Moore's Law? When it comes to 3D graphic cards, Moore was way wrong. Instead of doubling performance every 12-18 months, over the last several years 3D chipsets have, on average, been doubling performance every 6-12 months.

This roundup comes on the heels of the release of the latest generation of GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) from both ATI and NVIDIA. Unlike previous generations of releases though, both companies have simultaneously launched three GPUs each, all (except for the RADEON 9200) based on the same architecture. The idea is to present one coherent brand to the market at the same time, and offer a product for the budget entry-level, the mid-range and the high-end enthusiast.

Interestingly, the architectures are all quite similar this time around, which is mainly due to both ATI and NVIDIA working with Microsoft for DirectX 9.0 compliance. These days Microsoft plays a huge part in dictating the direction of graphics technology as its DirectX API (Application Program Interface) forms the basis of just about every game you're likely to see.

You may notice that one of the new generation of GPUs is missing from this Labs: the GeForce FX 5800 (NV30). We skipped the NV30 as it is superseded by the NV35 as NVIDIA's high-end chip, and it was fraught with heat issues, resulting in a massive card with a fan noisy enough to put a Godfreys store to shame. It also had a very limited run, so supplies are already running out.

We also included our last Labs Winning graphics card in this Labs as reference, the Abit GeForce4 Ti4200 (January 2003, p66). Interestinly, it put in a very decent showing in the benchmark tests. It goes to show, if you're looking for a budget card, and you can still find a GeForce4 around, then it's still a great buy.

Contributors: Dan Chiappini, Nirmal Chandrasena