My first computer was a Gateway in ~2000 that shipped with a TNT2 32MB. Played a large number of games off the Quake 3 engine and even the UT2004 demo. Then I was playing Mafia and wanted bigger view distances, so I bought my first video card, a 9600 Pro 128MB as a drop in replacement for the TNT2. Probably a filter down effect from all the good press the 9700 was getting.
Later that year I cobbled together my first system, adding a fabled 9800 Pro from HIS. Played HL2 and Doom 3 on it. In 2005, I sold that system and did a new build with an x800 Pro 128 MB. In 2006, I got a new LCD monitor with 1280x1024 resolution, and needed a bit more umph in Oblivion and Source engine games, so picked up a Saphire x1800xt 256MB. It was screaming hot and hella loud, but it served admirably for 4 years and plowed through Crysis and Far Cry 2 as best it could. Replaced in January with a HIS 5770 1GB, which is basically a ninja in comparison.