The Official G84/G86 Rumours & Speculation Thread

[CJ]

It doesn't seem to me that X1950 Pro will pose much of a threat to the 8600 GT/GTS. Performance is sometimes lower, often similar, and sometimes higher, but featureset is lacking in comparison.

That all depends on the review that you're reading. If I'm to believe [H] the GF8600GTS is a god sent gift for the mainstream. Most other reviews on the other hand.

The X1950 XT is significantly faster, but selling it for under $200 street price (where the 8600 cards will likely hit) seems unlikely, since margins would be a disaster.

In Holland you can already buy a Sapphire X1950XT for €186,24. That's already less expensive than the OC versions of the GF8600GTS which go for around €200 (cheapest GTS currently €180) and are still significantly slower.

AMD has always been competitive when it comes to pricing. That's how they operated in the last couple of years in the CPU market. It wouldn't surprise me if they'd do the same in the GPU market.

 

[jamis]

It doesn't seem to me that X1950 Pro will pose much of a threat to the 8600 GT/GTS. Performance is sometimes lower, often similar, and sometimes higher, but featureset is lacking in comparison. The X1950 XT is significantly faster, but selling it for under $200 street price (where the 8600 cards will likely hit) seems unlikely, since margins would be a disaster.

Here's some prices:
X1950Pro 256MB starting at 112,90€

X1950XT 256MB starting at 181,05€

X1950XT 512MB staring at 217,20€

And my favourite
Palit X1950GT 512MB which can be flashed to Pro as the PCB identical including the memories

8600GTS isn't that bad just the price is.

 

[INKster]

This Zotac 8600 GTS sure is interesting.

720MHz core and... 2.4 GHz for the memory (!)

edit
That must be a typo.

 

[jimmyjames123]

That all depends on the review that you're reading. If I'm to believe [H] the GF8600GTS is a god sent gift for the mainstream. Most other reviews on the other hand.

[H]OCP and Firingsquad had similar results on a few different games. There is no doubt that there are some games where the 8600 GTS pulls ahead of the X1950 Pro, and quite a few others where performance is for all practical purposes equal (with image quality possibly being a bit better on the 8600). In some circumstances, the Pro takes a lead. Looking at the overall picture, putting it all together, the 8600 GTS looks better than the Pro because of DirectX 10 compatibility and improved video processing engine. On the flip side, there is no doubt that the X1950 XT is significantly faster.

In Holland you can already buy a Sapphire X1950XT for €186,24. That's already less expensive than the OC versions of the GF8600GTS which go for around €200 (cheapest GTS currently €180) and are still significantly slower.

AMD has always been competitive when it comes to pricing. That's how they operated in the last couple of years in the CPU market. It wouldn't surprise me if they'd do the same in the GPU market.

At that price, the X1950 XT has a much better price/performance ratio. In the USA, there is little chance that we will see X1950 XT dip to the expected sub-$200 street prices that the 8600 is expected to have. How much does the 8800 GTS 320MB version cost in the Netherlands? One can only wonder if it is the freshness of the product or very limited supply at the moment that is keeping 8600 GTS price in Holland at the level it is.

 

[Kaotik]

Just for comparison, finnish Radeon prices (cheapest price available for each):
X1950 GT 512MB: 144€
X1950 Pro 256MB: 157€
X1950 Pro 512MB: 180€
X1950 XT 256MB: 199€
X1950 XT 512MB: 240€

The list doesn't sadly have 8600's yet, but the few people that I know who bought theirs, paid 199€ and 214€ for their GTS's (bought from different stores)
edit:
To add, couple GF8800 prices
GF8800 GTS 320MB: 286€
GF8800 GTS 640MB: 365€

 

[CJ]

How much does the 8800 GTS 320MB version cost in the Netherlands? One can only wonder if it is the freshness of the product or very limited supply at the moment that is keeping 8600 GTS price in Holland at the level it is.

The cheapest 8800GTS320 goes around for about €262,-.

 

[Hanners]

This Zotac 8600 GTS sure is interesting.

720MHz core and... 2.4 GHz for the memory (!)

edit
That must be a typo.

Memory overclocked to 1.2GHz DDR (2.4GHZ effective) surely? I've seen other boards in press releases with a similar stock memory overclock.

 

[Mcmlxxx IV]

In the USA, there is little chance that we will see X1950 XT dip to the expected sub-$200 street prices that the 8600 is expected to have. How much does the 8800 GTS 320MB version cost in the Netherlands? One can only wonder if it is the freshness of the product or very limited supply at the moment that is keeping 8600 GTS price in Holland at the level it is.

They already have...barely.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102067

Sapphire x1950xt 256 for $209 with a $20 MIR. You can get x1950pros approaching $150 now after MIRs.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161062

 

[Anarchist4000]

Yeah like mentioned above the 1950XTs have already made it under the $200 mark in the US. The pros are significantly less that that. The 8600GTS isn't a bad card but the price/performance ratio on it is horrible. Image quality is only likely to differ when you start using AA and the 8600 isn't exactly great with AA due to it's lack of bandwidth.

 

[MulciberXP]

Get them x1950s while they last then, because they wont last much longer. As always once the R600 line is launched and the inventory on old x1950 runs low, the price of those x1950pros will only go up due to demand while increased competition combined with a low BOM and increasing yeilds will steadily bring the price of the 8600s down to the $150 range. Im willing to bet this will happen within the next 3 months. And you can bet that nvidia will be getting twice the margins on this $150 price than ATI was getting with the x1950 as their price has been artificially lowered for lack of anything to compete with at the high end.

 

[INKster]

Memory overclocked to 1.2GHz DDR (2.4GHZ effective) surely? I've seen other boards in press releases with a similar stock memory overclock.

Nope. It's a typo indeed.
Later in the same article they do an overclocking test, and the memory reads 1156 MHz (2.32 GHz effective).

 

[jimmyjames123]

Take a look at the big gap in architectural specs between 8800 GTS and 8600 GTS here:

http://www.nvidia.com/page/geforce8.html

Wouldn't it be nice to see an 8700 GTS with 64 stream processors, 256 bit memory bus, and 256MB RAM (or even perhaps option of 512MB RAM)? One would think this would be a great performer for the $200-$250 price range.

 

[Geeforcer]

I agree, that gaping line-up hole is begging for 8800GS or 8600 GTX/Ultra.

 

[trinibwoy]

Yep I think a 48 or 64 shader part could be in the cards. Maybe we'll see it when they refresh their high-end lineup.

 

[jimmyjames123]

With 64 sp's and 256 bit bus, it would be unique enough in the 8 series lineup to warrant the 8700 GTS name Then there would be 8800, 8700, 8600, 8500, 8400, 8300 (last two being OEM models).

Edit: maybe an 8700 GTS would be internally known as G85?

 

[Twinkie]

http://www.guru3d.com/newsitem.php?id=5219

Posted by Hilbert Hagedoorn on April 20, 2007 - 3:35 PM ​

I was just reading through NIVDIA's ForceWare 158 Driver release notes which they posted in public and noticed that yet another GeForce 8800 card is in the works .. a GeForce 8800 GS. Now you read the reviews on 8600 GTS, the good and the bad.
My bet .. 256MB 256-bit memory clocked slower and say a shader core or hmmm 48 ? It's just an assumption though. Now back to the release notes .. I highlighted this little discovery in blue.

8800GS could be the bridge product that we've been speculating about.

 

[jimmyjames123]

I suppose 8800 GS makes sense. With 64 sp's, it would be exactly 1/2 the sp's of the 8800 GTX.

 

[trinibwoy]

I wonder if it's a G80 based part. Wouldn't it be cheaper to tape out another chip with 64 shaders? Unless G80 yields are poor enough that they have enough partially functioning cores to fill the performance segment

 

[PapaSurf]

Pray for single slot, non-monster cooler block...What are the chances?

 

[INKster]

I wonder if it's a G80 based part. Wouldn't it be cheaper to tape out another chip with 64 shaders? Unless G80 yields are poor enough that they have enough partially functioning cores to fill the performance segment

6800 XT, anyone ?