Hi, I'm currently out of the country and can buy the PowerColor 6870 for the a bit less than the Gigabyte 6850 costs at home. I want the GPU to play games at 720p and I'd also like to build a Hackintosh. Of course if it breaks then I'll have to post it back and it'll take time. Pros of getting 6850 at home I know that the 6850 can easily be over clocked to almost 6870 speeds. Warranty in the same country. Only a 5 minute drive to take back to shop. I can buy any time I want no rush whilst I'm on holiday. Pros of getting 6870 Faster than the 6850 even with over clock. Comes with 2 free games. Cheaper. How likely are GPUs to break? Is the PowerColor brand as good as Gigabyte? Anything else to consider when buying a GPU? Thanks.
PowerColor are less well known then Gigabyte but there's nothing wrong with their cards. The warranty is probably going to be a problem if it craps out so you are taking a chance there. TBH the warranty issue would put me off buying abroad so you could try and find a 6870 in your home country with a mail in rebate and get the best of both worlds. Also have you considered Nvidia, you can get a 560 for around the same price as a 6870 and it's faster.