Desktop or workstation video card?

[Mechphisto]

We need to get a new video card for my wife's PC and don't know
whether to chose a desktop or workstation video card.

She has a PCI-16x (I don't think 2.0) and uses it for AfterEffects,
Lightwave, and other graphic and video editing software, pretty much
no games (aside from MSN type games).

She wants to run two monitors.
The main problem is our budget of < $250. The good workstation cards
I've seen are the $450 Quadro cards. For less than $250, should we
still get a workstation card or would a quality desktop card work
well
for her needs? If so, any chipset or pixel pipes or anything to
suggest?

Thanks for any feedback!
Liam

 

[Mechphisto]

We need to get a new video card for my wife's PC and don't know
whether to chose a desktop or workstation video card.

She has a PCI-16x (I don't think 2.0) and uses it for AfterEffects,
Lightwave, and other graphic and video editing software, pretty much
no games (aside from MSN type games).

She wants to run two monitors.
The main problem is our budget of < $250. The good workstation cards
I've seen are the $450 Quadro cards. For less than $250, should we
still get a workstation card or would a quality desktop card work
well
for her needs? If so, any chipset or pixel pipes or anything to
suggest?

Thanks for any feedback!
Liam

So, in my price range are these two cards:
desktop:
GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130434

and workstation:
FireGL V3600 256MB 128-bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814195048

On specs, the GeForce appears to not just blow the workstation card
away but obliterate it.

For basically using AfterEffects, and running two monitors where she
can work of AE and Photoshop and Illustrator all at the same time,
which would be the better performing card?
Thanks for advice and opinions.