I run Maya on two HD 6870's in crossfire without a hiccup. You are correct that there was a time when nvidia was way ahead. That was true for my build before my current one. I'd gone with a gtx 285 around 2008 or 09. Ati has caught up, yet their prices haven't. Since memory is more important than speed, the simple fact is you get a lot more card for a lot less money with ati. The main difference you'll have to get use to is how ati handles driver updates, CAPs. I think it's more efficient. Plus the added bonus of supporting an American company if that sort of thing matters to you.