SM3.0 eh? Offer a BIG boost Eh? Sure, based on what evidence so far? It offered a nice boost in FarCry, but the Patch offered more. Why not be concerned about 3Dc? Oh my that will revolutionize the gaming world.... it's all hype from both sides. Why not worry about HD support which you can use now except not on the GF6800 (oh don't have an HDTV, well won't we all later, don't you want to buy a card for it now?)?
Seriously the reason to get the GT are their respective price/performance levels. If you don't tweak, or only like to move sliders, then the 6800GT will likely give you the most bang for your buck 6 times out of 10. However if you are into modding then the X800Pro may offer you the fastest card out there once you're done, ala SpeedUK, and it's no longer just a hard mod.
As for the prices being the same, no they aren't. Theoretically they are supposed to be the same, but the street prices and actual availability favour the pro. Both have their advantages and really you have to look at the games you like to plan and the type of engine you plan on playing later to know what suits your needs. Anyone can point to a single benchmark by a site that favours one particular company, but once you look at the bigger picutre you see alot more there. I'd give the GT a slight edge, but it's not monumental, and the predictions about SM3.0 being the killer app haven't materialized, heck there isn't even a great DEMO showing this. FarCry has SM3.0, and it's a PERFORMANCE patch of SM3.0, and still the impact was mild compared to the competition. And since the support is limited right now, and any current comparison cripples the ATIs, I wouldn't be so quick to tout SM3.0. Sure it has potential, and the next FarCry patch is supposed to bring some visual improvements, but since neither D]|[ nor HL2 offer that striking a difference (heck from the early review of D3 having a 512mb card would make more difference and allow Ultra-High settings, but I still don't want an FX5200SE-512mb card! :lol: ). The engines actually built around SM3.0 aren't going to appear for quite some time, by which time you would've been better served with an R9800Pro, followed by using your saved funds to buy the next gen card THEN when those games hit shelves.
For most people the GT is a good choice, but the two cards are close enough that I wouldn't pay the hefty premium often seen with the rarity of some of these cards. The people who snagg deals online are the ones who are truely getting the advantage, those paying extra are simply doing just that.
- You need a licence to buy a gun, but they'll sell anyone a stamp <i>(or internet account)</i> ! - <font color=green>RED </font color=green> <font color=red> GREEN</font color=red> GA to SK
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