I don't get what you are saying. You don't compare an 8 pipe card to a 12 pipe one... You would compare the 6800, because it also has 12 pipes, and it supports SM3. You would compare the 6600gt to an x600pro, and then it beats it hard.
Acturally the radeon x700pro is what radeon releases to compete with the 6600gt. So comparing those 2 would acturally be the fair things to do. In this case the 6600GT still wins.
The reason im avoiding the 6600 is not for the cards price itsself
its the power supply needs, i was going to get a 6200 and a 300 watt powersupply (300 is the best for its price i can find at newegg for an ATX micro) and it would come around to 150 dollers. Although if i get the 6600 i would need the next larger micro supply which is 30 dollers more and the card add price. Will the 6600GT or 6600 run on 300 watt ?
Note: im not getting another ATI card because of SM3
I really don't know, I am inclined to say yes, the 6600 vanilla should work with 300W, but I don't think it would with the GT. I say this, because I used to have a GeforceFX 5600 that said it required a 250W PSU, but it worked just fine on my 200W.
Like my past post, im not going to use ATI cards anymore because of SM3. Any way i think i might cough up about 70 dollers for the 450watt power supply (seems so high but i cant find any others for micro ATX) and the 6600GT but im going to be very low on money for a while, i hate not having a job...to make money of course. anyways later in the future im going to have to get a larger supply sooner or later
Don't get that 450 watt one. That is a very bad brand. Here, I found that 350W one for $57 on another site using pricegrabber: http://www.mwave.com/mwave/viewspec.hmx?scriteria=BA21490
It seems to be a reliable site because 1369 reviewers gave it 4 and a half stars out of 5.
There is a sticky at the top of the forum which lists parts and brands NOT to get, and there are one or two people who got that brand PSU and had nightmares with it. It also dosn't have overvoltage protection.