Well, he said a £1000 budget, and the card fits the budget. I just do what I'm told. I admit for a non-gaming computer, such video card is unnecessary. However, I'm still not sure whether 3D animation would benefit from it or not. The fact that both ATI and nVidia sell specialized video cards for 3D rendering means a GPU may in fact provide a large advantage.
Tell me about it! Prices here in Mexico are around 30% higher than what Newegg sells, and the selection is far, far smaller.. no high-end parts here.