[updawg]

My dad has an optiplex gx520 computer at work and he needs to order a PCI graphics card that can support at least shader model 3.

This is the minimum system requirements: http://www.altium.com/products/altiu...quirements.cfm

He just needs for some software he is installing, just by doing a quick search on newegg I came up with this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814133245

Can anyone recommend me something decently powerful and cheap.

Thanks!

[Old Thrashbarg]

Well, I dunno how heavy the requirements actually are in real-world usage, but it's pretty much between your linked card and the 8500GT PCI. Neither one is going to work very well, though, they're just too limited by the PCI bus.

I believe those machines also have a PCIe x1 slot, which might open up some better options. Albatron was planning a 9500GT for the x1 slot, dunno if it's out yet, though.

[Quailane]

You can run any PCIE card in any PCIE slot with a few slight mods, but I am assuming it is the GX520 that doesn't have PCIE.