WE\’VE ALREADY examined DOOM 3\’s performance on the newest generation of high-end graphics cards from ATI and NVIDIA, but we\’re not done with the game just yet. While DOOM 3 is obviously most comfortable running on the latest high-end graphics hardware (especially NVIDIA\’s GeForce 6800 series) the vast majority of gamers are equipped with older and more mainstream graphics cards. These cards may not have the features or horsepower necessary to churn out playable frame rates with the resolution and detail level cranked, but they\’ll still run the game. The question is how well.

To find the answer, I\’ve assembled an eclectic collection of 17 low-end, mid-range, and former high-end graphics cards and run them through a gauntlet of DOOM 3 performance and image quality tests. I scoured the Benchmarking Sweatshop for cards, and with a little digging and dusting, I was able to come up with two GeForce4 Titaniums, two Radeon 8500 series cards, five GeForce FXs, six Radeon 9000-series cards, one Dustbuster, and even a Parhelia. How do these cards compare in DOOM 3? Read on to find out.