Price Guides, August 2005: Video Cards
by Anand Shimpi & Cara Hamm on August 14, 2005 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Guides
High End Graphics
While ATI pretty much concedes the Ultra High End to NVIDIA, ATI does come back a bit in this segment. ATI's X800XL has been the High End darling since it was released. Trading performance punches with NVIDIA's more expensive 6800GT at $100 cheaper, everyone would agree that the X800XL is a deal. Unfortunately, that deal didn't get any better this month with prices remaining relatively static around $268 shipped [RTPE: 100105]. We've always liked the X800XL PCIe and continue to make it our High End recommendation for those willing to shell out $270 for a video card, but price cuts on PCIe 6800GT are closing the gap rapidly.Update: Prices on the X800XT AGP models have taken a massive drop in response to other changes. There are some great deals available if you really want to spend $225+ on an AGP card. This may simply be intended to clear out old X800XT inventory, so we don't know how long the prices will last. With the higher clock speeds on RAM and core relative to X800XL, for AGP owners at least it's a great card.
We mentioned last month that the 6800GT cards really only make sense if you're stuck in the AGP market. That still holds true for the most part, since their price has fallen about $40 to $269 with the Albatron GeForce 6800GT 256MB [RTPE: Albatron 6800GT]. NVIDIA's 6800GT supports SM3 unlike ATI's offering and is roughly the same price as the X800XL AGP.
With the launch of the 7800GT, the 6800GT prices are scheduled to drop to $299 MSRP. The eVGA PCIe card has already dropped significantly to $278 at one store after rebates [RTPE: 256-P2-N376-AX], although for the most part the 6800GT PCIe cards are still hovering slightly above the new MSRP. Trying to SLI two 6800GT's is a waste, since a single and more technologically advanced 7800GTX can usually do the job better with much less power, noise and cost.
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ChronoReverse - Thursday, August 18, 2005 - link
This card is going at Newegg ato $129 with $4 shipping.Performance at stock is slightly below 6600GT. Mine unlocks fully and gives me slightly below 6800GT performance.
Methusela - Monday, August 15, 2005 - link
When are we going to see the mid-range, budget/performance 7800 series cards out? I've been waiting for seven weeks since the introduction of the 7800 series and it'd sure be nice to get 6800GT/U speed at the $175-$200 price point.In my scenario, nvidia makes no additional money from me because my current rig is more than powerful enough for my needs, but I happened upon a good deal from a friend on one of those AMD Tech Tour bundles, so I've got a cpu+mobo waiting... on the above video card to be released!
Any info or approximations would be super, duper helpful, Kris. Thanks.
JarredWalton - Monday, August 15, 2005 - link
I've mentioned this on the 7800GT article comments. Basically, it's difficult to imagine a scenario where a "budget" (actually mid-range) 7800 chip would really be useful. You want a 16 pipeline 7800? You've already got most of that with the 6800GT. The price cuts on 6800GT are designed to reflect this fact.The main point people raise in support of a lower cost 7800 part is that they want 110nm technology (cooler running and higher clock speeds) with the performance of the 6800GT. While that is possible, there's a lot of 130nm production capacity that can still be used, and 130nm is mature and the designs are already tested and validated.
The big problem with a lower 7800 part competing with the 6800GT is that it would then kill off the 6800 series. While some people might like that, provided they can just get their "7800LE" for $225 or less, there are a whole bunch of 6800GT users that are still thinking about going to SLI that would be very unhappy.
Bottom line: you want a great card for under $200, you've got several choices. X700Pro for $100 is half what that card cost at launch. 6600GT for $140 is another reasonable option, and 6800 ("vanilla") for $200 is yet another reasonable choice. The fundamental technology in G70 is the same as NV4x, with the only difference being the ability of G70 pipelines to do two MADD (multiply-add) operations per clock per pipeline. If a G70 part that cost the same and performed the same as the 6800GT were released, would it really be much better than a 6800GT? I don't think so.
[/My two cents.]
SkyDiver - Monday, August 15, 2005 - link
Hey, I can't get to zipzoomfly--currently unavailable. It isn't usual for a big e-com site to be down for hours. Is it just me? Obviously, I can get to anandtech.skindogg - Monday, August 15, 2005 - link
So does anand have a dirty little secret? Is nvidia going to give us a pleasant surprise?
KristopherKubicki - Monday, August 15, 2005 - link
Not really. It's the same as we have been saying all along; AGP takes longer to get to market and is kind of expensive on several different chipsets.Kristopher
Bonesdad - Sunday, August 14, 2005 - link
What about the Super Ultra High End Graphics Series and the Super Ultra High End EXTREME cards? Those of us that have 3-4K to spend on a video card need some love too...I just got my 6600 last year and it seems like its about to fall into the "low end" soon. It works for me...I'll save my money for travel and food thanks...I can play a game like HL2 and have it look really good (not INSANE like was posted above). Besides, isn't INSANE something to be avoided???
bupkus - Sunday, August 14, 2005 - link
I understand, dude. It's ok. I have the X800/256 for $170 AMIR + shipping and I have video envy too, but... it beats my Ti4200 all to heck. Perhaps we can form a support group. SobSpacecomber - Sunday, August 14, 2005 - link
Seems like the X800XTs are the bargains, for the moment, if you are looking for a high end AGP card. ZipZoomFly was selling an OEM version for $220, which I think makes them the better choice than an equivalently priced X800XL, unless I'm missing something about how these two cards compare. The prices on the AGP X800XT PE also seem to have taken a free fall dive; ZipZoomFly was selling the MSI model for around $250. Unfortunately, I see that both these items are now out of stock, but perhaps this reflects a trend in pricing for these components.Anyway, I'd do some pricing search engine research on the X800XT and X800XT PE, before I made up my mind that I was going to buy a 6800GT or X800XL AGP card.
Space
at80eighty - Sunday, August 14, 2005 - link
Do these vendors have international shipping?I live in Dubai - UAE, and here, the h/w vendors give us the shaft by charging almost double the rates you get in the US! im not too keen on paying $800 farking dollars for a VGA card dammit!
so can anyone in the know , help a fellow AT'er out?
thanks in advance!