Graphics GTX275 RMA'd and refunded, looking for alternative to use for 3d gaming?

I recently built a PC for my father in law - about 6 months ago - with the below specs, primarily for use with Flight Simulator X. About two weeks ago, the graphics card started playing up, displaying strange red artefacting - usually on desktop windows and in large areas of white like the Start menu or Google homepage. As of this morning the RMA to eBuyer has been approved with the card being tested positive for being faulty and I have £198 sitting in my account as a credit.

System specs:

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-EP43-S3L iP43 Socket 775 8 channel audio ATX
CPU: Intel Pentium Dual Core E5300 2.6GHz Socket 775 800FSB 2MB L2 Cache OEM Processor
Cooler: Akasa AK 965 (Socket 775) Aluminium with Copper Base Processor Cooler
RAM: OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2 1066MHz/PC2-8500 Gold Memory
GFX: PALIT GTX275 896MB GDDR3 Dual DVI HDTV Out PhysX and Cuda ready PCI-E
HDD: Samsung EcoGreen F2 1TB Hard Drive SATAII 32MB Cache
Monitor: Samsung SM2333SW 23" TFT Monitor 1920x1080 300cd/m2 20000:1 5ms DVI/VGA Gloss Black

Ok, so heres the situation. He's recently become really enthusiastic about 3D gaming and is possibly looking to get a new monitor that will run 120Hz to use with those glasses that alternate the screen display between eyes to create the 3d experience (if I understand correctly). I'm wondering if a new card such as the GTX285 or 295 would be suitable and indeed, capable enough to do proper 3d.

So... new purchases required would be a new graphics card, new 120Hz capable monitor and the 3d glasses?



For this to work do I definitely have to buy an Nvidia card again? Personally I prefer ATI but everything I have read so far seems to imply that this 3d malarky is only possible using Nvidia. Does anyone here play games in 3d at the moment and would a replacement gfx card such as the GTX285 have enough grunt?

My other worry is the processor. I've got the E5300 running at about 3.2Ghz and so far it's been pretty decent, he's been playing about with the Nvidia stereoscopic mode with a pair of cheapo 3d glasses (one cyan lens, the other one red) which drives Call of Duty World at War fairly well, at a playable fps.

I guess any graphics card is going to be put under a heck of a strain, is converting his rig to a proper 3d gaming one even a feasible proposition on this spec or should I recommend he wait and build a Core i7 and Nvidia Fermi system in a year or two?

 

Yeah you would need a Nvidia card for 3d , I've seen the 120hz monitor's on Ebay for around £280 only 22in though I may be wrong but I believe any Nvidia from 8800 upwards will do 3d

 

A Geforce 8800 and up will do 3D as mentioned.. but for higher game settings a GTX 260 or better is recommended.

You only have 2 or 3 120Hz LCD monitor that exists. The Samsung one exits in a bundle which save you money. You have to make SURE that your 120Hz monitor is 120Hz OUTPUT.

 

I was under the impression that it required 120Hz native input - i.e. the screen must be capable of receiving a 120Hz signal and displaying it occordingly, as opposed to being capable of boosting a 60Hz input signal to some greater value (e.g. 120Hz/200Hz etc) like most 100Hz+ consumer TVs.

 

That comment was assuming that the product you buy doesn't screw you over. IE: 120Hz panel, but the processing system board only supports 60Hz.
Most 60Hz+ displays, usually grabs a 75, or 100 or 120Hz signal.. but the panel is still 60Hz.. which provides better image sometimes, but the Nvidia 3D glasses requires to show 2 image at the ""same time"" (2 image, 1 per eye, switching between them at a 60Hz rate)