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Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/743

Weekly CPU & Video Card Price Guide: March 2001 2nd Edition
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by Manveer Wasson on March 23, 2001 2:48 AM EST
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Introduction

Welcome to the second installment of the CPU and Video Card Price Guide for March 2001. We publish this article to help you the consumer, find the best deals on the 'net. All the tedious work like finding the best prices and locating reputable retailers has already been done so all you have to do is figure out what product is right for you. As always we encourage the reader to investigate every retailer's reliability before ordering, but we have tried to eliminate typically problematic ones from our price guides.

If you encounter any problems with a vendor on our list, please email us, and we will investigate their removal from our list. Remember that we will only list vendors with positive customer feedback. If you have any suggestions, don't hesitate to let us know.

Also be sure to check out AnandTech's Hot Deals Forum for even more great CPU, video card and other technology buys.

Disclaimer

AnandTech does not endorse any vendor listed in the following price guide. AnandTech does not receive any advertising fees and/or sponsorship from the listed vendors. All views expressed by listed vendors do not reflect the opinions of AnandTech.

AnandTech, nor any of the vendors mentioned guarantee that the prices listed in this guide are accurate.

This Week

This week we see even more price drops in the Pentium 4 and Pentium III lines of processors. We also saw price drops in lower clocked Celeron CPUs.

Although we didn't add any new AMD CPU's this week, we did see some hefty price drops on all high-end Athlon-C (266MHz FSB) as well as Athlon-B (200MHz FSB) processors. The rest of the Thunderbird and Duron line of processors saw downward trends in prices this week.

In the video card category, we see 3dfx prices start to stabilize. We also see the beginning of the fall of GeForce2 prices. ATI shows little change however we notice a significant drop in Kyro 1 prices.

Intel CPUs

AnandTech Weekly CPU Prices - Intel
CPU Price Change Vendor Shipping Promotion
Pentium 4 - 1.5GHz (400)
$543
$34
$20
OEM
Pentium 4 - 1.4GHz (400)
$349
$1
$10
OEM
Pentium 4 - 1.3GHz (400)
$279
$56
$11
OEM
Pentium III - 1.0GHz (133)
$234
$9
$10
OEM
Pentium III - 933MHz (133)
$213
$7
$9
OEM
Pentium III - 866MHz (133)
$179
$0
$10
OEM
Pentium III - 850Mhz (100)
$179
$3
$10
OEM
Pentium III - 800MHz (133)
$157
$7
$10
OEM
Pentium III - 800Mhz (100)
$159
$8
$9
OEM
Pentium III - 750Mhz (100)
$130
$4
$9
OEM
Pentium III - 733MHz (133)
$128
$6
$15
OEM
Pentium III - 700Mhz (100)
$132
$4
$10
OEM
Pentium III - 667Mhz (133)
$116
$3
$9
OEM
Pentium III - 650Mhz (100)
$130
$19
$11
OEM
Pentium III - 600MHz (E-133)
$122
$17
$6
OEM
Pentium III - 600MHz (E-100)
$137
$31
$6
OEM
Pentium III - 550MHz (E-100)
$129
$6
$11
OEM
Pentium III - 500Mhz (E-100)
$176
$0
$10
RETAIL
Celeron 800 FC-PGA (100)
$122
$4
$5
OEM
Celeron 766 FC-PGA
$110
$3
$5
OEM
Celeron 733 FC-PGA
$86
$0
$5
OEM
Celeron 700 FC-PGA
$70
$4
$10
OEM
Celeron 667 FC-PGA
$67
$2
$10
OEM
Celeron 633 FC-PGA
$59
$0
$10
OEM
Celeron 600 FC-PGA
$59
$2
$10
OEM
Celeron 566 FC-PGA
$50
$5
$10
OEM
Celeron 533 FC-PGA
$61
$0
$10
OEM

Intel's Pentium 4 line of processors continue to fall in price this week. The 1.5GHz and 1.3GHz parts saw the largest drops in price, falling $34 and $56 respectively. The 1.3GHz part is by far the most affordable of the P4 line, however performance compared to the 1.0GHz Pentium III is disappointing. The 1.4GHz Pentium 4 saw a slight price drop this week, putting it at $349. If you are interested in buying a P4, the 1.4GHz model will give you the most bang for your buck. For more information on the Pentium 4, read our review of it here.

We did not see the usual price drops we've become accustomed to in the Pentium III line this week. The 1.0GHz part tops the list again this week with a $9 cut in price. Most midrange PIII's saw between a $3 - $8 drop in price. However, several of the low-end Pentium III's saw steep price jumps this week. The PIII 600MHz (100MHz FSB) saw the biggest jump in price, $31. We expect prices for these chips to remain high as there is much less demand for them.

For the Celeron line this week we saw minimal price fluctuations. The 800MHz part saw a slight increase in price, however it is still a better value compared to its Pentium III cousins.

Related Reviews

Make sure you check out our latest Intel Pentium III Coppermine and Intel Celeron FC-PGA reviews for more information.

Pentium III Reviews Publication Date
Intel Pentium 4 1.4GHz & 1.5GHz November 20th, 2000
Intel Pentium III 1.13GHz (1133MHz) July 31st, 2000
Intel Pentium III 933 May 24th, 2000
Intel Pentium III 866, 850 March 20th, 2000
Intel Pentium III 1GHz March 8th, 2000
Intel Pentium III 800 & 750 "Coppermine" December 20th, 1999
Intel Pentium III E FC-PGA (Socket-370) October 26th, 1999
Intel Pentium III E "Coppermine" (Slot-1) October 25th, 1999

 

Celeron Reviews Publication Date
Intel Celeron 800 January 3rd, 2001
Intel Celeron 700 June 26th, 2000
Overclocking the FC-PGA Celeron April 17th, 2000
Intel Celeron 600 "Coppermine128" March 29th, 2000


AMD CPUs

AnandTech Weekly CPU Prices - AMD
CPU Price Change Vendor Shipping Promotion
Athlon Thunderbird 1.33GHz (266MHz)
$277
$32
$0
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 1.3GHz (200MHz)
$289
$5
$11
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 1.2GHz (200MHz)
$204
$16
$10
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 1.2GHz (266MHz)
$218
$14
$10
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 1.13GHz (266MHz)
$214
$8
$9
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 1.1GHz (200Mhz)
$187
$10
$9
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 1.0GHz (266MHz)
$176
$36
$10
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 1.0GHz (200MHz)
$161
$7
$9
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 950MHz
$148
$0
$11
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 900MHz
$121
$0
$11
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 850MHz
$102
$3
$11
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 800MHz
$98
$2
$11
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 750MHz
$76
$0
$11
OEM
Athlon Thunderbird 700MHz
$82
$9
$6
OEM
Athlon 1.0GHz
$309
$4
$11
OEM
Athlon 950MHz
$189
$10
$10
OEM
Athlon 900MHz
$129
$1
$11
OEM
Athlon 850MHz
$111
$5
$9
OEM
Athlon 800MHz
$99
$10
$11
OEM
Athlon 750MHz
$89
$0
$11
OEM
Athlon 700MHz
$86
$1
$11
OEM
Athlon 650MHz
$79
$0
$11
OEM
Duron 850MHz
$75
$3
$7
OEM
Duron 800MHz
$60
$3
$7
OEM
Duron 750MHz
$48
$8
$7
OEM
Duron 700MHz
$42
$4
$10
OEM
Duron 650MHz
$48
$1
$9
OEM
Duron 600MHz
$43
$0
$9
OEM


Yesterday, AMD officially unveiled the 1.3GHz Athlon-B (200MHz FSB) and Athlon-C (266MHz FSB) processors. We saw both of these processors in last week's guide, however this week we see both of them drop in price. The 1.3GHz Athlon-C dropped $32 bringing it to a more affordable $277. This processor is actually more affordable than it's Athlon-B cousin, which is now $289. The rest of the Athlon-C line saw significant price drops as well. The largest drop came from the 1.0GHz part which is now only $176. It should be noted that a motherboard that supports the 266MHz (133MHz DDR) FSB is required to take advantage of Athlon-C processors.

The high-end Athlon-B processors saw hefty price drops as well this week. The 1.2GHz part topped the list this week with a $16 drop in price, putting it at $204. This is still not as good a value as the 1.0GHz and 1.1GHz parts which are now $187 and $161, respectively. The mid- and low-range Thunderbirds saw only small price fluctuations this week.

AMD's "classic" Slot-A Athlons showed a downward trend in prices this week. The largest drop came from the 800MHz part which can be found for $99. The 900MHz part is still the best buy in this category as it is relatively cheap and offers excellent performance for the current Slot-A motherboard owner. Those looking to upgrade an older Athlon system need only upgrade their motherboard's BIOS is order to support these higher clocked Athlons.

The low-cost Duron line of processors showed some slight price drops this week as well. The 850MHz chip can now be found for $75, however the 800MHz part is still a better deal for only $60 as it offers similar performance for a better price. Those interested in overclocking should look to the Duron 700MHz, which is a steal at only $42.

Related Reviews

Make sure you check out our latest Athlon and Duron reviews for more information.

Duron Reviews Publication Date
AMD Duron 850MHz January 8th, 2001
AMD Duron 800MHz October 17th, 2000 12:56 AM
AMD Duron 750 September 5th, 2000 12:00 PM
AMD Duron June 19th, 2000 12:00 PM


Video Cards

AnandTech Weekly Video Card Prices
Video Card Model Price Change Vendor Shipping Promotion
3dfx Voodoo5 5500 AGP
$112
$0
$9
  
3dfx Voodoo5 5500 PCI
$132
$2
$9
  
3dfx Voodoo4 4500 AGP
$79
$0
$9
  
3dfx Voodoo4 4500 PCI
$86
$13
$6
  
3dfx Voodoo3 3500TV AGP
$69
$4
$6
  
ATI RADEON 64MB DDR
$176
$0
NA
  
ATI RADEON 32MB DDR (Retail)
$147
$0
NA
ATI RADEON 32MB DDR LE (OEM)
$76
$5
$11
ATI RADEON 32MB VE
$84
$7
$11
  
ATI RADEON 32MB SDR
$83
$2
$15
  
ATI RADEON ALL-IN-WONDER
$213
$4
$12
  
NVIDIA GeForce2 ULTRA 64MB
$327
$12
$15
NVIDIA GeForce2 PRO 64MB
$199
$40
NA
  
NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS 64MB
$240
$0
$12
  
NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS 32MB
$138
$5
NA
  
NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS 32MB VIVO (ASUS V7700 Deluxe)
$199
$5
$12
  
NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 32MB
$81
$8
NA
  
PowerVR KYRO 64MB
$89
$16
$8
  
Matrox G450 32MB (DualHead)
$99
$3
$12
  
Matrox G400 32MB
$109
$0
NA
  

The reader should note that 3dfx's acquisition by NVIDIA will result in them not being able to provide support for their cards, so purchase a Voodoo3/4/5 card at your own risk. This week we see 3dfx prices start to settle down. The Voodoo5 5500 PCI is an excellent value for those looking to add 3D acceleration to a motherboard without an AGP slot. The Voodoo3 3500 is still an great value at $69 as it is an excellent bargain for those looking to add TV in and out capability to their PC and are not necessarily concerned with the highest 3D performance.

This week we do not see much change in ATI prices. The most significant price drop, however, came with the Radeon VE, which can now be found for $84. This make the VE only $1 more than the standard SDR card. We'd recommend this card over the standard Radeon SDR to non-gamers as it adds dual display support but it is considerably slower in 3D performance when compared to the DDR cards.

We should note that several readers have pointed out that there are a few major differences between the Radeon 32MB DDR (Retail) and the Radeon 32MB DDR LE (OEM) which many online retailers fail to point out. The Radeon LE is actually a crippled version of the Retail card and does not feature ATI's Hyper-Z technology. It is important that readers understand this because Hyper-Z can have a significant effect on performance. The Radeon LE was originally meant to be an OEM product for some of the Asian markets. However the success of the product in those markets was overestimated and ATI was forced to bring the product to the North American market. The Radeon LE chips are generally composed of those chips that fail to work properly as fully functional Radeon solutions, meaning that they are often clocked at lower core frequencies and may not have fully functional HyperZ units. Many readers have been reporting success with overclocking their Radeon LEs as well as by forcing HyperZ to be enabled on the boards however proceed with your own risk as there are no guarantees. For more information consult the AnandTech Forums.

Since the GeForce3 has been announced, we have seen an overall downward trend in NVIDIA graphics card prices. This week we see the Ultra has dropped down to $327, making it a tad more affordable to those looking for the baddest graphics card around (next to the GeForce3, of course). The GeForce2 PRO takes the most significant price drop this week at $40, putting it at $199. This card is a great deal for those hard-core gamers out there looking for a fast graphics card without spending an arm and a leg. We expect the prices of GeForce cards to drop further once the GeForce3 hits the shelves. Those looking for a low-end bargain should consider the GeForce2 MX; this card offers excellent 3D performance at a low price.

The PowerVR KYRO 64MB saw a $16 drop in price this week. This card is a unique alternative to the 3dfx Voodoo and NVIDIA GeForce cards. What makes this card unique is it's tile based rendering engine. If you are interested in the Kyro, we suggest you wait until the Kyro II kits the shelves later this month. The Kyro II offers GeForce2 Ultra performance for half the price.

The Matrox line of cards saw minimal changes in price this week. Those looking for excellent dual display capability may wish to purchase the Matrox G450 card as it has proven itself well in this category. For more information check out our Dual Display Comparison.

Related Reviews

Make sure you check out our latest video card reviews for more information.

Video Card Reviews Publication Date
3dfx Voodoo5 5500AGP
 July 11th, 2000
3dfx Voodoo5 5500PCI August 4th, 2000
3dfx Voodoo4 4500AGP
 October 23rd, 2000
ATI Radeon 64MB DDR
 July 17th, 2000
ATI Radeon VE 32MB
February 19 , 2001
ATI Radeon 32MB SDR October 13th, 2000
NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS 32MB
 April 26th, 2000
NVIDIA GeForce 2 GTS 64MB
 June 21st, 2000
NVIDIA GeForce2 Pro 64MB December 5th, 2000
NVIDIA GeForce2 Ultra
 August 14th, 2000
NVIDIA GeForce2 MX
 June 28th, 2000
ASUS V7700 Deluxe (32MB GeForce2 GTS VIVO)
 November 3rd, 2000
Imagination Technologies / STMicro PowerVR Series 3: KYRO
 June 7th, 2000
Matrox Millennium G400 & G400MAX
 May 20th, 1999
Matrox Millennium G450
 September 5th, 2000
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