Guide me to my new graphics card

So basically, 2 years ago I brought a pretty beast computer. Here are the specs:

* MEMORY: (Req.DDR3 MainBoard) 6GB (3x2GB) PC1333 DDR3 PC3 10666 Triple Channel Memory
* POWERSUPPLY: 750 Watts Power Supplies [+24] (Corsair CMPSU-750TX - Quad SLI Ready
* VIDEO: ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB DDR5 PCI-Express Dual DVI-I & TVO
* MOTHERBOARD: Asus P6T Deluxe Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard SAS Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID w/ eSATA,Dual GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio
* HDD: Single Hard Drive (500GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
* FAN: Thermaltake V1 Gaming CPU Cooling Fan


So everything was great except the graphics card NEVER worked properly for me. I had windows Vista x64 bit premium, and I consistently had problems with the drivers + ati radeon 4870x2. I eventually, somehow got it to halfway work (I think Ive been only using half of the card ever since) and it has worked well for the time being. Problem is - I am trying to Upgrade to Windows 7 x64 bit premium. I deleted everything on the computer, installed widnows xp (long story - but windows xp to windows 7 worked flawlessly on my laptop, so i tried it here) and I installed windows 7. Now my computer goes to BSOD and theres not a easy way around it. I credit this to all the problems Ive had with the ati radeon 4870x2. I think it may have been a corrupt card when I got it.

So okay, np, now I am here trying to find myself a new graphics card. Possibly one better? I am not knowledgeable on the graphics card market nowadays, so what is the best choice for me? I dont want to spend $400+ dollars, but If i am replacing my ati radeon 4870x2, I do want to do advance myself. With my specs in mind, and my price range about $200 or less. What graphics card should I be looking for? Note: It's not as if I need it to dominate the world in games, but I do play games like Sims 3, Starcraft 2, etc. So I do need a good one.

So overall my questions are:

1) What graphics card nowadays will work for me, for a decent price, and is better then the ati radeon 4870x2? When I say work for me - it is a pci-e, correct? I've never done something like this to my computer before, so im a newb, but ill read up on the 'how to' later.

2) Judging by my story up there, do you think the BSOD will go away once I get a new working (hopefully not corrupt) graphics card? I've always had problems with the ati radeon 4870x2.

3) Is there anything else I should take note of? Monitor? Anything that is incompatible or needs upgrading?

Thank you for your help, fire away graphics card selections, any info is appreciated.

 

I spent a few months dealing with constant audio/video stuttering issues and occasional system freeze-ups with a single 4870 installed on a Gigabyte EP43-UD-L.

After posting here and running countless diagnostics, it suddenly hit me: All of these issues began only after my 9500GT vid card cooked itself and I put in the 4870 as a replacement.

With this epiphany, I found an NVIDIA 210 on sale for $20 after rebate and swapped it out. Problems Solved. The offending 4870 is now installed for hybrid crossfire on my new HTPC build without any of its previous nasty habits.

The moral of the story is (although ATI won't readily admit it), ATI cards don't always play nice on Intel-based boards.

Based on a budget of under $200, this may be a good choice:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130591

My guess is the switch to an NVIDIA card will reduce or eliminate many of the current problems.

 

Thank you for the reply and suggestion gman, much appreciated.

For me - the ati card was corrupt from the day I got my new computer. :/

 

Don't feel bad - all of us have purchased things with best intentions that turned out to be either quirky or junk.

If it makes you feel any better, I attended a teleconference hosted by Microsoft just before the retail release of Windows 7. Although I normally take what any vendor says with a grain of salt, my experience matched up with the following Microsoft statement:

In Vista SP1, Microsoft analyzed the "send error reports" Vista generated. Of all the error reports sent over an 8 month period, about two-thirds were the result of hardware driver issues. Of the hardware driver issue errors, 60% were ATI drivers.

Based on my recent experiences it appears ATI is still having issues with Windows 7.

'Nuff Said.