Linux question

What would be a good video card to get for an Ubuntu machine?

Thank you

I'm assuming this is to run on a PC?

Yes, generic x86 box.

I'd like to recommend ATI/AMD but I've had nothing but issues with them so go NVIDIA. The card itself would depend on budget and what you intend to use it for.

Mike

NVIDIA is always preferred when it comes to Ubuntu/Linux
Their drivers are superior :P

Historically I have always gone with NVidia due to their closed source driver being:
* Easy to install.
* it's always just worked.

I tried ATI before AMD bought them out and it was painful.

If you don't like NVidia but would prefer ATI don't dispair. I have heard that since AMD got ATI, they have rewritten the closed source driver and that most of the problems that existed are now gone. I can't speak from personal expirience since I am currently running a NVidia GTX 470 in my main machine but my girlfriend is running an ATI Radeon 4870 and said it was indeed easy to setup on Linux now compared to what it was like in the past.

Well i'd go with NVIDIA, any model. You barely have to do anything. Top right corner should be a button to install the graphics driver, click Install. That's about it. No fuss.

I'm using Nvidia and an AMD 64 bit with no problems

Thanks all! I was hoping for a non Nvidia choice, as that's what I have now, and I cannot get it to keep (or with the 11.4 upgrade even go to) a res higher than 1024*768. There tech support wasn't helpful, even for the problems with the Win 7 "upgrade".

Thank you again, though.

I got an ATI Radeon 5750 and the install for both Windows 7 and Ubuntu was really easy. For Ubuntu you get a message that a driver are available for download after installation. Click on "install" and you're done (reboot).

For Windows 7, download archive, doubeclick icon and choose express install. That's it, couldn't be much easier.

HOWEVER I've had issues with the driver in Ubuntu. The first time I installed Ubuntu some months ago it did crash with that driver. I did reinstall it the other day and it doesn't crash but performance when watching flash movies in 720p is horrible! I don't know if the driver is the issue though.

Offcourse it works fine in Windows 7.

The best cards for Linux are NVidia you may just need a newer card. I have been using Linux for many years and have tried many graphics card combos. NVidia has good drivers that work under Linux.
Giving us your present NVidia card name number would help a lot. Also the monitor you are using.
You may also want to try Linux Mint this is a new dist based on Ubunutu and works great also your card and monitor should work out of the box.
Remember when you use Ubuntu if you have a little picture of a IO card on your panel called additional drivers this instals and sets up your NVidia card and it will require a shut down and restart to activate.

The current cards is a GeForce 8500 GE. The monitor is an Insignia CRT