New Video card question

[digitaloracle]

I have finally decied to go with a new video card instead of an LCD. To get what I want in a monitor, I would have to pay upwards of $250 for something that will be quickly supassed by rapidly evolving LCD technology. I curently have an X600XT (thoguht I was getting a mid-range card. heh. lol. ). So I'm looking at a 6600GT, and have found two on newegg that look good:

An Albatron, $184 here
And an EVGA $177 here

My questions are:
->Looking at the pics, or from experience, which one will have better cooling? Which one will be quieter? I'm not an overclocker, but I want my equipment to be able to take some punishment
->Are they both reputable companies? I know a freind who has an Albatron card and loves it, so I am sort of leaning toward that.
->There shouldn't be any appreciable difference in performance between the two, right?
->Any other companies I should consider, or even other sub $200 chipsets?

 

[diabloII]

evga is good

albatron is shit

 

[Alex81388]

Yeah eVGA is very good, and it is surprisingly less expensive.

I personally own one of their 6800gts and it is awesome. They are trustworthy - as many of the members here have come across their products.

 

[bigstanklo]

I'd recommend the EVGA. Never heard anything about albatron but EVGA I hear are decent cards.

 

[digitaloracle]

Thanks. It seems as though that fan could move a lot more air then the albatron one, and quiet effective cooling is one of the major things that will set these card apart for a non-overclocker like me.

 

[digitaloracle]

I have one more question: I read on Tom's Hardware Guide that 6600GT dies are very succeptible to damage from the heat sink beign tipped. I am concerend that transporting the computer would be hazardous as a result. Could the die be damaged by moderate jolts and bumps? I try to handle my stuff carefully, but sometimes stuff happens and I don't want to have to worry about it. Any reassurances?

 

[GrimReaper23]

Well I would just get two evga's they also have the step-up program.

 

[C0RR0SIVE]

:-\ why would you mess with the heatsink? Anyways if they was that easy to damage then how could you take your machine to lanpartys? -.- As soon as i get money im trashing my current pc and gonna forget about that ram and just do a totaly differnt build. And use a Lan Party mobo....

 

[digitaloracle]

That's my problem as well. This thing has got to stand up to transport and at least a moderate amount of rough handling (just ot be safe). Anyone have a handle on this HSF issue? I saw it mentioned on AnandTech as well, so it is definatly not an isolated problem.