Just how much is "enough" for Win 7 and HD movies?

[ibex333]

So I am selling my gaming card becuase I have absolutely no time for games anymore. I still need a video card though, and I need to buy something as cheap as possible which will allow me to run Photoshop CS5, Win 7 Aero and maybe watch an occasional 1080p movie. Really, even that is probably not necessary as I can settle for 720p. My monitor's res is 1920x1080. It also may be important that this card is able to pull two monitors in case I need to use a 2nd one down the road.

I will most likely be buying a new card as opposed to used, becuase I need a replacement fast. Thanks.

PS: The gaming card is already sold. ; )

 

[tcsenter]

GeForce GT 220.

 

[Flipped Gazelle]

GeForce GT 220.

This, or whatever other low-end AMD or Nvidia card catches your eye. IIRC Adobe recommends a 512mb card for Photoshop GPU acceleration.

 

[pukemon]

If for some reason you need three screens, the Radeon 5450 is probably the cheapest you can get.

 

[Lavans]

Most Bluray drives recommend a x1650pro or 7600GT for HD playback. I know that only really pertains to Bluray movies, but it should offer a pretty good baseline.

 

[imaheadcase]

Why did you sell the gaming card and not just use it for those tasks you said. :/

 

[darkewaffle]

GT 240 so you can still do lightweight gaming.

 

[TurtleCrusher]

9600gso (48sp) or a 4650 would be my picks for HD video and LIGHT gaming.