Price Guides, August 2005: Video Cards
by Anand Shimpi & Cara Hamm on August 14, 2005 12:05 AM EST- Posted in
- Guides
Mid-Range Graphics
Usually at this point, we speak of a NVIDIA 6600GT recommendation with remorse that ATI has nothing competitive to offer price/performance-wise in this $100-$200 segment. However, this time there's an interesting card showing up in channel from ATI marked "X800". The X800 uses the same ATI R430 graphics core as the High End X800XL, but only has 12 pixel pipelines instead of 16, which doesn't seem to hurt it very much while demolishing NVIDIA's 6600 GT and ATI's very own X700 Pro along the way - the two main cards that used to occupy this price segment.Today, we found an MSI X800 PCIe for $145 [RTPE: MS-8997-01S] after rebate, though the usual price hovers around $175. X800 is without a doubt the best price/performance deal in graphics cards and will play all your games just fine. Unfortunately, this card is only recommended in PCIe, since the AGP version is $80 more expensive.
Our chart below includes all the X800 cards, but you can see just the X800 cards on the Pricing Engine.
Again in response to the launch of the 7800GT, NVIDIA has dropped the price on the regular 6800 to an MSRP of $199. Most cards are still above MSRP for now (with many including mail-in rebates), but they should fall below $199 shortly. The choice between 6800 and 6600GT becomes rather interesting now, with prices and performance being very similar. The 256-bit memory interface of the 6800 usually wins out in our book, although the PCIe cards actually have slower RAM than the AGP models. AGP users will find the XFX 6800 especially interesting, as it is now $155 [RTPE: XFX 6800 AGP].
With tumbling 6800 prices, what happens to the 6600GT? If it remains close to $200, there's no point in getting one over the 6800. Not surprisingly, it has fallen to around $150, continuing to fill the middle ground between the 6600 and the 6800. eVGA has deals for about $130 and $139 after rebate on their PCIe and AGP models, respectively [RTPE: eVGA 6600GT PCIe and eVGA 6600GT AGP].
Filling in the bottom of the Mid-Range sector, we can't really recommend GeForce 6600, Radeon 9800 Pro, or X600 Pro/XT anymore because the price/performance offered isn't very attractive. However, if you're looking to spend $120 or less on a video card, the X700 Pro (PCIe only) has become an an excellent choice. The Connect3D model is the clear winner, having fallen to just $99 [RTPE: Connect3D X700 Pro]!
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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!