View Full Version : Videocard Pricing/Segmentation - This doesn't make sense?
The GF-FX 5600 Ultra (350Mhz Core) is supposed to retail around $199. The Radeon 9600 Pro is apparently supposed to retail around the same price.
But what strikes me is that the Radeon 9700 NP currently sells for about $230, with a probable price drop once the R350 variants finally hit the stores. So, with the performance delta between a 9700 Pro and 9700 NP pretty slim, but noticeable, I don't understand why ATI would bastardize their own gravy train here.
The 9600 Pro is supposed to be 4x1 right? Does it not make sense to let the 9700 NP keep that $199 niche market at 8x1? The fillrate advantages of the 9700 NP compared to the 9600 Pro should be pretty huge. It would seem to me to be a complete slam dunk. Guess I'm just confus-ed on this one...
Anyone got any ideas? :lol:
The GF-FX 5600 Ultra (350Mhz Core) is supposed to retail around $199. Really? :shock:
the 9600 pro is considerably cheaper to produce from what i understand. considering that, it makes sence to me.
The GF-FX 5600 Ultra (350Mhz Core) is supposed to retail around $199. Really? :shock:
Yea, according to [H].
GeForce FX 5600 Ultra
With a suggested price of roughly $199, the GeForce FX 5600 Ultra may be one of the most highly-anticipated graphics cards this quarter. Despite the more budget-oriented price, this graphics card promises anything but budget performance. This model will be offered with a core frequency of 350MHz and preliminary testing has shown a fair amount of headroom beyond this value. Should this engineering sample be any indication, it looks as though the GeForce FX 5600 Ultra could follow in the footsteps of the popular overclocking phenomenon GeForce4 Ti4200.
But it's a 4x1 architecture.. Kinda pricey, and it seems to me that a 9700 NP in that price range would utterly destroy it. So I'm kinda lost on this one, at least with respect to what ATI is doing here....
the 9600 pro is considerably cheaper to produce from what i understand. considering that, it makes sence to me.
Enough to give up that much of a performance lead? I mean, c'mon. A 9700 NP as their official mainstream card, vs a 4x1 350Mhz GF-FX? That'd be unbelievable.
Err, nevermind, I thought you were talking about the 5800. I'm still not used to the new numbering system. It's nothing special then. But I'd like to see the 9700np get @ $200.
RussSchultz
06-Mar-2003, 23:55
the 9600 pro is considerably cheaper to produce from what i understand. considering that, it makes sence to me.
Enough to give up that much of a performance lead?
Absolutely. The 9600 pro is probably 1/2 the cost OR LESS of the 9700np chip to produce.
Absolutely. The 9600 pro is probably 1/2 the cost OR LESS of the 9700np chip to produce. But why would anyone choose the 9600pro over the 9700np, if the price difference is so little?
RussSchultz
07-Mar-2003, 00:00
Well, you're comparing list price to street price for one.
However, this thread is about questioning ATIs pricing policy. Their policy is to earn money by selling you a video card (or a chip to somebody who will sell you a video card).
If you can't buy the 9700 non-pro, you'll buy something else. Either you'll "downsell" and buy the 9600 pro, or upsell and buy the 9800 non-pro. Either way, they make more money than the 9700 non pro you might have bought.
Well, you're comparing list price to street price for one.
However, this thread is about questioning ATIs pricing policy. Their policy is to earn money by selling you a video card (or a chip to somebody who will sell you a video card).
If you can't buy the 9700 non-pro, you'll buy something else. Either you'll "downsell" and buy the 9600 pro, or upsell and buy the 9800 non-pro. Either way, they make more money than the 9700 non pro.
I see your point here, but knowing the price and (speculative) performance difference between the 9700np and the 9600pro, I would NEVER buy the 9600pro. And my guess is that anyone willing to buy a $200 video card will also know the performance difference.
So who will buy the 9600pro at those prices? It's price will have to come down a notch before people start buying it in quantity.
Johnny Rotten
07-Mar-2003, 00:19
I suspect the 9500 and 9700 lines will be phased out rather quickly now in order to clearly differentiate the products. ATIs lineup as of today is waaaay more complicated than it needs to be.
Joe DeFuria
07-Mar-2003, 00:23
I see your point here, but knowing the price and (speculative) performance difference between the 9700np and the 9600pro, I would NEVER buy the 9600pro. And my guess is that anyone willing to buy a $200 video card will also know the performance difference.
But if you can't BUY a 9700 non-pro any longer.....
So who will buy the 9600pro at those prices? It's price will have to come down a notch before people start buying it in quantity.
Or the 9700 will have to go away....
Hmm, that would suck. :evil:
Guess I'll have to buy soon.
I see your point here, but knowing the price and (speculative) performance difference between the 9700np and the 9600pro, I would NEVER buy the 9600pro. And my guess is that anyone willing to buy a $200 video card will also know the performance difference.
we are really in about the same position with the 9500pro at the moment though, i mean if you know better and have the few bucks extra to spend you would be silly not to get the 9700non-pro. from what i understand the 9600pro will be generally perform better than the 9500pro so it seems like a step in the right direction to me.
But right now their is a $60 difference between the 9500p and the 9700np. The 9600p and 9700np will potentially have less than $40 difference if prices drop.
demalion
07-Mar-2003, 16:02
Hmm, that would suck. :evil:
Guess I'll have to buy soon.
Or wait until the 9800 non Pro price lowers to match. Which, it would at release, if the 9700 prices had maintained their level as much as the Ti 4600 prices did during its lifetime. I tend to disagree that it is cause to complain that they did not... :)
The 9800 suggested retail prices I recall are the same as the 9700 when it launched, and I think the confusion is from viewing this as an "addition" refresh instead of a "replacement" refresh.
Note: the 9200 name still stinks for consumers, regardless. Well, unless they up the clock speed sufficiently so that it wins the majority of benchmarks compared to the "9100".
martrox
07-Mar-2003, 16:03
The point is that all 9700's and 9500's are history! There will only be an overlap while old inventory is still around. There is absolutely no reason for ATI to still manufacture the R300.
antlers
07-Mar-2003, 18:37
The problem is if ATI doesn't provide a performance boost over their current line at every price point people will start to feel ripped off.
I think 9600 will be safely ahead of 9500, and 9200 will beat 9000. 9800 Pro will beat 9700, etc.
The big question mark is 9600 Pro vs. 9500 Pro. They have very different architectures: 9500 has more pipes, but a lower speed. It is likely that in some benchmarks each will win.
So if you are looking at the 9500 Pro pricepoint, you might want to get one now before they go away.
But right now their is a $60 difference between the 9500p and the 9700np. The 9600p and 9700np will potentially have less than $40 difference if prices drop.
well i imaigne that when the price drops, it will be droping for the 9600p alone as they will have done sold out of the 9500p and 9700np anyway. so i don't realy see your point Sildes.
The problem is if ATI doesn't provide a performance boost over their current line at every price point people will start to feel ripped off.
well that just goes to show how stupid some people can be. "i got the same performace at the same price, i got ripped-off!" :lol:
RussSchultz
07-Mar-2003, 18:52
Well, truthfully, in the electronics industry, if you pay the same thing for the same thing a year later, you likely are getting "ripped off". But that's only the electronics industry.
but it is only a rip-off bescuse something better is already out for at least an arguably better deal; granted, that is usualy the case. but as long as there is nothing competitive in the pricerage, anyone who calls mantianing priceing a rip-off should be dissmissed as is a whiner, imho of course. :wink:
vBulletin® v3.8.6, Copyright ©2000-2013, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.