Weekly CPU & Video Card Price Guide: April 2001 1st Edition

Video Cards

AnandTech Weekly Video Card Prices
Video Card Model	Price	Change	Vendor	Shipping	Promotion
3dfx Voodoo5 5500 AGP	$119	$7	MWave	NA
3dfx Voodoo5 5500 PCI	$132	$0	Adamant Computers	$9
3dfx Voodoo4 4500 AGP	$85	$6	Axion Technologies	$11
3dfx Voodoo4 4500 PCI	$85	$1	Axion Technologies	$11
3dfx Voodoo3 3500TV AGP	$69	$0	Axion Technologies	$6
ATI RADEON 64MB DDR	$165	$11	Essential Computer	$12	OEM
ATI RADEON 32MB DDR (Retail)	$142	$5	MWave	NA
ATI RADEON 32MB DDR LE (OEM)	$73	$3	Jazz Technology	$11
ATI RADEON 32MB VE	$82	$2	Jazz Technology	$11
ATI RADEON 32MB SDR	$84	$1	Comp-U-Plus	$15
ATI RADEON ALL-IN-WONDER	$213	$0	Essential Computer	$12	OEM
NVIDIA GeForce2 ULTRA 64MB	$325	$2	OCIE.com	$10	INNO3D
NVIDIA GeForce2 PRO 64MB	$209	$10	Newegg.com	NA	MSI
NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS 64MB	$228	$12	Essential Computer	$12	Creative Labs
NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS 32MB	$140	$2	Newegg.com	NA	MSI
NVIDIA GeForce2 GTS 32MB VIVO (ASUS V7700 Deluxe)	$195	$4	Atacom	$10
NVIDIA GeForce2 MX 32MB	$61	$20	OCIE.com	$10	INNO3D
PowerVR KYRO 64MB	$89	$0	Shentech	$8
Matrox G450 32MB (DualHead)	$99	$0	Essential Computer	$12
Matrox G400 32MB	$109	$0	MWave	NA

The reader should note that 3dfx's acquisition by NVIDIA will result in them not being able to provide support for their cards, so purchase a Voodoo3/4/5 card at your own risk. There was little change in price this week for 3dfx cards. The Voodoo5 5500 PCI is still a great card for those without AGP slots wanting 3D acceleration. Also, the Voodoo3 3500 TV continues to be an excellent bargain for those wanting to add TV input and output to their PCs and are not concerned with 3D performance.

ATI's 64MB Radeon card saw an $11 price drop this week putting it at $165. The Radeon VE also showed a $2 drop in price making it $2 cheaper than the standard SDR Radeon. We'd recommend this card over the standard Radeon SDR to non-gamers as it adds dual display support but it is considerably slower in 3D performance when compared to the DDR cards.

We should note that several readers have pointed out that there are a few major differences between the Radeon 32MB DDR (Retail) and the Radeon 32MB DDR LE (OEM) which many online retailers fail to point out. The Radeon LE is actually a crippled version of the Retail card and does not feature ATI's Hyper-Z technology. It is important that readers understand this because Hyper-Z can have a significant effect on performance. The Radeon LE was originally meant to be an OEM product for some of the Asian markets. However the success of the product in those markets was overestimated and ATI was forced to bring the product to the North American market. The Radeon LE chips are generally composed of those chips that fail to work properly as fully functional Radeon solutions, meaning that they are often clocked at lower core frequencies and may not have fully functional HyperZ units. Many readers have been reporting success with overclocking their Radeon LEs as well as by forcing HyperZ to be enabled on the boards however proceed with your own risk as there are no guarantees. For more information consult the AnandTech Forums.

There wasn't much action among NVIDIA cards this week since we have yet to see the GeForce3 appear on the radar. The GeForce2 Pro 64MB saw a $10 price increase this week putting it at $209. This card offers excellent performance with it's faster 5ns DDR memory. This faster memory alleviates the some of the memory bandwidth limitations found in the standard 6ns GTS cards. Those looking for a low-end bargain should consider the GeForce2 MX which can now be found for $61; this card offers excellent 3D performance at a low price.

The PowerVR KYRO 64MB saw no change in price this week. This card is a unique alternative to the 3dfx Voodoo and NVIDIA GeForce cards. What makes this card unique is it's tile based rendering engine. If you are interested in the Kyro, we suggest you wait until the Kyro II kits the shelves later this month. The Kyro II offers GeForce2 Pro/Ultra performance for half the price.

The Matrox line of cards saw minimal changes in price this week. Those looking for excellent dual display capability may wish to purchase the Matrox G450 card as it has proven itself well in this category. For more information check out our Dual Display Comparison.

Related Reviews