Looking for best graphics card for i3 2100

I just happened to build a system for a friend yesterday using that very same processor and paired it with an ATI 5770 1GB graphics card. I tested it with COD Black Ops running at 1920x1080 on my 41" LCD TV and it was absolutely gorgeous and ran smooth as a baby's bum.

Of course if you wanted to spend a bit more you could go for a 68XX or 69XX or an Nvidia 460/560. There are better options again of course but it all comes down to how much you want to spend. Any of those cards I mentioned are more than adequate for any current game at that resolution.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but if 3d is what you are looking for Nvidia is the way to go. The 460 768gb is a strong contender price wise for the 5770. The 560 is a very nice card and would better suit the added requirements of 3d. The 6950 1gb offers better price/performance according to March's THG Best Graphics Cards but that point is moot if you have a monitor and games that are 3d enabled. As a side note I run a 5770 right now and can run all of the modern games at 1680x1050 quite smoothly with some settings turned down mainly shadows. At 1920x1080 I don't think I would go cheaper than a 6850 / 460 1gb.

I was under the impression that by 3d games he meant traditional 3 dimensional games like your generic FPS games - Crysis, Crysis2, TF2, MOH etc. If indeed he meant 3d in the sense of having a 3d capable monitor and sitting in front of it wearing some geeky looking goggles then you are right, nvidia may be the better option. Personally I can't see the value in it at this stage, maybe in the future my opinion will sway on the matter. I couldn't think of anything worse than having to wear glasses all of the time to remove the double vision effect of 3d.

I'm still rocking my old GTX 260 and surprisingly I am yet to come across any game that it can't tackle admirably (although I haven't tried the Crysis2 demo yet). However after seeing the 5770 in action yesterday I was reminded that ATI does seem to have better image quality in most applications. Forgot to mention I watched Green Zone on the 5770 too and it was perfect in every sense.

It might sound like I'm an ATI fanboy but in reality I've used cards from both factions in the past and have always chosen my purchases on which one had the best value for money at the time. Right now both teams have fantastic cards in all price segments which is a win/win for us consumers.  

Thanks guys

I do mean traditional 3d games  

I probably go for 5770, what psu do i need for supporting this ? i read from radeon which suggest 450w is minimum

correct?

Yes 450w should be enough although I'd personally go for something a little beefier. The one i was using with the 5770 was a 550w. Just make sure to get one from a reputable company, ie: Corsair, Enermax etc. Here's a bit more info: http://www.10stripe.com/featured/psu/brand.php