Introduction
Greetings and thanks for joining us for another one of our monthly video card price guides. Our astute readers may have noticed a bit of a dry spell with our price guides, but not to worry, we're back in full swing and expect them to be up once a week like before. If this is your first time here reading our weekly price guides, you'll see that we not only pick out hardware we feel you should consider for your next purchase, but we also like to follow the market trends, giving you an outlook as to what we see happening. We rotate the topics every week, four different topics a month, covering CPUs, motherboards, video cards and storage media.
Although we only discuss these four topics in our price guides, our
Real Time Price Engine, more commonly known as the RTPE, includes all aspects of computer hardware; all the way from LCD monitors, to desktop and notebook RAM to sound cards. The RTPE also experienced quite an overhaul a couple months ago, and in case you missed our announcement then, you'll notice that the RTPE's speed has picked up significantly and is much more enjoyable to use thanks to our RTPE administrator and other behind-the-scenes coders. We're still working on getting even better performance in the future, of course, and as more people use our pricing engine we will do our best to keep up.
We're noticing this week that there are many cards with mail-in rebates, especially from MSI. Not all of us on the AnandTech crew like dealing with mail-in rebates, but if you don't mind dealing with the hassle of filling out forms, photocopying UPCs and mailing them out, and perhaps waiting eight weeks for your check to arrive, mail-in rebates can really make a good deal that much sweeter. We would also like to mention that the high-end graphics cards don't appear too appealing as they have been priced unreasonably for quite some time now. Rather than going with a card from that section, we suggest going with something from the ultra high-end or mid-range line-up.
As always, we like to begin our video card price guides with the ultra high-end graphics solutions all the way through the high-end, mid-range and ending with the low-end graphics cards. Note that when we talk about market segments, we are primarily concerned with performance and positioning rather than price. This is why we generally don't recommend the high-end market right now for video cards, as in many instances you get better price/performance from either a slightly more expensive card or a cheaper card.
There are many cards to cover, and we'll do our best to cover them all, but please do feel free to leave us any comments, suggestions or death threats in the comment forum below or send us an e-mail at the e-mail address above. The feedback we receive is always invaluable and helps improve our guides for the best. So here we go, starting off with the ultra high-end video cards...
Ultra High-End Graphics
Starting off our ultra high-end graphics section, we have NVIDIA's 7900 line-up. With the 7900 GTX, you'll find it performs right up there with the X1900 XT and X1900 XTX. It's difficult to say which is better as the 7900 GTX brings some excellent competition to ATI. The 7900 cards also generate less heat, use less power, and generally run quieter than their ATI counterparts, the X1900 XT and XTX. The main deciding factor between these cards will be the price and features, as well as the intended use. We would say that ATI tends to have the performance advantage in many games right now, but there are still titles that favor NVIDIA's cards. Taking a step down in performance, we've discovered that the 7900 GT performs slightly better than a 7800 GTX, which compared to ATI's offerings would put 7900 GT up with the X1800 XL and X1800 XT cards, performing about the same or slightly better than them.
At the moment, the MSI GeForce 7900 GTX 512MB [RTPE: NX7900 GTX-T2D512E] is going for $430 after a $30 mail-in rebate. Leading the 7900 GT pack this week are two cards, the MSI GeForce 7900 GT 256MB [RTPE: NX7900 GT-T2D256E] and the XFX GeForce 7900 GT XTREME 256MB VIVO [RTPE: PV-T71G-UCF7] going for $250 after a $30 mail-in rebate. Coming up very close behind are the eVGA GeForce 7900 GT CO 256MB [RTPE: 256-P2-N563] and the BFG GeForce 7900 GT OC 256MB [RTPE: BFGR79256GTOCE] on sale for $260 after a $40 mail-in rebate. You'll note that many of the 7900 GT/GTX cards come factory overclocked, so if you don't want to overclock on your own, you should pay attention to clock speeds.
The GeForce 7800 GT/GTX used to be very popular. However, we are only picking up on a single GT card this week as all the others are now out of stock, and as mentioned already you will get better performance out of the 7900 GT cards. All the other 7800 GT cards listed in the RPTE are coming up as pre-order only, so you will not see them displayed in the above chart. The best/only price we are able to find on a 7800 GT is the BFG GeForce 7800 GT OC 256MB [RTPE: BFGR78256GTOC] going for $305 shipped. With only 20 pipelines compared to 24 on the 7900 GT, there's absolutely no reason to recommend a 7800 GT anymore. If you already have one and are looking to upgrade to SLI, you can get a moderate performance increase, but that's about the only reason to even think about the 7800 GT cards.
In the 7800 GTX line-up, the best price we're pulling up on is the eVGA GeForce 7800 GTX KO 256MB [RTPE: 256-P2-N529] which is currently going for $408 shipped. You can also find quite a few of these cards going for between $445 and $460. As with other models, these 7800 GTX cards come with many different package alternatives, so read the details carefully to get what you really want or avoid what you don't. Given that the 7900 GT is over $100 cheaper and will generally overclock and outperform a 7800 GTX, we again emphasize that your money is probably better spent elsewhere - or just save it for the next graphics card generation.
Moving on to ATI's ultra high-end offerings, we'll start off with the X1900 XT cards. We found a few X1900 XTs priced roughly the same as the 7900 GTX cards. The best price we're able to bring you is the MSI Radeon X1900XT 512MB [RTPE: RX1900XT-VT2D512E] for $400 after a $30 mail-in rebate. If it wasn't for the mail-in rebate, we would also suggest either the PowerColor Radeon X1900XT 512MB [RTPE: 1900XT512OEM] on sale for $436 shipped, or coming in very close behind that is the Sapphire Radeon X1900XT 512MB [RTPE: 100149] for $437. Since the X1900 XT and 7900 GTX perform similarly, the deciding factor will usually be the price. As you can see here, the X1900 XT wins this week at a considerably lower price.
Just as we hoped, we're seeing the X1900 XTX going for under $500. We're finding the Gigabyte Radeon X1900XTX 512MB [RTPE: GV-RX19X512VB-RH] running for $478 shipped and also the Sapphire Radeon X1900XTX 512MB [RTPE: 100150] for $490 shipped. The XTX cards are really only about 5% faster than the XT cards, and of course if you ever upgrade to CrossFire you will be stuck with XT speeds anyway. We definitely recommend the XT cards, as the extra $75 really isn't worth spending.
There are a couple more X1900 cards worth mentioning. First, there's the All-In-Wonder model. The X1900 AIW has lower clocks than the X1900 XT (500/960), but you also get VIVO support, and the price is lower. With a $50 MIR currently available, the card is certainly a reasonable alternative. The other card worth mentioning is the X1900 GT. These cards trim the number of pipelines from 16/48 down to 12/36, along with having slightly slower clock speeds than the XT (575/1200). Given the price and features, we would currently go with the AIW model instead, as both sell for about $330 (with rebates). The AIW card has more pixel processing power but less memory bandwidth, so both end up offering similar performance.
These X1800 cards aren't very appealing. While the lower priced cards seem reasonable, anything after about $350 isn't a good idea considering the X1900 XT we found above going for $400 (AMIR). We feel the performance found with X1900 XT would be well worth the ~$50 additional cost. However, we can give a moderate recommendation to the Sapphire Radeon X1800XL 256MB [RTPE: 100133] going for $292.
Let us head on over to the high-end graphics cards and take a look at what we have there.
High-End Graphics
Besides the fact that most of these cards are really overpriced, there really isn't much else to say about these high-end cards. For the best price/performance, we recommend you take a look at the mid-range or ultra high-end cards. For the amount you would be paying here, you would be better off going with an ultra high-end card. Still, let's take a look at what we have available.
Here we have the GeForce 7800GS cards that come only in AGP form. There is a great selection of these cards available, but the best price we can bring you as of today is the eVGA GeForce 7800GS CO 256MB [RTPE: 256-A8-N506-AX] for $280 shipped, with a $15 mail-in rebate knocking the price down to a total of $265. As you skim through the rest of the chart, you will notice that there are many cards available for under the $300 price tag. Competing with the X850 XTPE, the 7800GS does an excellent job at filling out the top of the NVIDIA AGP performance spectrum. It is slightly underpowered compared to the X850 XTPE AGP, but the 7800GS is priced about $120 less. Honestly, we have to say that you're better off upgrading to a PCI-E motherboard and graphics card for an extra $100, but it's far easier to change graphics cards than to swap out an entire motherboard.
ATI's X850 line is rather interesting, as it performs better than the X800 line and is currently priced lower. The AGP cards are still pretty expensive, but the Sapphire Radeon X850XT 256MB [RTPE: 100106] priced at $165 is actually more of a midrange price with high-end performance. This is about the only "high-end" card that we would seriously recommend right now, and how long it stays in stock at this price is anyone's guess. Also note that CrossFire X850 cards are relatively expensive, and R400 CrossFire really wasn't a very elegant solution. We recommend you stick with single X850 cards if you plan on purchasing one.
It isn't really much of a deal, but the Gigabyte Radeon X800XL 512MB [RTPE: GV-RX80L512DE] is somewhat interesting, currently priced at about $200. (Ooooh! 512 MEGA-bytes!) Still, there's no point in getting this over one of the similarly priced X850 XT cards. The X800XT cards are also overpriced. For the price of these X800XT cards, you can easily purchase a 7900 GT or even something faster. Really, these cards are on the way out, and basically we're just seeing the last few remnants being sold.
What can we say that we haven't said before? Skip these cards over and head on to the ultra high-end cards if you're looking to spend anywhere near the amount these 6800GTs are going for. (And don't even think about the 6800 Ultra cards!) Alternatively, check out the next page for our mid-range batch of cards. Several of them will at least match performance of the 6800 GT, but do it at a lower price.
Mid-Range Graphics
Here we are back at some cards worth discussing. Several of these cards will match the performance of more expensive "high-end" cards, offering fairly stellar performance for their current pricing.
Performance-wise, the 7600 GT falls in between the 6800 GS and the 7800 GT. This card replaces the very successful 6600 GT, and of all the other cards listed here, this is one of the few we can recommend with confidence. (You will see why later on.) For an even $153 after a $30 mail-in rebate, you can have the XFX GeForce 7600GT Extreme 256MB [RTPE: PV-T73G-UDE3]. You will find that the 6800 GS already does better than the X1600 XT, and since the 7600 GT is priced to about the same, we would highly suggest you go with this offering from NVIDIA.
If you're looking to save some money, you might be tempted to go with the 7600 GS instead. Clock speeds are significantly lower (400/800 vs. 560/1400), however, so the extra $50 is probably a reasonable investment for gaming. Still, the lower clock speeds do come with one advantage: noise levels. You can pick up the fanless EVGA GeForce 7600GS 256MB [RTPE: 256-P2-N549] for $120, with a $15 MIR.
Since the 7600 GT cards are able to perform slightly better than the 6800 GS at a lower cost, the answer is obviously to go with the 7600 GT. However, since the 7600 GT doesn't come in AGP format, the 6800 GS is a viable option for those without PCI-E boards. The single AGP card that is showing today is the eVGA GeForce 6800GS CO 256MB [RTPE: 256-A8-N397], on sale for about $230. However, do keep in mind that you can go with a 7800 GS for an additional $35. We would suggest the 7800 GS, but if you're looking to save a few bucks, this 6800 GS is a reasonable alternative. It really is up to you.
For AGP users, the 6600 GT still appears to be an adequate choice considering its price and performance, as you can't really get a card that performs better without also upping your budget quite a bit. However, for PCI-E users we would suggest a 7600 GT. Sure, you can pick up the Gigabyte GeForce 6600GT 128MB [RTPE: GV-NX66T128D-SP] for $120, but for an additional ~$35 for the 7600 GT we mentioned above, you get 50 to 75% more performance; we think it's well worth the cost.
While it costs a bit more than the 7600 GT, the X1800 GTO competes very well. Depending on the game you're running, the two cards trade place for being the fastest midrange card. We are only picking up two X1800 GT cards at present, but both are relatively easy to obtain. The Sapphire Radeon X1800 GTO 256MB [RTPE: 100155] gets the clear recommendation, coming in at an even $200 shipped (or a few dollars more for the retail version). You might be wondering if there's any specific game that clearly benefits from having an X1800 GTO instead of a 7600 GT. You may have heard of a certain game that goes by the name Oblivion, and in most areas we would say the X1800 GTO posts more consistent/faster results. Of course, if you plan on running multiple video cards, X1800 GTO is a relatively poor choice.
The X800GT/GTO cards are also decently priced. The PowerColor Radeon X800GTO 256MB VIVO [RTPE: X800GTO256MBDDR3] is near its lowest price to date, going for about $115 shipped. Not a bad offering at all for a reasonable performing mid-range card. With a bit of overclocking, you can even reach X800 XT performance levels. This is certainly a viable alternative to the 6600/7600 GT.
Just as we mentioned with the 6600 GT cards, we feel you'll get more for your money if you spend the few extra dollars and select the 7600 GT as your choice rather than the X1600. There are still a couple options you might consider, though. The AGP Sapphire Radeon X1600 Pro 256MB [RTPE: 100148] is a reasonable budget/midrange AGP offering, going for about $115. Gigabyte also makes a couple silent (fanless) X1600 cards a few of you might be interested in. However, with performance generally lower than the 6600 GT, the X1600 offerings really aren't very attractive for gaming purposes. If you prefer ATI and AVIVO over NVIDIA and PureVideo, though, X1600 is still a good economical choice.
We won't even mention any X700 cards - they would make a better budget offering, but they currently continue to carry their midrange price. Considering the X1600 prices, X700 is basically done, and we're just seeing old inventory floating around.
Let's check out the last and final segment covering the low-end graphic card solutions.
Low-End Graphics
With this video card price guide nearing completion, we will close with a quick look at the budget graphic cards available for purchase. Honestly, the vast majority of users are better off purchasing a midrange card, which in many instances are two or three times as fast as the budget offerings (sometimes more). If you don't intend to play games, you should probably just use whatever graphics card you already have - even integrated graphics is sufficient. As we look at the various products, the reason we make this recommendation should become clear.
Firstly, we have the X1300 cards. For the AGP users out there, most of the X1300s seem a bit overpriced. For that price, you can easily pick up a 6600 GT and get much better performance than an X1300 can deliver. The same goes for the X1300 for PCI-E applications: you can easily pick up an X1600 Pro, 6600 GT, or 7600 GS for about $100, which we would unquestionably suggest you select over an X1300.
There really isn't much we can say here regarding these X300 cards. Any one of these cards should be adequate enough for its application and the only thing we would suggest is you try to stick to about the $50 mark. We see no real need to spend much more than that for a card of this caliber. The real question is why you even need this card in the first place. You can't really play games -- unless you want to play 3-4 year old titles -- with the X300, and if you don't want to play games you might as well hold off upgrading a while longer. About the only reason to purchase a $50 graphics card is if you want a DVI output for an LCD display, since most integrated graphics omit that feature.
Here are the GeForce 7300 GS cards which are meant to replace the 6200 TurboCache cards. We recommend you stick to the lower end of this spectrum as well as the ~$100 midrange cards are a far better choice. Previous tests showed that NVIDIA's 6200 series cards were slightly faster than ATI's X300 cards, while ATI's X1300 comes out ahead of NVIDIA's 7300. Given the poor gaming performance either way, it's mostly a non-issue.
We mentioned DVI outputs as being one reason for a budget graphics card, but of course there are a few others. The HTPC market often prefers a cheap (fanless) graphics card over integrated graphics, due to the improved video decoding quality (AVIVO/PureVideo) and additional connectivity options (component out). Both ATI and NVIDIA have various cards that fit those requirements, if you're interested.
This completes this week's video card guide. We'd like for you to join us again next week, where we'll be taking a look at all your storage needs. Thanks for reading!