Why buy a 6800GT for about $275 when you can pay $25 more and get 4 more pipes and a heavy increase in core and memory clocks. The 7800GT also emits less heat and uses less power. So I'd say the 7800GT is the best card for AoE3 value wise. Obviously the 7800GTX is better by about 10 FPS, but for the additional $450 it's not worth it. Unfortunetly, while 7800GT's seem to be dropping in price, the 7800GTX's have halted at $450.