Best bang for buck card for Linux

[hackedhead]

I'm prepping to build a new system, haven't been in the loop on hardware for several years, and I'm quite lost when it comes to video card options.

I run linux almost exclusively. I play mostly native games (UrbanTerror, quakelive, warzone2100). I _might_ boot a windows partition to play some things, but I do it reluctantly. I'm interested in pygame programming and OpenGL.

I've got a geforce6200 (AGP, P4 system.. 4+ yr. old) right now and it's starting to hit the wall for the stuff I want to do. (UrT runs from 25-50fps at 1680x1050 depending on busy-ness of the scene)

I could be talked into spending ~$150 for a solid card, but it seems like a 9800GT might be perfectly acceptable to me on the cheap... The biggest game I can imagine throwing at the new system would be Sins of a Solar Empire.

DirectX does not matter to me. I'm really looking for the card with highest OpenGL performance and support under Linux. (Drivers can be a factor here, and I understand that it may be worthwhile to buy a card and deal with the maturation of the driver).

Planned system:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13508125

Thoughts?
Recommendations?

 

[Wreckage]

If you don't mind rebates and you are building a new system....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.454591

GTS250 + 650W PSU = $99.98 After Rebate.

 

[v8envy]

+1 for the GT250. It's not much more $ than a 9800GT, and is quite a bit zippier.

DirectX does matter to you, in a roundabout way. OpenGL 4.1 spec is out, and only the 5xxx series from ATI and 4xx series from NV can support OGL 4 and higher fully. OFC there won't be anything useful to do with OGL 4 for a long time, so it's not a big concern.

Definitely stick to NV hardware for a Linux box.

 

[lifeblood]

Definitely stick to NV hardware for a Linux box.

What, no ATI suggestions? Thats not fair! Oh, wait... Linux. Yea, forget ATI. I've used a ATI 4830 on linux for basic 2D office productivity work and it was fine. The moment you tried to do something a little more graphically intensive it didn't do so well.

If price is not as big of a deal than the GTX460 is the card to get. Otherwise the GT250.

 

[v8envy]

4xx series drivers for Linux aren't as pervasive as drivers for the g92 and friends. Doubly so for the 460 -- any of the drivers integrated with the main distributions will run in SVGA mode with a 460 today.

I think the freshest downloadable driver from nv's site will work with a 460, but I'm not completely positive.

And OP specifically mentioned gaming on Linux. That's squarely into territory where solid OpenGL drivers are required. I also like running Windows games on Linux, and for that the only answer is NV. All the Wine developers have NV hardware since ATI drivers blew so much ass for so many years, so that's what gets tested and works.

 

[darkewaffle]

You could get a GT 240 for about $40 shipped AR + BCB.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...907&CatId=3670

I got one for my HTPC when it was even cheaper with a coupon a few weeks ago; they're capable little cards, they were just priced noncompetitively at release.