Final Words

Let us preface this conclusion with a reminder that we have not been briefed on this part by NVIDIA. While we have seen internal roadmaps pointing to the 7800 GS, we still don't have any confirmation from the source on it. We don't have absolute certainty that this part will even make it out the door -- much of that seems dependant on the performance of the upcoming G73 and G72 GPUs. That being said, it would be really nice to see this part make it to the light of day. The fact that we've actually seen hardware is a hopeful indication of the future.

We really don't know anything about price at this point as NVIDIA hasn't even spoken with us about this part and it's still too far out for any online retailers to have a price yet. As always, value depends on the cost of the product, and we wouldn't want to leave that out of our analysis. Instead of talking about the value we have here, we are more inclined to talk about how much a part with this kind of performance should cost to become a competitive product.

Since the performance of the part falls between the 6800 GS and the 7800 GT, we took a look at what those parts cost in order to get a lay of the land. The 6800 GS is priced between $200 and $230, and the 7800 GT comes in at $320 to $370. If we look simply at averages, this would mean we should expect the 7800 GS to be sold between $260 and $300 if 7800 GT prices stay stagnant - but most likely lower if the 7800 GT prices move before the 7800 GS launch. NVIDIA roadmaps confirm that even though GeForce 6800 GS will reach sub $190 levels by the end of the year, the product will not actively be continued.

At the same time, this part performs in the same class as the X1800 XL. While the ATI card fairly consistently beats the 7800 GS in these benchmarks, the fact that that the 7800 GS keeps up at all (and will cost even less than the 7800 GT) means that it would be very difficult for this card not to have a lot of value. Of course, if this part debuts at the high end of our estimate, a cheap 7800 GT would definitely be a better way to go. There are some rebate and coupon offers that can get you a 7800 GT for $300 right now if you look hard enough.

We are quite excited about this part; the sooner it arrives the better. The 7800 GS will be a great part for people who can't decide between the 6800 GS and the 7800 GT. Hopefully the introduction of the 7800 GS will also allow the price of the 6800 GS to get pushed down a little more without leaving a huge gap between it an the next higher performing part.

We will definitely publish more news on the 7800 GS when we get more details.

Quake 4 Performance
Comments Locked

43 Comments

View All Comments

  • bersl2 - Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - link

    quote:

    I keep voting for boxplots but there's still some debate about whether teaching our readers about statistical analysis is a good idea :-)


    "A good idea"? Do you mean "a waste of time"? Something else?

    I suppose "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing" could potentially apply in this case.
  • KristopherKubicki - Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - link

    quote:

    Graphs of instantaneous framerates over time is next to useless in our opinion.


    Well.. not entirely. Boxplots are definitely very good though.

    Kristopher
  • shabby - Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - link

    Min/avg/max fps would be ideal imo.
  • neogodless - Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - link

    My only complaint about graphs like these, against cards like these, is that it makes a part like the 7800GS seem downright midrange and mainstream... and I guess for those enthusiast about games with their budget shifted towards the video card, that is probably realistic. But I guess I'd like to see graphs that better reflect at least what is actually out there being used by gamers today ... i.e. if most of us have 6600GTs, then it would be a good comparison point!
  • ksherman - Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - link

    Im one of those 6600GT owners! but it seems that the 7800 GT might still be a better value IMO... but what about unlocking pipelines and overclocking?!?!?!?!
  • huges84 - Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - link

    I have to agree. Especially since this part is more of a value card instead of a high end card, a 6600GT would be much appreciated in these benchmarks.
  • coldpower27 - Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - link

    If my guess is correct on the MSRP, likely 299US to replace the current MSRP 299US 6800 GT. This product does look good. If the price is right on this product, it could be quite the competitor.
  • gibhunter - Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - link

    So basically, Anand Tech is reduced now to NVidia's marketing arm of gauging public interest in a new card. Nice "leaked" card from "unknown" sources...my ass. Let's not kid ourselves, we're not that stupid.
  • bob661 - Wednesday, November 23, 2005 - link

    quote:

    Let's not kid ourselves, we're not that stupid
    How about you speaking for yourself? I, for one, like to see articles such as these. And I have a friend that would be pretty interested in this card seeing the light of day.
  • Cybercat - Tuesday, November 22, 2005 - link

    grow up gib. Why don't you take this for what it is without inserting your own farfetched assumptions.

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now