I am going to need one soon. I am just starting to learn about the new cards etc. I am unsure of which traits are the best, ie: memory type/amount, speed, manufacturer and options. I am going to use this for movies and games. I have been looking at the X800GTO and the 7300GT. I would also like it to be fairly simple to use/install. Thanks

X800GTO or 7600GS...NOT the 7300GT!

And try like heck to afford the 7600GT even though it's usually over $100. "Enough, enough bowing down to disillusion! Hats off & applause to rogues & evolution! The ripple effect is too good not to mention. If you’re not affected, you’re not paying attention!"

How much does the manufacturer matter? (assuming the cards specs are the same) Also, is it worth it if my monitor is low end with only a vga connector?

"How much does the manufacturer matter?" Generally speaking, not much. Most cards are simple copies of ATI or NVidia's reference design, but occasionally some of them will be overclocked from reference specifications, which usually won't make that much difference. I would recommend going with a reputable manufacturer such as EVGA, Asus, MSI, Gigabyte, XFX, Sapphire, Leadtek, Visiontek, and others I can't name off the top of my head. If in doubt, post back the brand and people can voice their opinions on the brand. "Also, is it worth it if my monitor is low end with only a vga connector?" Absolutely! Even cheap monitors can render at resolutions higher than what can choke low end graphics cards with current games. DVI gives *slightly* better picture than VGA, but the difference between what for example a 7300GT compared to a 7600GT in speed is significant. Lower end video cards will be so slow it will force you to lower visual quality options and resolution in order to play the game at acceptable speeds without making the game look like you're watching a slide show, or they may not run the game at all. Video cards are the most influential piece of hardware in your computer when it comes to gaming performance without a doubt for the vast majority of games today. Translation: don't sell yourself short on your video card. I would highly recommend you consult http://www.tomshardware.com under the graphics and display section. They provide a decent explanation of all things related to specifications, features, and even comprehensive benchmarks of various cards in several different games. Know as best as you can what performance your card is going to get you before you buy it so that you don't overspend and get performance you don't care about, but that you also aren't disappointed if the card doesn't perform quite like you were expecting. But if it were me, I'd be shooting at least for a 7600GT. "Enough, enough bowing down to disillusion! Hats off & applause to rogues & evolution! The ripple effect is too good not to mention. If you’re not affected, you’re not paying attention!"

Thanks for the reply. I think I am going to go with the 7600gt (one on newegg for $77 after rebate) I am going to read up when I get home from work. I have already learned my lesson with gfx. I bought an x1300 pci and thought it would be adequate. Now, I need to replace the pc so I can have something I will be happy with. All in all it was worth the mistake. I am enjoying learning this stuff and can't wait to build my first machine.