Over the past year, a new generation of PC graphics cards has been exploiting cutting-edge video processors and fast memory to provide eye-popping performance, especially in 3D games and other graphics-intensive applications. In addition, many graphics boards now provide special features such as multiple-monitor setups--the Matrox Parhelia-512, for example, supports up to three monitors. For a complete rundown of the latest cards, consult October's "High-Flying Graphics Cards."

While swapping graphics cards is a relatively easy upgrade project, make sure you match your new card to the abilities of your PC and to the applications that you frequently use. Spending $400 on a new graphics card doesn't make much sense if your PC is more than two or three years old, or if you use your system mainly to surf the Web or work in Excel. As always, before you begin, make sure that you do a complete backup of your system. (See "Ultimate Backup Guide" for tips.)

Stan Miastkowski is a contributing editor for PC World. Send questions and comments to him at stan_miastkowski@pcworld.com.

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