the 5 series doesnt count because theyre not really dx9 cards, and the 6 series cards are far faster than the 9600 unless im forgetting about some low end version
the standard fx 5700 is equivalent to the 9600 pro i think, and the 5700 ultra is about the same as a 9600 xt. although i'd choose the 9600's because they're fully directx9 compliant. the fx series DOES support dx9, and most/all dx9 games will work fine on an fx card. hl2 does show artifacting on fx cards when using dx9, but it can be fixed.
