As we wait for more CPUs, APUs and graphics cards from Advanced Micro Devices, we naturally end up spotting matters that are only partially related, if at all. The one we will speak of here is quite important for all prospective customers of the Sunnyvale, California-based company: video card pricing.
If what
VR-Zone says is true, Monday (July 16, 2012) will mark the drop in price of all high-end Radeon video boards.
The Radeon HD 7970 will sell for $429, which is approximately €350, based on exchange rates. We believe EU prices will be closer to €380-€390 though.
That's very low compared to the original $549 / €500, but it was warranted. After all, the
HD 7970 GHz edition, which ousted NVIDIA's GeForce GTX 680 from the top performance spot, sells for $499 / €395, so it would have been strange for the regular model to not be cheaper. Moving on, the Radeon HD 7950 will carry a price tag of $349, or €268 (more likely €300 on retailers, or thereabouts). Right now, it ships for $375 / €349.
Both the HD 7970 and the HD 7950 will be bundled with three free DirectX 11-capable games (the Three-for-Free promotion).
Really, that might even be overkill, since we expect the
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 670 and 680 to be put under pressure even without the extra incentive of a wider game collection.
Besides the top-tier single-GPU graphics cards, AMD will cut the money requirements on the HD 7870, which just barely ranks in the mainstream segment.
Right now, it goes for $280-$330 in the US (a curiously wide range really) and €287-€314 (depending on whether or not it is factory overclocked).
Once Monday comes around, people should be able to find 7870 GHz edition at $299 / €244, with a free copy of DiRT Showdown included (normally $50 / €40.87 on its own).
The price modifications are the final hint that the
dual-GPU HD 7990 is drawing near, or a measure to ensure rapid sales before the launch of the Radeon HD 8000 (
Venus, Mars and Oland), or both.
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