Gigabyte GV-NX57128D

The Gigabyte GV-NX57128D is one of the first consumer graphics cards to use new PCI-Express technology. Instead of using traditional AGP or PCI slots to connect to your computer, this card is only compatible with newer PCI-Express ports, so you may have to buy a new motherboard.

The reason for the switch is to gain speed. PCI-Express can theoretically send information between your graphics card and the rest of the PC four times faster than previous technologies. Despite its potential, though, it isn't as fast as you might expect because it is based on existing Geforce FX 5750 graphics cards, which are aimed at the lower end of the market.

It offers no discernible advantage in performance, but is still able to run all the latest games at an acceptable speed, although playing advanced 3D titles at a high resolution with all the effects switched on could cause a problem. It's a shame the card fails to take advantage of PCI Express's speed.

Contact: Gigabyte 020 8813 6688
http://uk.giga-byte.com