Published in Graphics

Sub- ?100 graphics for bargain hunters

by on07 July 2008

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HD 3850 for €69, 9600GT for 77


You've
probably already heard about Nvidia's recent price cuts affecting its latest GT200 series cards. If you're not in the market for a high end graphics board, you probably weren't very impressed, as €400 is still a lot to pay for a graphics card, no matter how powerful it may be.

However, in the past week there were some pleasant changes in the sub-€100 price range as well, and this is what will interest most consumers. A couple of weeks ago we wrote about expected price drops for the HD3850 series, hoping it will end up around the €65 mark. We weren't far off, as reference cards are now available for €69 all over the place. In case a reference card just won't cut it for you, you can get PowerColor's overclocked 3850 with PCS cooling and 512MB of memory for just €10 more.

This time Nvidia isn't giving ATI a free ride and its 9600GT is breathing down ATI's neck. Elitegroup's reference 9600GT is currently available for just €77, making it a very appealing alternative to the HD 3850, which has long been touted as the best buy card in its class. Most Nvidia vendors sell their 9600GT cards for €90 - €100, but it's obvious they'll drop their prices very soon. Nvidia AIBs also have some 9600GSO cards on the market, but at the moment they sell for about the same as a 9600GT, making them nothing more than sucker bait on the shelves.

Going one step up the ladder, you can get a reference HD 3870 for €94, or an 8800GT for €108, so no big changes there, at least not yet.

Basically if you've got a low-res screen (i.e. 19-inch, or even a 32-inch 1366x786 TV), all of these cards should be more than enough for your casual gaming needs and at these prices they're practically begging to be bought.

Last modified on 08 July 2008
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