God-Tier Sevenforums fellas, I needs help

Hate to have this be my first post here, but I was directed here by several people and told that if I could get help anywhere, it would be here! So here goes...

Ok, so I'm a cable installer, and I got this computer for free from a customer a few months ago, it's an Acer Aspire M5100 desktop. Motherboard is an Acer F690GVM.

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It's hardly used, she almost never turned it on, and I'm going to use it as just an internet/photoshop/media machine in my office. It originally had Vista on it, so I wiped the HD and put Windows 7 on it.

I installed a GeForce GT610 GPU with a Thermaltake 430W PSU, and 4GB of RAM. Windows 7 installed just fine, but I have 2 problems at the moment I can't figure out.

The video card gives a Code 43 (Windows has stopped this device because it reported problems). I've installed the Windows 7 drivers for it, and it won't work. The device manager sees the video card, but no correct resolutions are available, and it's not working properly.

The other problem is ethernet, I can't figure out, either. I have the most recent Windows 7 drivers for it installed, too, but I can't get internet on the computer. Windows is telling me that it does not have a valid IP configuration. In the device manager, the network adapter is listed as "The device is working properly".

In my Googlings, many people have installed Windows 7 on this machine with little to no issues, and these seem to be the only 2 major ones I have right now. I can get into the BIOS and fiddle with a few things, but I have little experience beyond simple things like changing boot order and what not.

Any help is greatly appreciated!

1) Replace the video card.

2) Use the your Internet Providers install CD to get on line.

Would it be possible to please get a bit more detail on #1? Do I have a bad video card out of the box?

And #2, we don't have an "install CD" with our ISP.

The on-board graphics of that mobo aren't supported by Windows 7, but I removed the card anyway, I'm going to exchange it for something different and try that.

I've tried 2 different cables from 2 different ports on the router into the ethernet port, and still no valid IP configuration.

Yes, it was working. She only got rid of it because she got a laptop, and no longer wanted the desktop. I tried it before I took it home.

Well here's something interesting, I removed the GPU and returned it, and exchanged it for the same model (1GB instead of 2GB), a PNY instead of the EVGA, and the computer immediately recognized the PNY card and installed the drivers for it, (which did not happen with the EVGA card)but upon restart, I still have the same Code 34 error. What gives?

I should add, I am plugged into the new video card over VGA. I get picture plugged into the new card. If I plug into the on-board VGA, I get no video. The new card is functioning, just not properly, and I am totally stumped by this.