yup as it's not relevent being a dual GPU card and all 

When are these new cards out? I'm currently looking to build a new PC but I can stick with my current 4850 for a bit longer to keep costs down until these new 7xxx series cards are out.

Whenever TSMC gets their 28nm process yielding. The design is done and working.

No one has any idea really, not even AMD. I'd say Q1 next year; Nvidia's 28nm is Q2.

From what I've read I think its going to max out around 80-85 degrees for the reference card under intense benchmarks. Aftermarket heatsink ones are 10 degrees cooler.  Water cooling for video cards is more important than CPU IMO.

When I was building my PC I had an extra rad and parts to make the CPU watercooled as well but after realizing that 2 580s watercooled will top out at 50 degrees with no air flow in to the case I really didn't have to. Picked up a decent Noctua air cooler for the CPU and overclocked the i7 950 to 4.0 (3.06 reference). The cPU also hovers around 50 at high load so its all good.

Now that AMD has a 3D solution, better drivers and software and are still leading the way with eyefinity I think next gen of cards is trully going to be competitive and either company can take the cake. 

Shoppers should have the mindset of... Benchmarks? Price? Game compatibility?...wham bam thank you!

Thanks for the info. I guess I'll wait a bit longer, the 4850 should see me through until then. Now I just have to choose between Sandy Bridge vs Bulldozer to finalise my build.

Bulldozer please. It will give you good bang for your buck and you support the underdog.

As I just read yesterday Taiwanese motherboard makers don't expect new high end cards from AMD and Nvidia until Spring or possible even Summer 2012 (due to TCSM being so slow with the transfer to 28nm) I think I will order a Radeon 6950 and AMD Bulldozer combo as soon as the latter is out. Then I can upgrade next Fall to a Radeon 7950 in crossfire or something.

From the AMD benchmarks it's looking like the top Bulldozer will be priced between i5 and i7 (well... slightly above i5) and give near i7 performance. I hear rumours that Intel will drop the prices in response though (thus starting another price war... oh to be a CPU buyer ). I probably will go Bulldozer. I tend to lean towards AMD for the price:performance ratio. I'm already thinking of building a Fusion based PC for my partner next year when the updated line of chips are released.

On the GPU side, it looks like AMD are aiming for the 7850/70 to be in the same power range as the 69XX series so I'll probably settle for one of them (hopefully early next year- fingers crossed).

Yeah.

Do you have a Radeon 4850 now? I've had one since Fall 2008 and it's served me well but I am worried it won't be powerful enough for Skyrim on highest not to speak of BF3 on highest settings.

Yeah, I currently have a 4850. It's a good card and has played everything I'ce thrown at it quite nicely. It probably won't be enough for Skyrim and BF3 at highest res and settings, but my monitor only goes up to 1280x1024 so I think I'll be alright for a bit. Will probably get a new monitor once I have the new build completely finalised next year.