This line from the conclusion says it ALL.
"Compared to the GeForce 6800 Ultra, the former high-end models Radeon 9800XT and FX 5950 Ultra often seem like nothing more than cheap mainstream cards... "
ATI should be afraid, VERY afraid - it looks like the performance crown will be minded by Nvidia, at least for a little while.
Check the prices, it looks like it'll launch at the typical price for a new top of the range card, and then once the rush is over, the street price will slide, pressuring the former top of range and so on down.