ATI leads NVIDIA in Price/Performance Ratio

[fbrdphreak]

http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/08/23/ati_leads_nvidia_in_gpu_price-performance/

Markham (Ontario) - In the first test results compiled using Tom's Hardware Guide tests of relative graphics card performance, and average sale prices sampled yesterday by PriceGrabber, ATI-brand graphics cards led Nvidia across the board, with a few noteworthy exceptions. In our new projected price/performance curve for GPUs, ATI takes the lead in both the value and premium segments.

Now I normally don't bother listening to THG, but their stuff seems to be getting better lately. Any takers?

 

[Wreckage]

For the new performance index, we chose a 128 MB Nvidia GeForce 5900

Despite that, Nvidia's 256 MB GeForce 7900 GT may be the price/performance leader among all graphics cards currently available

Using pricegrabber for a cost analysis is not the best choice.

I do agree that ATI is getting better at it's pricing, I just don't agree with THG's method here.

 

[josh6079]

Originally posted by: Wreckage
I do agree that ATI is getting better at it's pricing, I just don't agree with THG's method here.

They are getting so much better at their pricing that it may hurt themselves. An X1900XT(X) vs. an X1950XTX for example. I'm still a little disappointed that Nvidia didn't steadily drop the price on the 7800GT's. Instead they're still around what they have always been if you want to get them new.

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: Wreckage

For the new performance index, we chose a 128 MB Nvidia GeForce 5900

Despite that, Nvidia's 256 MB GeForce 7900 GT may be the price/performance leader among all graphics cards currently available

Using pricegrabber for a cost analysis is not the best choice.

I do agree that ATI is getting better at it's pricing, I just don't agree with THG's method here.

PriceGrabber is actually pretty accurate, but from the looks of their "update" to the article they didn't bother manually searching and verifying results. Instead they probably sent out a query and just crunched the numbers, or worse yet had PG do it for them (I hear THG editors are notoriously demanding that way, slackers).

When I check prices on 2.5" drives for my roundup, I use Pricegrabber unless I can't find a sufficient sample of prices for a model and then I use Froogle. The lowest prices I find have consistently been correct. But you have to be discriminating when using any price search tool. Just because it looks like the model you're looking for, doesn't mean it is.

 

[aka1nas]

Originally posted by: josh6079

Originally posted by: Wreckage
I do agree that ATI is getting better at it's pricing, I just don't agree with THG's method here.

They are getting so much better at their pricing that it may hurt themselves. An X1900XT(X) vs. an X1950XTX for example. I'm still a little disappointed that Nvidia didn't steadily drop the price on the 7800GT's. Instead they're still around what they have always been if you want to get them new.

Do you mean 7900GTs? The 7800GT is no longer available new AFAIK. The 7900GTs have come down somewhat, though it's usually due to a mail-in-rebate.

 

[Wreckage]

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak
PriceGrabber is actually pretty accurate, but from the looks of their "update" to the article they didn't bother manually searching and verifying results. Instead they probably sent out a query and just crunched the numbers, or worse yet had PG do it for them (I hear THG editors are notoriously demanding that way, slackers).

Yeah, that's what I meant. You can find prices for cards that vary by up to $200 or more. Not to mention that it may not even be in stock. If you want to do a good price analysis, just take the top 10 online sellers and check their prices and stock.

 

[schneiderguy]

:thumbsdown: to THG for leaving out the 7600's

as you can see from THIS chart, the 7600gt has the best price/performance ratio out of any current/last gen cards

 

[fbrdphreak]

Originally posted by: schneiderguy
:thumbsdown: to THG for leaving out the 7600's

as you can see from THIS chart, the 7600gt has the best price/performance ratio out of any current/last gen cards

Yeah, $/FPS makes a bit more sense than their scale, but def should not have left out 7600's.

Oh well THG, maybe you'll win back my interest next time :roll:

 

[Ackmed]

I never use pricegrabber.. and never read THG. Both ATi and NV have a pretty good price/performance, better than this time last year imo.

 

[josh6079]

Do you mean 7900GTs? The 7800GT is no longer available new AFAIK. The 7900GTs have come down somewhat, though it's usually due to a mail-in-rebate.

No, I mean what I said. I can't SLI a 7800GT and a 7900GT. The 7800's never did come down in price like the 7900's have, and there was a time when I would have liked to have seen them do that rather than lower the cost of the card I didn't have.

 

[ronnn]

So does this mean ati signed a nice advertising contract with Toms? I tend to agree with Toms here, but I have always felt that site is not always completely honest. But enough of the cynic, what driver settings did they use?

 

[nitromullet]

Originally posted by: Ackmed
I never use pricegrabber.. and never read THG. Both ATi and NV have a pretty good price/performance, better than this time last year imo.

:thumbsup:

 

[nitromullet]

Is it just me, or does anyone else find these two statements to be contradictory?
Title of the article:

ATI leads Nvidia in GPU price/performance across the board

last line in the article:

Nvidia's 256 MB GeForce 7900 GT may be the price/performance leader among all graphics cards currently available

(italics mine)

Doesn't sound like a very "across the board" victory to me.

 

[coldpower27]

Originally posted by: josh6079

Originally posted by: Wreckage
I do agree that ATI is getting better at it's pricing, I just don't agree with THG's method here.

They are getting so much better at their pricing that it may hurt themselves. An X1900XT(X) vs. an X1950XTX for example. I'm still a little disappointed that Nvidia didn't steadily drop the price on the 7800GT's. Instead they're still around what they have always been if you want to get them new.

They are based on G70 Cores and hence are to expensive to fabricate at the 200US price point unless Nvidia wants to take a hit to it's margins to make you happy.

Anyway we are getting the 7900 GS now as the replacement. They are here to make profits, not to ensure you get an SLI upgrade pathway.

Though Geforce 7900's might have a chnace of lying around as the G71 Core isn't as expensive to make.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Originally posted by: nitromullet
Is it just me, or does anyone else find these two statements to be contradictory?
Title of the article:

ATI leads Nvidia in GPU price/performance across the board

last line in the article:

Nvidia's 256 MB GeForce 7900 GT may be the price/performance leader among all graphics cards currently available

(italics mine)

Doesn't sound like a very "across the board" victory to me.

I think he meant the range of cards, the one 256MB 7900 GT is just about nVidia's only gem, but for the vast spectrum the ATI cards have the better price/performance

Other exceptions would include the 128MB GeForce 6600 and the 256MB X800XL...

The point is that the ATI curve is consistently below nVidia's curve; however you still have outliers that aren't enough to change the entire curve.

 

[nitromullet]

I think he meant the range of cards, the one 256MB 7900 GT is just about nVidia's only gem, but for the vast spectrum the ATI cards have the better price/performance

Other exceptions would include the 128MB GeForce 6600 and the 256MB X800XL...

The point is that the ATI curve is consistently below nVidia's curve; however you still have outliers that aren't enough to change the entire curve.

a·cross-the-board (?-krôs'TH?-bôrd', -bord', -kros'-)
adj.

1. Including or applying to all categories or members: an across-the-board pay hike; an across-the-board ruling.
2. Of or being a racing wager whereby equal amounts are bet on the same contestant to win, place, and show.

 

[Todd33]

The x-axis is performance? The 7900GT is further to the right than the 7900GTX? I didn't read all the test, but what a lame graph.