Using SuSE 9.1 pro AMD64 with a Leadtek Geforce FX5600 256 Mb 8xAGP and i had even less hassle than you.
I just ran the YOU updater and installed the Nvidia patch, rebooted and hey presto there was my Nvidia splash screen
A welcome relief .... i have had endless problems getting this card to work under previous versions of SuSE
If you want a game to really test out your card, i can recomend Unreal Tournament 2004 for Linux, I'm running the 64bit bersion and its stunning.
Enjoy.