#3-D Chipsets
John,
Right now, I'd recommend the Matrox Impression + board. It has some 3D
hardware built in, it's fast in Windows, and runs R3/4, and is not much more
than it's competetors (ATI/Diamond), while it also provides some basic 3D
acceleration for the future. (and limited OpenGL drivers are expected for the
Impression Plus in the near future)
6 months to a year from now, I'd strongly recommend getting a Glint based card.
It'll support OpenGL, which is supported in NT3.5, which 3DS has been announced
to run as it's OS. If you add all three together, you can assume that R5 will
support OpenGL. (but nothing official has been announced, or is expected until
Siggraph)
JNJ