[quote name='PsyClerk']I guess I'll be odd man out here. I have a GeForce 5600 256 and it works great. I had a chance to try some of the ATI cards (and used to have one in an older machine) but just happen to prefer the 5600 at the moment. Truth be told, there's not a whole hell of a lot of difference unless you're some uber-dork posting your 3D benchmarks as if you're announcing the birth of your first born.
Please don't buy video card A because you can play Half Life 2, or video card B so you can play Doom 3. That's foolish and definitely not cheapass.
Incidentally, my primary machine runs on an ECS motherboard, and I've had zero problems, aside from a friend of mine trying to overclock the RAM when it (the RAM) didn't support it.[/quote]
Yes, PSIClerk, you are the odd man out. Your Card A/Card B opinion is fairly unique as most people who are going to buy the latest and greatest cards are basing their decision on which game they want to play. That's why I suggested holding off. Another reason for holding off is that when Doom 3/Half-Life 2 release, both Gfx Card Manufacturers are likely to do some sort of marketing campaign which could yield some hefty discounts in the mid to lower ranged cards.
Congrats on the ECS motherboard working. You are among the lucky few (and I emphasize few). I tried 2 ECS boards purchased from different retailers and had the same lack of success with them. Shuttle has proven to be a godsend for me and therefore has my loyalty. As they say though, YMMV.