The 9600XT certainly is the mainstream card to buy. I tested it in many games while I was working on this review, from Vietcong to Morrowind to Need For Speed: Underground and then some. With tweaked-out settings, and the highest texture settings, my testbed never slowed down once, not even in the worst sandstorm in Morrowind. I was floored by its performance and never thought that my All-In-Wonder 9700Pro looked any better. DVD movies were crystal clear, and the output to my television was as good as my AIW.

Another major bonus with this card is the bundled Half-Life 2 coupon. What this means is that you take the retail price tag of $199 and subtract the game price of $50, and now you're only paying $149 for this cardÂ… and that, my friends, is how you justify such a purchase to your wife.

Full review here.