What PCIe x16 mild video card?

I am build a new "mild use" desktop with an Intel D975XBX2 motherboard (Intel Link) and a Pentium D 945 CPU (Intel Link). This combo is a lot more zoom than I need but what the heck, you only live once! It is somewhat legacy in nature (which I was looking for) having one PATA(EIDE) interface, a serial and a parallel port along with the more current SATA connections.

Anyway I am not a gamer nor do I use CAD and I am finding difficult to ID a "mild" (I realize this is a very relative term) single PCIe x16 slot video card because there are way too many choices out there and I have yet to find a good way to select one. I don't speak "gamer lingo" so I am frustrated. I have a decent 3-4 year old Samsung SyncMaster 740N LCD monitor that I plan use until it dies.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

My suggestion would be to look at a few in your price range on a retail website (Newegg for example). They should have some user reviews there, but also put the the model numbers along with the term "review" into a websearch. The reviews will be technical, take in what you can, but you will find the conclusion is about all you need.

You will pay more for larger amounts of graphics memory (RAM), which you don't seem to need, so you could look at one with a faster GPU and a moderate amount of RAM.

[Just a minor point, Intel motherboards are associated with ATI to make their Crossfire systems, an ATI graphics card may be a just a little more "compatible" with that motherboard.]

Matt