Easy, but let me give you a run down of what is the purpose of the 7970 GHz edition.

This card was primarily created to combat against Nvidia's GTX 680 as the fastest single GPU card. After several benchmarks, reviewers proofed that the GHz edition managed to oust the 680 from the leaderboard in most tests.

So, your decision is based on how much money you have in your pocket ATM. Although there were criticisms lately about the stability of the Catalyst Drivers AMD has released lately. Even my 5450 always act up on Windows Server 2008 R2. But again, these cards, if you count the non-reference GTX 680s, do perform on par. So how much $$ in your pocket will decide your final outcome.

7970 GHz review: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/AMD/HD_7970_GHz_Edition/1.html

Well i got about 1800 dollars to spend on them, so you might think, wow thats more then enought for 3 even, but now, thats taxes in my country :( but indeed im in between a little more performance and stable drivers and combo config.

But if you care to know they are both costing the very same. so its really down to their differences.

ALSO im not really sure its a ghz edition, its a xfx blackedition, it has a higher clock but might not be the same as the GE.

Yeah, the "Ghz Edition" simply shows how the initial product was underclocked; typical AMD thinking, when a new core is released they allow the users to try pushing it while the stock clocks are safe, in terms of heat production. Then the products evolve largely as the cooling systems are improved.

Has availability of the GTX 680's improved at all? I know the local shop here has the HD 7970 GEs due in a couple weeks, yet the nVidia cards are backordered again with a "who knows" date.

clock to clock the 7970 is better

yeah, AMD architecture already have an advance in the 6000 series over 500 nvidia serie... i try a 680 on my PC and that will not be my next GPU... had an 560 over a 5770 and for performance, it's there but for graphic quality no way !! In NVIDIA game optimized like crysis, i only see the difference from the FOD (Field of view) graphic draw when i'm running and i saw all this when my 5770 that have poor FPS have all the details already drawed... so in architecture of their GPU i really think AMD/ATI is in advance over NVIDIA (just check power consuption !!!) but games are NVIDIA optimized so certains games perform better on nvidia GPU...

PS: My next GPU will surely be a 7900 series with a new i7 config, for me... that said a lot, just check my config i had choose a q6600 GO SLACR (VID 1.235) for overlocking and i know that all my new hardware will be at the top !!!

Anyway, the 7970ghz perform as well as the GTX680 but check the prices and the game optimisation ;) you'll clearly have the best choice in your face ;) (but i really think NVIDIA have better driver than AMD and i'd really love to have better driver on AMD side cause they could potentially win the battle easily with just that !!)

Here's Rodeney response: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU1bGFKUxS4&feature=g-u-u