i have two 4870's in my computer now and they don't cover up any SATA ports (and they're quite a bit faster than a GTX280 when in CrossFire mode - a little faster than a GTX260 with one card running). the video cards' PCB's are as long as the motherboard, but ATI heatsink shrouds are rounded at the end and leave space for my SATA cables. i'd post pictures of my setup, but it's gotten real cramped in my Antec 900 and my formerly beautiful case is starting to look messy inside. i'm saving up for a Cosmos S 1100 right now and should have one within a month. then i'll post beautiful clean pics.

Mike, you'll want to start reading through this thread from the beginning if you want a head start. we've really covered a lot of ground so far and you could learn a lot just by brewing a fresh pot of coffee and reading through this whole thread