There are still plenty of users out there with relatively powerful computers, that are limited to the AGP bus when it comes to selecting a new graphics card. Given that AGP did serve the industry for a good decade, there are still countless computers in action using this old interface. Although more and more users are converting to PCI Express enabled systems every day, there are still plenty of us out there that are just not ready yet. Thankfully ATi and NVIDIA have not forgotten about those still using AGP computers and still offer a few select graphics cards.

However the selections are quite limited, with just a few alternatives on offer from either company. At the more affordable end of the scale NVIDIA are still offering GeForce 6600 type cards, which range in price from $70 US up to $130 US. The GeForce 6600 GT is of course the most expensive option and by todays standards they are not exactly that fast. For those after a little more grunt, NVIDIAs next best in line is the GeForce 6800GS which does have quite a bit of poke, but at $200 US it is getting up there. Then if you have the money to really deck your AGP system out, the GeForce 7800GS is an appealing option at $300 US.

Then on the other hand we have ATi, while they seem to offer more low-end AGP cards there are fewer high-end AGP cards available at the moment. However, I feel given AGPs lifespan is pretty much over, high-end solutions are not all that sought after. Rather, most users still slugging it out with an AGP platform are probably best off with an affordable graphics card. Graphics card manufacturer HIS recently announced a new midrange AGP graphics card sporting the ATi Radeon X1600 Pro core, which they call the X1600Pro IceQ AGP 256MB.

Now this could be a very valuable option for owners of an AGP system that want to bring it up to speed with todays games. With a suggested retail value of $130~$150 US, the Radeon X1600 Pro is designed to compete with the pre-existing GeForce 6600 graphics cards from NVIDIA. Furthermore, the Radeon X1600 Pro looks to be a decent upgrade for those using a GeForce 6600LE. This AGP 8x graphics card looks to be the goods, at roughly $130 US it features 256MB of onboard GDDR2 memory, SM3.0 support, HDTV-Out and Dual-Link DVI.

The Radeon X1600 Pro is going to be an ideal solution for Intel Socket 478 users, as this affordable upgrade will greatly improve playability in newer gaming titles. Socket 478 users will be required to ditch their motherboard, processor, memory and possibly hard drive when making the move to the snappier LGA775 platform. The same can be said for those that own a Socket 754-pin system, as a new motherboard and processor will most likely be required when upgrading to the 939-pin platform.

Those currently using an LGA775 or 939-pin AGP system are most likely better off purchasing a new motherboard and graphics combo that supports PCI Express rather than buy a new AGP card. However, this option is not for everyone and most gamers will be happy if they can get some more quality gaming action out of their system for a little over $100 US. Unfortunately, I do not have a Socket 754 or 478 system on hand that supports AGP 8x graphics cards. Therefore, I have installed the HIS X1600Pro IceQ AGP 256MB graphics card in an Athlon64 939-pin system.