Q: Right now I'm using a Radeon 3870 which has recently broke down on me, and I was wondering if I could use an Nvidia card instead. Well I have a 650-watt power supply and i'm looking to spend about $200
A: yes. the 3870 only came out as pci-e, so that means you have a pci-e slot. how much do you want to spend, and what is the capacity of your power supply? [edit] ok, for $200 the best nvidia card is the 9800gtx+ http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3797705&CatId=3670 not to be confused with the gtx which is not as quick. The 4850 radeon beats it when you use aa but I understand how you dont want another ati card after your experience with the 3 series. Good luck w it.