Need a new video card again

I guess most video cards only have a life expectancy of 18 to 24 months , judging from my experience. My last video card was a xfx gts 250 and it worked perfect until it just wouldn't boot one day. Anyways , I thought maybe this time I would ask for some advice.

MB - Asus P5N-D 2x PCI-E x16
CPU - Pentium D 925 @ 3GHZ
PSU - Generic 1000W
Budget = $200 cad or less

I can get a recertified evga gtx 280 for $140cad , is that a good deal? I want something that can handle most games { at least on low settings} but I also want cuda , as I use the processing power for boinc sometimes. Thanks for any advice. PS I will not be using SLI

If you are using the card for Boinc or Folding, you may want to think about the current generation cards. Using your computers resources 24/7 can generate allot of heat as well as use allot of electricity in the process. Using the latest CPU and GPU generations will maximize performance while possibly lowering heat output and electricity usage.

Unless you have a budget of $200 or more, may I suggest the GTX 460 or GTX 560. You definitely have a PSU that can handle more if you are willing to spend more than $150.

On a side note I've never really been a part of boinc and don't know if there are issues running the newest cards with their projects. You may want to check and see if there will be issues running the card you want to purchase before you decide to do so.