Price Guide, July 2006: Video Cards

by Haider Farhan on 7/12/2006 2:45 AM EST
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  • bongbong - Sunday, July 23, 2006 - link

    The fastest 7300GT with ddr3 1400 mhtz meory is faster than a 6600GT and a 6800 and its price a bit lower than the geforce 6600GT so go for it.
    Its a mid end car masquearading as low end card.
  • bongbong - Sunday, July 23, 2006 - link

    There are lots of reviews on the web of the ddr3 powered 7300GT whose memory clocks at default of 1400 mhtz.
    It beats the 7600 GS whose memory is at 800 mhtz.
    The only 7600 that can beat the 7300 gt with ddr 1400 mhtz memory would be the 7600 GST
    which has the extra t and 1400 mhtz gdd3 memory also.
    It is however expensive in my country where a 25 usdollar difference in price from the 7300 GT (both 256mb versions at gd3 1400mhtz) is substantially felt by filipinos.

    Also the 7300 GT by Inno3d overclocks up to 1600 mhtz mem and 600 core.

    Just ggogle for inno3d 7300 GT ddr3 reviews or look up www.trustedreviews.com
    Im suprised these hi speed 7300 GTs arent widely available in America.

    They are very much worth the hype.
  • dstigue - Saturday, July 15, 2006 - link

    You're right about the 7900gt's needing to be moved down to high end but I think the x1800xt's should be too. x1800xt's compete very well with the x1900gt's and at a better price point I might add. Those three cards are in a deathlock as far as price/performance goes. I picked up a x1800xt 512 for $300 with $20 mail in rebate on newegg. And I will tell you I am very happy with my purchase. But I don't think my system is ultra high end either.
  • Ozo - Thursday, July 13, 2006 - link

    Why don't you guys include the Gainward BLISS 7800GS+?

    This thing is basically a 7900GT, and Overclockers UK will ship to the US. I didn't even realize this card existed until I started looking for dual-DVI to drive two big flat panels, and stumbled across references in newsgroups. Very sweet card. It already has an Arctic Cooler.

    Yes, I know $445 (delivered) is a lot, but this will extend the life of my S754 system for yet another year. Switching MB's, memory, I/O cards, re-installing XP, etc. is a major hassle when all I need is a faster graphics card.

    BTW, I love your guides. Very useful - Thank you!!
  • jluquette - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    I'm curious to know what the difference between some of the different models (from the same manufacturer) of X1900 XT are. For example, Sapphire has 3 different X1900 XT models listed at newegg; model numbers:

    100149L $355
    100149 $389
    100149SR $399

    Newegg's comparison chart between the three can be found here:

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductCompare.asp?S...">http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductCo...25%2CN82...

    These are all X1900 XTs; not AIWs, not GTs, not XTXs and not Crossfires. They're all X1900 XTs with the same core and memory clocks--yet for some reason there's a $50 price span. Sapphire doesn't list anything helpful to differentiating these models--so does anyone know what the differences might be for $50? Is it possibly the software bundle that's different? Or the accessory packs?

    On one hand, the memory and clock speeds are the same--and so is the pipeline count--so I feel confident that these cards should be equivalent in performance. But on the other hand, what could possibly prompt a $50 increase from the low end to the high end?

    Can anyone shed some light on this?

    Joe
  • rrcn - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    From what I can tell: 100149L is the retail version of 100149, which is OEM. 100149SR is the same as 100149L, except 100149SR has a greater software bundle.

    Hope that helps.

    Haider Farhan
  • erple2 - Thursday, July 13, 2006 - link

    One other difference I've noticed: the 100149SR comes with 2x DVI to VGA adapters. Whether it's an oversight on the listing of the 100149L, I don't know.
  • jluquette - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    Thanks!

    It looks like you're right. Looking through the supplied pictures shows that the SR comes with the game select disc among other software goodies. However, I'm confused as to why the OEM version of the card is ~$30 more expensive than the retail version (before rebate)--and nearly $60 more expensive after rebate.

    In general, isn't the retail version of anything supposed to be more expensive than the OEM version? The retail version is supposedly the same as the OEM version, just boxed up and fancy, right?

    Joe
  • rrcn - Thursday, July 13, 2006 - link

    quote:

    However, I'm confused as to why the OEM version of the card is ~$30 more expensive than the retail version (before rebate)--and nearly $60 more expensive after rebate. In general, isn't the retail version of anything supposed to be more expensive than the OEM version?

    Correct. I was pondering the same thing, why that OEM card is more expensive than the retail version. It could definitely be a pricing mistake, I'm positive it's happened before. I wouldn't stress over it...obviously go with the retail version. ;-)

    quote:

    The retail version is supposedly the same as the OEM version, just boxed up and fancy, right?

    Correct again. ;-) Sometimes though, the OEM will be just the card -- no power adapter, dongles, etc. Always read the "what's included" portion before buying.

    Haider Farhan
  • unclebud - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    "However, with performance generally lower than the 6600 GT, the X1600 offerings really aren't very attractive."

    to somebody biased towards nvidia perhaps :/
    i have a friend playing wow on nvidia 6600. don't see a bit of difference, except that his dvd drive stopped working

    "Rather than going with an X1600 or the X700, we feel you'll get more for your money if you spend the few extra dollars and select the 7600 GT as your choice."

    how is paying twice the price a "few dollars more"? in what universe?

    "This is a truly buggy situation. Windows does not pick it up as a Sapphire using drivers provided by Sapphire,"

    this is like what i experienced with the 3dfuzion (3dfuzjunk imo) 6200 pci that i bought. i will just have to reflash the bios and reload windows, because the pci bus is tarfed now and the second monitor ouput on the 5500 pci i swapped back doesn't work now either
    i agree sapphire drivers are junk! some of the discs they ship with their cards are completely out of date. sorry, i know this doesn't help, but rest assured i feel the same pain... good luck. maybe try driver cleaner (althought that hasn't helped me either)
  • JarredWalton - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    7600GT is over twice as fast as X1600 XT, and even more than that compared to X1600 Pro. X700 Pro would be about the level of X1300 Pro, minus features. Performance of X1600 XT compared to 6600GT showed the 6600 GT to be faster http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=2552&p...">in almost all games, so yes, the X1600 really aren't that attractive. You may not "see a bit of difference", but are you just going by impressions or are you actually running benchmarks? Honestly, most games you won't see a difference unless you drop below 60 FPS, which might require higher resolutions or other games for testing.
  • slashbinslashbash - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    Right now the X1900 AIW is at $275 at most places (NewEgg, ZZF, etc.). Over the past weekend NewEgg even had it at $225. It's the cheapest way to get into the X1900 with a full 16/48 pipeline config. About as cheap as the X1900GT with only 12 pipelines. Plus of course the AIW also has the VIVO and TV tuner capabilities and comes with a software bundle of Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Premiere Elements (worth $100). For me, it's a no-brainer.
  • JarredWalton - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    Sorry for the omission. I've gone back and added the AIW card to page 3. It's definitely a reasonable choice, as it has performance roughly equaling the X1900 GT plus you get VIVO support. If you're after faster graphics performance, however, there are better solutions.
  • Spacecomber - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    I was wondering if more might have been said about this card, the X1600 Pro for the AGP slot. It strikes me that this card is at the top of its particular class, budget AGP game cards.

    These cards often sell for just a little over $100, and this seems to give them a good bang for your buck value compared to their competition, which I take to be the AGP versions of the 6600 GT and X800GTO.

    I've not seen a good head to head comparison of these cards, but looking at their specifications, I would think that they should perform fairly similarly.

    Anyone else have any thoughts on what is a good buy in the $100-$150 range for the AGP slot? I know that there are some good prices on things like refurbished models that are no longer available new, as well as your close out bargains; however, I'm focusing on those cards that are readily available.
  • JarredWalton - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    The 6600 GT easily outperforms X1600 Pro AGP. The only reason to get X1600 over 6600 is if you want support for AVIVO.
  • Spacecomber - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    That's interesting to know. You wouldn't necessarily have guessed that looking at their specifications.

    X1600Pro:
    500 core, 800 memory, 128-bit, 256MB GDDR2, 12 pipelines

    6600GT:
    500 core, 1000 memory, 128-bit 128MB GDDR3, 8 pipelines

    Any guesses as to what is holding the X1600Pro back? Is it the slightly slower clocked GDDR2 memory, compared to the faster clocked GDDR3 memory that you find on the 6600GT?
  • JarredWalton - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    Possibly. I figured it would win, because on the high end X1800/X1900 the ATI cards seem less dependent on memory bandwidth. However, http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.aspx?i=2552&p...">in testing, the X1600 just doesn't perform as expected - even the X1600 XT can't outperform the 6600GT in most cases! Possibly some features were cut that ATI isn't telling.
  • Exodus220 - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    I absolutely love reading your overview of the video cards and other computer hardware. However, I always run into the same frustration of trying to locate the cheapest product in your list. Sure you guys will give your recommendation but it would be so much easier if you could just sort them by lowest price to the highest price. I don't know if it has been a consideration but it sure would help my reading experience and process in searching for what you have listed as the best option.
  • Spacecomber - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    I had the same thought when reading this guide. It is especially confusing since you often have different models mixed in with each other, such as 7600GS and 7600GT lumped together. Sorting by price should indirectly sort the models, as well, and those models by a particular manufacturer that seem to not be with their group (after sorting by price) will stand out as either being a good deal or being over priced.
  • rrcn - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    I have gone ahead and sorted all the cards I can. Unfortunately, I cannot sort the 7900GT and GTX cards due to the way we must enter the search code that displays the charts. Entering in the code to display the GTX cards is fine and dandy, but when I search for the GT cards, it also displays the GTX cards.
  • JarredWalton - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    Actually, I think what they wanted was to have each table sorted by price, not just grouping similar cards together. This is an often requested feature, and our pricing engine people are aware of it. Unfortunately, there are many factors that come into play with adding this feature to the tables that get generated. Hopefully we can get that one of these days -- along with better searching capability (like the ability to search for regular expressions rather than specific strings). Her
  • rrcn - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    Ah yes, I forgot to address that portion of their request.

    However, for the time being, if you go to our RTPE and http://labs.anandtech.com/cats.php">browse by category, you can sort by prices after you select which card you're looking at. This goes for all other products, not just video cards. =) Hope this helps.
  • Josh7289 - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    You mentioned the X1900GT certainly packing a punch, but what kind of a punch does it pack? At $260 after rebate, it is priced identically to the 7900GT, so I'm curious as to specifically how it performs compared to other cards in its price range, like the 7900GT.

    Also, for $140 after rebate, the X850XT is about the same price as the 7600GT, maybe a little cheaper, so I'd like to know how that card also performs similar to others in its price range, like the 7600GT.

    Thanks ;)
  • JarredWalton - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    I've updated the text on page 3 to reflect this information. The 7900 GT could easily be classified as a high-end card, but the search string (GeForce 7900 GT) also picks up the GTX cards, so we just put them all on the ultra high-end page.
  • bobbyto34 - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    It's not the same generation. The X850 are not SM 3.0 compatible. Some effects won't be avalaible.
    In some games, you'll have the same amount of fps, but you wont have the same graphical effects.

    I would surely choose the 7600GT because :
    - Less heat and lower power consumption
    - Special AA filter ( better filtering on trees).
    - Lower impact of HDR
    - SLI (??) : I'm not fan of SLI, because it would cost more than a 7900GT, for the same performance.
  • Dfere - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    This is a truly buggy situation. Windows does not pick it up as a Sapphire using drivers provided by Sapphire, o/c utility will not install. I can remove drivers with ATI uninstaller but then XP will not allow for install of updated generic catalyst drivers. I haven't seen these types of issues since the days of the S/B 32 wavetable era. I am way past what Newegg will consider for an RMA. It could be my intel mb. Anybody wanna buy a x1800gGTO?
  • imaheadcase - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    "you should know that the support is unofficial, meaning you can't complain to NVIDIA if things don't work right. "

    Um yes you can complain, its nice nvidia sells a graphics card $500-600 that does not include that. lol I guess if your a sucker to buy one you would also justify any complaint that came with it..

    Seems to be a trend in hardware, release said great product, drivers 6 months later that work right. (Creative anyone?) :P
  • Eric2203 - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    quote:

    "you should know that the support is unofficial, meaning you can't complain to NVIDIA if things don't work right. "

    Um yes you can complain, its nice nvidia sells a graphics card $500-600 that does not include that. lol I guess if your a sucker to buy one you would also justify any complaint that came with it..

    Seems to be a trend in hardware, release said great product, drivers 6 months later that work right. (Creative anyone?) :P


    And since when is nvidia selling a quad-SLI system ? They're not. So no, you have no room to complain. The product that is being sold has working drivers, no room to complain.
  • bobbyto34 - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    Nvidia driver are not updated as quickly as it used to be.
    There is nearly 2/3 months between graphic cards drivers OFFICIAL update.
    For chipset driver, it's nearly yearly updates !!!
  • JarredWalton - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    The *Quad SLI* support is unofficial. The only official Quad SLI support will come through system vendors (Falcon Northwest, Dell, Alienware, etc.) that ship the system. There are a lot of things that need to be done to guarantee a stable QSLI setup, so NVIDIA allows you to try it, but you're on your own as far as support goes. Now they just need to take the next step and give unofficial support for SLI on non-NVIDIA chipsets....
  • mobutu - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    Is it me or I didn't see any 7300GT's on your price guide???
  • mobutu - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    That's a great low-end card (even middle-range w/oc), I think it can be had for as low as 80 bucks ...
  • JarredWalton - Wednesday, July 12, 2006 - link

    I broadened the search - it was originally "7300gs" and so now it's all geforce 7300 cards. I'd still go for the 7600gs or 7600gt if you're concerned with performance. An overclocked 7300 GT might match a 7600 GS that isn't overclocked, but it's only about $20 cheaper (not even that if you http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82...">get a card with a rebate)... and once you OC the 7600 GS it becomes faster again.

    If you really want to be able to play most games at higher detail, though, just save the money and get a 7600 GT. There's no way a card with 800- MHz RAM can compete with a card that has 1400+ MHz RAM, not to mention 12 vs. 8 pixel pipelines and GPU core speeds.
  • Sus - Saturday, May 28, 2022 - link

    Im thik Nvidia GeForce rtx 3080 faster and better than this.

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