides the lowdown on GPUs from NVIDIA – one of the most famous graphics leaders in the world.

All current NVIDIA’s GPUs for desktop PC application go by the same name: GeForce. This is then followed by a series of numbers and letters that help to distinguish between the different product series, e.g. GeForce 8 series, GeForce 7 series, GeForce 6 series and GeForce FX series.



The model number designations are used to draw clear lines between products with differing performance levels, which helps to give users a clearer picture of the market segments the products are intended for. For example, the GeForce 7900 GPUs are intended for the high-end segment, while the GeForce 7600 GPUs are prepared for the mid-range segment. At the entry-level segment are the GeForce 7300 and GeForce 7100 GPUs; but as you can already see, each of these still belongs to the GeForce 7 series.



Different products in the same GPU series share similar key features, but products for the lower price points may lack some of the advanced features that the higher models pack. For example, while all GeForce 7 series GPUs support SLI multi-GPU technology, DirectX 9.0, and Shader Model 3.0, the GeForce 7100 models do not feature HDR (High Dynamic Range) rendering, which is an impressive lighting enhancement feature supported by such models as the GeForce 7300, GeForce 7600 or GeForce 7900 (with PCIe bus interface).

Although most new GeForce GPUs are native PCI Express designs, the lasting popularity of the AGP video card interface has caused a portion of new GeForce cards to be produced in both PCI Express and AGP versions; the latter using the HSI bridge chip to convert from PCI Express to AGP.

Released on November 8, 2006, NVIDIA’s GeForce 8 series, the first DirectX 10 GPUs in the world, feature a powerful unified architecture to deliver true-to-life gaming experiences.

GeForce 8800 Models

The GeForce 8800 GPUs, currently including the GeForce 8800 GTX and GeForce 8800 GTS, were immediately available following NVIDIA’s launch announcement. Both models feature a revolutionary unified shader architecture which is comprise of 128 (GTX) or 96 (GTS) parallel stream processors for unmatched gaming performance, and NVIDIA Quantum Effects physics processing technology that ushers in a new generation of visual effects and graphics realism. Simultaneous 16x anti-aliasing and 128-bit High Dynamic Range (HDR) lighting for unparalleded image quality also makes its way into the series.

Note: the listed core and memory clocks are NVIDIA’s stock settings. They may be different depending on the card manufacture.

NVIDIA’s GeForce 7 series GPUs represent the next most recent additions to the company’s long line of high-performance products. Featuring CineFX 4.0 Shading Architecture to support the latest and future 3D games better, the GeForce 7 series supplanted the GeForce 6 series.

GeForce 7950 Models

A GeForce 7950 GX2 card

In the GeForce 7950 series, the GeForce 7950 GX2 is the only model of the 7900 series that features dual-GPUs on a single card for the ultimate 3D performance. This card offers the largest onboard memory capacity available today (512MB per GPU for a total of 1GB) and support for resolutions up to 2560x1600, With support for SLI, two GeForce 7950 GX2 can be paired up to build a Quad GPU setup. According to NVIDIA, “It’s a beautiful thing.”



Unlike the GeForce 7950 GX2, the newer GeForce 7950 GT applies traditional single GPU board design. Clocked at 550 MHz with 24 pixel shader processors and 512MB of memory running at a blazing 1.4 GHz, this video card delivers exceptionally smooth frame rates at maximum settings.

Note: the listed core and memory clocks are NVIDIA’s stock settings. They may be different depending on the card manufacture.

GeForce 7900 Models

The GeForce 7900 GPUs are flagship models that are SLI-ready for extreme HD gaming and video on the PC. Currently, there are three available models: the GeForce 7900 GTX, GeForce 7900 GT, and GeForce 7900 GS.

The GeForce 7900 GTX offers the fastest core and memory clock settings in this series, followed by the GeForce 7900 GT with slightly lower clock settings. The GeForce 7900 GS comes with fewer pixel/vertex shaders, and the clock settings are similar to those of the GeForce 7900 GT.

Note: the listed core and memory clocks are NVIDIA’s stock settings. They may be different depending on the card manufacture.

GeForce 7800 Models

The GeForce 7800 series were NVIDIA’s flagship series before the arrival of the GeForce 7900 series. To start off, we have the GeForce 7800 GTX 512, which is the top model with full pipeline architecture (24 pixel pipelines and 8 vertex pipelines), the highest clock settings and of course the largest video memory capacity of 512MB.

The GeForce 7800 GTX also has a full pipeline architecture, but the core clock setting is slightly lower than the “512” edition, and the memory capacity is scaled back to 256MB.

Next up is the GeForce 7800 GT, which is a more affordable version with slightly fewer pixel pipelines and vertex pipelines. Following that is the GeForce 7800 GS for AGP application, although it sports a PCI Express GPU. It works using the HSI (High Speed Interconnect) chip to make it the first AGP card in the GeForce 7 series.

Note: the listed core and memory clocks are NVIDIA’s stock settings. They may be different depending on the card manufacture.

GeForce 7600 Models

Featuring the GeForce 7 series architecture, the GeForce 7600 models are very serious offerings for the mid-range market and currently consist of two available products: the GeForce 7600 GT and the GeForce 7600 GS.

Both the GeForce 7600 GT and GeForce 7600 GS own the same pixel/vertex configurations, while GeForce 7600 GS runs at lower core and memory clock settings. The two products are SLI-ready.

Note: the listed core and memory clocks are NVIDIA’s stock settings. They may be different depending on the card manufacture.

GeForce 7300 Series

Designed for budget applications, users will be able to commit less than 100 dollars to enjoy the features of the GeForce 7 series. The GeForce 7300 GS is the first member of the 7300 line, with the GeForce 7300 GT, GeForce 7300 LE and GeForce 7300 SE coming afterwards. Of the current three models, the GT version is the most powerful with 8 pixel shader pipelines, while the GS, LE and SE versions offer faster clock settings and TurboCache support.to allow the cards to expand video memory through dynamic access to system memory.

Note: the listed core and memory clocks are NVIDIA’s stock settings. They may be different depending on the card manufacture.

GeForce 7100 Models

Only one model, the GeForce 7100 GS is available in the series so far. Sporting the same specs as the GeForce 7300 LE in terms of clock settings and pipeline configuration, it does not, however, support HDR and is actually based on the NV44 core which is also known as GeForce 6200 with TurboCache.

Note: the listed core and memory clocks are NVIDIA’s stock settings. They may be different depending on the card manufacture.

The first of NVIDIA’s products capable of supporting DirectX 9.0 Shader Model 3.0, the GeForce 6 series also became a launch pad for NVIDIA’s innovative new technologies including SLI, PureVideo and TurboCache.

GeForce 6800 Models

Born for the high-end market, top model GeForce 6800 Ultra was positioned in the same way as the GeForce 7800 GTX at the time of its own launch. Although the GeForce 6800 series were launched with only three models available, more models have been introduced over time. While certain 6800 series models are actually very new releases, others are being phased-out gradually.

Note: the listed core and memory clocks are NVIDIA’s stock settings. They may be different depending on the card manufacturer.

GeForce 6600 Models

The GeForce 6600 series are NVIDIA’s main combatants for the mid-range market. Currently they are gradually being replaced by the GeForce 7600 series. This family consists of the GeForce 6600 GT, GeForce 6600, and GeForce 6600 LE.

At the top is the GeForce 6600 GT with the best performance thanks to the highest clock settings and pixel pipelines. The GeForce 6600 is essentially the same as the GeForce 6600 GT but with slightly lower clock settings. It is easily overclocked, however, and many manufacturers have produced factory overclocked editions.

The highlight of GeForce 6600 DDR2 edition card is definitely the DDR2 memory which provides higher clock speeds over DDR while keeping prices affordable. Both the core and memory clock speeds for the GeForce 6600 DDR2 are improved for better performance although it uses the same graphics core as the GeForce 6600.

The GeForce 6600 LE is 4 pixel pipelines down on the GeForce 6600, but possesses very exciting overclocking abilities, as it is built on the same high-quality PCB as the GeForce 6600.

Note: the listed core and memory clocks are NVIDIA’s stock settings. They may be different depending on the card manufacturer.

GeForce 6500 and GeForce 6200 Models

The GeForce 6200 and 6500 series are products for the budget-end of the market. They are excellent choices for budget users and provide a variety of attractive features such as DirectX 9.0, Shader Model 3.0 support, HDR, and PureVideo. There are GeForce 6200, GeForce 6500, GeForce 6200 with TurboCache and GeForce 6200 LE in this family.

Note: the listed core and memory clocks are NVIDIA’s stock settings. They may be different depending on the card manufacturer.

ATI Video Card Product Line Preview

Radeon X1000 Family

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