I'd probably say you get most bang for your buck with the ATI. Thats what a lot of popular tech sites usually say when comparing performance to price point. My roomie has the 4870 and it performs well but I'd have to say my two 8800s keep up with it just fine. From what MarineOne said, it's pretty true ATI has always been more about picture quality than performance. They also set themselves aside from Nvidia by providing more multimedia related features which not everyone necessarily needs or wants.
If it were my choice, I'd pick ATI if I was looking for the best deal and if I had the money for the Nvidia I'd go with them. Personally I think Nvidia racks up the prices on their cards just because they have a slight edge over the competition. ATI was smart for seeing this weakness and provided a competitively priced product.
As far as the 32/64bit issue goes, I don't think either of those cards would have an issue. As long as your running a card that offers 64 bit drivers, you'll be fine.
The watercooled BFG cards are beautiful. I don't know if they still do but some of their older watercooled cards used a Danger Den waterblock. Once you get into watercooling you'll probably find it more fun to install the waterblock yourself rather than getting a card with it pre-installed. Not to mention there are other waterblocks you can get from other companies that offer a more custom look with a clear acrylic top.
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