Published in Graphics

HD 4870 selling for under ?100

by on03 September 2009

Image

Deal of the day, ain't it?

Although everybody likes to talk about high-end stuff, when push comes to shove most people tend to be a bit more sensible, and don't really spend too much money on hardware.

So, we took a look at some graphics card pricing, and we're pleased to report that €98 will buy you an HD 4870. Nothing fancy, a reference design from XFX. At just over €100 you can even get some overclocked stuff with non-reference cooling. The HD 4850 and the 40nm HD 4770 start at €80, while HD 4890 prices start at €149.

Looking at the green camp, the G92b-based GTS 250 can be yours for as little as €86, but then again this is a relatively old design. Speaking of ancient designs, the 9800 GT, also G92-based, costs just a tad over €70. However, if you want something a bit more serious and a bit more modern, say a GTX 260, you'll need to spend just over €120. A GTX 275 will set you back at least €170.

It's been a while since we did consumer advice pieces, and frankly we are a bit disappointed. It's been months since GPU-makers made any significant pricing changes and even obsolete designs aren't seeing price cuts, and they're just shedding a fraction of their MSRP. However, all this will have to change over the next couple of months, as the market gears up for Windows 7 and DirectX 11 graphics.

So, at the moment, we would advise you to postpone any upgrade plans for the time being. Even if you're not after DX11 hardware, the old stuff will probably have to get quite a bit cheaper once Nvidia and ATI go at it again this fall.
Rate this item
(0 votes)