Most off the shelf computers from stores such as Best Buy or Target have integrated graphics, meaning that a foundation line non-dedicated video processing"card" - in other words, you won't do much gaming using a stock integrated graphics chip.

Upgrading to a dedicated graphics card is among the best upgrades you can do to help your desktop computer - if you do not have one, or just are looking to improve your slow system.

Remember - if you are upgrading to check and see how large a power supply is needed to power the card. All cards should list this information, and if a little digging around on the internet should provide this information. You may need to improve your Power Supply (PSU) in order to power a new graphics card. So be sure to double check this prior to spending your money on a card.

EVGA GTX670

This really is an NVIDIA graphics cardone of the best two players in the GPU game. That is a 2GB card, which a couple of months back was considered the top of the lineup, but in 2013 we'll see a whole lot more 3GB or perhaps 4GB cards. That does not mean this card is not a beast - because it's a monster. Direct X11 capable, PCI-E 3.0 16x and more - you'll be gaming at HD resolutions and outside, together with the top graphics settings potential.

AMD Radeon HD7970

Radeon is your competitor to NVIDIA, usually offering a less costly alternative to it has NVIDIA sister cards. But this doesn't mean they're poorer. The HD7970 is a really strong card at a excellent price - most likely one of the best"budget" cards you can get for price/performance. With 2GB RAM, a 925MHz clock rate, PCI Express 3.0, this is a BEAST card. It's size shows it make sure your case can fit it. It also takes at least a 500w PSU.

MSI GTX 660 Ti

MSI manufactures a lot of cards and this one works on NVIDIA drivers. It has a 915 MHz clock rate, 2GB ram, PCI Express 3.0, plus some other bells. MSI makes amazing cards with great cooling ability. This one features MSI's Twin Frozr IV attribute which keeps the card 14 degrees Celsius cooler then normal. Say goodbye to dust buildup on your card and increase the life span of your GPU.

Sapphire Radeon HD 6950

This is an excellent budget with AMD drivers - that the 6950 is old, but still a monster. A 800Mhz clock rate (that overclocks well), PCi Express 2.0, direct x11 support, and 2GB video ram is featured on this card. It's truly a power house card for the price (under $200) and is easily overclockable and may reach speeds on par with much more expensive cards such as the 7950.