For those on tighter budgets: first Radeon 4600 review.

[dennilfloss]

http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthread.php?t=33931118

Might be a good fit for some.

 

[nosfe]

should be perfect for my CRT as i only game at 1024 so no need for anything stronger

 

[myocardia]

That card's supposed to be over $100. Who in their right mind wouldn't buy an 8800GT, for the same money?

edit: I forgot about HTPC's. It would be perfect, although overpowered, for an HTPC.

 

[nosfe]

the thing is that they having a 128bit memory bus makes them a lot cheaper to build than the 3850 so maybe those $100+ prices will only be for the 1gb ddr3 versions(overkill)

 

[Cookie Monster]

So HD4670 is around the level of a HD3850. HD4650 and below are slower than the HD3850 by quite abit. For gaming even a 9600GT 9and those cheap $100 8800GTs) will wipe the floor with these new cards. But HTPC on the other hand is a different story.

 

[nosfe]

just don't forget that not everybody lives in america, back here the 512mb 8800gt is at around $190, you can also find it as "low" as $160 but its never in stock. also, those prices for the 46xx series is MSRP not retail

 

[unr3al]

I don't know about these cards, they had so much promise. But that 128-bit bus is a real johnny raincloud. Sheesh are these people somehow nostalgically attached to 128 bits??? Even 192 (bleurgh) bits would have been better! For an HTPC I would suggest an HD3450 (ASUS makes a very nice OCed version) which you can find for next to nothing and if you can afford this for a gaming PC I would suggest saving a little bit more for an HD4850 or even (and I'm an ATi fan) a 9600GT.

 

[HannibalX]

According the the OP's link a 512MB HD 3850 is faster pretty much 100% of the time... so why buy a 46xx at all? Just buy a 3850.

 

[Wreckage]

Originally posted by: myocardia
That card's supposed to be over $100. Who in their right mind wouldn't buy an 8800GT, for the same money?

Yeah the are kind of hitting a market that is already saturated.

 

[ShadowOfMyself]

Originally posted by: Wreckage

Originally posted by: myocardia
That card's supposed to be over $100. Who in their right mind wouldn't buy an 8800GT, for the same money?

Yeah the are kind of hitting a market that is already saturated.

Yup, its only good from AMD pov, since the cut production costs, and they know people will buy them for the higher number, but for us.... completely pointless card

Also, it doesnt even catch up in AA performance... Wheres the great 48xx architecture now?

 

[Insomniator]

Who cares about these cards or any more budget cards? I'd say the price/performance ratios are as good as they are gonna get for quite a while. I would never have expected an 8800GT/3870 for 100 bucks or a freaking 8800GS for like 70. What did you want these cards to be? Any faster and they'd be near a 4850 and come on guys we gotta have some limits for price/performance.


I really don't care if my card is 4x or 3x or 8x or 9x.. the point is that the 'old named' cards are still ridiculous deals around 100 bucks.

Also, does anyone remember the days of Geforce 4 MX's, 5200/5500's and 6200/6600s as the <100$ budget cards with the same crappy performance for years? Give me a break..

 

[postmortemIA]

8800GT/GS will be EOL soon because they won't make money for nvidia at that price.

 

[insurgent]

Originally posted by: Insomniator
Who cares about these cards or any more budget cards? I'd say the price/performance ratios are as good as they are gonna get for quite a while. I would never have expected an 8800GT/3870 for 100 bucks or a freaking 8800GS for like 70. What did you want these cards to be? Any faster and they'd be near a 4850 and come on guys we gotta have some limits for price/performance.


I really don't care if my card is 4x or 3x or 8x or 9x.. the point is that the 'old named' cards are still ridiculous deals around 100 bucks.

Also, does anyone remember the days of Geforce 4 MX's, 5200/5500's and 6200/6600s as the <100$ budget cards with the same crappy performance for years? Give me a break..

+1

The performance is great especially compared to nvidia's 9500gt, also it doesn't need additional power from a pci-ex 6 pin.

 

[bunnyfubbles]

Yup, AMD/ATI neutered these things too much to justify them as a true alternative to current cards. However if they drop in price as fast and low (~$50-70) as the Radeon 3650s did then they could end up a great deal for many, and we'll still have the faster cards from the older generations to fill any gaps in between.

 

[tcsenter]

Originally posted by: ShadowOfMyself
Yup, its only good from AMD pov, since the cut production costs, and they know people will buy them for the higher number, but for us.... completely pointless card.

These aren't supposed to be the next performance or enthusiast variants of 4xxx, but the mainstream and value segment variants. Not sure where you've been for the past few years, but here is how it works:

ATI launches a new architecture with high-end parts first, then whittles those down into derivatives for mainstream and value segment. This isn't the half-generation update for R700, these are just the remainder of the first generation Radeon R700 product line.

It will take a little time for AMD to decide which parts to shake-out at which price points, but that's true for any product cycle.

Also, it doesnt even catch up in AA performance... Wheres the great 48xx architecture now?

Err...this is a discussion about ATI's 46xx and 44xx variants, not 48xx. Did you miss the day in kindergarten when they taught that 8 is greater than both 6 and 4?

R600
24xx (64-bit) = 40 stream processors (value)
26xx (128-bit) = 120 stream processors (mainstream)
29xx (256/512-bit) = 320 stream processors (performance)

R600 refresh
34xx (64-bit) = 40 stream processors (value)
36xx (128-bit) = 120 stream processors (mainstream)
38xx (256-bit) = 320 stream processors (performance)

R700
44xx (64-bit) = 120 stream processors (value)
46xx (128-bit) = 320 stream processors (mainstream)
48xx (256-bit) = 800 stream processors (performance)

R700 refresh
TBD

Spot any patterns there?

 

[IEC]

Originally posted by: Pale Rider
According the the OP's link a 512MB HD 3850 is faster pretty much 100% of the time... so why buy a 46xx at all? Just buy a 3850.

That's what I did

Can't beat $60AR for a card with upgraded HSF + 2 games

 

[djfourmoney]

PC Gamers can't see the forest for the trees 90% of the time, no surprise. That's what happens when your so rich you can't understand how somebody else with 7 digits can't afford what you can -

http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=768292103

Now for some with no life, no other interest outside of gaming, yes I'm sure you can muster up $550 for an HD4870x2 from your at near min wage job.

And US/Canadian Gamers forget that people elsewhere in the world pay elevated prices for hardware, namely Europe, South America and Southeast Asia.

Now I'll get the semantics out of the way first -

You can get a HD3850 on New Egg for $94

You can get a HD3870 on New Egg for $99

You can get a HD3650 512MB for $65 at Best Buy if you can find it...

I should tell you only the Sapphire cards will fit on my mATX board, the cards that featured upgraded cooling, umm sorry they don't work, I have to remove a tuner card for it to work, its an HTPC, not a Mega Gamer's Tower, I have limited space on the board not the case, I went with a mid-tower Antec Sonta III.

Now the HD4650 out runs the HD3650, that's all it was designed to do. Since the HD3650 isn't far behind the recently released 9500GT. You should be disappointed at Nvidia for basically giving you a newer version of the 8600GT and its hardly any faster. An OC'd HD3650 I'm sure can match a 9500GT.

That might be why the HD46xx blow it so far out of the water...

This is a mid-range/value/budget card for those with pre-built PC's, HTPC's and other less demanding uses of a PC. However as you can see it can play games at a decent frame rate with the detail cranked up, UNLIKE the 9500GT.

If everything I have seen is correct, the HD4670 1GB should be the most expensive card and I don't think its overkill. I have a 24" monitor, I need the extra memory for my default resolution. It shouldn't be more than $140 MSRP but its already available for pre-order in Europe for 77 Euro which is just over $100US. I would not be shocked ONE bit if the HD4670 1GB replaced the HD3650 1GB straight up, as its $99 at stores like Fry's, Best Buy, CC and the price remained the same, giving you TREMENDOUS value.

Sorry but I don't count rebates as automatic, I have been stiffed before and other times not.

So that makes the cheapest 9600GT at Brick & Mortars -

$169 (PNY 512MB Single Slot Cooler) at Best Buy

$149 for BFG's version at Fry's

Online -

New Egg (PNY) - $94

Now the HD3870 or 9600GT would present the best values right?? In my case, I say WRONG.

I don't have much current draw now, I can run any card I want. I can get a HD4850 1GB from Sapphire if I want. But I need disk space as well and wanted to get a new HD and maybe a few other things, I want to get the most for my money. However, when you turn on the AA in GRID with the HD3870, I know because I tried, it slows it down, still playable however.

I don't mind Nvidia, I just happen to think it has inferior picture quality and isn't as advanced for HTPC use as the 4xxx chipset is and typically ATI cards.

Since this is an HTPC that comes first and I'll give up some raw GPU power for a better picture, reduced CPU usage with HD content (even better than the HD3xxx cards) and OC'ed (thought it can't pushed that hard), GDDR5 version could lessen the bottlenecking nature of the 128-bit bus and push the 9600GT, but its early days and I'm sure ATI left enough headroom in the R710 design to take on any challenge Nvidia would bring, say the 9550GT....

People also say its pointless to SLi or Crossfire low end cards, I think this card will change that perception as with a total of 150w draw for two cards under load, its possible to have a fairly powerful gaming PC for a reasonable budget, especially if you only have to spend say $70 for HD4650 and two should be faster than a single 9600GT. Trust me I think ATI has thought this one out, in the unofficial press released on Tom's hardware they showed two HD4670's Crossfired on a 790GX board....

I just rather spend less or about the same and have newer hardware, it might not be as fast as a 9600GT or HD3870, but let some hardcore Gamer make that decision. I watch TV and use this thing as a regular PC too much to focus on expensive graphics cards when I know I can run my panel at 720p and game speed will be more than satisfactory.

Yes I have been posting this defence of the HD46xx cards all over the net.... in case you wondering or noticed my screen name...

 

[Bull Dog]

HD4670 1GB should be the most expensive card and I don't think its overkill.

HD4670

1GB will be overkill and a waste of money for this card. You will run out of memory bandwidth long before capacity becomes an issue.

Look at the 4870. It has 512MB of memory and it only starts limiting the card at 2560x1600 with 4xAA and 16xAF.

By the time you get there with the 4670 you are going to be so out of memory bandwith and raw GPU grunt that the amount of memory on board will be a moot point.

 

[spdfreak]

There is no discernible difference in picture quality between an current nvidia card and an ati card at 1080p on a 47in monitor. It simply is not there. I have both. The quality of the monitor is a bigger variable than the cards. The 512 9600GT is probably the best money/power/gaming/video card out right now. They run cool, can max out pretty much any game except crysis (so what) and Fry's had them for 60.00 AR this past weekend. So that tells you what they will be selling for in the weeks ahead. Awesome card for the money, but the 3870 is a close second if they can get the price down.

 

[nosfe]

i'm actually looking forward to the 256mb version of these cards as from what i've seen with the 3850 there shouldn't be any difference at all at low resolutions(1024x768) and considering that these cards are made for low resolutions it should be quite good. i just hope that they'll be priced below the 3850 which is retailing around here for around $130 which is a tad bit above my budget for a video card right now