[low strife]

Right now, there is no reason to buy nvidia in the $100-200 range. The 4850 and 4870's are so cheap.

4850's are about $140, 4870's are 170. The 4870's are about equal to the $50 more expensive GTX 260 216.

 

[low strife]

I'd still get a 4870. Crap graphics cards are just that, crap. 4850's and 4870's are notoriously reliable. The only problem with them is that they run a bit hot (you need to adjust the fan speed), but this isn't a problem if you have good case airflow.