Gigabyte NX78X256V-B

If there's one area of computing that moves faster than any other, it's the graphics card market. Buy the latest model and in just a few months it will almost certainly have been superseded.

NVidia's latest chip, the GeForce 7800 GTX, is currently the fastest available and Gigabyte hasn't been slow on the uptake.

The NX78X256V-B is a PCI Express model, so your computer will need to have a PCI Express motherboard. Older PCs will only accept AGP graphics cards.

Although it's faster than nVidia's previous top dog, the GeForce 6800 Ultra, the GeForce 7800 GTX actually runs 50 per cent quieter as well.

In tests we found that performance was significantly better than from the older card; in our benchmark test the GeForce 7800 GTX managed to return a hugely impressive score with the default settings.

Despite its undoubted power, the high price makes the NX78X256V-B hard to recommend to all but the most enthusiastic of gamers.

If you're buying it because you simply want the best, be prepared to shell out for a new model in a few months as the graphics card market waits for nobody.