rocessing speed is widely thought to be the most important consideration when choosing a 3D graphics card. But for the best-looking results across a wide category of games, the Voodoo5 5500 is tops. While it's not the fastest card you can buy right now, the 5500 is no slouch with its 64MB of memory and two graphics processors on board.

Smoothing out jagged 3D graphics is this card's mission in life. Rough, uneven lines are visible wherever two or more objects with contrasting colors or shades of brightness meet each other, and betray the fact that a game screen is made up of tiny squares. The 5500 blends these jagged areas automatically for most 3D games, with dramatic results. The blocky horizons of a racing game, such as the Need for Speed franchise, transform into picturesque scenery when you have a 5500 under the hood.

If speed is still top priority for you, then hold out until this fall for the Voodoo5 6000, which will incorporate four graphics processors.

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