apache_lives :
FFS RESOLUTION DOESNT MATTER IN VIDEO CARD SELECTION
The max resolution of the monitor dictates what would be the minimum acceptable video card to recommend.
apache_lives :
do you see an old game like Quake 3 having issues running at that res with a low end video card from 4 years ago? NO - IT DOESNT MATTER
The OP didn't indicate that he/she was only going to play Quake 3. The recommendation is based on the minimum acceptable performance for the games released today for the resolution specified.
apache_lives :
if you can afford a GTX470 or better BUY IT, next get games will challenge your card more and it will last longer before you have to upgrade again
this BS resolution vs video card selection needs to end, its all BS
If the guy was planning to buy 5770, and has a 1080 screen then it's easy to deduce (based on video card reviews) that when playing at the native resolution of the screen @ max settings, it would be a slow on newer titles.
The only BS I could see here is your opinion.
@OP
I doubt that AMD or nvidia would be making SLi capable boards with AMD processors in the near future. For one, nVidia's chipset division has been pushed aside and most of the personnel have been relocated to other nvidia product segments. This was with the trouble with Intel, wherein they were disallowed to make chipsets for the newer processors. They won that case, but nvidia isn't interested as much anymore with chipsets as they have lost time and ground with it, and they are expanding to other market segments (such as mobile and CUDA).
I doubt AMD would make it that easy for nvidia to make chipsets for AMD products. AMD wants to deliver well integrated products AMD+ATi, and seemingly nvidia shouldn't be in that picture.
However, this is all speculation at best, just like the performance of Bulldozer. We won't know until there is an announcement or the products are actually here.
I don't know if it'd be better to stick with nvidia or ati, it probably depends on the features your looking for.
PhysX, 3DVision or CUDA = nvidia
Eyefinity or APP (which isn't as popular as CUDA) = ati
Go with the 6870 if you find it cheap and don't mind the
possible performance hit with games that use tessellation in the future. Go with the 6950 if you're more concerned with a bit better performance and better tessellation performance.