Help with graphics card decision

donfarrell

So up until i got my mobo, I was going to get an MSI GTX 560ti off dabs (http://www.dabs.ie/products/msi-geforce-gtx-560-ti-880mhz-1gb-pci-e-hdmi-twin-frozr-ii-oc--n560gtx-ti-twin-frozr-ii-oc--7MVZ.html?src=15) then it turns out that my mobo wont support SLI only crossfire

So now im looking at to getting a Sapphire 6950 2gb (http://www.dabs.ie/products/sapphire-technology-ati-radeon-6950-hd-800mhz-2gb-pci-express-hdmi-7K58.html?q=6950&src=16)

Id like to stick another one in my case down the line or is going sli/crossfire really worth it compared to just buying the newest card next year?

ShadowHearth

You in the rush?

7870 and 7850 is out in march. By the looks of it those will be around 6970 and 6950 mark, but way more efficient with power.

donfarrell

No im not in a rush :L i wont be getting the card till like april hopefully :L ill only have like 250 max to spend though

ShadowHearth

donfarrell wrote: »

No im not in a rush :L i wont be getting the card till like april hopefully :L ill only have like 250 max to spend though

then wait wait wait.

7 gen ATI cards look like a real cracker! 250eu will be just the spot for 7850/7870.

donfarrell

Will 250 be enough for a brand new card? :L

ShadowHearth

The way pricing goes and the way rumors go 7850 and 7870 are going into 250-300eu bracket. That will be replacements for 6950 and 6970 with bit more hairier balls. If you will plan on cf in future it will be way more efficient to cf 7850 or 7870.

Monotype

I agree with SH; make your decision when the new cards are out. These cards should offer the price and performance that you're looking at.

Dublin_Gunner

The new mid range Nvidia cards could be out by then too.

Btw the 7870/50 are replacing the 6870/50. The 7970/50 replaced the high end cards.

The 7870/50 will be around the 200-250 for the standard versions, a little more for the custom versions.

Tea_Bag

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

The new mid range Nvidia cards could be out by then too.

Btw the 7870/50 are replacing the 6870/50. The 7970/50 replaced the high end cards.

The 7870/50 will be around the 200-250 for the standard versions, a little more for the custom versions.

the 7950 trades blows with the gtx580, which is a few % better in itself than the 6970.

the 7870 should be somewhere in between a 6950 and a 6970. I'd go so far to say that AMD will make sure its rests around there and no higher/lower.

ShadowHearth

Tea_Bag wrote: »

the 7950 trades blows with the gtx580, which is a few % better in itself than the 6970.

the 7870 should be somewhere in between a 6950 and a 6970. I'd go so far to say that AMD will make sure its rests around there and no higher/lower.

This.

Dublin_Gunner

ShadowHearth wrote: »

This.

Performance wise yes, but not the cards they're actually replacing. I never spoke about the cards relative performance, just the market segment they're being sold in. 78xx are mid range, therefore replacing the 68xx cards, but obviously at a higher performance level.

Monotype

They'll definitely be a bit more expensive than the current 6800s though. It could fall in time but the 6800s didn't fall that much over their lifetime.
I'd imagine the 7870 to be around the range of 6950-6970 as others have said and the 7850 maybe around where the 560/560ti is now - so a little lower than the 6900 series.

Dublin_Gunner

Monotype wrote: »

They'll definitely be a bit more expensive than the current 6800s though. It could fall in time but the 6800s didn't fall that much over their lifetime.
I'd imagine the 7870 to be around the range of 6950-6970 as others have said and the 7850 maybe around where the 560/560ti is now - so a little lower than the 6900 series.

The 6800's did drop a fair bit though. You can get a 6870 for 150 these days, they were over 200 at launch.

I can see the 78xx series dropping a fair bit too, if the alleged performance of NV's new chips is to be believed (660ti = 7970).

I'd be very surprised if the 7870 was more than 250 tbh. If it is, it's simply not going to sell.

200 is the sweet spot for mid-range cards, so I'd imagine maybe 7850 to be around that.

Monotype

The 6870s did drop by a fair bit alright, I was thinking more of the 6850, which dropped what? €20?

But look at the current prices of the 6950 (this card has actually been going up!) - the 7950 is above €400. They need some cards closer to that unless they release a 7890 or 7930.
There's also demand for the €200-€250 price range. That's what the 6950 is now and a lot of builds here are aimed at that point.

€200 does seem like a likely figure for the 7850, as I was saying - about the 560-560ti range. Maybe even a bit under the 200.

I suppose it highly depends on the competition. The 6870s were reduced to make them look good against any of nVidia's lower range cards while the 6950 was increased because it had a slight edge over the 560ti and the 570 was too much for most.

ShadowHearth

Dublin_Gunner wrote: »

The 6800's did drop a fair bit though. You can get a 6870 for 150 these days, they were over 200 at launch.

I can see the 78xx series dropping a fair bit too, if the alleged performance of NV's new chips is to be believed (660ti = 7970).

I'd be very surprised if the 7870 was more than 250 tbh. If it is, it's simply not going to sell.

200 is the sweet spot for mid-range cards, so I'd imagine maybe 7850 to be around that.

They can call it: ati 7999, but in reality it is here to replace 6950 and 6970. It's performance and price what's important, not name. It's an easy marketing move where they make you believe it replaces 6870 and gives bigger performance. It is priced higher them 6870 and will be on performance of 6950.

It will be 250 and 300eu for 7850 and 7870. It won't make any sense financially to go any lower as there will be big gaps between products.

Monotype

I think that the 7850 is more a replacement for the 6870. The 6850 and 6870 are priced a little closely at the moment. I'd estimate we'll see launch price of €200 or so like the 6870 with price settling to ~€160 later on. Performance would certainly be better than the 6870 currently is but will take its position in the long term.

We'll see with the 7750 & 7770. Their €100-200 range market is probably where they make most of their retail sales so if it's well covered by the 7700s, the 7800s will be higher.

FFS AMD just release the cards!

Edit:

ShadowHearth wrote: »

It will be 250 and 300eu for 7850 and 7870. It won't make any sense financially to go any lower as there will be big gaps between products.

That's much too close for two cards high up like that. It was unusual enough to have the 6850 & 6870 so closely priced and the gaps usually increase as you go up.

Dublin_Gunner

ShadowHearth wrote: »

They can call it: ati 7999, but in reality it is here to replace 6950 and 6970. It's performance and price what's important, not name. It's an easy marketing move where they make you believe it replaces 6870 and gives bigger performance. It is priced higher them 6870 and will be on performance of 6950.

It will be 250 and 300eu for 7850 and 7870. It won't make any sense financially to go any lower as there will be big gaps between products.

No, in reality, the 6970 and 6950 were ATI's high end cards. ATI's new high end cards are the 7970 and 7950, and that's what they're replacing at the high end.

The new mid range will have performance similar to the old high end, and that's what you'd expect. This doesn't suddenly mean they're aimed at a different market segment.

ShadowHearth

Well let be honest lads. When the last time ati made 500eu++ single gpu card.

They are looking to be high performance stuff, not bang for your money perfoamce stuff.

Anyway, my money on 250-300eu, for 7850 and 7870. Performance somewhere higher ( small bit ) then 6950 6970.

Now let's play the waiting game