I would definitely get a card that is listed on alias.

Personally I'm not crazy about any of the nvidia cards.
I've worked on boxes with Quadros. ( not that impressed )
and they would lockup sometimes.

A dirty little secret is that the regular 'unprofessional' gforce card and the
'professional' Quadro cards are the same cards.

If you have a solder gun and 10 minutes you can turn a geforce into a Quadro. (you void your warantee of course)

I've heard the 'fire gl pro's' kick ass and are the best card for the
money but I have no personal experience w/em. I use a wildcat.

I'm sure everyone has their own opinions

Anyway remember the card is gonna be the most important investment you make, and running maya with a good pro card
( listed under the supported hardware of course )
makes all the difference in the world.

Joe