never been hugely into PC gaming before but I am considering it for the future as I've found consoles less and less appealing, so I need to get edumacated
1. what does a good video card tend to cost? this would be the main extra expense for me in buying a new computer for gaming, I already would want high end processing power and RAM because I produce music
2. what exists for game controllers? I know a lot of PC gamers, FPS players especially, are very elitist about using mouse and keyboard but aside from games that require a ton of inputs like RTS' I've always preferred the comfort of a good controller. I'm currently using a 360 controller on my PC and it's kind of terrible, any recommendations?
3. does steam have points cards or anything you can buy or is it necessary to give valve your CC info? I tend to avoid most online shopping but I can also see how advantageous digital distribution is...