AMD announces Never Settle Reloaded bundle

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RussianSensation

Elite Member
Sep 5, 2003
19,458
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There were also numerous 'why are AMD graphics cards so expensive', or 'when will AMD drop their graphics cards prices' threads spread across the internet. Interestingly enough, many 'why are nv cards still so expensive' threads were and are locked by mods. /:

What's interesting is some NV users defend prices for NV cards at all costs. Generally speaking, consumers should prefer more competition that drives prices down from everyone, unless those consumers are either employed by the company that sells overpriced products (say paid marketing shills), they financially benefit from having higher prices (profit margins) such as being NV shareholders, or they are brainwashed fanboys. But even if they are fanboys, having lower prices on GTX600 cards would allow them to pick up a 2nd or 3rd for SLI for cheaper. It could be they are just upset that less than 12 months after GTX680 2/4GB cards launched, you can get way faster performance and 6 free games with 2 7950s. I am guessing things would have been different if 2 GTX760s demolished a GTX680 for $560 and also came with 6 free games.
 
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Dankk

Diamond Member
Jul 7, 2008
5,558
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They won't. They wish NV offered the same deals. I don't recall Keys criticizing the AC3 bundle with the GTX650Ti, despite stating how much "value" that card offered over the 35% faster HD7850.

Instead of looking at it from a positive point of view to gamers getting more for less and automatically assuming that AMD is losing even more $ over this, they paint AMD offering more value negatively. That's expected since AMD's already class leading price/performance and overclocking makes all NV cards even more overpriced.

Many companies would wish to have brand loyal consumers like Apple or Nvidia. Others have to deliver more features or lower price to be entice consumers to switch brands. Many companies in the grocery, fashion, automotive industry deliver more for less.

The irony is the same people criticized AMD's inability to deliver high-end flagship performance with HD4000-6000, claiming they are a budget brand and we need more competition on the high-end. Then AMD released HD7970 and raised prices, they criticized that too. Now that AMD is delivering more performance, enthusiast overclocking feature and free games, you'd have to be completely NV-brainwashed to buy a GTX680 for $450 with no games against a 1Ghz HD7970 for $380 with free games.

I guess when you have nothing positive to say about NV's pricing, you start attacking AMD's profit margins, etc. Pretty interesting how all NV users suddenly became professional financial analysts/equity research associates with this generation. I don't recall the same people being worried for AMD when HD4000-6000 series barely made them any $, which is why their low pricing strategy was abandoned by Rory Read. I do remember the same people not seeing the value of HD6950 unlocked or HD6950 unlocked x 2 against GTX580. :p



Exactly. If GTX680 was $380 and shipped with 2 free AAA games while HD7970GE was $450 and came with no games, we wouldn't hear the end of it of how ridiculously overpriced AMD cards are. And it would be fair. When the reverse happens, we hear things like "AMD is desperate", or "AMD is near bankruptcy", etc. As I said before, this generation only reinforces the idea that many NV buyers are brand-attached. These people are willing to buy a slower card, pay more $ for it, accept gimped overclocking features, ignore freebies like bitcoin mining or 3GB of VRAM for mods. The same people who were glorifying TWIMTBP's collaboration with ugly looking console ports like Black Ops 2 or AC3 being bundled with budget GPUs, are now dismissing what are surely to be much more popular titles in the form of Crysis 3 and Bioshock Infinite. Outside of GTX690 and special situations involving 3 monitors being driven off DVI, or SLI >> CF, most of NV's single GPU cards have been overpriced since late June 2012 for enthusiasts, and it's only getting worse. Luckily for NV, years of marketing have created a loyal Apple-like following for their cards. It takes a while to change consumer's perceptions but it can be done (ask Hyundai and Kia).

NV's price premiums are built around perceived brand value. With AMD cards outperforming NV in nearly every Gaming Evolved title last year, having more AMD Gaming Evolved games is a major threat to NV's performance leadership and brand equity. Thus the ability to justify high prices for NV's cards becomes harder and harder. This is a threat to NV Focus Group members who will never acknowledge that their brand's products offer poor value or need price cuts (GTX280's $649 launch price or GTX580's $450 prices for most of its life say hello), or people who financially invested in NV's stock.

When you can now buy 2x HD7950s for $560 and get 6 free games, how does someone justify the value of a $560 GTX680 4GB when a single overclocked HD7950 can outperform a 680?

How do you downplay the value of a 7950? You downplay overclocking, a complete reversal of GTX460-470 days, and blow up frame-times issues out of proportion, despite Fermi cards suffering from these issues last generation, but hardly anything was said from the same vocal NV users about frame times on Fermi cards. :biggrin:

@Keysplayr: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_burn_centers_in_the_United_States
 

tviceman

Diamond Member
Mar 25, 2008
6,734
514
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www.facebook.com
There were also numerous 'why are AMD graphics cards so expensive', or 'when will AMD drop their graphics cards prices' threads spread across the internet. Interestingly enough, many 'why are nv cards still so expensive' threads were and are locked by mods. /:

So the mods are working for nvidia now?
 

wand3r3r

Diamond Member
May 16, 2008
3,180
0
0
It's almost ridiculous to read the attempts to distract from this great deal. There seem to be a few posters who are keys' alter egos.

Nvidiots don't have a leg to stand on, I wish I had more time to check their history on all the flip flops they do (BL2 bundles, performance per watt, etc. ) when AMD continues to provide a better value to the consumer. The complaints revolve around amd financials, who cares.
 

piesquared

Golden Member
Oct 16, 2006
1,651
473
136
What's interesting is some NV users defend prices for NV cards at all costs. Generally speaking, consumers should prefer more competition that drives prices down from everyone, unless those consumers are either employed by the company that sells overpriced products (say paid marketing shills), they financially benefit from having higher prices (profit margins) such as being NV shareholders, or they are brainwashed fanboys. But even if they are fanboys, having lower prices on GTX600 cards would allow them to pick up a 2nd or 3rd for SLI for cheaper. It could be they are just upset that less than 12 months after GTX680 2/4GB cards launched, you can get way faster performance and 6 free games with 2 7950s. I am guessing things would have been different if 2 GTX760s demolished a GTX680 for $560 and also came with 6 free games.

I've been hounding on this point for about 10 years, since viral marketing surfaced. Over the last few years, more and more investor related posts have crept into tech forums and I've cited on this forum a few times, exact duplicate posts from investor forums to enthusiast forums. That kind of garbage is killing enthusiast communities, and it is allowed to continue unabated. It's clear that there are those that want AMD to die for their own profit (short sellers).

But yes, for anyone in the market for a graphics card, AMD is by far the better value. This bundle, like the previous one is a tremendous offering to gamers by AMD. Whether or not gamers capitalize on that value largely depends on the effectiveness of the viral marketing FUD I suppose.
 
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sontin

Diamond Member
Sep 12, 2011
3,273
149
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What's interesting is some NV users defend prices for NV cards at all costs. Generally speaking, consumers should prefer more competition that drives prices down from everyone, unless those consumers are either employed by the company that sells overpriced products (say paid marketing shills), they financially benefit from having higher prices (profit margins) such as being NV shareholders, or they are brainwashed fanboys. But even if they are fanboys, having lower prices on GTX600 cards would allow them to pick up a 2nd or 3rd for SLI for cheaper. It could be they are just upset that less than 12 months after GTX680 2/4GB cards launched, you can get way faster performance and 6 free games with 2 7950s. I am guessing things would have been different if 2 GTX760s demolished a GTX680 for $560 and also came with 6 free games.

12 months after the 7970 you get a 7970 for $200 less, with better drivers and two/three free games.

Hm, i guess only people who "are either employed by the company that sells overpriced products (say paid marketing shills), they financially benefit from having higher prices (profit margins) such as being [AMD] shareholders, or they are brainwashed fanboys" bought a 7970 last year.

That explains a lot of things. :hmm:
 

SirPauly

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2009
5,187
1
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I've been hounding on this point for about 10 years, since viral marketing surfaced. Over the last few years, more and more investor related posts have crept into tech forums and I've cited on this forum a few times, exact duplicate posts from investor forums to enthusiast forums.

Been discussing financials and had many discussions about strategies since 1999.
 

Grooveriding

Diamond Member
Dec 25, 2008
9,107
1,260
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...Ain't asking for too much, Groove? ;)

:) I seem to remember the MSI 7950 going for $250 at some point on a deal. I recently replaced my monitor with a newer model so my wife has my old 30" now. Seems like as good an excuse as any to upgrade the 7850 in her computer to a 7950.. haha.

I'll probably just get the MSI for $300 from newegg, was just hoping to get in on a deal.
 

Rvenger

Elite Member <br> Super Moderator <br> Video Cards
Apr 6, 2004
6,283
5
81
12 months after the 7970 you get a 7970 for $200 less, with better drivers and two/three free games.

Hm, i guess only people who "are either employed by the company that sells overpriced products (say paid marketing shills), they financially benefit from having higher prices (profit margins) such as being [AMD] shareholders, or they are brainwashed fanboys" bought a 7970 last year.

That explains a lot of things. :hmm:




You have so many negatives your post doesn't even make sense. Sounds like your grasping at straws.


To fact check your post:

7970 is $150 cheaper than it was 12 months ago. AMD has been offering free games all year long at different points in time.


Dirt Showdown, sleeping dogs, Deux Ex bundle

Never Settle Christmas

Never Settle reloaded



If I paid $550 for the card and I am still using it today and knowing that the 8XXX series isn't being released until Q4 2013, I think the people who purchased these cards at launch have got their money's worth (and even more so if they do Bitcoin).

NV users really can't say the same yet since the GTX 670 was launched in May and the 680 at the end of March 2012. Radeon users paid an extra $50 for 3 months of extra use plus 3gb of memory and a 384bit bus, not to mention the nice speed boost they received from the Never settle drivers in October.
 
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SirPauly

Diamond Member
Apr 28, 2009
5,187
1
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Just desire strong competition based on without it, these competitive advantages or opportunities, companies, at times, showcase their predator fangs as they devour consumers and value.

Also, desire strong competition based on a competitive landscape creates differentiation, innovation and hopefully improved gaming experiences and immersion.

Rather have companies banging heads, trying to out-work, out-do each other to garner revenue from gamers instead of gamers banging heads with each other in forums.

Desire nVidia to dominate? I don't!

Desire AMD to dominate? I don't!

Ideally, desire 50/50 discrete market share and actually this idealism came to fruition in 2010!

With both fighting hard, provides compelling choices to consider based on their subjective tastes, tolerances and wallet.
 

3DVagabond

Lifer
Aug 10, 2009
11,951
204
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I've been hounding on this point for about 10 years, since viral marketing surfaced. Over the last few years, more and more investor related posts have crept into tech forums and I've cited on this forum a few times, exact duplicate posts from investor forums to enthusiast forums. That kind of garbage is killing enthusiast communities, and it is allowed to continue unabated. It's clear that there are those that want AMD to die for their own profit (short sellers).

But yes, for anyone in the market for a graphics card, AMD is by far the better value. This bundle, like the previous one is a tremendous offering to gamers by AMD. Whether or not gamers capitalize on that value largely depends on the effectiveness of the viral marketing FUD I suppose.

What we need are for the mods to keep the threads on topic. This thread is about informing people about the free game bundle. It's not to discuss AMD's financials. There's a thread in the CPU forum for that.

Besides, what's desperate about offering a 2 game bundle? What's desperate is when the board partner has to make it's own bundle OFFER!
 

DooKey

Golden Member
Nov 9, 2005
1,811
458
136
I think it's a great bundle. Hopefully NV will take note and start to offer something similar. I'm hoping they offer something besides Crysis 3 with the Titan when it releases.
 

RussianSensation

Elite Member
Sep 5, 2003
19,458
765
126
12 months after the 7970 you get a 7970 for $200 less, with better drivers and two/three free games.

Ya, and that's how the graphics industry should work: things get cheaper and/or faster over time. Do you have a problem with that? Since we are talking about GTX680 currently selling for $440+ on Newegg, the fact that HD7970 dropped all the way down to $380 highlights even more than GTX680 needs a price drop. Pointing out that HD7970 dropped in price actually undermines your entire point that GTX680's price shouldn't have fallen in the same time frame to match the price/performance of the 7970.

Did you conveniently forget that GTX280 was $649 and 9 months later HD4890 delivered that level of performance for $259? This implies that in a shorter period of time GTX280 lost nearly $400, while HD7970 lost $170 in value (from $549 MSRP to $380) in more than 12 months since launch. As an interesting note, HD7970 OC delivers nearly 49% more performance over GTX580 at 1080P and 59% at 1600P. When HD7970 came out, you paid $100 more for that and you got 3GB of VRAM for mods. I am pretty sure GTX580 3GB versions were near $475-500 when HD7970 launched. Now more than a year later and the HD7970 OC is still the fastest single GPU this generation. That's actually remarkable considering what happened to those who bought a GTX280 or 480. The week GTX580 came out, GTX480 dropped to $299 on Newegg and just months later it was going for $240-250. 1.5 years since it launched, GTX480 could be had for $175-225 on Newegg. GTX580 was $500 and less than 2 years later you could purchase near that level of GPU performance for $175-185 in the 7850 2GB OC. Now that level is just $150 and comes with 2 free games. I guess the price/performance technology curve is a foreign concept to you?

Also, many people here who bought 7970s at or close to launch put those cards towards bitcoin mining, which more than made up for the $550 upfront early adopter pricing. Many of us also advised for others to wait until NV launched their cards because we felt it would provide pricing pressure on AMD. Many members on our forums who actually purchased the HD7970 for $550 knew of the possible launch of NV cards within 2-3 months. They were aware of these risks.

:) I seem to remember the MSI 7950 going for $250 at some point on a deal.

There was a $253 CDN deal on Newegg.ca last year on the TF3 7950.
 
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badb0y

Diamond Member
Feb 22, 2010
4,015
30
91
I was one of the earliest adopters of the 7970 and I can say I am more than satisfied so far. The main problem for me was that I run at 2560x1600 resolution so I need all the graphics power I can get from a single GPU (I don't like messing with Crossfire/SLi) and even after all this time the 7970 is the top dog. Well worth the $500 I payed for it.
 

footballrunner800

Senior member
Jan 28, 2008
503
1
81
I was one of the earliest adopters of the 7970 and I can say I am more than satisfied so far. The main problem for me was that I run at 2560x1600 resolution so I need all the graphics power I can get from a single GPU (I don't like messing with Crossfire/SLi) and even after all this time the 7970 is the top dog. Well worth the $500 I payed for it.

This! I feel like its been one of my best Video card purchases. Im going to buy another one for crossfire when I see a good sale +the games
 

sze5003

Lifer
Aug 18, 2012
14,177
622
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Yeah I say the same the price I paid for my 7970 ge is worth it. It's pretty much the same price now, well almost minus some rebates here and there.

90% of the time I dont overclock and use the stock settings I can still max out my games. It's a decent oc card as well so the power is there if needed. I've also had Nvidia before and didn't have issues but this time I would have paid more if I had not gone with the 7970.

For me, games dont matter if they come with the card. If I usually don't want to pay the full price without a rebate or additionals, I won't buy it.
 

Grooveriding

Diamond Member
Dec 25, 2008
9,107
1,260
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I ended up picking up the MSI Twin Frozr 7950. Seemed worth it with Crysis 3, Bioshock Infinite and with the MSI Twin Frozr model you get the new 3DMark Advanced for free as well.

Hopefully this thing will overclock okay in a system with a 650W power supply.
 

Rvenger

Elite Member <br> Super Moderator <br> Video Cards
Apr 6, 2004
6,283
5
81
650w PSU is more than plenty. You can actually crossfire 7950s if you didn't plan on overclocking.
 

MrK6

Diamond Member
Aug 9, 2004
4,458
4
81
I was one of the earliest adopters of the 7970 and I can say I am more than satisfied so far. The main problem for me was that I run at 2560x1600 resolution so I need all the graphics power I can get from a single GPU (I don't like messing with Crossfire/SLi) and even after all this time the 7970 is the top dog. Well worth the $500 I payed for it.
Ditto. I've had one since launch in earlier January of last year (the 9th, I believe) and paid $550 for it. Coupled with an overclock of 1.3GHz+ and mining $50-75 a month, this has been one of my best video card purchases.
 

Nintendesert

Diamond Member
Mar 28, 2010
7,761
5
0
It's a great deal, if I was in the market for a card right now it would be impossible to pass this up.

I picked up a 680 on day 1 however because it was the better deal at the time. I've had no issues with it driver wise nor did I have issues with my 5870 driver wise. They both work great. There's no reason in my mind why someone would pick up whatever isn't the best deal at the time they are buying.
 

thilanliyan

Lifer
Jun 21, 2005
11,848
2,051
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There's no reason in my mind why someone would pick up whatever isn't the best deal at the time they are buying.

I can think of several reasons lol...none of which are appropriate for this thread!! :D

OT, this is a great bundle, and kudos to AMD for providing one.