9600 is a good card, i use it.
but
it goes for basically as much as an 8800/9800GT, which are just the same with more stream processors....
it would be a better bet to get either of those
or if you can stand to wait a month or so, sometime mid-may ati will be releasing the hd4770 (nice new 40nm core) for a 100$msrp. and it will blow the pants off of those cards