Today we had a chance to review two AXLE graphics cards – the GT240 and GT220. Nvidia only recently launched its GT240/220 offer, and these cards are particularly interesting for the fact that they're based on 40nm cores. So far, Nvidia's Geforce graphics cards were based on 55nm or older processes, and apart from these cards, that isn't set to change until Fermi hits the shelves.

Geforce GT240 and Geforce GT220 are not the cards that will send tremors through the market, but these are lower-end cards that are supposed to cater to users who aren't keen on hardcore gaming, but rather occasional, casual gaming scenarios. Besides, AXLE's offer includes all the Geforce and Radeon graphics cards, and if more muscle is your game, then feel free too indulge.

It's well worth noting that Nvidia announced the GT240 as the successor to the Geforce 9600 whereas the GT220 should replace Geforce 9500 cards. Compared to the older cards, GT240/220 cards are more power efficient and feature better multimedia capabilities, but as far as gaming performance goes, the results are only slightly better.

Both of our today's AXLE cards come with non-reference Arctic Cooling coolers. The cards also have HDMI outs, and if you compare the performance of AXLE GT 240 512MB GDDR5 with  AXLE GT 220 1024MB GDDR3, you'll see that the former is about 60% faster. Regardless of the performance gap, both cards are ready for GPU-Accelerated video transcoding, photo editing, HD reproduction, DX10.1 support, etc.

AXLE GT240 would be a good choice for those looking for an entry-level graphics card with low consumption, that could also provide some decent gaming performance from time to time. If, on the other hand you're seeking for more serious gaming performance, then you might be better off waiting on DirectX 11 cards and better performance that Fermi is set to offer.

AXLE GT220 card is nice if you're not a demanding user and use your computer for surfing and office work, but it should do well in casual gaming scenarios such as 1280x1024. GT240 is naturally better for such tasks, but these are entry-level cards and should be judged accordingly.

AXLE GT 220 1024MB GDDR3 is priced at about €50, whereas AXLE GT 220 512MB GDDR5 will set you back between €70-80.