Switched to PC gaming in late 2007, and started with one of the best bang-for-buck cards ever: the 8800GT.
About early 2009, I impulsively bought a GTX 260-216 and didn't really need it at 1680x1050 AKA sometimes even lower res with black bars.
In 2011, I upgraded to a 1200p monitor AKA sometimes 1080p, with a GTX 570, tho I could've done with a 560Ti.
In early 2014, I tried AMD for the first time with an R9 290 and it's still running today in my backup.
Last year, I was offered a great deal on a second-hand GTX 1070, otherwise I would've stuck with the 290 longer.
That 8800GT made a big impression on me, so I preferred Nvidia. But like I said, I tried AMD and my experience with that card was good - if they can make a big comeback, I'll gladly give them another go.