I'd prefer not to spend more than, say, $300 or $400. NVidia only. Was never a fan of other cards. Mostly looking for what the budget performance series line is right now so I can research from there.
I wouldn't recommend anybody get a 970 at this point. If you can even find one, the 1060 will be priced the same and be significantly better. The step from 9-series to 10-series was pretty big. The 1050ti may also be good for you.
Alternatively, the Radeon RX570 and 580 are reasonably priced as well and are solid cards, mostly the latter. There's been a lot of sales on the 580.
I wouldn't recommend anybody get a 970 at this point. If you can even find one, the 1060 will be priced the same and be significantly better. The step from 9-series to 10-series was pretty big. The 1050ti may also be good for you.
Alternatively, the Radeon RX570 and 580 are reasonably priced as well and are solid cards, mostly the latter. There's been a lot of sales on the 580.
Is the 970 a better option than the 1060? It's been awhile since I looked at card performance.