14 DAY TRIAL // Until recently, despite all the hype surrounding NVIDIA’s upcoming DirectX 11 graphics cards and how they promise to outdo competing products, there were growing concerns about pricing. Regardless of how good a device is, there is a limit beyond which the benefits no longer outset or justify the price gap. These fears were somewhat quelled when the price of the GTX 480 was, not so long ago, reported to revolve around 450 Euro. Now, the same Fudzilla claims to have also found out the price tag of the GTX 470.
Since it is currently still unclear if, and by how much, the GTX 480 is better than AMD's HD 5870, it is hard to tell how well the Fermi device will compete, even though its price is much lower than the initial estimates of $600-$700.
The GTX 470, on the other hand, might be a strong competitor if the price now reported turns out to be genuine. The report states that the card will have a manufacturer recommended price of roughly 350 Euro. This means that if it proves to genuinely be superior to the HD 5870, which has a similar price point, it will actually be successful.
Of course, one should keep in mind this is the manufacturer price, to which are added taxes, distributor and partner costs, as well as the added amount necessary to enable the vendor to make a profit.
It should also be noted that ATI might reduce the price of its HD 5870 and that the HD 5850 is currently selling for more than it did during the first weeks after launch. Depending on how the GTX 470 and GTX 480 score in reviews, a price war might spark.
Currently, the release of NVIDIA's Fermi DirectX 11 cards is scheduled for March 26/27 (US/Europe).