Well that sure sucks man, I'm sorry to hear that. I've heard good things about the ICE Q cooler as well. What were you clocked at, and were you getting any artifacts at all while gaming?
I have a 9800 Pro also, but it's watercooled. I'm overclocked beyond XT specs as well but I only have an R350 core. I also have a Vantec Spectrum fancard underneath the card (2 80mm fans) cooling it in addition to the waterblock and mine's been overclocked like this for almost a year now.
The 6800 GT is by far the best buy in terms of bang for the buck right now, so look to that for a replacement. I'm currently in the market for an X800 XT though which I think is a great deal for the $$, just more cash obviously.
Good luck with your system.