![[H]ard|Forum](/styles/hardforum/xenforo/logo_dark.png){kind=logo}
You guys don't understand the computer market. What nVidia is doing is securing itself extra profit in the low end market because of it's mid/high failures. Contrary to the belief of this "microcosm," the new GTX and 4000s series aren't even on the radar of the average gamer. When this average gamer wants a better gaming experience, he or she will stop at Best Buy and pick up an overpriced 9500GT because some idiot in a blue shirt tells him or her its a good idea. By offering extra products in the low end (<$150) nVidia is playing smart economics. ATi needs to pump out its low end 4000 series soon to compete for that large, and profitable, market.
This is a generic answer, but no one can accurately predict the future anyway. The higher amounts of bandwidth available on newer cards certainly makes it easier to run high resolutions, but high resolutions and good game play depend on more than just memory bandwidth. Just because a card can "manage" a game a 2560x1600 doesn't mean it offers the best gaming experience. Economics always wins here - if there's a market for a faster card because someone wants 8xAA or to run 60FPS vsync nonstop, there will be a card for it.I would love to have a great gaming card for less than $200, but after moving to 30"@2560x1600 i must remenber you that the 4850 can not move these beasts:
A-The 7% edge that the 4870 has over the 4850 at the same clock at 19x12 is not much but the 2GB DDR5 of the 4870X2 makes games that the 4850 moves below 40fps/0xAA go over 70fps with all eye candie
B- an overclocked 280 ( and to a lesser degree a 4870 also) can manage 25x16 if you dont demand high AA levels, but Age of Conan is still crawling bellow the 60fps mark. even if you dont play Age of Conan rest assured that the Blurr effects inside are the future of Dx10 gaming.
If the just released 1GB 4850/4870 could manage 25x16 games then i dont see a market place for the 4970X2/280. but no 1GB version of 512MB cards have ever showed any performance gain, even at 25x16, mostly because the memory speed is more important than the memory size as the 260 vs 4870 @2560x1600 results have demonstrated in another tread here.
Will 1GB DDR5 be enough for 25x16 gaming or must we use multiGPUs solutions?
As far as these comments go, having the cards in the store definitely gives them exposure. However, remember that for most of the population (i.e. nonenthusiasts), dropping $200 on a video card (HD4850) is a big investment. For the $300 4870, the point stands even more so. I saw 8800GTX's at Best Buy when they first came out, but they certainly didn't fly off the shells. The simple fact is it is difficult to market such high priced "esoteric" items. Still, if AMD can offer a similarly scaled 4000 series part (4650?) in the MSRP range of $150, they'll definitely capture a lucrative market.
You sure...or did you forget about Intel and Nehalem?
The problem is its inconsistent performance due to its dependence on SLI. Still, for 2x 8800GTS's in one slot, that's a fair price.
I don't know, I am very tempted to go with a bfg gtx280 OC which is selling for only $384.99 at tiger. I am so close to pulling the trigger. I won't be taxed which makes it a even better deal. Maybe this is just me wanting to go back to the 8800ultra glory days? I just don't know, that's such a good price / performance ratio now. I'm just scared of the temps. I wonder if re-gooping the gpu with ceramique will lower temps on that stock cooler? Any GTX280 owners try this?
I wonder if re-gooping the gpu with ceramique will lower temps on that stock cooler? Any GTX280 owners try this?
Well that's all that counts obviously. So let it be set in stone, that THE 4870X2 DOES NOT HAVE MICROSTUTTERING ISSUES.
Can't say the same for GTX280 SLi though.