Need a new video card for an older system

[SirShaggy]

OK, I built this system in January of 2007. It was real basic at the time. As the next year went by, I bought an upgraded CPU (6400+), 2 Raptors in RAID 0, 4x1GB OCZ Platinum DFI Special PC2-6400 RAM, Sunbeam Heatsink and so on. The motherboard died on me in November 2008. On a whim, I sent it to DFI to check out. I got a new one back!!! I started putting this system back together around the end of May. I realized I had stole the video card from the old system for a Linux PC I had put together. I now need a new card. I am using Vista 64 ultimate on this system. I borrowed a GTS 250 from a friend to try out. It has WAY more power than the 7950GT I had in it! I am concearned about buying one though. My board is PCI-E x16 version 1.1 and the new card is ver. 2.0
Is this a problem really? I know my CPU doesn't really have the power to push the card to it's max but it seemed to work OK, in fact much faster in games than my 7950GT. I also like the price of the GTS 250's. I paid a lot more for my 7950GT. My next system will be all new again. This will become a Linux Box and replace my current one. I plan to buy 1 card a leave it in here as long as it all lasts. Would this be an appropriate card to use? Any other ideas for an Nvidia based card that would be better in this setup? Because of Linux, I won't be using any ATI cards as their drivers suck bad!
Thanks for your time,
SirShaggy

 

[Tempered81]

4890/275 -or- 4870/260 are great cards

 

[Stumps]

a 260 or 275 should work a treat...

 

[TheMeanestGuest]

I don't have any problems with the 9.6 Linux ATI drivers on Ubuntu 9.04 on my other partition. Games that work on Linux seem to work fine, granted I don't play games on my Linux partition very often. And of course it's always a different experience on a different machine.

I'd suggest going with either a GTS 250 or an HD 4850. They both trade blows. The 4850 is cheaper, but you prefer NV so it all depends how much that's worth to you. If you don't want to risk ATI drivers on Linux go with the NV I guess.

 

[severus]

Microcenter has a pretty good deal on the Galaxy GTS 250 on their website, and the EVGA one in store. I believe either will end up costing $99 or something close to it.

 

[Gikaseixas]

Nvidia GTS 250, ATI 4850 or 4770

 

[happy medium]

Your x2 6400 @ 3.5 should = the power of a core 2 e6750 which should be enough horsepower for a 4870 card if your playing at 1900x1200 resolution.

1650x1050 or below just save a few bucks and grab a gts 250,4850,4770 like others have said.