There are currently 2 new worthwhile gaming offerings from AMD.
AMD Radeon 4870, released around June 25, price $300.
AMD Radeon 4850, released around June 19, price $200.
These can be compared to current offerings from NVIDIA (until the release of these offerings, NVIDIA was the clearcut victor for price to performance).
NVIDIA offers 3 products with relatively close prices. These are:
NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT, price $150.
NVIDIA GeForce 9800GTX+, price $230.
NVIDIA GeForce 9800GTX, price $200.
NVIDIA also offers two new products, the GTX260 and the GTX280, however these two new products are priced at 400 - 700 dollars, which is outside the range of my perspective. However if you are into expensive cards and have the money, I will consult you (for a fee).
Only two of the companies' offerings are at the same price point. The 9800GTX and the 4850. However at the same price point, the 4850 delivers better performance the majority of the time. So the 9800GTX will not even be considered in my comparison below.
Looking at this from a price point perspective, here are some ideas.
If you had $XXX.XX - you should buy:
$150
GeForce 8800GT (only option)
$200
Radeon 4850 (single 4850 better than single 8800GT)
$230
Radeon 4850 (save your $30 for some beer, the 4850 beats the 9800GTX+ half the time)
$300
OPTION 1 - GeForce 8800GT X2 (SLI)
OPTION 2 - Radeon 4870
For the $300 price point, IF you can go SLI, you should. For the same cost, the dual 8800GT will give you better performance. If you cannot do SLI, then the Radeon 4870 is the best price/performance at that point.
NOTE: If you are able to buy the cards mentioned here with a rebate, or discount, or you know a guy... then don't trust this outline, because things may change for your circumstance. In fact, don't make a purchase decision based on this. Let this be a starting point for you investigation into the current market.
AMD Radeon 4870, released around June 25, price $300.
AMD Radeon 4850, released around June 19, price $200.
These can be compared to current offerings from NVIDIA (until the release of these offerings, NVIDIA was the clearcut victor for price to performance).
NVIDIA offers 3 products with relatively close prices. These are:
NVIDIA GeForce 8800GT, price $150.
NVIDIA GeForce 9800GTX+, price $230.
NVIDIA GeForce 9800GTX, price $200.
NVIDIA also offers two new products, the GTX260 and the GTX280, however these two new products are priced at 400 - 700 dollars, which is outside the range of my perspective. However if you are into expensive cards and have the money, I will consult you (for a fee).
Only two of the companies' offerings are at the same price point. The 9800GTX and the 4850. However at the same price point, the 4850 delivers better performance the majority of the time. So the 9800GTX will not even be considered in my comparison below.
Looking at this from a price point perspective, here are some ideas.
If you had $XXX.XX - you should buy:
$150
GeForce 8800GT (only option)
$200
Radeon 4850 (single 4850 better than single 8800GT)
$230
Radeon 4850 (save your $30 for some beer, the 4850 beats the 9800GTX+ half the time)
$300
OPTION 1 - GeForce 8800GT X2 (SLI)
OPTION 2 - Radeon 4870
For the $300 price point, IF you can go SLI, you should. For the same cost, the dual 8800GT will give you better performance. If you cannot do SLI, then the Radeon 4870 is the best price/performance at that point.
NOTE: If you are able to buy the cards mentioned here with a rebate, or discount, or you know a guy... then don't trust this outline, because things may change for your circumstance. In fact, don't make a purchase decision based on this. Let this be a starting point for you investigation into the current market.