upgrade to semi-cheap card?

[Panix]

I have trouble each time I upgrade or update because of the nvidia driver (nvidia doesn't support the 79xx series anymore - only nouveau). I tend not to use nouveau - the 2d video just isn't good or is it the 3d?

Does anyone use noveau with 79xx cards? I am looking to upgrade and just say **** it but not sure what to get. I tried reading the posts regarding open source Nvidia and Radeon drivers. I use mostly 2d for video but want decent 3d as well. I thought maybe a 750ti but then I'm stuck with the blob. I guess that would be okay cuz, at least, I shouldn't have any problem upgrading the Nvidia driver.

What's the best choice for $50, $100, $150? AMD and Nivida?

Thanks for any answers. I want to get something before the end of the mth. The legacy Nvidia driver is a PITA.

If it matters, I use Debian, Ubuntu and sometimes Fedora.

[ebpollock]

I picked up a HD 7570 low profile, 1 gb DDR5 on ebay for $35 shipped and it came with a display port to hdmi adapter. Its an OEM rebrand of the HD 6570. Cheap, runs great on the OSS driver. I couldn't be happier. My other suggestion would be GT 640 with 2 Gb DDR3 or if you can find it 1 Gb DDR5. I have one in my hackintosh and dual booted it with Ubuntu and the blob driver. New its going for $90. I got a referb over a year ago for $65. I'm all about cheap as i don't game often enough to justify spending much on a GPU. Hope thats helpful.

Evan

[Panix]

I was doing that for a while. I found a used EVGA GTX 750 for $100 so I bought it. I couldn't find any good deals for cheaper cards. Hope it works okay.