ATI to counter the 6800GT!!

[daveybrat]

Just ripped this from latest Anandtech news:

ATI has something up its sleeves to do battle with the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT. The new chip will bascially be a downclocked X800 XT complete with 16 pipes:

ATI Technologies faced strong competition when NVIDIA Corporation unveiled its GeForce 6800 GT graphics chip earlier this year, but the Markham, Ontario-based graphics company reportedly preps a counter-attack with a new product based on the RADEON X800 XT micro-architecture.


A report over China-based web-site GZeasy.com claims that the new graphics chip from ATI will be called RADEON X800 GT and will be a down-clocked RADEON X800 XT graphics processor with 16 rendering pipelines. The so-called RADEON X800 GT visual processing unit will function at 425MHz and will carry 256MB of GDDR3 memory clocked at 900MHz onboard. Initially the new RADEON X800 product will be offered for systems with AGP 8x port.

Well, one more head-to head battle, who will win the budget 16-pipeline battle now?

And the more important question now is.......pricing the same, which would you pick???

 

[Keysplayr]

Originally posted by: daveybrat
Just ripped this from latest Anandtech news:

ATI has something up its sleeves to do battle with the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT. The new chip will bascially be a downclocked X800 XT complete with 16 pipes:

ATI Technologies faced strong competition when NVIDIA Corporation unveiled its GeForce 6800 GT graphics chip earlier this year, but the Markham, Ontario-based graphics company reportedly preps a counter-attack with a new product based on the RADEON X800 XT micro-architecture.


A report over China-based web-site GZeasy.com claims that the new graphics chip from ATI will be called RADEON X800 GT and will be a down-clocked RADEON X800 XT graphics processor with 16 rendering pipelines. The so-called RADEON X800 GT visual processing unit will function at 425MHz and will carry 256MB of GDDR3 memory clocked at 900MHz onboard. Initially the new RADEON X800 product will be offered for systems with AGP 8x port.

Well, one more head-to head battle, who will win the budget 16-pipeline battle now?

And the more important question now is.......pricing the same, which would you pick???

Probably too little, definately too late. IMO

 

[Insomniak]

The video card wars are getting so childish...this reminds me of surburban neighborhoods where when one household gets a new, say, grill, within two weeks every other household in a half block radius has one too.

Do we really need another option? I mean, if it's a downclocked XT, people will just CLOCK IT BACK UP, and it'll cannibalize XT sales.

I tell you, things are not looking good for the 6800U/X800XTPE right now. With the X800Pro (and X800GT?) and 6800GT, there's really no reason to buy either card. You can spend a hundred less smackers, do some clock tweaking, and end up with a card every bit as powerful.

As far as I'm concerned, NV and ATi might as well cancel their ultra high end cards - the market for them is so small they'll probably end up eating cost on the few they sell.

 

[daveybrat]

Probably too little, definately too late. IMO

Now why would you say that? I don't know of many people that are even able to get their
hands on any of the high-end cards right now. They are on backorder everywhere for the 6800GT's.
The only ones of either Nvidia or ATI available right now are 6800 vanilla cards.

If they can get these cards to market quickly then i'd say they'll compete handily against nvidia's super slow
production of these chips.

.....but that just my $.02 for whatever that's worth

 

[Zebo]

Whatever. These guys can't even get thier 4 month old cards to market I'm not holding my breath.

 

[jiffylube1024]

LOL, touchez from ATI!

Personally, I think this is hilarious. Nvidia acted like smug a-holes calling their sub-ultra FX 5900 the FX 5900XT, now ATI is calling their competitor to Nvidia's 6800GT none other than the X800GT.

I think this shows just how on-the-ball both companies are at their target markets and what their users want. The fact that they can take potshots at one another even in product names shows their aptitude.

Originally posted by: Insomniak
The video card wars are getting so childish...this reminds me of surburban neighborhoods where when one household gets a new, say, grill, within two weeks every other household in a half block radius has one too.

Do we really need another option? I mean, if it's a downclocked XT, people will just CLOCK IT BACK UP, and it'll cannibalize XT sales.

I tell you, things are not looking good for the 6800U/X800XTPE right now. With the X800Pro (and X800GT?) and 6800GT, there's really no reason to buy either card. You can spend a hundred less smackers, do some clock tweaking, and end up with a card every bit as powerful.

As far as I'm concerned, NV and ATi might as well cancel their ultra high end cards - the market for them is so small they'll probably end up eating cost on the few they sell.

Is this new to you, Insomniak? This only happens every single generation!

Why would Nvidia offer a GF4 Ti4200 or Ti4400 back in the day? Surely they would cannibalize the sales of a Ti4600, and thus render that card pointless!

I'm being coy here but you see my point, I'm sure. ATI and Nvidia need to offer a cheaper alternative that geeks like us can buy and overclock to top-of-the-line levels. That is how they sell to the masses, and it's how they've been doing it for years.

The FX6800 Ultra/Extreme and X800 XT PE have their markets still - the niche bleeding edge market that the 9800XT occupied before that, the 9800 Pro before that, and the GeForce4 Ti4600 before that. Remember the GeForce 2 GTS Ultra ? Same deal.


It's been a couple months now and Nvidia and ATI have had their fun squeezing out $400+ from suckers. Now it's time to start selling to the masses, and in order to do that, you have to hit the <$200 price point. This is a preview of the imminent price war.

 

[RussianSensation]

Originally posted by: Insomniak

Do we really need another option? I mean, if it's a downclocked XT, people will just CLOCK IT BACK UP, and it'll cannibalize XT sales.

1. If it is going to compete with 6800GT, then it will be at the same price => x800pro will come down in price
2. 425/900 => that is going to be VERY VERY difficult to clock it to X800XT PE speeds => that is 22% on the core and 24% on the memory

On the other hand, 6800 GT is slower by only 14% (core) and 10% (memory)

So according to your logic, Nvidia should be in more trouble with their Ultra sales and not ATI

3. I agree that it makes little sense to buy the TOP cards if the lower end ones overclock so well. With ATI though it will be much harder to reach PE speeds and their X800XT 500/1000 card is only PCI-E which blows for most of us

4. You could always make the argument that you can overclock the top end cards and they have more overclocking room. since they are not aimed at the mainstream of the market, they only serve as bragging rights and this status quo simply trickles down the whole lineup (especially with uninformed consumers) => so if X800xt pe is announced the fastest card, all of a sudden everyone will be saying how ati is faster this round and x300 and x600s will outsell Nvidia's cards

5. Both videocard companies make the most $$$$ on mainstream and low-end cards which they sell in volumes. So they do not really care about the top-end market so much in terms of sales, as in terms of performance crown (refer to point 4 above)

Finally, the more cards, the better. Really, ATI probably just disables the extra pipes and puts in slower yield chips and slower memory. Besides they are probably more likely to sell larger volumes of X800pro and x800 (GT or whatever) and x800xt pe served its purpose as the fastest card (it helped them lay the smack down for everyone to know ati is the fastest right now) => now their strategy is to flood the market with cards among all levels.

 

[Zebo]

this reminds me of surburban neighborhoods where when one household gets a new, say, grill, within two weeks every other household in a half block radius has one too.
---------------
That's called capitalism baby and makes us all rich!! I have an ATC I bought just to ride around my measley 2.5 acres. Did I need it no but as the money flows and consumption grows we all get a peice. LOL

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: RussianSensation

Originally posted by: Insomniak

Do we really need another option? I mean, if it's a downclocked XT, people will just CLOCK IT BACK UP, and it'll cannibalize XT sales.

1. If it is going to compete with 6800GT, then it will be at the same price => x800pro will come down in price

And so will the 6800GT come down in price. And that is a good thing for all of us!

2. 425/900 => that is going to be VERY VERY difficult to clock it to X800XT PE speeds => that is 22% on the core and 24% on the memory

But it should still be able to o/c to within at least 10% of the X800XT, which is great!

 

[Marsumane]

GDDR3 memory... Isnt that the same problem that they are having with the X800XT cards? They need this GDDR3 memory, but the output isnt good enough to fill the orders where they already have the chips in large supply. This card will also probably paper launch for about 3-4 months before more then 100 ppl actually have it. I mean look how many have the X800XT.

 

[GeneralGrievous]

I really don't see much issue in reaching XT speeds. Nvidia is using the same 2.0 ns ram at stock on their Ultra cards at 1.1 ghz. And the Pro has already been shown to overclock extremely well.

Kudos to ATI for correcting the mistake that was the x800 Pro. I guess they wanted to push their $500 card, but it backfired due to the 6800 GT $300 deals and lack of XT availability.

 

[Soulkeeper]

yeah i'm not holding my breathe
but the competition from this card could drive the 6800gt down below the 375-400 range if we're lucky

 

[Shamrock]

it sounds like an act of desperation to me, they are getting sick of losing in the midrange market

 

[Genx87]

Maybe it will show up around Christmas lol

 

[Zebo]

I ll get this card though if at $300 like I've seen GT going for.

What does SM3 do? And why should I care? Speed , power, heat, size these cards are better.

 

[ZobarStyl]

This sounds a tad bit like desperation on ATi's part...kinda saying themselves that the GT is undeniably better...but if it drops the Pro down everyone wins and that will be the part to get, so woohoo...

 

[fwtong]

Originally posted by: keysplayr2003

Originally posted by: daveybrat
Just ripped this from latest Anandtech news:

ATI has something up its sleeves to do battle with the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT. The new chip will bascially be a downclocked X800 XT complete with 16 pipes:

ATI Technologies faced strong competition when NVIDIA Corporation unveiled its GeForce 6800 GT graphics chip earlier this year, but the Markham, Ontario-based graphics company reportedly preps a counter-attack with a new product based on the RADEON X800 XT micro-architecture.


A report over China-based web-site GZeasy.com claims that the new graphics chip from ATI will be called RADEON X800 GT and will be a down-clocked RADEON X800 XT graphics processor with 16 rendering pipelines. The so-called RADEON X800 GT visual processing unit will function at 425MHz and will carry 256MB of GDDR3 memory clocked at 900MHz onboard. Initially the new RADEON X800 product will be offered for systems with AGP 8x port.

Well, one more head-to head battle, who will win the budget 16-pipeline battle now?

And the more important question now is.......pricing the same, which would you pick???

Probably too little, definately too late. IMO

Not too late for me, since I'm holding onto my 9800Pro for atleast another year or 2.

 

[jiffylube1024]

Originally posted by: GeneralGrievous
I really don't see much issue in reaching XT speeds. Nvidia is using the same 2.0 ns ram at stock on their Ultra cards at 1.1 ghz. And the Pro has already been shown to overclock extremely well.

Kudos to ATI for correcting the mistake that was the x800 Pro. I guess they wanted to push their $500 card, but it backfired due to the 6800 GT $300 deals and lack of XT availability.

It wasn't really a mistake per se, it was a miscalculation. ATI released the X800 Pro as their new spring card; the X800 XT was to be a refresh when needed. When Nvidia's cards turned out to be faster than anticipated (and used 16-pipes to the X800 Pro's 12), they had to play their trump card a lot earlier and match Nvidia with a 16-pipe card.

Honestly, the X800 XT IMO shows how much ATI has improved. If this was the slow-@ss ATI of "Radeon 1" days, they would have just taken it and gotten smoked by the 6800GT/Ultra cards. Instead, they had an even better card ready for production.

 

[Dewey]

Ultimately the video card war is good for us, the consumers!

 

[CRXican]

It's all really just a matter of money. You have to pay to play. I know some have priorities or obligations that come before video cards but if you want the newest and the best you have to fork over the money. I already ditched my 9800 Pro for a 6800GT and lucky for me there are people around that still want the 9800 Pro. That means that when the X800XT PE ever comes readily avaliable someone will want my 6800GT and bam I'll have a new X800XT PE to play with. It's really quite simple, save some cash and don't be a cheap ass.

 

[Ackmed]

Repost.

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=31&amp;threadid=1353449&amp;highlight_key=y&amp;keyword1=X800GT

 

[CRXican]

don't cry cause you had to revive your thread from the dead, that was lame

 

[FluxCap]

I am not sure I want to hold out for this but thanks for the post anyway davey. I hate making these "fun" buying decisions from time to time.