Need some graphics hardware advice!

[variant]

Hi all! my nvidia gf4ti4600 recently died a slow and painfull death.. I am wondering if any of you can advise me on a new card. I would like to keep the performance similar too or better than the gf4ti4600. I am also thinking that I would like to try an ATI card seeing as the ati cards have some open source 3d acceleration support (I dont want to use proprietry drivers like I was with the nvidia card). I requier dule head capability with tv out if possible. Also I would like to keep the price below £100 or about $130 - Should be able to get a reasonable card for that I think?!

Edit: I need to buy it online seing as I live on an island with no hardware shop.

[dswain]

I would recommend a good NVIDIA GeForceFX 5600 Ultra. Relativly cheap (i think about 100 bucks, or around the area) I have one which does a very nice job. Also, if you're looking for Open Source support, don't even waste your time with ATI. ATI is far worse than NVIDIA drivers anyday, from what i've read and been told. You're better off the NVIDIA path.

[variant]

What I understand the situation to be is that the proprietry drivers for ATI cards in linux are not very good but all newer cards are suported. However ATI all of the information about the hardware neccessary to make open source drivers.. which allready exist (DRI) The nvidia cards have good proprietry support but no open source support (not for 3d anyway) so that is why i plan to go with ATI and _not_ nvidia.

[dswain]

oh i see. well, that may be true, i don't know the politics behind it exactly, but NVIDIA does have drivers (official with 3d support) which work very good with there cards. ATI's may be better, but i've heard that its not the case. I can't tell you anything accurate though because the only card i've had ATI wise is a 7500 which never had support as you said, only newer cards are actually supported. Either way, I still recommend an NVIDIA card.