Hey...look at it from a positive POV...at least you get to see them once in a while...some guys never get to see their balls after the ceremony.
I don't quite have your problem, (nor your budget) but I'm also looking for a new video card...but in the <$200 range.
WTF happened to video cards in the past several years? I've don't remember there being so many problems with cards in years past. Nowadays, every forum has folks with a bazillion problems with ALL the different manufacturers, different chipset makers, different models, and variants of them.
Doesn't anyone make a GOOD video card that just runs right, straight out of the box?