Why don't you just mosey on over to the Maya Hardware Qualification List and look at the graphics cards that are compatible with Maya.
https://www.alias.com/eng/support/may...re/index.jhtml
There are many cards based on GeForce256, GeForce2, GeForce3 and GeForce4 chipsets. nVidia and Alias|Wavefront do not recommend these cards for use with Maya 4.5 as you may experience various refresh, display and stability problems and inadequate performance.
Soft Quadro-ing your card WILL make it a Quadro since it enables features on the card that are disabled for the GeForce kind. IT WON'T MAKE THE CARD FASTER but you will not suffer from those things shown in the quote above.
Basically a cheap GPU will be usable, but Maya is a power hungry beast and if you want to get the best out of it you need to invest in machines that are fast with plenty of RAM and compatible GPUs.
Tickety boo and ta ta for a bit...
Gazzamataz
https://www.gazzamataz.com