We designate the entry-level graphics market as any video card that has a street price of under $100. These cards are targeted at value-system buyers, and we usually don't find the high-performance hardware at this price range. Of course, that doesn't mean that gaming performance or features have to suffer, and only having a C-Note in your pocket is no reason to start looking in the bargain bins or scouring Ebay for refurbs.
In each guide, we usually welcome a new entrant or two into the entry-level video card list, but the level of activity can change slightly from month to month. In April, the Radeon X1600 XT 256MB made its way below the $100 mark, and May we find two new members - the GeForce 8500 GT 256MB and Radeon X1800 GTO 256MB cards. Both are intriguing new entrants, and can now be considered the top performance options for the sub-$100 ATI and NVIDIA groups. On the entry-level side of things, the GeForce 7600 GS 256MB matches up well for NVIDIA buyers, while the Radeon X1650 Pro 256MB fills the same role for the ATI/AMD group.