The 2900s aren't terrible. They're roughly on a par with the 8800 GTS cards. The negativity comes because ATI don't have anything better at the moment, hence they don't have a competitor for the GTX or the Ultra.
Trig: The X1950 Pro is still a decent card if you don't want to break the bank. Alternatively, see if you can pick up a 320MB version of the 8800 GTS within your budget.